The Warlord’s Revenged Bride

From her spot, leaning against the windowsill, Kiki watched with disbelieving eyes as everyone ran around to put things in place for her mating ceremony with Pierre Laurent, the future Alpha of the Luminant pack and leader of the clan. She was finally going to be Pierre's wife and the Luna of his pack and couldn't think of a more perfect life for herself. “Kiki,” her older sister called, drawing her attention as she entered with clothes and jewelry draped over her hands. “Autumn,” she breathed out, smiling brightly. It was impossible to hide her joy at the fact that she was about to be every girl's envy even if she tried. Beautiful girls from all over the world had lined up just to be picked by him, but somehow, she, who was ordinary in every sense of the word, was getting mated to him. The only thing she had to her name was her father’s reputation within their clan. One would have thought Autumn, her sister, would be the one to catch his eye. She was beautiful, accomplished, reputable and the heir to their father, but somehow, Pierre's eyes found hers, and he decided she was his pick. “Kiki, are you sure you want to go ahead with this? Do you really think Pierre loves you? You know you don't have to be with him just because he is your mate. We can do the mate-breaking ritual and that would be it,” Autumn was saying carefully, her eyes soft as they held Kiki's, and the younger couldn't help but wonder why her sister would want her to even consider not mating with Pierre. “Autumn, why would you say that? Has Pierre said or done anything for you to doubt his love for me?” she asked, admittedly growing a little antsy at her sister's words, but Autumn immediately shook her head, eyes snapping shut momentarily. “No, don't fret. I am just doing what any big sister would do. I want nothing more than for you to have the very best life has to offer,” she said, stroking her cheek with a teary smile before she had to leave Kiki to get ready for her big day. Watching her sister's receding figure, Kiki couldn't help but mull over her words. Her sister had never been one to be this vague, always having supported her in everything, and even when Pierre had decided she was to be his mate, destined by the goddess, there hadn't been a moment when Autumn had voiced doubt, so why now? “Oh goddess, Kiki! You are still not ready?!” Kiki snapped back to alertness at the shrill cry of her best friend, Hayley, as she walked into my room. “I was just about to...” Kiki trailed off, already shuffling around to start up on getting dressed. A while later, Kiki turned around with a tight, almost giddy exhale, calling her friend’s attention with a muttered ‘How do I look?’ Hayley gasped out in awe, wasting no time appearing in front of her friend, “Oh, bless the goddess for gracing my sights with such beauty, you look stunning, Kiki.” Hayley smiled, gushing over her best friend, who looked away, bashful. “I still can’t believe I am about to be married to Pierre and be his mate, Hayley. I know I have been saying the same thing to you for the past couple of months, but the day is finally here!” Kiki finished in an excited squeal, eyes glossing over with emotion. “Well, we better head down to the arena before the auspicious time passes and the high priestess has to reschedule.” Kiki didn't let Hayley finish her teasing statement before she cut in. “May the goddess forbid it!” Kiki exclaimed and rushed out of her room, making her way down to the Arena. “Hayley, hurry up!” Kiki called out as she hurriedly paced down to the arena, her huge wedding dress swaddled in her arms as she did. “Watch where you are going,” the voice didn't get to finish before Kiki collided with another hard body that had her halting in her steps. “Oh, goddess, I am so sorry, I wasn't paying attention.” Kiki apologized hurriedly as she offered a hand to help said person pick himself up and as he did, their eyes met for the first time since the collision. “Woah,” the person breathed out, mirroring her own expression as he stared with eyes that spoke of nothing short of astonishment. He blinks, mouth slacking a little as he drank up the sight of what had to be the most gorgeous being he'd ever laid eyes on, pure in a way that the color of her dress only seemed to accentuate. To put it in a word, he was rendered speechless. Kiki recovered faster than the stranger did when he unconsciously squeezed her hand into his hold, quickly snapping her jaw shut as she snatched her hands away from the then swaying stranger’s hold now that he was back on his feet, although he looked only a few seconds away from loosing his footing again. He was a new face, one with features she could admit were almost as striking as her to-be mate’s. Almost. At that thought, everything seemed to kick back into motion as she rushed the words out, seemingly learning nothing from the accident as she resumed at a brisk pace. “I am sorry. I have no time to talk, but I will send one of the maids to help get you cleaned up, and once I am a bit settled I will come look for you to apologize properly, sorry!” Kiki called after