Three Alpha's, One selection (Ending reimagined)

Chapter 40

I knew I dropped a bomb on Sanders when I told him about the triplets, but what else could I have done to scare him away?

In a fairytale story, I would never have kissed Sanders before leaving. Rowan would have accepted me and wouldn't have been an abusive asshole. We would have had Knox and everyone would have loved him and accepted him as the heir of the pack. Then we would have been blessed with the triplets. We would have been terrified by it, but would have coped.

Clearly, this isn't a fairytale. It is a nightmare and I don't want to pull someone else in and make their lives a misery. This is the opposite of what I had wanted. I have held out for Sanders for so long and now I am just giving up on him. We had a future and now we don't anymore. There is no place to go. There is nowhere we can escape to that Rowan and Aedion won't be able to reach.

The truth of the matter is that Sanders can still have a normal life. He can still find his mate and have the life we planned. I rushed off after telling him that I am pregnant since I had to get ready for dinner. I should have never gone with him and I should never have let him touch me. Now I have less time to get ready and perfection is all Rowan will accept.

I took a longer-than-needed shower scrubbing at my skin until it felt raw. The pain of the layers of skin being scrubbed off is a lot less than the pain Rowan would inflict if he smelled another male scent on me.

Once I was done, I dried my hair almost completely before putting curlers in. I then started with my make-up. I did the opposite from this morning. I never intended to do it all again, but the shower complicated things.

I went for a very clean and minimal look. I wouldn't want to upstage Aceline. I didn't contour my face I only under blushed and dusted my eyes with that same blush. I added mascara and lipgloss. I did over highlight though making sure that my face caught the light. The look gave natural and sunkissed.

My dress was simple, but intricate at the same time. It is a peachy pink blush colour. The top being off the shoulder with a bustier, corset that buttons in the front. the sleeves made of hand stitched flowers in the same colour that ties around my upper arms. the skirt was an A-line cut that hung to the floor with the same flowers as the sleeve stitched here and there. Once I was dressed and done up. I took out the curlers and let the curls just fall down my back. I don't have more time anyway.

Like clockwork, the front door slammed open. Birke. I thought with a sigh as I made my way downstairs to him. He gave me a once-over before starting to leave. I trailed behind him. That is the one thing I appreciate about him, we don't have to make small talk.

"I heard someone is in trouble." Those words out of his mouth made my blood turn cold. I take it back I don't appreciate anything about him. I'll just have to be on my best behaviour tonight.

Sanders POV

I knew she was here. It is what I was counting on, but I never thought I would see her just as we arrived. I hadn't been ready. I was starstruck at seeing her. I couldn't even come up with the words that I had memorised from longing to say them to her.

She is more beautiful than I can remember. Her pinkish-blonde hair was longer and her body was more shaped. Her eyes were the most changed. She used to have a spark in them, they seemed flat and dead now. I couldn't have Aedion waiting for me, so I followed like the lapdog I pretended to be.

Once we were in our room, which was a mistake. One I knew she wouldn't make. My best guess is that Rowan didn't tell her about the takeover and she prepared a room for The Alpha and Luna. I'll find someplace to sleep. There will probably be rooms available for the Alpha's staff in the pack houses.

"You never said that she was so beautiful, your promised bride." Aedion knew everything about the pack. He has also asked me about Dilara more than once. His sister had piqued his interest.

"She is an Angel. She looks so vulnerable. I can't wait to get her out of here and make her mine." I didn't react. There was no point. I didn't want him to know what I intended.

"You are aware that you won't be able to win against me. I always get what I want." I looked over at him. What he said was the truth. He has never lost a battle, which is why he is so confident when it comes to stealing Rowan's mate. What he doesn't know is that this is a battle he has already lost.

Both of them have.

Dilara was mine first. I never put a claim on her or forced her. She had willingly chosen me. I have never forced affection on her. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her. She didn't want Rowan and the last thing she would want was another Alpha forcing his affection onto her.

