The Alpha's Exchanged Mate
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 63

Author’s POV…

It was a day that brought this natural feeling of anxiety. One didn’t have to do much or even say much to be anxious. There was no feeling worse than the one that had to do with lies. The feeling that came with not being completely honest with the one you claim to want to make things better with.

But that was the case for Edwina right now; she was in a state of total and utmost dismay, confused to the brim of her knowledge on how to go about things and lacking the strength to do them.

There was no way a trial was to be held, and she wouldn’t be in attendance. Her being in attendance would mean that her sister would find out the reason why she had not agreed to be her witness and all the secrets and lies she had been keeping away from her. She knew this was an impossible case.

“Why can’t I just stay behind and not go?” She had asked Becca when she was still struggling with her thoughts. Becca was in the full picture of all that was going on and why Edwina didn’t want to be in attendance at the trial.

“As the Luna, any trial without you being in attendance would be made null and void,” she replied to her, ” and especially it being a trial that involves a female wolf, you have to be there, else your sister’s trial won’t hold. All the elders of the land would kick against it,”

She slapped her hands on her forehead. This would be another reason Sonia would hate her if she ever gets to find out that not only did she refuse to stand as a witness for her, but she was also the reason the trial never got to hold.

She glared at Becca with frustration written all over her face; she was confused and dismayed. She felt like her world was closing in on her, and of course, that pseudo-claustrophobic syndrome was already kicking in for her. There was no way she could get out of this, and truly, she was in no mental capacity to deal with the wrath of her sister. She had always been afraid of Sonia in a way. What she felt for her was a profound kind of fear, but recently, that fear had begun to transition to love. Now it was all fear again, fear of the unknown, fear of the unusual, and most especially fear of the known.

“What am I supposed to do?” She asked Becca, hoping she could get this solution sooner than later.

Becca scrutinized the room properly. “I have this idea,” she said, and a glimpse of hallowed hope flashed on her face. She anticipated, but Becca remained quiet for a while.

“What is It? Lay it on me,” she inquired anxiously.

“I am not sure if it would work,” Becca spoke as she was assisting Edwina in picking out some outfits, Alex had left early with Caleb to prepare for the court, and Edwina also felt like Alex was avoiding her because he came back late last night from reading when she was half asleep. She only noticed when he probably struggled to get on the bed, she wouldn’t know she was already far gone, and he left very early in the morning. He was avoiding her, she could sense it, and she could almost bet she knew the reason why. He didn’t want to have to talk about Sonia with her when she brought up the rational suggestion of having Sonia’s trial. He was not for it but accepted, so this situation must be as difficult for him as it was for her.

“I think, the only way we can pull this off is if you dress in the royal wedding way,” Becca finally suggested in a silent whisper.

“Are you for real?” She questioned her. That goes for one crazy idea, dressing in the royal wedding way would mean her covering herself head to toe. This ritual is usually carried out at weddings before the sealing of the two couples and unveiling for the bride.

“Think of it. That’s the only way. How else do you want to go unnoticed?” She asked her, and Edwina puzzled around her head, thinking of the best way forward, thinking of a way to make things work out today without her actually losing her mind.

“I don’t know Becca, at this point, I don’t know what to do, and I think Alex is avoiding me so that we don’t get to have this discussion,” Becca walked to the mirror side where Edwina sat down and glared at her. She took the comb from the wooden cupboard and began to brush her hair.

“I am sure he is still under a lot of pressure and is trying to pick his battles. You know Ben is still on the loose and that alone is a terrible struggle he has to deal with every day,” she stated.

“I know all this and trust me, I am not trying to invalidate his feelings, but we are all dealing with one thing or the other, and I think the way we can all get through this is by being there for each other,” she explained to Becca who nodded her head.

“So you think there is no other option?” She asked her again. This time she needed to be sure before making such a decision.

“Okay, I will go through all the alternative plans in the space of a few minutes in my head. They are being reviewed, and their result will be out in a few minutes,” she teased, and Edwina laughed. She needed that laughter to lessen the weight of all that was happening on her shoulder.

“So what is the result,” she played along.

“I think this is the best way to get through this day with your sanity still intact,”

“Hmmm,” she sighed, knowing somehow Becca was right, she wished it could be easier, but it wasn’t. Life has never been that easy for her from the onset, so sometimes she felt like she needed to do the extra, work the extra, laugh the extra and be extra to get noticed. Thriving so much to be the best but having never been seen or recognized as that because of one factor that was lacking. Even in school, she was a straight-A student, and she never got a B in any of her courses, but when it came to being awarded valedictorian of the year, she was denied and was told she wasn’t qualified. She cried and sobbed bitterly because she knew the only reason she wasn’t made valedictorian was that she wasn’t a wolf or, rather, because she didn’t have any wolf.

Becca helped her dress in a long purple gown and tied up a mini gale, then used a long silk veil to cover her face. With the make-up and all that, she looked extraordinarily beautiful.

“Becca, I never did ask you, how is it with you and Caleb?” She asked when they were both gazing at her in the mirror with admiration.