Rejected By One, Claimed By Three

TWO

SKYLA POV

“You should be thanking Carolyn for doing your job. Do you realize how lucky you are? It should be a privilege. I agreed to marry a stiff woman like you, so do not forget your place, b***h!” Richard warned darkly, his eyes throwing daggers at me.

I was shocked and betrayed also. My wolf had been howling in pain, trying to reach out to Richard’s wolf, but he had completely turned his back on her. I angrily wiped off my tears and looked at him confidently; he didn’t deserve to see me cry.

“Call off the mating ceremony,” I announced.

“What?” Richard asked angrily.

“Good idea,” Carolyn said approvingly.

“Get lost!” Richard ordered Carolyn. I was delighted to see her flinch and scurry out of the bedroom, still stark naked.

No! Get a grip of yourself, Skyla.

“What did you just say?” Richard asked, daring me to repeat myself.

“I have no intention of getting married to a monster like you. Call off the f*****g wedding!” I repeated.

My need to cry and yell at him was long gone; I had pushed it to the far corner. I could do that later when his eyes filled with malice weren't staring at me.

“Don’t you dare do anything stupid, Skyla,” Richard deadpanned.

“You have no right to tell me what to do!” I countered.

Richard strode towards me and angrily pushed me against the wall forcefully, making me flinch in pain as my back hit the wall. I struggled to get away from him, but his hard grip on my neck held me in place.

“Let me go-“ I begged, but he didn’t budge; instead, his hands tightened around my neck, making it hard to breathe. The usual softness in his eyes was no longer there; his eyes were blazing with anger.

“Spread a word of this, and I’ll make sure I kill you with my bare hands,” he threatened. I shivered in fear at his cold words. How did I fail to see how cruel Richard was?

“Now get out of here and make sure you don’t do anything stupid,” he warned, releasing his tight grip on me.

“Oh, and by the way- We’re getting married tomorrow,” he smirked deviously. He walked out of the bedroom and into the connected bathroom.

My petite body dropped to the floor, exhausted. My hand reached for my sore neck; I bet I’d have marks there. I was a complete mess; my face was tear-stained, and my body was shaking in pain. Luckily, the stinging pain had subsided, and all that was left was the pain of heartbreak.

I had to get out of here; I couldn’t stay here any longer.

I stumbled out of the room; thankfully, Carolyn was nowhere in sight. I didn’t want to see her; I couldn’t stand her smug attitude.

I quickly wiped any trace of my tears and headed downstairs. My steps halted when I saw a group of maids huddled at the corner, talking in hushed tones. Out of curiosity and with the help of my werewolf abilities, I was able to listen to their conversation.

“I feel so sorry for Skyla,” one of the maids whispered.

“Same; I bet she had no clue what Alpha Richard had been up to all this while.”

“Of course, she had no idea! Didn’t you see how happy she was to see him? I can’t imagine how hurt she must have felt when she found out…” another mumbled under her breath.

I faked a loud cough, announcing my presence. I had heard enough of their gossip. Their conversation made me wonder how many people knew about Richard cheating on me.

“Oh, sorry, future Luna, we were just finishing cleaning up here. We’ll be heading to the maid quarters now,” a brown-haired maid said in fright, her eyes cast downwards, scared that I might have heard their earlier conversation.

“No, stop; I’m aware you know about Richard and Carolyn,” I ordered dryly.

The shock on their faces was almost amusing, except my mood was already too soiled to find humor in anything. They all dropped to their knees in fear of my reaction.

“I’m so sorry. We wanted to tell you so badly, but Alpha Dominic had made us swear with the lives of our beloved ones to keep this a secret from you and anyone outside the pack house. Please spare us,” the first girl spoke again, her voice shaking from her nerves.

“I’m not going to hurt anyone,” I announced.

“I only want to know just one thing,” I continued calmly.

“What is it? We’ll tell you anything you want to know,” one of the maids quickly intervened.

“Answer me truthfully: how many people know about Richard and Carolyn?” I asked even though I knew the answer might break me.

“Just us, Luna. Oh yes- and Nora!” She exclaimed.

“Nora?” I repeated in disbelief. They had to be mistaken; why would Nora lie to my face when she knew exactly what was going on? Was that why she had been acting strangely these past weeks?

“Yes, Nora, ma’am,” she repeated confidently.

I didn’t know what hurt me more: Richard’s betrayal or my best friend covering up for him and disregarding my pains.

In a daze, I started walking straight to the exit. I had no idea where I was going, but one thing I knew was that I couldn’t stand being there any longer. I ignored the worried looks from the maids and exited the pack house.

I would figure out a plan; there was no way I would agree to get married to Richard after all that had happened.

***

The day of my doom finally arrived, and I had yet to think of a plan. I sat like a posh doll in front of the full-length mirror, awaiting my wedding.

I was dressed in a flowing white wedding gown adorned with beautiful pearls, and my pink hair was styled to perfection. I had fallen in love with this dress the first day I saw it and picked it myself to wear on this day, but right now, as I stared at myself through the mirror, all I felt was disgust. Richard’s betrayal stumped the earlier excitement I had about getting married to him.

My gaze darted to the door behind me, watching it open up to reveal the last person I wanted to see. Nora.

I hadn’t seen her since I found out about Richard cheating on me, neither did I try to confront her concerning her betrayal.

“You look gorgeous, Skyla,” Nora complimented sweetly. Was that all fake, too? I couldn’t see her the same way anymore.

“Get lost, Nora,” I said coldly, determined not to let my tears flow. Seeing her smile at me despite what she did was a stab in the back.

“Huh?” She asked, her smile now replaced with a slight frown. Of course, she wouldn’t expect me to speak to her this way.

“Why did you do it? For fucksake, why would you cover up for Richard!” I yelled at her angrily, now standing in front of her.

“I-“ she flinched.

I paused, waiting for an explanation. I’d feel less hurt if Richard threatened her and wasn’t trying to hurt me intentionally.

“I’m so sorry, Skyla. I hated that I was contributing to your pain, but I had no choice. I’m so so so sorry,” she sobbed, her beautiful makeup getting ruined by her tears.

“f**k you!” I cursed. I angrily grabbed the flower vase at the corner and threw it at the door. Watching in satisfaction as it shattered into pieces. Nora flinched, surprised by my sudden outburst.

“Prove how sorry you are,” I gritted.

“Prove your loyalty to our friendship. Help me get out of here,” I demanded. She was my last hope; I didn’t want to have a screaming match with her and waste more time here. My priority was getting out of here without the guards coming after me.

“Skyla- I can’t,” she mumbled apologetically.

“What do you mean you can’t??” I asked, reaching for her hand.

“Please, I'm begging you, get me out of here. I’m willing to forgive you for anything. Just please help me escape,” I sobbed.

“Alpha Richard sent me here to ensure you attend the wedding. I can’t turn against my Alpha,” she replied, avoiding meeting my eyes.

“What?” I asked in disbelief.

Was she choosing Richard over me??