Rejected by the Alpha, I Married His Foster Dad

Chapter 3

On the day of the wedding, I wore the new gown Kyle had sent and arrived alone outside the Temple of Selene.

The heavy doors swung open, revealing Asher at the far end of the aisle.

He wore a white suit and looked strikingly handsome. A flash of stunned admiration crossed his face when he saw me.

I gathered my gown and started down the aisle.

Every inch of the temple had been decorated in champagne tones, my favorite color.

Roses lined the aisle, their faint fragrance drifting through the temple.

With the champagne-colored decor, the packed rows of guests, and Asher smiling at the altar, it looked exactly like the wedding I had dreamed of, except for Katie at his side.

She wore a long white strapless gown, its train sweeping the floor.

Her arm was linked through Asher's. Anyone walking in might have assumed she was the bride.

When Asher caught me looking at her, he quietly stepped in front of Katie.

"Katie's never attended a pack wedding. She only wanted to see one. She doesn't mean anything by it."

He kept his voice low, as though he feared I might slap her again.

I said nothing. I simply took my place beside him.

The elder officiating the ceremony stepped onto the platform and cleared his throat.

"Welcome, everyone, to..."

Before he could finish, Katie gasped and doubled over.

Her face went white. She clutched her lower abdomen as sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Asher, my stomach hurts. I..."

She clutched his jacket, her eyes glistening with tears and her voice barely above a whisper.

Asher immediately crouched and pulled her into his arms.

"Where is the pack doctor? Get over here and examine Katie now!"

Whispers swept through the guests. The elders seated below the altar looked furious. Interrupting a wedding inside the Temple of Selene was a grave act of disrespect.

The officiating elder tried to reason with him.

"Asher, today is your wedding to Mabel. You should..."

"Postpone it. No big deal."

Asher turned to me with a warning look.

"Mabel, I'll complete the marking ceremony with you, but Katie's health comes first. Don't be so unreasonable."

I shrugged.

"Whatever makes you happy."

After all, the man I intended to marry that day wasn't Asher.

Asher stared at me, startled, but before he could ask what I meant, Katie's moan reclaimed his attention.

The pack doctor arrived soon afterward. After examining Katie, his eyes lit up.

"Congratulations, Mr. Dawson! Ms. Sullivan is pregnant!"

The temple erupted in shocked murmurs. The elders' faces turned even grimmer. Rejecting his bride in public was serious enough to cost Asher his inheritance. Only someone blinded by the prospect of a child would risk losing everything like this.

Katie lay in his arms and stroked her stomach with a look of exaggerated joy.

The pack's birth rate had been low for years, so any pregnancy was cause for celebration.

In an instant, she was hailed as a hero of the pack.

Asher bent and kissed her forehead, his tenderness unmistakable.

"Did you hear that, Katie? We're having a baby. Our own baby."

I saw that bright, boyish smile again.

This time, it had nothing to do with me.

Katie stroked her stomach and looked up with a sorrowful expression.

"Asher, I don't want this baby."

"Why?"

"I don't want our child born without a father, and I don't want the baby to come between you and Mabel."

As she spoke, she looked straight at me.

Only then did Asher seem to remember I was standing there. The guests fell silent too.

They finally realized that the woman carrying Asher's pup wasn't his bride, but his mistress.

That day was supposed to be our wedding.

A dozen emotions crossed Asher's face, but in the end, he made his choice.

"Mabel, I can't let my child be born without a father."

I watched him in silence, then laughed.

He closed his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was low and resolute.

"I, Asher Dawson, reject you, Mabel Foster, as my mate."