But... I am the Substitute

The two of them were set on staring at each other. No one spoke, nor did anyone try to ease the stifling awkwardness that seemed to increase as seconds passed. They were in a stalemate.

Isabelle felt even more anxious as the man before her stepped forward towards her. Like a beast stalking its prey, he walked with stealthy grace and arrogance to back it up, he was after all, the current Wolven Emperor's brother. Every step he took, her heart thudded restlessly inside her chest.

"Your Highness," greeted Isabelle to the man as she took a deep curtsy to him. Too bad, she didn't wear a beautiful dress that night, and only wore a simple dress that used to have be pristine white. Now, it was almost gray from overuse.

But Isabelle didn't think that her new husband would mind it observing how they shipped her so quickly as though the world was about to end, and the man before her was in a hurry to get rid of his single status.

"You are..." Hawke trailed on as he tried to remember the name that the elders slipped from their lips after telling him that they had chosen another bride for him after the last one died. As far as he could remember, her name should be Anna? Anastasia? Or was it Alicia?

"Isabelle, Your Highness." Isabelle smiled. "My name is Isabelle."

Hawke looked at her once again and nodded his head, seemingly not interested in knowing more about his new wife. But that was expected of him since this new wife of his will soon die again by his hands.

Isabelle couldn't understand why this man suddenly turned cold after knowing her name. When they met outside and he caught her before she fell to the ground, he felt so much warmer than this cold treatment he was giving her.

Suddenly, Isabelle fell into a trance and didn't realize that the man before had stepped much closer to her; there were only two steps between her and him.

Isabelle, who finally came to her senses realized that their bodies had become so close, was frightened to the point that her body trembled. She raised her eyes and stared at him, fearing that he would force himself to her.

Isabelle heard that a marriage couldn't be completed without the groom and bride spending the night together in each other's arms. And although her marriage was just for convenience, no matter what other reasons were there, she still didn't want to be forced by someone to spend a night with a husband she practically just met tonight.

Hawke gave a long, wary sigh. He somewhat understood something and so, he decided to carefully ask her after stepping away from her. "Haven't your parents told you why you are here and the possibility that you might die?"

Her body froze as she looked up at him. She nodded her head and after a pause, shook it again, giving him the hint that she somewhat knew a bit of what was going on, but wasn't given the chance to find out more.

"Then, why didn't you refuse?"

"I cannot refuse them, Your Highness."

"How so? You are your parent's daughter. They will do everything they can to save you from a deadly marriage where they might never see you again." Then he added after some pause, "They might even get someone to take your place just to get you out of this marriage."

There was mocking glint in his eyes, but it wasn't directed to her, Isabelle noticed, and she couldn't stop herself from getting confused. Why does he sound like he was laughing at himself? As though having someone else take his bride's place was nothing new to him.

"Ah, but... I am the substitute, Your Highness."

Isabelle daringly met his gaze, and uttered the unusual and shocking reply that the man wasn't expecting to hear from her.

The man before her frowned and let his hands rest against his hip, heaving a deep sigh after hearing her answer. He looked extremely good-looking even with that frown etched in his face. Isabelle's wolf howled in pleasure as it used her eyes to take in the delicious snack standing before the two of them.

But it wasn't the time to be caught flirting nor admiring her new husband, no matter how smolderingly hot and handsome he stood before her. When she overheard her adopted father and the alpha of their small pack that they were willing to let her take the alpha's daughter's place to marry a man, and it was too dangerous that she might die in the process of it, Isabelle almost ran to the woods and left the pack.

If it wasn't only because she knew that her mother and Romeo would suffer more than she could if she ran away then and now, Isabelle would have already left the pack after she found out that she was an Omega.

"So, this is the case," the man suddenly said when he finally understood what had happened after Isabelle explained everything to him. Then, the frown in his face became deeper and he looked at her as if he couldn't quite comprehend her.

"Then, why didn't you refuse or run away?" asked Hawke as he loomed over her after taking the remaining distance he previously put between themselves. "Aren't you afraid of death?"

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Author has something to say: Things will be soon explained in the following next chapters. Please, do look forward to it and you'll also get to know more about our two main characters!