herself and the stranger finally regained her motor skills as his head snapped after her. “Wait! You didn't get my name….” the words died on his tongue as she rounded a corner in a rush, now completely out of sight. He shook his head and a mostly unconscious smile played on his lips as he continued walking. “I hope I am not too late, Father,” Kiki said as she burst into the arena where everyone was waiting. “Kiki,” her father smiled warmly, offering a hand she took as they hurried to stand at their reserved spot, her smile radiant in a way that would rival the sun as they awaited Pierre and his people. The door opened and everyone stood up and bowed their heads in respect as Alpha Laurent and Pierre walked into the arena. Kiki raised her head to sneak a glance at her soon-to-be mate, heart racing wildly as she caught the side of his face, but her smile faltered the second her eyes strayed. There was no one else other than Pierre and his father. Shouldn't his mother be here too? His beta? His siblings? Their pack members? Or had she missed something important and this was how it was done in his custom? The confusion pulls on her features as she watches him walk down to the altar. “Alpha Lucian”, Pierre “Pierre, where is your mother? Her presence is required for the ritual to be complete, is that not?” Kiki’s father, Lucian, seemed to share the same confusion and a brief relief fell over her with the realization that she was right to question it. “Alpha Laurent?” Lucian called to the older Alpha when his question was met with silence, but all he got was a slight shake of the man's head, eyes evasive. “Pierre, you look good,” Kiki complimented as the man now stood by her, and he really did, but she would've said anything to ease the tension that seemed to have fallen over the room at their unaccompanied arrival. “Kiki,” his voice is soft as he looks at her, takes her hands in his, “Can we go somewhere private to talk?” “Why?” Kiki jumps at the first opening for an answer, “There's a ceremony for us, Pierre, the auspicious time will soon be over. We can talk later,” she reasons, feeling her stomach begin to knot up with the beginnings of a crushing anxiety. “Kiki,” Pierre sighed heavily, only to stop, the sound leaving his lips like this was only a bothersome task. He struggled to get out of the way, nothing like what Kiki heard as the brutal motion of him tearing down the colorful future she'd painted in her head, but she swallowed down the thoughts, feeling her palms grow sweaty. “You are scaring me, Pierre. What is it? Are you in trouble? Is it your mum? Is she sick?” Kiki inquired nervously, feeling sweat start to bead on her forehead. “It’s not that, Kiki, I just…” he swallowed before the words came rushing out of his lips, “I didn't mean for it to happen, I swear to the goddess, I really liked you and wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but I can't-” “Liked me?” She cuts him off with an echo of his own words, heart pounding in her chest, “In past tense? What are you trying to say? Are you…. Are you breaking up with me? On the day of our wedding and mating ceremony?” Her voice climbed higher as she pulled her hands from his hold and took a step backward, struggling to process what she was hearing. “I didn't mean for this to happen, Kiki, believe me. I wanted to go ahead with it, but I could not, knowing fully well that I would be hurting you if I did. An Alpha of my caliber breaking off the mate bond will lead to you being branded as a reject, or in the worst case scenario, your death. It is better this way.” He tried to explain, but she was beyond consolation at this point, the ringing in her ears making it impossible to hear a word he'd said. Why didn't he end it last night? No, this morning? She'd called him, and they'd talked and laughed like everything was okay, so what was he saying now? “Is it me? Am I not good enough for you? Is it because I am just an ordinary girl who wants nothing to do with the politics that comes with our world? Do you think my family’s name is not worthy of yours? Or is there someone else?” she watched as he stiffened at the last of her words, her heart shattering even further when his eyes traveled through the arena only to land on the last person she would've expected. Without so much as a word, she stormed to where her sister was sitting, shaking Pierre off as he tried continuously to stop her, but now, as she stood in front of her sister who had her head bowed in what could only be interpreted as guilt, her shoulders trembling with the weight of her sobs, Kiki felt her entire world threaten to cave in. “Autumn, you …” she couldn't bring herself to force the words out so easily, terrified of the truth they would unveil, the betrayal they would reveal. “You're the other woman?!” She all but screamed, fueled by a blind rage at her sister's refusal to meet her eyes. Her sister, who was now on her knees, cried profusely as she held onto her dress. “Kay, please. I can explain!” The only thing that would rival the echo of the shocked exclamations in the room would be the sound of Kiki's world crashing down.