Chapter 13: Chapter THIRTEEN — SURPRISE, SURPRISE

Candace

My wedding dress was beautiful. I stood before the mirror, watching the white silk pool around my body in soft shimmering waves while sunlight from the tall bedroom windows poured across the floor beneath me.

Most of the bruises on my skin had faded overnight. It was Star’s gift to me, so at least I wouldn’t walk down the aisle looking like someone’s punching bag.

The dress hugged my body perfectly before cascading elegantly to the floor in delicate drapes. The pack tailor had stitched it together within a single day, and somehow it still fit as though it had been crafted for me over months.

A cruel joke from a universe with a vicious sense of humor.

My mother would have loved it. The thought shattered something soft inside my chest.

She should have been standing behind me right now fussing over my veil while crying before the ceremony even started.

Dad should have been knocking on the door pretending he wanted one last glimpse of his princess before she got married while Mom scolded him about bad luck through her tears.

Stephen would have teased me endlessly.

He would have stolen my shoes just to irritate me. Another hot tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it.

The realization of being truly alone had never hit me as hard as it did now. I had no mother to bless me before I walked down the aisle.

No father to place my hand in my mate’s, no brother standing proudly beside me. Only wolves who hated me. Ipressed my trembling lips together until they hurt. I was a lone lamb trapped inside a Pack full of wolves who would do anything to devour me.

And yet—for the first time in three years—no one had laid a hand on me in the last twenty-four hours.

Not even Aunt Elena. The whole packhouse had given me the silent treatment and avoided me like a plague as if afraid that the moon goddess would mate me to them too.

It’s okay to miss them, Star murmured, purring low against my chest. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you, Candy. But I’m here now.

I know. I sniffled, reaching into the small bundle of my belongings on the dresser.

My fingers closed around a simple gold chain with a tiny crescent moon pendant—the one my mother had worn every day when she was still here.

I had watched the guards tear it from her throat the night everything ended. I had watched it skitter across the floorboards as she and Stephen were dragged screaming into the dark.

I’d crawled after it on my hands and knees, sobbing so hard I couldn’t breathe. It was the only piece of her I had left. I lifted it to my neck and fumbled with the clasp when the door swung open behind me.

I spun around to see Deidre standing in the doorway. Her eyes were swollen, the skin beneath them puffy and raw. She was dressed beautifully, as always, with a maid hovering at her shoulder. In her hands was a small gift box tied with a pale pink ribbon.

She took a step toward me. I backed away until my hip hit the dresser. Her face crumpled into something soft and wounded.

Yeah, Bullshit. Only her blind honey bats fell for that look.

"Candy," she whispered. "I’m not here to harm you."

I had learned the hard way that the more distance between Deidre and me, the safer I was.

What does the bitch want? Star growled.

Deidre’s lip trembled. She looked down at the box, then back up at me, her long lashes catching the chandelier light.

"I just wanted to say..." Her voice cracked softly on cue. "I know this isn’t how things were supposed to happen."

My eyes narrowed slightly, she was planning something. I just could not tell what yet.

"I understand the Moon Goddess now," she continued quietly. "It’s only right that they belong to you. They’re your mates, Candy."

What? That alone nearly made me laugh. Deidre Sinclair admitting defeat? That was impossible. The hairs on my skin bristled as I watched her with suspicious eyes.

"It hurts," she whispered while tears gathered in her eyes. "It hurts so much, but I understand."

"What exactly do you want?"

She held out the box, and I half expected some sort of monster jumping out of it and clawing at my face. Only Deidre could pull that off. "The triplets love this scent. You can wear it today. It’ll help."

"Yeah, no thanks."

She gave me a small, tearful smile that had goosebumps dancing on my skin, before she walked to set the box on the dresser anyway. "Promise me you’ll take good care of them, Candy. Promise me."

The maid at her shoulder choked on a sob, clutching her chest like she was watching an emotional soap opera. The poor thing was swallowing every one of Deidre’s lies. If I didn’t know her better, I would have swallowed them too.

Deidre dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. The maid shot me a glare sharp enough to draw blood and took Deidre’s arm.

