The Beast's Substitute Bride

Chapter forty-four

"Nevaeh" I muttered under my breath, shocked as hell. What was she doing here? Why did she show up? Why was she here?

I stormed towards her, filled with anger. I jerked her arm roughly to lead her away from everybody.

"What the fuck are you doing here" I asked angrily trying to pull her away but she wouldn't budge. She ripped her arms out of my grip.

"To tell the truth"

"The truth?" I looked at her like she had gone insane. No. She was fucking insane.

"I want to right my wrongs Paisley"

"I didn't fucking ask you to. Go away Nevaeh. I'm fine and happy here"

"What's going on?" Elowen asked from behind me.

"Nothing. She's leaving" I said quickly.

"I'm not. I want to say the truth" I glared at her but she pushed past me and went to meet Elowen.

"I'm Nevaeh. Elowen's twin sister" she held out her hands. Elowen cast a glance at me before taking her hands.

"Nice to meet you. You're a spitting image of your sister"

"Thank you" Nevaeh said in a clipped tone.

"Let's go Nevaeh" i tugged her arms again. She looked at me coldly and I mouthed 'please' but she ignored me again and turned to face Elowen. My eyes instantly went to Brayan. He had a blank look on his face and the rest of the family had curious and confused faces.

"This ritual cannot continue"

"And why is that?" Gwyneth asked with crossed arms.

"Because everything has been a lie"

"Nevaeh" I shouted tears filling my eyes. Today was supposed to go well. Why was she doing this to me? Why did she come back?

"The truth?" Elowen asked still focused on her.

"Paisley is not supposed to get mated to the alpha. I am" there were gasps and murmurs and I simply bent my head in shame and met the tears fall.

"Your words are confusing. Explain further child" Dakarai spoke for the first time since Nevaeh showed up.

"The selection was done as usual and my family was chosen. As the oldest twin, I was expected to come in place of Paisley but I got scared. I didn't want to get mated to someone I didn't know or leave my family and so I ran away"

"You ran away girl. She took your place. That doesn't matter" Winry said angrily.

"It does. I cannot possibly let my sister do something she doesn't want to"

"And who told you that she doesn't want to? She Id fucking happy to get mated today. To a man that she loves" Marisol said and Nevaeh scoffed.

"A man she loves? She can't possibly love two men"

"Please stop Nevaeh" I tried to pull her away one last time but Elowen stopped me.

"Let her finish" her voice was cold and so was her expression. I had never seen her look like that ever.

"Paisley has a fiancé. She loves him so much and she was going to get married to him until she was forced to come here. She always had plans to leave whenever I come back"

"Is this true?" Elowen asked me angrily.

"I..." I couldn't speak because I was crying so much.

"Fucking answer me. Did you plan to leave my sim after you got mated to him? Is everything she's saying the truth?" She screamed angrily, coming towards me but Dakarai held her back.

"Yes. I was engaged to be married" I said in a small voice and I watched her expression change. I looked at Brayan who had a hurt look on his face. The moment our eyes met, he stormed off and I tried to follow him so that I could explain better but Elowen held my arms tightly, stopping me. Her nail dug into my skin.

"You fucking bitch" she slapped me hard.

"Don't hit her" Nevaeh pulled me away from her and stood between us.

"I accepted you into my home. Treated you like my own daughter and you were going to betray us like this?"

"No" I said quickly, pushing Nevaeh from my front so that I could look at Elowen.

"That was the plan in the beginning. Nevaeh was supposed to be found and brought back"

"And what was supposed to happen after she came back?"

"We were supposed to swap places" I bent my head in shame. Saying it now just made me realize how cruel the plan was.

"What the fuck Paisley? How could you" Winry asked.

"It was only in the beginning because I didn't want to be here. Things changed. I fell in love with Brayan. I wasn't going to leave anymore" I tried to explain my situation. Maybe if they knew the truth, they would understand me and hopefully forgive me.

"Your words don't mean shit anymore. The mating will not continue" she said in a calm voice and the remaining part of my heart shattered into pieces.

"Mom..." I started but she cut me off.

"Don't call me that. We trusted you like our own family and all you did was to lie and pretend?"

"I didn't..."

"Like I said earlier, the mating will not continue" she cut me off sharply. She stormed to the high stone where the clay pit with our mixed blood sat and threw it harshly on the ground. The pot shattered and the ground became stained with our blood.

"Leave this instant" she shouted from her spot.

"Elowen..." I tried to meet her but Dakarai blocked my way.

"It's best if you leave" he said in a low voice. I looked to the other girls but they all had angry and disappointed looks. Nevaeh tugged me away but I didn't move.

"Let's go Paisley. It's all over" she said but I didn't move. I couldn't move.

"This is what you get when you force innocent girls to come and be breeding cows for your household" Nevaeh spat over my head.

"I suggest you shut up and leave while I'm being nice" Winry stepped forward.

"Let's leave this place Paisley" she continued to push me. I heard the sound of a car and thick arms wrapped around my waist. I inhaled a familiar scent I have not smelled in a month.

"Come my child" mama said as she moved me.

"Please" I begged again but no one responded. They all turned their backs on me.

"Come Paisley" mama pulled me and I let her. I couldn't see past the tears in my eyes. She helped me into the car and sat beside me, pulling me into her arms. I cried into her clothes.

Everything. Everything had crumbled just like that. My happiness and future, gone.

"It's okay child" mama whispered into my hair trying to console me.

It wasn't okay. It would never be okay.

Above all, I would never be okay.