"She is mine now. You swore your allegiance to me. Don't do something stupid." I don't know where they get off being so damn arrogant. Is that how it is to be born an Alpha? They seem to think they can just say 'She is mine' and so it shall be. May Knox never be like this.

"You are my Alpha, I value pack law." This is very true. I will protect my Alpha and my pack for as long as I am part of that pack. I don't intend to be a part of his pack for much longer.

"I can see the fire of your soul in your eyes. You are a fighter. That program should have snuffed out that fire, but I guess if I had a girl like her waiting for me I would have held on too. You just need to remember that not every fight is worth fighting. Go find yourself a room. I want to take a nap."

She will always be worth fighting for.

Dilara POV

I didn't even have time to fully comprehend what Birke had said. A number of things I did could have set Rowan off. I can't dwell on it. It is a problem for later. The only thing that is important now is to see that everything is perfect for dinner. There is no point in making a bad situation worse.

I arrived at the dining hall checking the decor, I lit the candles and made sure that the name tags were visible. Rowan has them sitting in the order that he sees them as a threat. Keeping his enemies close.

Aedoin is at the end of the table across from him. He sees him as no threat or at least he saw Alpha Silvano as no threat. I was satisfied with everything making my way to the doors to open them up for the diners. To my surprise, the doors slammed open with an angry Rowan storming in. He had me by the throat, slamming me against a wall.

"Where were you this afternoon, slut?" He growled in my face. He isn't afraid of the threat this event could mean for the pack, but he is afraid of me messing around with one of them.

The truth is they won't respect his claim on me as the pack does. I am not his fiance or his intended mate. I am just his mistress, stealing me away from him would be seen as a great triumph. I just don't have the free will to choose one of them. Not that I would want to, being another Alphas mistress is not on my wishlist.

"I was at home and then I went for a walk in the forest before getting ready," I answered. I made sure I was straight to the point. He let go of as we heard footsteps, my saving grace. My back aches from the force with which he slammed me against the wall. I was worried about the babies, force to the back could be dangerous. His jealousy is getting out of hand. I straightened my dress before they arrived.

All the Alphas and their Luna's were impressed with Rowan and his hospitality. They were pleased with how they were greeted and how excellently prepared their rooms were. Not one of them thanked me, but still I felt proud that I did it. I was relieved because if they complained my night would have been rough.

They also seemed to forget that he wasn’t there to greet them. I made an excuse for him. He'd probably thought they didn't mention it because of who he is. Everything was going well until Aedoin showed up. None of the Alphas really knew him. Rowan was annoyed that he was late. It showed disrespect.

"This is Aedion Michailidis. He is a new Alpha. He took over Greenlands. Clearly, the only thing he is on time for is a fight." Of course, Rowan just had to say something. I was immediately worried that this would escalate. I knew that Aedion was here to try and save me and take on Rowan.

"I've been an Alpha longer than you have boy." Aedion is older than us at least by a couple of years, but not enough for him to refer to Rowan as a boy. Especially not in front of the other Alphas and in his own house. It was uncalled for.

"I have conquered many packs, I have defeated many Alpha's. I give the packs as gifts to my brothers. We are a family of Alphas. Although our main pack is led by a Luna. We know that the true strength lies with the Luna, behind every strong king, there is a stronger Queen." His eyes landed on mine. I wished that he didn't drag me into all of this.

"Look at Dilara for instance. For those who don't know- she was the intended Luna for Greenlands. She was trained by the Luna since she was fifteen. She is an excellent Luna. I imagine it was her that arranged the entire event. Which is why it looks perfect. She was also the one who greeted us when we arrived and made sure our rooms were set up just right." I knew I had to put a stop to this and give Rowan some credit because I could feel the anger radiating off him from across the room.

"Rowan wanted everything perfectly done for each and every one of you." I tried shifting the credit back to Rowan. That only got me a glare that told me to shut up.

"It was me that arranged everything, I worked very closely with the interim Luna and had her see to some minor things, things more suitable for her capabilities," Aceline said as she came walking in completely late, but Rowan won't say anything about it.

