Bound To The Cursed Alpha And My Fiancé

Selene’s POV I stood in front of the mirror, my hands trembling as I adjusted the ivory lace of my tightly fitted wedding dress. The delicate fabric felt almost too fragile like it might tear apart if I breathed too hard. The reflection staring back at me was a stranger—a girl with dark curls cascading around her shoulders and gray eyes that seemed too broad, too vulnerable. I pressed my lips into a thin line, trying to push away the swirling mix of excitement and fear that the elegant gown evoked. It reminded me of how out of place I felt. As the daughter of an Alpha with no wolf of my own, I was never truly accepted by anyone other than my parents. No one had ever looked at me the way they looked at other women in the pack. I was always the outcast, the girl with no beast inside and no one wanted, not for a mate or anything more than a fleeting glance of pity. That had been my life until Kieran. Kieran had been my beacon of hope. The lone wolf who wandered into my life seemed to see me for who I was, not just the girl with the empty legacy. My heart fluttered at the thought of him and the imagined look of awe when he saw me in this dress. I wanted to be seen as enough, just for once. Tomorrow is D-day and not only is it Christmas tomorrow but it’s also going to be my wedding day! The day I walk down the aisle to meet my husband to be, the day we say our vows and the priest unites us. Tomorrow is the day Kieran and I will become one and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hide the wave of excitement that washed through my being. Gathering the skirts of my gown, I stepped out of my room and moved down the dimly lit corridor. Everywhere was brightly decorated, there were mistletoes and flowers and anyone who walked in would know that a ceremony was coming up. A big smile took over my face as I looked around. Nothing in my life was special but that changed when Kieran came into my life three years ago. It was also on Christmas Day and since then, Christmas celebrations have always been a must for me, it’s also why we decided to have our wedding on Christmas Day. The familiar scent of pine and earth filled my senses, but something was amiss. My heart raced from anticipation and a nagging feeling I couldn't shake. I told myself it was pre-wedding jitters, but a cold sweat began to form on my brow. “Ahh. Right there! Yes, right there.” A feminine voice caused me to stop in my tracks, my vision blurred and my head began to pound incessantly. I tried to keep walking but my legs betrayed me, I felt weak to my very core but I knew that it couldn’t be. There’s no way that sound is— “You’re so tight!” A familiar voice hit me soon enough, putting my thoughts to a halt, “and f*****g sweet! Oh f**k, I’m coming. I’m c—" His voice was drowned out by his groan of pleasure and the feminine moan. No. There’s no way, there’s just no way. Shaking the thoughts out of my head and plunging myself into a bottomless pit of denial, I put one foot in front of the other as I resumed walking. As I approached Kieran’s room, I heard muffled voices—his and someone else’s. My stomach churned with unease. I crept closer, pressing myself against the wall, the excellent stone cold against my cheek. The voices were urgent, filled with a tension that set my nerves on edge. “I love you, Kieran,” Lilith’s voice trembled, laden with desperation and the o****m she’d had a few minutes ago. “Didn’t our nights together mean nothing to you? Doesn’t this mean anything to you?” She added and I heard ringing in my head. “Lilith, please, you know it’s not—" “Then what is it? Why? Why do you want to do this after you’ve promised it would be our little secret?” She paused. My breath caught in my throat as my brain tried to process the words of my best friend, a shiver running down my spine. Nights together? Their little secrets? Lilith and Kieran? My best friend and my boyfriend? This—- this isn’t the first time, it’s been going on for a while? Kieran’s voice was icier than I’d ever heard. “C’mon, Lilith, we talked about this!” My boyfriend snapped about the same time I got to the doorstep, the door was half open and I saw him putting his pants back on but neither of them noticed me. “You were a distraction, Lilith. Selene is the one I’m marrying—for her father’s position. Do you think I care about either of you?” He said without an ounce of respect for me or a hint of emotion in his voice. The impact of his words hit me like a physical blow. My chest tightened painfully as though someone had pulled my heart right out. I could barely hold myself upright. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of the reality shattering around me. I pushed the door open, my breath hitching as the truth crashed over me. Kieran stood there, rigid and unfeeling, and Lilith was a crumpled mess, tears streaking her face. She tried to adjust herself the second her eyes met mine. The room seemed to spin around me, the walls closing in with each breath I took. For a moment, no one said anything. The silence was deafening. I felt like I was drowning in it. “Selene—” Kieran started, stepping toward me, his face hardening as if he didn’t even care that I had heard him. I held up a trembling hand, my voice shaking as I spoke. “Don’t. Don’t you dare come near me?” My lips quivered and I could barely blink back the tears welling in my eyes. Lilith rushed forward, tears streaming down her face. “Selene, please... this isn’t what you think.” “It’s not what I think?” I let out a dry, humorless laugh. “I just overheard you saying you loved him, and you said it’s not what I think?” “I just f*****g heard both of you have an o****m and YOU DARE TELL ME IT’S NOT WHAT I THINK?!” I snapped, barely able to hold it together. “You’re half naked, Lilith.” I pointed out and as if she didn’t know that before, her eyes widened as she looked down on herself. She bit her lip, her gaze dropping before snapping back up, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I love him, but I never wanted to hurt you. Please, forgive me!” Forgive? Her plea sounded hollow to my ears. Betrayal had gutted me, leaving me exposed and raw as though I was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to fall. “You are supposed to be my best friend, Lilith,” I whispered, my voice thick with hurt. “And you slept with him. You betrayed me with the man I love.” I turned to Kieran, his blank expression like a knife to my heart. “And you, Kieran, chose to marry me because of my father’s position and not because you’ve always said you loved me? How could you!” I yelled, unable to contain the pain I felt inside. Kieran scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer. “This was never about love, Selene. I didn’t choose you for love. I need your father’s position; you’re the key to that. You’re just a means to an end.” The world around me spun as his words hit me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My legs wobbled beneath me, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a boulder. Everything I thought we had, everything I believed was a lie. Before I could respond, a sharp voice rang through the hall, echoing off the stone walls. “Rogues! Rogues are invading the packhouse!” Chaos erupted in the distance, the sound of clashing and the pounding of footsteps growing louder. I turned to the window, my breath catching as I glanced at the packhouse in the distance, where my wedding was supposed to be held in a few minutes. Panic surged through me as I suddenly remembered my parents had gone in there minutes ago. Without a second thought, I turned on my heel and sprinted down the hallway, my wedding gown trailing behind me like a ghostly veil. Fear clawed at my heart as I heard growls in the air.