The Beast's Substitute Bride

Chapter forty-eight

"Brayan" I mumbled in disbelief. He was here. He was standing in front of me. It felt surreal. I hurried over to him and touched him just to be sure that he was really here.

Tears clouded my vision.

"Why did you have your hands on her" he moved towards Edel.

"She's my fiancée. I have the right to hold her" Edel said in a cocky manner and Brayan snarled at him. I saw fear flash in his eyes and I stepped between them.

"Leave now" Brayan commanded.

"Paisley.." Edel started but I cut him off.

"Please Edel. Just leave" he looked hurt but he nodded and left the house.

I faced Brayan who was already looking at me. He looked so beautiful even with his over grown beard and hardened jaw. His hair was styled sleekly and I wanted to run my fingers through the strands.

"You came" I smiled even though my heart was beating in my chest. It was the only thing that made its way through my lips even though I had a million things to say to you.

"I needed to see you"

"I missed you" I said softly and his eyes softened.

"You've lost a lot of weight and your eyes are swollen. Have you been skipping meals" he caressed my cheeks softly and I leaned into his touch.

I avoided the question. "How did you find here"

"Silas took me to your home and your mother gave me the direction to this place. Why have you been skipping meals?" He rubbed his thing gently on my jaw.

"I've not been skipping meals" I lied through my teeth and from his eyes, I knew he didn't believe me.

"I missed you too" he said softly. If I wasn't so attentive to him, I would have missed him. His words caused a wide smile to spread on my face.

"We need to talk" he said suddenly and pulled away from me. His aura had suddenly gone cold and my smile was replaced by a frown but I followed him as he moves to the couch.

I played with my fingers as j waited for him to start speaking but he didn't say anything for a long while and we were seating in an awkward silence. I shifted uneasily on my seat still waiting for him to say something but he kept looking at the stitching on the couch.

I decided to apologize first before he started talking and to break the awkward silence between us.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. I was going to say the truth"

"When were you going to say the truth?"

"After the mating. I was going to tell you the truth"

"I knew about it already" my eyes widened. He knew about it already?

"H-How?"

"I visited the human town before you were brought to my pack and I met Nevaeh at the bakery. She was crying and revealed that she was the one that was going to be sent to the pack as my chosen mate. I was attracted to her so I was looking forward to it"

"But your reaction that day. You didn't look happy"

"I knew her scent already. The instant I smelled you, I knew you were someone else. It didn't help that Gannon had your scent all over him. I thought you were one of his whores"

"No. I met with Gannon that day by accident. We collided into each other and my perfume broke and spilled on him"

"I didn't know that then but I knew you weren't Nevaeh. I decided to wait until I got something against you so I could end the mating until things changed between us"

"I'm sorry for lying to everyone. Nevaeh was the one originally chosen. We tried to find away around it so she didn't have to go but nothing was working. My family sent me to your pack out of fear when she disappeared"

"You were going to return back to your fiancé?"

"That was the plan in the beginning. They were supposed to find Nevaeh and bring her to your pack so we could swap places and I could return to my life"

"Do you still love him?"

"No. I don't love him anymore. It's you that I love" I took his hands in mine, half expecting him to pull away but he tightened his hands around mine.

"I love you to Paisley but.... we can never be mated to each other"

"Why? We did all the rituals successfully. I love you as much as you love me"

"The blood bond was destroyed. My family is against the union"

"Can't we find a way around it?" I asked desperately. If there was anything that I could do so his family would forgive me, I would do it in a heartbeat.

"There no way around it. You lied and deceived them. They'll never forgive you" he said coldly and my heart clenched.

"And you? Will you ever forgive me?" It was what mattered the most to me. If he forgave me, I would at least find some peace within myself.

"It doesn't matter"

"Then why did you come to see me" I raised my voice angrily. Seeing him her made me think there was hope. That there was a chance everything would be forgiven and we could go back together.

"Should I have ignored your texts and wishes to see me?"

"It would have been better for me. Showing up here just to tell me that you will never forgive me is far worse than ignoring me" I cried bitterly.

"I just couldn't. I came to see you one last time"

"You shouldn't have come"

"I love you Paisley, but we cannot be together"

His words shattered my heart. I was trying so hard to hold the tears in and it felt like my heart would burst.

"Goodbye" he stood up and I watched him leave through blurry eyes. He didn't even look back once.

I wailed, muffling the sounds with my dress. It felt like I was going to die. My heart was literally shattered. He shouldn't have showed up.

I would have eventually moved on if he had continued to ignore me. But dashing my hope like this, I was never going to recover.

"Paisley" Kamiko's voice was gentle as she moved me from the couch into her arms.

"Shhhh. Don't cry. It'll be alright"

It would never be alright. I wanted to die. My mind kept replaying his last words. It was over forever.

"Paisley" Nevaeh pulled me into her arms.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

Everyone was sorry but it would never bring back Brayan.