The Alpha Queen's Mate (Book 5 of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 22

The pack house was even more beautiful up close and the car stopped in front of the front door. Noelle gazed at it out the window and sighed. She wasn't very happy to be facing them all alone, but at the same time, she was to one day be their Queen, and she needed to get over herself. There would always be times when she'd have to do things she didn't want to do. It just annoyed her that she was walking into Alex's pack house for the first time without him by her side. Did his pack even know about her yet? She highly doubted Flora had told anyone about her.

The car door was opened for her and she looked up to see two women walk outside. One was Flora, holding a small child in her arms and the other was a very pregnant beautiful blond woman, who looked like she was ready to give birth at any moment. Well, at least someone was coming out to greet her. Perhaps the Beta or Gamma Female? But no, she couldn't sense that from her.

Noelle climbed out of the car and stood for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Where's Alex?" Flora asked her, stepping off the porch and striding over to her.

"I'm not sure," Noelle admitted. He'd been too angry to tell her where he was going.

"Did you piss him off?" Flora smirked at her.

Noelle didn't respond to that barb. She wasn't sure why Flora didn't like her, and decided to change the subject. "And who's this?"

"This is Elizabeth, Alex's daughter," Flora said smugly.

Noelle stared at the toddler for a moment, as Flora's words registered in her mind. She could see it; the resemblance was uncanny, and she felt her heart drop. Her gaze darted up to the pregnant she-wolf on the porch. The pup looked like her as well.

"And I'm his wife." She said, holding out one hand to show off the giant diamond on her finger while the other rubbed her belly.

Alex was married??!! Noelle felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. She turned from the two women and walked away, then promptly threw up her lunch all over the lawn. She took several deep breaths as pain ripped through her. He'd betrayed her. He'd betrayed both of them.

'We're going to have to reject him,' Holly said angrily, though Noelle could detect the underlying sadness and hurt.

Noelle stood there, staring off into the distance. Why hadn't he told her? He'd had plenty of opportunities. Instead he'd dragged her across the country and into his own territory without informing her of anything. Like the fact that he was married. With pups already.

She looked up as a large white wolf walked out of the brush, and shifted into Alex. He looked around at the three women and sighed. Then he glared at Flora. "I know you did this intentionally. All of it. You've been acting like a little brat ever since I found my mate."

"You're married, Alex! You didn't tell her, and you made promises to Evangeline!" she yelled back at him.

"I will NOT tolerate your disrespect. Get in the house!" he growled at her.

She hurried up the steps and Alex looked at Noelle. "Are you coming?"

She could tell that he was still angry with her, but at this point, she no longer cared. She was angry herself and hurt. Her heart ached at the betrayal. If he was married, why hadn't he marked his wife? It would have broken the bond between them and created a new one with his chosen. Noelle would have never even known he could have possibly been her mate. She would have been mated to someone else, and not had to suffer through what she now knew was coming.

Even if Alex was to divorce his wife, she wouldn't take him. It would be frowned upon by the entire werewolf community and she would have to work even harder to earn the respect of these stodgy old Alphas. She'd be known as the homewrecker Queen.

She glared at him and felt her anger grow and knew it was being fueled by her wolf. Holly would help her to get through this and anger would keep her from breaking apart. She walked over to him and stopped, inches away. She tried to ignore her body's reaction to him, the pull of the mate bond, and her need to forgive him and accept him no matter what. "Why?"

"Why what?" He frowned at her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were married? Why didn't you tell me you had a child and your wife was pregnant?" Noelle accused, feeling her anger grow even hotter. She couldn't lose control though. She had to walk that fine line.

"Because that's none of your business," he growled at her, his eyes flashing with his own anger.

"I'm your mate! Did you intend to keep the both of us?" She asked him. He really wouldn't think of doing that, would he? If he marked her, she'd know every single time he had sex with his wife. She wondered if he'd intended to mark both of them. Though he'd never marked his wife, which spoke volumes.

He didn't respond to her question, which basically confirmed to her that yes, he intended to keep both his wife and his mate.

"You did!" She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She couldn't be with him. Not when he was married to another woman. She was to be Queen. And if he thought any woman would put up with this, he was insane. She highly doubted his wife would accept her either. Not willingly.

It would set them all up for a bunch of heartache. She never had any intention of sharing her mate with another woman. Alex would be hers alone. She wouldn't share him with anyone, let alone sit by and watch him have sex with another woman, and have pups with that woman.

"I will not have some damn she-wolf talk to me this way on my own front lawn. If you think you can disrespect me like this, you better get that idea out of your pretty little head right now!" He roared at her.

"Or what?" Noelle could feel her aura start to seep out a bit. She pulled back on it. She was a bit afraid of losing control. She'd never in her life been so angry before. Her emotions were like a whirlwind inside of her, threatening to consume her and spill over. If she completely lost it, she might kill him and that would break her. 'Holly?'

'I've got you. You're not going to lose control. Stop focusing on that and end this. We can break down later,' Holly comforted her. Noelle felt a surge of strength.

She saw Alex's eyes glow blue, and he suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. "You will get in the house and we will discuss this in the privacy of our bedroom!"

Noelle's eyes widened at his words. "Get your hand off me," she growled.

"You, Little Mate, are treading on dangerous ground," he growled back, not letting her go.

He might be the one losing control, she thought, watching his eyes go back and forth between his wolf's and his own. Would his wolf really attack his own mate? She didn't think he would, but if he did, so be it. She could take him.

She could feel his hand squeezing her arm tighter and tighter. "Let go of me," she growled at him. She still was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that all of this was happening.

"Get in the house. Evangelina will show you to our room. You will stay there until I cool off and then I will come up and speak to you. And I will punish you for your behavior, Mate. This is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it," Alex growled at her.

"You expect me to share a room with you and her?!" This was getting more and more insane by the moment. She was getting Persephone vibes from the whole entire thing. That she-wolf had thought she could have three mates, two of which did not want her. She'd practically killed one of them, had marked him against his will, and had ended up dead for all of her efforts, executed by one of the men she'd wanted to mate. "And you think you're going to punish ME?!" For what? Standing up for herself? Daring to question him? She wondered if he ever punished his wife.

"You will. And a bed. And if I want to have sex with you both at the same time, you will do as I say," Alex stared at her. He'd loosened up his grip on her arm, though he still had ahold of her. She felt like punching him in the face.

'Im sorry, Holly. I can't do this,' Noelle said quietly to her wolf.

'I know. We will have another though. He's crazy to think we would put up with this,' Holly said, angrily. She'd been growling lowly at him for the last several moments.

"I, Noelle Rem..."

Alex slapped a hand over her mouth, startling her, and she could see the rage on his face. "You will not reject me!"