Left at the Altar, Alpha King Backs Me Up

Chapter 5 Oversee our Mating Ceremony

I let out a bitter laugh, turning my gaze to the busy street to steady myself before looking at him with a look of disgust. “Trystan, I don’t accept trash I’ve thrown away. No matter how much I loved you prior to this, no matter what I’ve sacrificed for you to be where you are today, the moment you betrayed me is the moment you lost any right to the love I had for you.”

I started to walk away to head back to the main part of the pack’s territory, but couldn’t resist one last jab to hurt him. So I paused, and without looking back, I said, “Even if every other option I have dropped dead tomorrow, I wouldn’t spare you a single glance. You disgust me and my wolf feels the same.”

Something in my tone or words finally seemed to pierce that thick skull of his. He lunged forward, grabbing my arm desperately to cling to me. “Aerie, I do love you. These eight years meant everything to me. But Laura is dying, and she’s so pitiful. It’s just this one small wish and -”

“Let. Go. Of. Me.”

Those four words are followed by a growl that would scare most, but not him.

“Aerie, I swear, once Laura –”

SMACK.

I didn’t let him finish. My palm cracked across his other cheek, leaving a red welt behind. It didn’t match the other since my claws didn’t s***h his face, but the point was made.

“Trystan, for the sake of every drop of blood I spilled for you, be a decent Alpha and never speak to me again.”

This time, I walked away for good.

When I got back to the packhouse, I was furious. I didn’t announce that the mating ceremony had been canceled or what had just transpired.

Only Sarah, our mating ceremony planner, and now my grandmother would.

I headed straight to her place instead of returning to my room.

At nearly eighty, Grandma had seen too much and been through enough. She had already lost her mate and husband, my mother’s father, as well as my mother. Her health had been fragile for years.

The news would break her heart further. At least, that was what I thought. But when I stepped inside, she knew something was wrong and cupped my cheeks gently.

“What happened?”

I explained everything without breaking eye contact. She was angry, but continued to cup my cheeks in her wrinkled hands.

“It’s better to know his true colors now than after having his children. You’re young, beautiful, and successful. There’s no rush to get mated, especially to a man like that. Even if you never find a mate, as long as you’re happy, that is all that matters.”

When she let go, my Aunt Tory walked in and said, “Her eyesight might be failing, but her vision has never been better.”

Grandma had watched my mother’s mating destroy her, so she was well aware of what the lies of a cheating mate and their false promises could do. And if I had mated with Trystan, it would have destroyed me.

We would have never been destroyed. Hurt, yes. But not completely wrecked. I wouldn’t have allowed it. My wolf, Tala, edges to the surface, letting me know she has my back, even if the world was against us.

I left my grandmother’s house knowing that I had Aunt Tory’s and her support. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

As soon as I reached my room at the packhouse, I gathered my things and went to my office to throw myself back into work. Thirty years ago, my grandparents and my mother co-founded a high-end couture house, Lune Noire. Back then, it was my grandfather who funded it, while my mother reigned as the designer. Now that I was free of my Luna duties to the Alpha and the family business belonged to me, anyway, I had even more reason to give it my all.

I worked the day away into the night. Then I fell asleep before getting up the next morning for my morning meeting.

Then Veronica knocked on my door. “Aurelia, I need to talk to you.”

I sat up straighter, looking toward the door as it cracked. “What is it?”

“It’s Trystan Hart.”

I froze as all thoughts of work left me. Trystan?

Before I could ask why, the door opened and there he stood in the doorway. I waved Veronica to go just as he walked inside past her.

He swallowed hard as he locked eyes with me. “I’m picking up Laura from the pack hospital,” he explained quietly. “I thought I’d grab my things from your room.”

Though he had his own place and office, he sometimes used a section of my office as his. It was barely used, and I wasn’t even sure what he had in it.

I turned back to my work and didn’t look up, letting him go get whatever he thought he needed.

There was only silence, then a soft click a few minutes later. He had left.

It didn’t even seem to be a full minute later, I heard another knock at my door, only to find Laura there.

What the hell does she want? I thought.

"Trystan's not here," I said flatly. "Try the alpha’s office."

She had the audacity to step inside, shutting the door quietly behind her. “I came to see you, actually.”

I stared at her for a few seconds, baffled, until it hit me.

“Let me guess,” I said as I leaned back in my chair. “There is something else you want me to give you? Isn’t there? What is it now? I already gave you my dress and jewelry. You have the ceremony night as well.”

Laura came closer, her pallor ghostly. It looked like one strong breeze would be all it took to knock her over. Why wasn’t she back in the pack hospital? Had she given up on treatment?

Then she opened her mouth and dropped the bomb I hadn’t exactly been waiting for.

“I want you to preside over our ceremony.”

Before I could say a word, she cleared her throat and looked me in the eye.

“The only way the pack will accept our union and the Moon Goddess will bless it is if you show that this is amicable,” she said softly.

That short-circuited my brain. Even my poor wolf was confused.

“Laura, you—” My voice was ice as I stood, gripping the edge of my desk. Every muscle coiled tightly as I tried to fight Tala back and keep from shifting. “Are you stupid? Do you really think that the pack will applaud you instead of calling you out for what you’ve done? What you are?”

If she didn’t look so frail, I might have shifted and challenged her to a fight. Maybe Tala would allow me to slap her and leave her a matching marking to the man who betrayed me. This had crossed the line and had turned into something ridiculous.

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Aerie, you’ve always been better than me at everything. I admired you. I envied you. And now, I’m dying. I just want one happy memory and that is to mate with Trystan. After I’m gone, he’ll be yours. I can’t take him from you….”

I pointed to the door, my hand trembling with rage as I fought Tala back with all I had. “Get. Out. Before I lose my temper and shift.”

“Please…” She rounded the corner of my desk and clutched my arm, her grip feverish. “I know I have hurt you. I’m so sorry, but can’t you help me just this once?”

"Let go." Her touch made my skin crawl.

My wolf shifted uncomfortably just beneath my skin.

“Aerie, I’m begging —” she said, still clutching onto me.

But I interrupted her. “I said let go!”

I pulled my arm free.

And like the dramatic i***t she was, Laura collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. I reached out instinctively to help her, but it was too late for that. She was already crumpled on the ground.

And of course, Trystan walked right back in at that very moment.

“Laura!” His face went ghostly pale as he rushed forward, gathering her in his arms. “Where does it hurt? Talk to me –”

His panicked voice faded into static. I stood frozen as I fought with myself to explain. But all words died in my throat when he looked up, his eyes glowed his wolf’s eyes. Nothing I said would matter.

Just as I expected, Trystan cradled Laura in his arms and turned to me, completely furious.

“Aurelia! Do you have any idea how fragile she is right now? How could you lay hands on her? She’s your sister, for the Moon Goddess’ sake!”

“Trystan, don’t blame my sister. She didn’t mean to,” Laura murmured weakly from his arms, playing the martyr to perfection.

Like I had actually hit her.

I let out a cold laugh, my expression utterly calm. "Just get out. If she dies here, it'll bring bad luck to my company."

Trystan’s eyes widened, clearly shocked by my callous words. “I don’t even recognize you anymore,” he spat. “I’m the one who wronged you, so why are you taking it out on a dying girl? Have you no conscience anymore?”

I smiled faintly. “You’re the backstabbing ingrate here. If you’re not afraid of karma, then why should I be?”

Before Trystan could say a single word, Laura let out a pained moan.

“Trystan… It hurts.”

He looked down to see blood at the corner of her lips and panicked. "Hang in there, Laura! I'm taking you to the hospital now! You'll be alright.”