"Come, my lady. She doesn’t deserve your kindness."

They swept out and left the door wide open behind them. I crossed the room to shut it when something pale caught the corner of my eye. It was a folded square of paper, tucked against the baseboard by the doorframe.

I snatched it up and unfolded it. My hand flew to my mouth, a flurry of emotions coursing through me as I read it.

Your mother would be so proud of you, Princess. Your father would have wished to see his beautiful daughter get married. But the moon goddess knows best. Happy mating ceremony, Candy.

Don’t forget, the packhouse is filled with wolves ready to devour you. You cannot be a lamb, Candace Sinclair. You must be a lioness among wolves to survive. Trust no one. Do not marry with your heart. Marry with your head. I will always be rooting for you.

Another sob ripped out of me, muffled against my palm. The tears came hot and fast, and I pressed the note against my chest as if I could absorb it through my ribs.

I scanned the empty hallway. Was this my anonymous helper?

The sound of the church bells ringing in the distance snagged the thought from my mind. I swallowed the tears, tucked the note deep into the folds of my skirt where no one would find it, and finally clasped my mother’s pendant around my neck.

I took one last look in the mirror, ready to leave, when my eyes went back to Deidre’s box on the dresser.

There was no way she had given me that out of the goodness of her heart; something was definitely up. Grabbing the box, I hurried out of the packhouse using the side entrance to the dumpster and tossed the box in it.

My eyes scanned the area for Cookie. I hadn’t seen her since I shooed her away that night. I knew Aunt Elena hadn’t gotten to her because she would have gloated about it.

It would all end soon. I would be a Pendragon today, and Cookie wouldn’t have to live as a stray anymore.

I made my way to the entrance of the Packhouse, anxiety thrumming in my chest.

Two guards were already waiting at the entrance. They fell in on either side of me without a word and marched me to the black jeep waiting in the garage.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The church was full again, only this time it felt more like a burial than a wedding. Everyone looked so morose, their judging stares pricking my skin as I strode down the aisle alone.

At the altar, my mates waited in black suits instead of the white ones they had worn for Deidre yesterday. That detail hurt far more than I wanted to admit.

Ragnor stood in the center with his hands clasped tightly behind his back while his steel-grey eyes drove into me like twin blades while seeing stood to his left.

His hazel eyes brushing lightly across my face before sliding away almost immediately, as though holding eye contact for too long would betray him.

Ryker stood on Ragnor’s right practically vibrating with restrained fury but the second I reached the altar, his jaw clenched so tightly I saw the muscle jump beneath his skin.

The priest began speaking, but his words blurred together beneath the pounding inside my chest while Star purred shamelessly at the sight of our mates.

"You may kiss the bride."

My eyes widened as Ryker stepped forward so fast he was a blur. His lips barely brushed mine before he was pulling back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand like he’d kissed a dirty wall.

Pain twisted sharply through my chest. Reign stepped toward me next. His eyes flicked briefly toward Deidre before reluctantly returning to me again.

Even now, even standing at the altar with me, he still looked at her first. His lips brushed mine softly then he stepped back immediately.

Ragnor was the last. He stepped forward slowly, those cruel grey eyes holding mine. His lips dropped to mine, his hand caught my jaw, angling my face exactly where he wanted it.

My pulse stumbled violently, then his lips crashed against mine. A startled sound slipped from my throat before I could stop it.

My knees nearly buckled. Three years of being beaten, starved, broken, and one kiss from him undid every wall I had spent those three years building.

My pulse clenched involuntarily between my legs before I could stop it. I hated him. I hated them. I hated what my body still did for them. I hated that the girl who once dreamed of their kisses was alive inside me after all. Heat lingered against my lips long after he pulled away.

His mouth lowered toward my ear slowly, his warm breath sliding across my skin.

"Welcome to hell, Candace," he whispered softly.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

"You have absolutely no idea what’s waiting for you here."

Then he stepped back and the small mischievous glimmer flickering inside all three brothers’ eyes turned my blood cold.

I knew that look. The triplets were planning something. Something terrible.

What...what were they planning?