Sold To The Alpha, Claimed By Three

Chapter 1 Seraphine I should have been walking down the aisle by now. Instead, I stood alone in the bride’s dressing room, my heart pounding in a rhythm that mocked the soft music echoing from the wedding hall. The scent of fresh roses and lavender filled the air, but it did nothing to calm my nerves as I played with my sweaty palm and fingers. Where is he? I looked out the window for a thousandth time, tugging on the sleeve of my dress. Anything to stop the panic that was rising in my chest. My dress clung to my body perfectly, white lace trailing behind me, my hair pinned in curls that were already starting to fall from the sweat on my temples. “Any word from Lucien?”I queried for the fifth time in 10 minutes turning to the bridesmaids again and they exchanged nervous glances. He was late. Too late. Did something happen to him on his way here? Only the goddess knows how desperately I needed to get married. Before my father decides to do something tragic to me, this wedding has to happen today either way. I stood up from my seat immediately I heard the door creak open and my best friend, Dahlia walked in, rushing over to her. “Can you try calling him again? Do you think something's wrong? He's never this late, I know Lucien, he's a punctual freak. Maybe something is holding him back?” I blinked back the tears that were already welling up at the corner of my eyes and she placed her hands on my shoulder. She hesitated. That pause…Goddess, I’d never hated silence more in my life. “Dalia,” I snapped, more sharply than I intended. “Please.” She swallowed and nodded, then reached into the pockets of her clothes and brought out my phone. “Yeah, call him. Be quick please.” I begged and she gulped but instead of dialing, though, she stared at the screen, her lips trembling and it felt like I had been stabbed in a thousand places all at once. I knew that look. “What?” I demanded, shaking her shoulders slightly. “What is it?” She tapped the screen and then handed me the phone. I blinked repeatedly in suspicion before lowering my gaze to read the contents of the message. Lucien: “I’m sorry, Seraphine. I couldn’t do it. I was never in love with you. It was always Lilith. I should have told her sooner, but… I didn’t know how. I finally told her last night and she felt the same way. I'm sorry.” I stared at the screen, the words blurring together as the tears I had been trying so hard to hold in came sliding down my face. My teeth jittered as my fingers trembled as I held the phone. I read it again. And again. Each time, it hit harder. I felt the blood drain from my face, my knees wobbling beneath the weight of the betrayal and I bit my lower lips hard. Hard till I could feel the taste of blood. Not in love with me? Always Lilith? My step sister? Now I understand why father always kicked against our marriage. He might have known. “Dahlia…” I gasped and she threw her hands around me. Everything inside me cracked. It felt like the world had crashed right at my feet. The weeks of late night conversations, the way Lucien kissed me like I was the only woman in his world, when he took my virginity, he looked into my eyes and lied that he loved me. He promised me forever and now, all of it burned to ash in a single heartbeat. I had gone against my father for him. I had chosen him over everything, my pack, my family, my dignity. I dared hope that he would be the one to take me away from a family that physically abused me. And he didn’t even have the guts to tell me to my face. “Where is he?” I whispered, detaching from the hug as I fell to my feet. “I think, I think…he left town last night.” Why didn't I notice anything sooner? Yesterday night when he texted me that he couldn't wait to get married to me, was it then? Was it then he left? The door creaked open slightly and one of the elders poked her head in, her expression uncomfortable and slightly surprised seeing the bride on the floor, in a pool of tears. “The Alpha and Priestess is demanding answers. Should we tell the guests something?” I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak. Just looked at her through tear filled eyes as I fluttered my wet lashes. It's all done, all gone. I had given Lucien my heart. And he gave it to Lilith behind my back. “No.” I gathered my gown in my hands and tried standing up only to lose my footing and fall back down. “Tell them the wedding is off.” My voice was calm, too calm and betraying the turmoil forming inside of me. And with that, I turned, lifting the hem of my dress, and walked out barefoot, broken but no longer blind. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t have a plan but all I knew was that I couldn't go home. Not to my father, not to the man that had killed his wife, my mother. The only plan I had left was just get out. Run. Disappear. Maybe go rogue. Maybe find a way to start over in some forgotten town where no one knew the name “Seraphine.” The last name I would ever carry from this cursed pack. My phone buzzed in my hand, lighting up with an incoming call. Dad. I stared at the screen and inner panic set in. Was he going to kill me like he killed her because I had brought shame onto his name? He was going to be furious. No, furious was too kind. He would skin me alive for embarrassing the pack. For disobeying his will. For getting pregnant by a man who left me at the altar like I was nothing. My thumb hovered over the screen, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer. Tears blurred my vision again as I walked onto the road with tear filled eyes, picking up my pace. What I didn’t see was the blinding headlights coming straight for me, I was far gone in my thoughts that I didn't hear the sharp horn blaring from an incoming car. The sound of screeching tires revved in my ears and the roar of an engine that couldn’t stop fast enough boomed from a distance. The impact slammed into me and I screamed at the top of my voice, my hands going over my stomach like I was trying to protect my unborn baby. Pain coursed through my body as it seemed like my bones had been broken into a thousand pieces as I laid sprawled on the bare floor. All consuming pain. The car didn't bother stopping and as I tried to call for help, the sound couldn't proceed out of my mouth. This is it. This is where it ends. I felt hot liquid run down my head as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Got betrayed, ran and died in the process, the immense ringing in my ears rang without stopping and darkness seeped it as the world went silent around me.