The Alpha's Exchanged Mate
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 194

Alexander’s POV…

Edwina had been crying in her sleep when I got into the room. When I hurried to her side, her eyes were closed, which obviously met she was fast asleep. Her hums resounded.

My body and mind were too exhausted to keep an eye on her. So instead, I lay next to her wrapping my arms around her as I shut my eyes for some blissful sleep.

Her attempt to move away from my hold had woken me up. “Hey,” I whispered, trying to adjust my eyes to the ray of sunlight that seeped in through the slightly opened curtain.

“Good morning.” Edwina’s voice sounded coarse. It hurt me as I imagined how long she must have been crying. “When did you return?” She asked, moving away from me as she sat up.

I did the same as her, “this morning.” I replied, letting out a long yawn as I rubbed at my tired eyes.

The way she blinked, it was obvious she had no more tears to let out. Her crying tank was dry. If I was the tank too, there was no way I would seek a refill. Her eyes held such huge bags if they were added to car airbags, they would suffocate an accident victim.

I don’t intend to sound hard-hearted, but I don’t understand why she is losing her mind over Sonia’s death. All Sonia had ever caused Edwina was hurt and pain, even though she had obviously sought forgiveness in her last hours. It still didn’t count for the past years of torment. But there is no way I would understand how Edwina’s mind works. It’s one of the reasons I am so smitten by her.

I wiped at the single tear that rolled down her face, “it’s okay, Edwina. You would hurt yourself badly at this rate.”

She sniffed, trying to blink back the tears. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“I know how you feel, and I know how it feels to lose a loved one. But you can’t continue this way; it’s not your fault.”

“It’s my fault, Xander….” She began.

I g*****d inwardly. Here we go again with her putting herself in the middle of all the mess created by others.

Listen, baby…..” Edwina cut me short, not letting me finish. I had to bite hard on my tongue.

“If I had stayed with her or brought her over to the main house on my insistence, she would still be safe with us and be chanced to tend to her child.”

Accepting that she wouldn’t listen to me, I stretched out my hands. She took the cue and leaned into my embrace.

“Whatever it is you are feeling, I am right here for you.” I patted her back.

Edwina burst into another bout of tears, this might sound selfish, but I was beginning to fear for my own unborn child. I had heard pregnant women aren’t supposed to be crying. But not only was Edwina crying, she was grieving too. How would the cub come out happy with a sad mother?

I needed to make sure she healed from the pain. My mind raced back to the event that had taken place at the sizzlers pack early this morning. I had almost forgotten all about it. This was sure to be good news, and I can bet she would be happier about it and probably proud of me for taking a hasty decision when it was necessary.

“You might cheer up hearing this,” I muttered into her hair.

“You found John Sinclair?” Edwina sat up, staring at me with eager eyes. She would lap up any form of news that was relayed to her.

“Yup.” I nodded.

She jumped at me, almost pulling out my neck, “you don’t say!”

A proud grin spread on my lips. “I mean every word; he is in the dungeon awaiting his sentence.”

“How did you find him and where? Is that why you weren’t home last night?” Edwina queried, almost running out of breath.

This time around, I felt really proud to blow my horn my own self. “Actually, I ordered my men to attack the sizzlers pack last night, and we resolved it all in the early hours of the morning.”

The look on her face was so priceless it made me want to leap into the air screaming loudly. Not only did Edwina look impressed, but her eyes were also filled with admiration surpassing the sadness in them.

“We found John hiding in the sizzlers pack. And thankfully, I had followed my instincts for us to carry out our attack earlier than planned due to John’s escape. It had prevented a chaotic attack that might have brought the night howlers to its knees.”

“How did it go? How many of you are hurt? Are you hurt anywhere?” She threw the questions at me while running her hands through my body to check for any form of wounds.

I chuckled, “I’m fine, Edwina. We came to a form of negotiation with the sizzlers pack alpha, telling him to release Ben and John to us. We wouldn’t have to indulge in any b***d-shedding.”

“He agreed?”

“Well, he only agreed on the conditions of taking control over an expanse of night howlers’ land. Bethel would also be having dinner with us soon.”

“This is excellent news. We are safe then?” Her eyes held so many questions.

And I knew what they were. I held her by the shoulders, holding her gaze. “no one is going to take you away from me, Edwina.”

Edwina nodded in response, her eyes glued to the bed sheets. “How about Ben?” The question came in a mere whisper, more like she feared hearing the answer.

I tried to hold back the sly smirk coming to my face, despite the feeling I had got when Ben’s body lay a few feet away from me. If I must be frank, he deserved what he got. He got served just the way the goddess wanted him to. Ben had been a pain in the neck for many of us, including Edwina herself.

I would have bet my life on it that her mood would change to a joyous one the moment she hears of Ben’s demise.

What I don’t get is why she had such a horrified look on her face when I did tell her, “Ben is dead!”