STOLEN BY THE ALPHA KING

ZEIAH'S POV My wedding was in ten minutes and Cole was not here, and his phone wasn’t going through. "Where is Cole?" Priya whispered. "He’ll be here soon, I’m sure. Maybe he’s still getting ready," I replied nervously. "But his phone has been going to voicemail all morning," Rachael added. "I’ve always told you to stay away from that jerk. He’s not good for you. He doesn’t deserve you, Zeiah," Priya snapped at me. "He’s an—" "Can you two just shut up?" I cut in before Priya could finish. "He will be here soon," I muttered through my teeth. I was already dressed. A white gown glittering with sequins. Fully dressed, bouquet in hand, seated at the front of the church, looking expensive because that was what my husband-to-be’s mother had always wanted. The air smelled of lilies and polished wood. "Wait a minute." I snapped back to my senses. "Where’s Mira?" I whispered, looking around to see if she was there. She wasn’t. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. She told me to tell you that she was going to pick something up at the mall. She left over an hour ago," Rachael said from behind me. "That’s weird. And she didn’t even tell me herself?" I wondered. "Well, it’s nothing. She’ll be here soon." I didn’t think much of it because it was normal. She did it all the time, so it wasn’t anything new to me. It was almost time for the wedding. The people we invited were already gathered, waiting for the ceremony to begin. My legs were bouncing up and down. My hands were pinching the bouquet. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Then a phone screen lit up. A notification. Everyone’s phones started buzzing because the sound was coming from everywhere. Priya had left her phone on the chair next to me, so hers was the one that got it first. _News alert_ _Headline: The well-known millionaire, Cole Handler, has married Mira Moreau in a private ceremony this morning._ My grip on the bouquet loosened. The petals dropped to the floor one by one and I didn’t even bother to pick them up. Cole. Mira. Married. I read it again. The words stayed exactly the same. "No, no, no. It’s a lie, right?" My smile came out wrong. I swallowed hard. A sob rose in my throat and stuck there. My fingers went cold. I couldn’t feel them anymore. Priya held my hands, but I was lost in shock. I didn’t want to believe what I saw. "Hey, look at me." Priya cupped my face in her hands. "Breathe. I need you to calm down. Don’t panic." "I’m not panicking." I held back the tears. Not here. Not in front of all these people. My mom came running from the back to the front, where I was. "Sweetheart," she called. "These are just rumors. Nobody knows anything yet." "Rumors?" I laughed bitterly. The guests were murmuring to each other. Everyone was looking at me and talking. I had always made excuses for Cole no matter what he did, and even now part of me wanted to make one. I never had a say when it came to his family, and whenever his mom imposed things on me, Cole only said, "She’s just an old woman. Just give her what she wants." And now I understood. Mira had helped me get dressed that morning. She stood behind me, fastening the tiny pearl buttons down my back one at a time, her fingers steady. "You deserve to be happy, Zeiah," she said, and smiled at me in the mirror. But it had all been a lie. I couldn’t say anything. Silence became my only source of comfort. My stomach twisted, and my fists were clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. "So all the laughs this morning were fake?" I asked, my face blank like I wasn’t hurt. "Baby, you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here with you." My mom squeezed my hands in hers. I didn’t say anything. My throat had closed up. I couldn’t talk. I crossed my arms over myself, too tired to be vulnerable in front of all these eyes. Birds chirped outside. The wind blew harder and the murmuring grew louder. I pulled my hands from my mother’s and carefully set the bouquet down on the chair beside me. I took a slow, deep breath and let it out. I stood up and looked at my mom and my bridesmaids. "I’m leaving. And nobody should follow me, please. I want to be alone." "But Zeiah…" "Nobody should follow me," I interrupted Priya. "Mom, please. Don’t come after me." I picked up my coat from beside me and my phone and started walking out of the church. It was a long walk. It felt like I’d never reach the door. Every step echoed off the stone floor, and the hem of my gown dragged behind me. Somewhere near the aisle, someone was reading the headline out loud in a whisper, as if I couldn’t hear. Two hundred guests were here for a ceremony that would never happen. Some of them watched me leave through the doors. I heard whispers behind me, but I kept walking. I didn’t cry. I’ve always been better at leaving than breaking down in public. It started raining the moment I stepped out of the church. I got cold fast, because my coat was getting drenched. I pulled off the heels at the top of the church steps. They were Cole’s mother’s choice, not mine. And I was done with everything that was someone else’s choice. I walked barefoot into the rain. The steps were slick and freezing under my feet, and the water soaked straight through the hem of my gown. I had no idea where I was going. The only thing I knew was that I wasn’t going back there. I ended up on an empty street. Just me, walking in the rain, barefoot, in my wedding dress, with no idea where I was headed. The street was so quiet and empty I could hear my heartbeat, loud and fast. "Whatever’s going to happen can happen. I don’t care anymore," I muttered through gritted teeth, my hands in my pockets, and I kept walking. A bright light shone from behind me. It was moving slowly. I could hear it but I didn’t bother to look back. But it felt like the car was coming toward me. I turned to see where it was going, and it stopped. A black Range Rover. Idling at the end of the street, engine running, headlights still burning through the rain. I turned and started walking again. The car started moving too. I thought about running, but I knew I couldn’t outrun a Range Rover. So I stood there, freezing on the inside but acting strong on the outside. The engine hummed low and steady. Whoever was inside was in no hurry. My heart slammed against my ribs as the door slowly opened.