Marriage

Arora O'Malley POV

The crowd of people around me was like an ocean. There was not a flaw among them, of course, except for where I was standing right now. There was not the slightest distance between them that made me claustrophobic just looking at them.

The clock has struck the hour. Everything was ready, the wedding altar, the guests, and the groom, except that the bride didn't show up. And I knew the reason for the delay.

Upset, angry, and scared. My feelings were all mixed up. I was angry that the Celestial Dawn pack members kept giving me and my pack members. I was upset at Jack, my chosen mate, for crossing the line. I feared the worst for daring to play around with the Alpha King Triplets.

I turned my head, looking at my mother who was as agitated as I was. Of course, this was her plan. There was no way she didn't know how big the risk was if this plan failed.

Two of the three brothers of the Alpha King Celestial Dawn pack were standing on the altar. Their aura was enough to mentally weaken anyone nearby. Even so, their facial expressions were flat and they did not say anything. They were so mysterious, but they were not people who could be the object of curiosity.

The sound of banging distracted me. My eyes widened. My feet moved naturally towards the man whose body was thrown away when the door opened.

"Jack, what's wrong with you?" I asked worriedly. I placed his bruised face on my thigh. He whimpered in pain with his eyes closed.

Why did he come back to this state?

I looked around. Not only my pack members, but the Celestial Dawn pack members were also focusing their attention on me. This is embarrassing!

Damn! Is mom deep in choosing a partner for me?

"What's wrong with you? Your lip is also torn. Did you fight with someone?" I said in a very low tone, not wanting the others to overhear.

"He... he brutally beat me up. He's so cruel, he's... he's a crazy man," Jack replied haltingly. Before he finally closed his eyes and fell unconscious on my lap.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, everyone including me returned our attention to the door. A man with the same facial features as the other two Alpha Kings was walking in. I could easily guess that he was part of the Alpha King Triplets.

But, who was in his arms?

I squinted my eyes before finally widening my eyes. I quickly rose to my feet, gave the order to bring Jack inside, and pulled out a woman who was hiding behind a pillar.

My right hand extended forward, stopping the footsteps of Alpha King Zacharias. I had trouble swallowing as soon as his gaze fell on me.

"S-she can't marry you. She's injured," I stammered.

Ruby's sister's wrists and feet were blistered and deeply injured, her consciousness seemed to be floating on a cloud. This marriage would be a disgrace, both to the Wildfire pack and Celestial Dawn pack. If the members of the Celestial Dawn pack thought that handing over an injured bride was an insult the Wildfire pack would be facing a high wave.

I pulled the woman at my side forward. She was impeccably dressed in a white bridal gown that was more luxurious than the one Ruby's sister had used.

"I will replace the bride-to-be. She is the daughter of Beta Wildfire pack, Poppy Gray," I said loudly.

He just stayed silent with a flat expression. I felt suffocated just by the aura he gave off. He knew that he couldn't kill an Alpha, so of course he wouldn't kill me here, right?

"Even if it is my mate?"

That one sentence made my body freeze. He walked past my short arm to the altar where his two brothers were waiting. I pulled my hand away still with an expression of disbelief.

Ruby is the mate of the Alpha King Triplets of the Celestial Dawn pack.

Confusion filled my head. Everything I heard just went in through my left ear and out my right. The moment when the groom and bride united the blood from the wound on their palms and when they were officially announced as husband and wife, I was still pensive.

I was jolted by the grip on my shoulder. I turned to look at my mother who had been beside me since who knows when.

"This is the end of patience. Nothing else can shake your position as the Alpha of Wildfire pack."

No, mom. I felt... this was not an end, but a new beginning.

***

Ruby Maverick POV

My body was like wood, very stiff. When I made the slightest movement, all my veins would scream in pain. My lower lip hurt because I bit it too hard to hold back the sound of my scream.

I tried to sit up despite the hissing that accompanied me. My gaze fell on my bandaged wrist. Memories of earlier crashed into my head. Spontaneously my hand shot up to grip my hair.

I was kidnapped by Jack and rescued by a mysterious man.

No, wait.

I tried hard to clarify my blurry memories. Groaning softly with my eyes closed. A few seconds later, I opened my eyes wide.

I was married! I had even taken the wedding vows!

A sweet scent entered my sense of smell. I recognized this scent, and it was reinforced by my wolf cry. This is the scent of a mate. Not Jack, but someone else. He is my second chance!

The scent was getting closer. Before I had time to look around, three men were sitting on the same bed as me. My forehead scrunched up as I felt familiar with their faces.

Ah, that's right! They were the Alpha King Triplets who took the marriage vows with me.

They were my husbands!

"Would you like a drink?" asked a man with brown hair and a flat expression. The man bun hairstyle perfectly matched his firm jaw and well-built body.

He was Zephyr Maverick, the eldest of the three triplet brothers.

I gasped when someone touched my hair and played with it. My vision was filled by another similarly handsome face, but his facial features were not as firm as Zephyr's. He even published a sweet smile and leered mischievously at me.

"You're finally awake. You've been asleep for two days since our wedding day. Isn't that too much, Ruby?"

He was Zaire Maverick, a cheerful-looking person, at least that was the impression he had in my eyes.

"That long? I don't know."

I sighed with my head bowed. I felt unfamiliar with this place. Although their presence in my mate made me a little comfortable, I was still confused. The whole incident seemed to be a nightmare with many steep paths.

"What are you thinking?" someone's index finger directed my face to look at him. The smirk on his lips made me choke up. The sly glint in his narrowed eyes left me stunned.

He was Zacharias Maverick, the man who saved me when I was kidnapped by Jack. I was terrified, but thanks to the gentle caress of his hand, I relaxed.

"I-I'm just a little confused," I replied with a stammer. The bodies of the three of them were huge, in contrast to my small body. I looked like a rabbit amongst big wolves.

"I don't know why, but is the scent of a mate really this alluring? I feel that your scent is not like that of a typical werewolf." Zephyr's eyebrows drew together. A sign that he was thinking hard at the moment.

"I could hardly bear it when you were lying on the bed. Now that you're awake, can we claim our rights?" The sweet smile on Zaire's lips turned into a smirk.

"Give us all your attention and warmth," Zacharias whispered right in my ear which caused an amused shudder.