If she lifted one finger on this event it would have been a lot. I didn't know that she was planning to come to dinner. She told me she wasn't. She walked to my chair sitting down. I guess I won't be joining them for dinner. I prefer it. The atmosphere is too thick. not only between Aedion and Rowan but between all of them.

Aedion told all of them that their packs weren't safe against him and he reminded them that Rowan wasn't there to greet them.

"I was only introducing myself as Rowan said not everyone was aware of who I am. I take it you are the intended Luna for Lupus Nobilitatis. I guess the nobility of the pack has been exaggerated or lost with time. As I understand it you aren't of an Alpha family and you weren't born to be a Luna." I wish Aedion would just stop. I don't care if Aceline takes credit. It bothers him though. He almost seems like he is shaking in anger. His tone is calm like he is only mentioning this as an afterthought.

"What are you trying to say! Am I not noble enough for you? Well Rowan chose me, he knows I am the best choice for this pack. She isn't even from a main family in that pathetic little pack you stole." Aceline lashed out. I could see the other Alphas and Lunas were starting to feel uncomfortable. I had to de-escalate the situation. I linked the kitchen to bring in the starters immediately.

"No she wasn't part of the main families, but the moon goddess had chosen her to be the Luna for this pack. I don't think you get more noble than that." He was looking at me again. I quickly looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. The servers came in with the food and I led out an audible sigh of relief. Everyone was quiet as the starters were placed like they couldn't air out their dirty laundry in front of the staff.

'Can I leave?' I asked Rowan through our link. He has to permit me. Obviously, I am only causing problems while I am here.

'Do you know this man?' He asked me. He has perfected talking to me like this without paying me any mind. He doesn't want Aceline to notice. He took her hand in his placing a kiss on it. He was trying to calm her down.

'No, I met him when he arrived here earlier. I haven't spoken to him since.' I was standing to the side awkwardly. He hasn't permitted me to leave. The servers nodded at me as they left the room.

'He knows a lot about you. I want to find out why that is. Come sit next to me on the floor. Let him see that you know your place unlike him.' I know this was a punishment for me too. He is still angry at me for something I didn't do. So he might as well embarrass me now. Maybe if he gets to punish me like this he will be easier on me when we are alone.

I swallowed up the little pride I had and walked over to him. I was smart enough to go sit down on the side that Aceline wasn't. She would probably step on my fingers or drop food on me. My dress flared out around me as I sat down on the floor. I folded my hands in my lap and only looked at them. I will not look up and see all of their eyes on me.

"At least some people know their place." Rowan said as I settled in. It was unnecessary. I already did what he asked. I don't need the added humiliation. I know he is now just trying to rile Aedion up.

"And others don't." the door opened, but I didn't look up. I wasn't going to, not without permission.

"I hope you don't mind. I don't go anywhere without him. He was getting nervous outside." Aedoin explained. I was curious to look up and see what was happening.

"He is my enforcer." Sander? Would he willingly walk into this?

"You need someone to protect you...I understand the weak Alphas usually do." Rowan said I could imagine the smile on his face.

"No, I need him to protect others from me. I sometimes lose control when I see something unjust happening." I knew he was talking about me. Rowan does too. I'm sure Aedoin was looking at me. I should de-escalate the situation. maybe I can call for the wine.

"Don't you dare call in the staff again?' Rowan warned me as if he read my mind.

"I think you claim that, but I've never heard of you. How strong could you really be? My father was strong..." Rowan left it there. His father didn't see the attack coming. I haven't seen Rowan work out or train once. In an attack, he would let the pack deal with it. He would see his life as too valuable versus theirs.

'I can sense the negativity rolling off you.' How does he still focus on me while being in this power match of Alphas?

'I'm just worried that the diner I planned is being ruined.'

"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just introducing myself. Speaking of let me just introduce my enforcer. I don't want to be rude. This is Sander. You might know him, Rowan. Just to catch everybody up on the tea. Sander was engaged to Dilara, the beautiful girl kneeling at Roman's feet. They were in line to be the Alpha and Luna of Greenlands. Now we all know each other. The food looks delicious."

