Elara’s POV
It was my tenth visit to Silverspy Pack’s most luxurious custom-dress shop.
For the first nine times, I came alone to try on one of the ceremonious custom dresses that my mate, and Alpha, had specifically customized for me. The shop assistants went from looking excited at first to hesitant to speak, and then to final sympathetic silence.
“Miss Elara, will the Alpha come today?” the seamstress asked cautiously, her eyes reluctant. I stared at myself in the large mirror, dressed in a red veil with my neck softly bare. I envisioned Lioren’s mark on it as wolves howl in joy, my fingertips gently gripping the hem of my skirt; the next second, I was back in my reality, stroking the pearls all over me.
“He will be here!” My voice was soft but firm. “It's our tenth anniversary today! He has no reason to miss being by my side today.” Right after my words echoed, the door got pushed open.
A beaming light flashed in my blue eyes, but the moment I turned around, my smile froze on my face.
My mate, Alpha Lioren Azazel had arrived. But behind him was his godsister, Lena Thorn.
Lena Thorn was the younger sister of Alpha Lioren’s best friend, Gideon Thorn.
Two years back, Gideon had died while saving Alpha Lioren from a rival’s ambush, and in the process, entrusted his younger sister to him, right before his last breath.
From then on, Alpha Lioren took Lena into the pack’s palace and had since treated her like his own younger sister. From then on, he became increasingly perfunctory and indifferent towards me, but doted on this adoptive sister as if she were the apple of his eyes.
“Lioren?” My heart sank inexplicably. “Why… did you bring Lena here?” I couldn't avoid asking.
Alpha Lioren walks up to me, his gaze not lingering on the red wedding dress for a moment, as he directly informs me, “Elara, our wedding date needs to be postponed to next month.”
The seamstress and her assistants instantly excused themselves.
I was taken aback. “Ahead of schedule? And why? The entire pack is bustling and anticipating this mating ceremony Lioren. We have also sent invitations across to other packs and every other necessity is set in place…but then…you say next month? How could we possibly make it in time?”
“Lena is pregnant!” Alpha Lioren’s voice was as calm as if he were talking about the weather. “Trust me, it won't be more than next month.”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard. “Lena is pregnant?”
I asked. I knew that Alpha Lioren doted on Lena. Sometimes he even doted on her so much that I, his fiancèe would feel so envious and jealous. But I couldn't understand what her pregnancy had to do with my already scheduled mating ceremony.
‘I mean, even the closest sister shouldn't let her pregnancy affect her brother’s mating ceremony right?’ I quietly questioned my IQ.
Alpha Lioren was silent for a moment, confusing me further. “Lena is carrying my child.” he dropped the bomb!
My brain buzzed!
Then came another blank and stuff silence. I staggered backward and barely managed to stand up by holding only the dressing table behind me.
I stared at Alpha Lioren, my whole body trembling as I tried to suppress my already enraged wolf. “What did you say?” My voice came out in cracks. “Didn't you say you only consider Lena as your younger sister?!” My voice grew louder suddenly.
Alpha Lioren glanced at me indifferently. “Elara calm down! It was an accident.” This time, his tone was unusually calm as if this were just some simple matter. “That day, I was out for a sub-pack meeting and accidentally drank spiked liquor. Lena took good care of me from her kind heart and in my confused state, I mistook her for you,” he said and casually tried to come closer. I instinctively shifted backward in disdain. “Come on Elara, don't be unreasonable.”
“You mistook her for me? Lioren's, don't you find that ridiculous? In all these years, have you even touched me once? How on earth did you mistake her for me? You don't even know the difference between sleeping with me and sleeping with her.”
Alpha Lioren’s face darkened. “But you know perfectly well that I never touched you because I'm saving our precious first time for our mating ceremony night. I plan to make love to you under the auspicious full moon Elara.”
I chuckled in obvious pain, my furious wolf trying to force its way out.
My tears could no longer be held back as they poured down my cheeks.
“Elara don't worry, I only see Lena as a younger sister and nothing more. You are the one I want to mark as my lifetime mate and Luna.” Seeing me heartbroken, Lioren frowned and tried to take my hand to comfort this she-wolf he was breaking.
“Don't touch me!” I snapped as if bitten by a venomous snake. I then took three steps back again. I looked up at Lioren and all I could feel was disgust. “And so? Didn't I try our ceremonial attire ten times all by myself like a fool only for you to suddenly appear to tell your soon-to-be mate…that you cheated on me?”
Alpha Lioren looked away, but then, his voice sounded, cutting me like a knife. “My parents are the ones who really wanted our marriage to happen anyway…besides, mating you is me doing you a huge favor. You can't have children anymore. The pack doctor confirmed that, remember?!” he then paused, as if hesitating but then uttered even more cruel words. “I suggest you pause on your pack duties for now and focus on Lena’s pregnancy. After the pup is born, we will raise Lena’s child in your name. What do you think, Elara? This is me being generous.”
PAK!!!
I slapped Alpha Lioren so hard across his face with a deep snarl.
“That’s what I think, you brute.” I spat in anger.
Then a familiar spasmodic discomfort came from my abdomen, but this time, I couldn't really succumb to it so I instinctively pressed my hand tightly against my lower abdomen, my claws almost digging into my flesh. “Alpha Lioren…” I sobbed, but this time in aggression. “Look at me Alpha Lioren Azazel of the Silverspy Pack!!! Tell me again!!” I practically screamed, my tears streaming down my face. “I can't have children? Go on and remind me Alpha Lioren! Yes, I can't have children! But why is that? Because of whom?! I went through all of that just to save you Lioren!! I risked my life countless times…but it was just to keep my mate and Alpha safe. This condition is proof of all my loyalty towards you!!” My tears poured in despair. “But here you are, mocking me and wanting to give me another woman’s child?? What do you really take me for? Some non-living tool with no blood through my veins?!”
