Chapter 59: I’m Pregnant
Liora’s POV
This was meant for me. I am supposed to be the one in that white gown, walking down that aisle. But no, Iris is the one taking my place. She doesn’t deserve it. She doesn’t even look good in that dress. But I know it would look good on me. I continued lamenting, my thoughts a tangled storm of resentment and heartbreak as I stood at the corner side of the grand hall, half-hidden behind a towering marble pillar. My chest tightened in jealousy as I watched Iris walking forward. The wedding dress hugged her curves in a way that made my stomach churn with envy. That gown was meant to be mine, draping my body, announcing me as the Luna of the pack. Instead, I was relegated, my heart pounding with a bitter mix of rage.
The triplets, Cade, Zane, and Kael stood at the altar, their faces unreadable but undeniably strikingly handsome in their tailored black suits. Each of them exuded power, their presence commanding, looking so innocent and naive, yet they had discarded me like I was nothing. All because of their father, Darius, that old fool who thought he could dictate their hearts. My nails dug into my palms as I fought the urge to scream. They had chosen Iris, memory-less girl who didn’t even know who she was, over me, Liora, who had loved them fiercely, who had dreamed of standing beside them as their equal. Well, if that’s how they wanted it, I was in. This marriage? It would never happen.
Soon, Iris reached the altar. The priest, an elderly man with a white beard stepped forward, his robes swishing softly against the floor. He raised his hands, and the keyboard stopped, everyone’s eyes fixed on him as he spoke. "Welcome, beloved pack," he began. "Today, we gather to witness a sacred union, one that binds our pack to its destined Luna and strengthens the legacy of our alphas."
His gaze shifted to a woman standing near the front. I didn’t recognize her, but the priest’s next words clarified her fake identity. "We honor Iris’s mother, who has raised a daughter of grace and strength, a true Luna for our pack." The woman’s hands clasped tightly in front of her chest as if to hold her emotions in check. The crowd erupted into applause as they seemed not to be surprised by her identity. My eyes flicked to my father, seated among the congregation, his lips curved into a smile that I knew didn’t reach his eyes. Of course it didn’t. How could he be happy, watching his daughter cast aside for another? In as much as he tried to act right, I saw the tension in him.
The priest’s voice drew my attention back.
"We also give thanks to Alpha King Darius, whose wisdom has guided us to this moment." Another round of applause followed, louder this time, as Darius stood at the front, waving at everyone as his eyes scanned the crowd. I hated him. I hated how he’d manipulated everything, how he’d convinced his sons that Iris was their destiny. My gaze darted to the triplets, searching for any sign of doubt, but their expressions remained stoic, their eyes fixed on Iris. Did they even care that they’d shattered me?
The priest’s voice continued. "We may now proceed with the sacred exchange, the binding of hearts and destinies." Iris clutched a small bouquet of white roses as she began her vows. Her voice was soft and it made my stomach twist in intense jealousy. "I, Iris, pledge myself to this pack, to its alphas, and to the bond that unites us. I vow to lead with courage, to love with strength, and to honor the traditions that make us whole."
The crowd murmured their approval, a few heads nodding at her words. I scoffed under my breath, my fingers fidgeting at my sides. She didn’t even know what she was promising. How could she, when her memories were a blank slate?
The triplets stepped forward. Cade, with his intense eyes, spoke first. "I, Cade Darius, vow to protect you, Iris, as my Luna, to stand by your side and uphold our pack’s honor."
Is he really saying those words to her? I wanted to scream, yell out my pain and cry my eyes out. How could he?
Zane followed, his voice softer. His hair falling slightly over his forehead. "I, Zane, vow to cherish you, to guide you, and to strengthen our bond as one."
Kael, the quietest of the three, spoke last, his eyes locking onto Iris with an intensity that made my throat tighten. "I, Kael, vow to honor you, to share my strength, and to build a future together."
The crowd clapped, as if this moment was the pinnacle of perfection. Those tears were forming in my eyes now as the urge to tear through the hall and stop this farce intensified. But before I could even think of moving, a piercing loud female voice cut through from the behind.
"This wedding will not be held!" Every head in the hall turned toward the voice as my eyes spotted Amelia, standing at the back of the hall. The crowd gasped, whispers rippling through the room as Amelia’s voice came again, louder this time. "I am pregnant. The triplets are responsible! I’m carrying their child!"
The hall plunged into chaos. Gasps turned to louder murmurs, then to outright shouts as pack members turned to one another.
"She has lost it!"
"What audacity those she have to be here?"
"How dare you try to stop this marriage?"
"Pathetic!"
The pack voices kept coming.
Without hesitation, Darius stood abruptly from his throne in fury.
Amelia took a step forward as she spoke again. "They are the father of my unborn child." Her words were followed by the flowing of her tears.
In our werewolf clan, the law was absolute. If a supreme alpha impregnated a woman who he is not married to yet, she was to be made their wife. It was a sacred mandate of our traditions, meant to protect the lineage and honor the bond of creation. Failure to uphold this law carried dire consequences. Maybe banishment, loss of rank, or, in extreme cases, a challenge to the death.