How can he just move on after dropping that bomb? He wanted to rile Rowan up, and he succeeded, but for someone claiming to want to help me, he is making my life more complicated.

I didn't know what to do. I was just hoping that Rowan wasn't focusing on me. If I look up at Sander he might think that this is the first I heard about Sanders being here, but then I could be in trouble for looking at him. If I don't look up he will know that I knew Sanders was here and I'll be in trouble for that.

"Honestly are you a child or just being bored? Who cares about them? They are essentially just the help. Stop bothering everyone with this." Aceline chimed in. For the first time ever I was grateful for her.

Aedoin laughed but didn't say anything else. Everyone started to eat. Everyone but Rowan. He sat there with his foot tapping next to me, erratically. He was angry and trying to hold himself back. He turned to me bending down, grabbing my chin. He was looking straight into my eyes.

'Did you know that he was here?' he was looking to see if I was lying.

'Yes, I saw him when they arrived. He looked at me before walking away not saying anything. I realised that he wasn't waiting for me. I was just another girl to him.' I said which is true, it is what I thought at that moment.

He let go of my chin and started to eat his salad. I knew he was watching to see if I would try and get a glimpse of Sander. I am sure he was watching Sander too. I don't know what Aedoins purpose was in bringing Sander to dinner. I've learned not to trust anyone.

Once everyone finished their dessert I could finally get up. My body ached from sitting in that kneeling position for so long. I was grateful to finally get up and stretch a bit. I was embarrassed that everyone saw me like that but I pretended like it didn't bother me. I smiled at all of them as I greeted them.

"You know your fiancé looks a bit neglected. I think that she noticed how you didn't look at her once throughout dinner. Your eyes never left Dilara. It must be difficult for her." Aedoin just doesn't stop. Not even when he is ahead.

"She knows my time with Dilara is limited. She understands." He said hinting at how he was going to kill me. He just believes I think he is letting me go.

"Yes, I know. Goodnight, Angel." Aedion said smiling at me. I couldn't even manage the will to look at Rowan. He commanded me to go straight to the cottage. He didn't even give me a choice. I didn't even have time to take a breath and process the evening before Rowan joined me.

"What the hell was that, Lara?" He asked me as he grabbed my face. He immediately suspects me. Even though he clearly knows how cut off from the world I am as he is the one who limits me so.

"He was trying to rile you up and you let him. You should have ignored him." It's the truth. The night would have gone a lot smoother if Rowan just ignored his remarks, but it was like he was giving Aedoin the ammunition he needed.

"Why didn't you tell me about Sander?" Honestly to avoid the jealousy and punishment that would come with the news.

"I was busy, the first time I saw you, you were slamming me against a wall. You never even gave me the opportunity." He was searching my eyes for answers. I was hoping that they didn't give anything away.

"Tell me that you are mine and that you only want me, you'll always just want me." He needed to hear it and I didn't want to say it. There are worse things to do so I gave in.

"You know I am yours." I know it too. He was planning on killing me rather than losing me. I will never be someone else's.

"Lara, just say it." I could hear the pure desperation in his voice. It's unfair that a couple of words from me will bring him solace whereas there was none for me.

"I'm yours, Rowan. No one else can have me, it's always been you." The words felt wrong leaving my mouth. It pleases him though as he smiled proudly. He slammed his lips against mine kissing me earnestly. I kissed him back knowing it was the only way. His kisses went down my chin and over my neck.

"Rowan please don't." I begged knowing where this was going, by the way he inhaled my scent. It was like he didn't hear me or he just didn't care as he ripped into my already overly scarred flesh marking me again.

He was rougher than usual, he was jealous. He claimed everyone wanted me, but I was his. I was sure that he was overreacting. He used my body up over and over again. He was crazed like he couldn't get enough. My body ached as the sun came up and we finally could get some sleep. I knew I had to almost get up to get everything ready for the day, so I didn't even mind him snuggling into my back. It's not like I could stop him and any sleep was appreciated at that moment.