Candace
The church of GraceSpring pack was the second most beautiful building in the entire pack.
Tall white stone walls stretched toward the high arched ceiling while stained-glass windows ran along both sides of the church, spilling fractured colors across the polished marble floors and the packed pews.
White roses twined around every pillar and banister, their sweet scent hanging heavily in the air beneath the faint burn of candle wax.
Reign and I used to play gas with those colored lights when we were younger. The mory struck hard enough to tighten my throat.
I shoved it away violently, tightening my grip around the heavy train of Deidre’s wedding dress as I followed behind her down the aisle.
Every pew in the church was full. Pack mbers sat in their finest clothing, smiling and whispering excitedly among themselves while turning their heads toward Deidre.
Cora walked several feet ahead of us scattering white flower petals from a silver basket, her smug expression making my stomach churn.
She had only just returned to the pack after months away, arriving exactly in ti for this wedding. Cora and Deidre together were a duo from hell.
The choir humd softly from the front of the church while guests turned in their seats to admire Deidre as she walked gracefully down the aisle.
Then their eyes slid to and there it was again. I could feel the disgust, the hatred, the contempt every single ti.
I kept my gaze lowered toward the marble floor, my fingers tightening painfully around the fabric in my hands.
Try to be a little more original, I wanted to yell at them. The hate and disgust was getting too old.
I kept my eyes on the floor, feeling hurt and betrayed and torn but above all, angry. I was livid. How much more did I have to be a victim?!
Never again. I would leave tonight.
Three familiar scents drifted toward from the altar. My wolf howled inside , practically vibrating with excitent. I glanced upward through my lashes.
The triplets stood beside the priest dressed entirely in white. They looked devastatingly handso.
Ragnor stood in the center, broad and commanding, his dark hair slicked neatly back from his face while those steel-grey eyes softened whenever they landed on Deidre.
Reign stood to his left, one loose curl had escaped his slicked-back hair and fallen across his forehead exactly the way it used to whenever we sparred together as teenagers.
His hazel eyes swept lazily down the aisle before finding . And for one tiny terrible second his brows furrowed. His hand moved toward his jacket pocket and stopped halfway. His fingers curled at his side instead.
The expression vanished so quickly I almost convinced myself I imagined it before he winked at Deidre, earning a bright blush from her.
My stomach twisted in painful knots. Ryker stood to Ragnor’s right, his brown-and-gold eyes blazing with devotion as he stared at my cousin like she hung the moon itself.
I tore my eyes away quickly. Deidre finally reached the altar, her veil floating softly behind her as she turned toward the priest with a glowing smile stretching across her face. Her smile was the most genuine thing I had seen on her face in years.
I stepped backward toward my place beside Cora, who sneered openly at before looking away.
The priest dipped two fingers into a bowl of oil before stepping toward Deidre. She bowed her head gracefully while he pressed the sign of the moon against her forehead, murmuring blessings beneath his breath.
Then he returned to the center of the altar and raised his arms.
"We have co before you, Moon Goddess, giver of light and love, weaver of bonds and destinies," his rich voice echoed through the church.
"To bless the matrimony between House Pendragon and House Sinclair. We ask that you look upon these souls with favor, that you seal what is offered here in love and faith, that you witness and sanctify this union beneath your eternal-"
A violent wind exploded through the church and the priest’s words died instantly. Gasps erupted throughout the pews as every stained-glass window suddenly blazed white-gold so brightly people threw their arms over their faces.
The floor beneath my feet trembled violently as candles flickered wildly. The walls around us humd and then a voice ca.
It ca from everywhere. From the ceiling, the floor, the walls and inside my skull all at the sa ti.
Every wolf inside the church collapsed instantly beneath the pressure. Pack mbers dropped to their knees and the guards stationed around the church slamd against the floor.
Every single one of us went down.
"CANDACE SINCLAIR."
The whole building shook as the voice bood louder, rattling the building.
Dust rained from the ceiling before the voice finally added.
"SHE IS THE CHOSEN ONE."
Then silence crashed over the church just as suddenly as the voice had appeared and the wind vanished.