My anger turned into a strong headache.
Alpha Lioren was stunned. He then stepped forward, wanting to pull me into his arms.
But right then, Lena suddenly stepped forward timidly, reaching out to take my hand, her eyes brimming with tears. “Sister Elara, please don't blame Lio. It's all my fault… I should have refused him but I just couldn't bear to see him suffer from the drugs…I shouldn't have gotten pregnant with Lio’s child. But I can assure you, I really have no intention of taking Lio away from you. All I want is to give birth to my child and give him a complete family. Sister Elara, I beg you, please grant my wish.” As she spoke, she grabbed my hand and held it so tight that I could feel a piercing pain in my arm. It was Lena’s claws roughly digging into my flesh!
“What are you doing?” I hissed in pain and pushed away her scheming hand.
“…ahhh!!” Lena suddenly screamed and staggered back in two steps, finally crashing into the dressing table behind her with a loud thud!
“Lena!!!” Alpha Lioren’s expression changed drastically as he rushed to pick her up.
Lena grabbed her stomach and then collapsed to the ground yelping in pain. “Sister Elara…why…why did you push me with so much hatred…I just wanted to apologize to you…”
“Lena don't be afraid, I'm here. Tell me how you feel. The fall must hurt.” Alpha Lioren carefully checked her condition, his eyes filled with heartache.
“Lio…” Lena curled up in his arms, trembling, as if I tried to kill her. “My stomach hurts so much…our baby…will our baby get hurt? I'm scared.”
“No don't be…our baby will definitely be alright.” Alpha Lioren comforted her gently. After a minute of affection with her, he abruptly turned his head, his deep brown gaze piercing me like a knife. “Elara!!! Apologize to Lena!” he ordered with disgust on his face.
I stood there as I stared at the wound on my arm that had been pinched until it bled. Then I looked at Lena, who looked weak and helpless in Alpha Lioren's arm. I couldn't hide my bitter smile that then turned into a hard laugh, I laughed so hard that I bent over, allowing my tears to stream down my face so much that I choked on it.
“Lioren.” My laughter reduced. I then raised my agony face. “Back then, when I shielded you from a dagger and almost died on the operating table, you held me just like this, didn't you? And said you would take care of me for the rest of your life…”
His eyes flickered for a moment, but then his gaze fell on Lena who was shivering in his arms and his eyes turned icy. “Enough Elara! You're the one who has hurt Lena. Don't make me repeat myself again. Apologize to Lena or else…”
“Or else what? Unleash your bad wolf against me?” I interrupted him with a mocking smile on my lips. I walked closer step by step and then stopped in front of him. I stared thoroughly at the man I had loved for ten years. I searched for the adorable face I had seen countless times in my dreams, but all I could see right now was a face filled with coldness and disgust towards me. “Lioren,” I muttered softly. “Since you care so much about her and want something so real with her, why then did you agree to mark me as yours? Why not just mark her instead and make her your Luna? Heck, what am I even saying? It's clearly your wish. I'll grant you your wish!” I spat and took off my red veil, and tossed it to the floor.
Lioren froze. “What’s this supposed to mean?”
“It means that our today's anniversary party and the coming mating ceremony are dissolved. I have the Beta blood running through my veins Lioren, so I'd rather die than mate with an Alpha who's already in love with another she-wolf, not to mention…some…so-called cheap thing…in the name of a god-sister.” I spat and with a single shred, the ceremony gown on me was gone.
Pearls fell with clatter, causing an expensive, custom-made, ceremonious dress to be reduced to a pile of shredded fabric in my hands. Then, I threw the torn dress at Lena. “Lena dear, isn't this all you have been scheming for? You can have the mating ceremony dress now! Alpha Lioren is yours now too. I wish you both a happy mating life, and many pups of course.” After saying that, I turned to leave them without the intention of looking back.
“Elara come back here! If you walk out this door today, don't ever think about coming back.” Lioren growled.
I didn't stop walking. And then…I crossed the door. Only then did I finally stop to look back at Alpha Lioren, one last time.
I saw the panic on his face, as if he was realizing he was losing something valuable. As if he wanted to chase after me. But just then, Lena in his arms let out a painful groan again.
Stunned Lioren quickly threw his attention back at Lena’s pale face. “Lio, I'll be fine. Please go chase after sister Elara. And about our child, you can forget it. If sister Elara would not accept the child, I'll just abort our pup...waaahhhh!!!” she burst into tears. Her tears streamed down her face like beads from several broken strings.
Lioren instantly abandoned the idea of chasing after me and picked her up, bringing her head to touch his chest. “Don’t say nonsense, how could I not want our child? I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up right away…as for Elara…” a hint of impatience flashed across his face. “I have tolerated her too much over the last few years. She thinks she can threaten me with our mating engagement. It seems I need to really teach her a lesson and school her on what it takes to be my mate and the Luna of the Silverspy pack.” he said as he gently wiped Lena’s tears.
“I feel better now that you have assured me that you want our child Lio…but I really do not intend to be the reason you fight with sister Elara…it hurts my heart when you have to go through the pains of fighting with sister Elara. I really don't mean for you both to separate from each other after years of being together.” Lena muttered, talking like she was forcing back her tears.
Alpha Lioren caressed her head that was on his chest. “Don’t worry about Elara, she can not stay angry with me for long. She would literally die for me. She cannot live without me!”
On hearing that, I let out a bitter chuckle, “How confident!!” and finally left the shop's surroundings.