The trembling stopped and for one horrifying second, nobody moved.
Wait...what?
The church erupted. Gasps and shouts filled the air. People scrambled to their feet around while my own knees trembled violently beneath my weight.
Had that really been the Moon Goddess?
"No!" Deidre shrieked.
Her bouquet hit the marble floor hard enough to scatter white petals everywhere.
"No, no, no! It cannot be!"
Her face twisted with fury while she stomped toward the altar, practically shaking with rage.
"They’re mine!" she scread. "Mine! Why her?!"
My heart slamd violently against my ribs.
They’re our mates again! Star yipped excitedly and my eyes widened.
I got rebonded to the triplets?
My breath snagged and my heart thumped fast, a strange sensation blooming inside . The bond had returned. I nearly staggered backward from the force of it.
After everything, the rejection, the hatred, the collar, three years of agony and humiliation and heartbreak, the thread connecting us had returned.
"Absolutely not." Ragnor’s furious voice cut sharply through the chaos.
He rose first, every line of his body rigid with fury while his grey eyes burned dangerously. He turned imdiately toward his brothers.
Reign rose slower than the others. His face had gone strangely blank, but sothing flickered behind his hazel eyes before disappearing again. His hand drifted toward his jacket pocket instinctively before stopping midway.
Then he looked toward Ragnor and gave the slightest nod.
"She is not our mate," Ryker snarled, rising to his feet with his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. "We already rejected her. It’s done."
"She is not marrying my sons!" Alpha Milan roared furiously while pointing toward the priest. "Continue the ceremony imdiately!"
"Alpha," the priest interrupted carefully. "We are all beneath the authority of the Moon Goddess. Ignoring a divine command would bring consequences upon the entire pack."
Chaos exploded louder.
"But how?" Deidre shrieked suddenly while pointing directly at . "Her collar! She isn’t wearing it!"
Every head snapped toward .
"How long has it been gone?"
I was watching in confusion.
"She’s been unsuppressed this entire ti?"
"How did nobody notice?"
Gee. No shit. Now they noticed? It was in that mont, I almost understood how Deidre fooled all of them so easily. They were just a bunch of blind bats. All of them.
Aunt Elena surged forward from the front pew, her face twisted viciously with fury. "You filthy, conniving...how dare you... you animal, what did you do?"
I bribed the moon goddess, obviously.
Really? She was accusing as if I had any control whatsoever, over what just happened.
Her voice joined the others, the uproar in the church rose to the ceiling.
That was when it occurred to , everything clicking in place. This was it. This was the final chance I begged the Goddess for.
My eyes drifted toward the triplets, towards the n who once loved . They stood close together now, exchanging grim looks while tension tightened every line of their bodies.
I knew that look, they were going to reject again. Cold terror flooded my chest. As much as I knew they didn’t love anymore, I couldn’t afford to be rejected again.
Three rejections already shattered my wolf nearly beyond repair. A fourth rejection would kill her and ultimately kill . This was my final chance, my only chance to gain power, freedom and control over my own life.
Deidre was screaming at the priest, aunt Elena was still moving toward , the triplets were already joining hands while their parents watched in horror.
In seconds, it would be over. I was done being a victim.
"We," Ragnor began coldly while staring directly at .
"I, Ragnor Pendragon, re-"
"I, Reign Pendragon, re-"
"I, Ryker Pendragon, re-"
"I!" I yelled, taking a shaky step forward, my words interrupting theirs with a newfound confidence. My throat bobbing as I choked out, tears brimming in my eyes, ignoring Deidre’s nasty expression. "I, Candace Sinclair,"
Ragnor’s eyes widened instantly. "Don’t you dare-"
"-thereby," my voice trembled. "accept the bond."
Silence crashed over the church. Pure horror spread across every face around .
I lifted my chin despite the way my body trembled.
"And I invoke the Prikaya Law."
"What?!" Alpha Milan roared.
"The Prikaya?! No one had invoked the Prikaya in fifty years!"
Aunt Elena reached first, her hands finding my shoulders, shaking so hard my teeth rattled. "You stupid, stupid girl, what have you done? Do you have any idea what you have done?"
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