Chapter Twenty-Seven: Alpha Ceremony (Part One)
Sunday
Emerald's POV:
I was absent-mindedly stirring my coffee as I sat in the pack dining room; for some reason the entire night I tossed and turned. The quads had come to bed around two in the morning. That's when my body could finally ease some of the tension. I didn't want to bump into the twins or triplets in the private Alpha quarters. I couldn't shake this nagging feeling that something would happen today, and I wasn't sure if it would be because of them, or if I would mess up today or something different entirely.
Apart from that, I couldn't get the twins out of my head as much as I tried. Why did it feel like I'd known them before yesterday? I felt this connection, not like the one I felt with the quads. It wasn't romantic; it was more protected. This was weird because the quads were my potential mates, I should only get this vibe from them, and apart from the twins, why didn't the triplet's aura affect me like it did the rest?
Yes, it did have some effect, but not as much as it had on the quads and everyone else, except the twins.
Was there something wrong with me?
Was it possible that I didn't have a wolf? That's why I wasn't responding to auras correctly? Oh, Goddess, I hope that wasn't the case, but then that wouldn't make sense because my body wouldn't react the way it did with the quads to our potential mate-bond.
Ughh!
I would ask the quads, but I knew they were busy with the ceremony tonight and bothering them with unnecessary information wasn't the best idea. Who knew, maybe they’d get mad at me for disturbing them?
Shaking my head at the thought. Gosh, Em! Get a grip of yourself. Why would they get mad? Have they ever gotten angry in these past few days other than when any male wolf is mentioned? I need to stop thinking like they're out to get me. I didn't want to ruin what we had formed in the last couple of days.
Maybe I should ask the twins themselves, I certainly didn't have the guts to question the triplets, and I'm sure I would get in trouble with them if I said one wrong thing; they were after all royalty, and the leaders of us all. However, I wasn't sure if the quads would appreciate me talking to the twins. The way they stiffened yesterday and were fidgety when the twins were staring me down, it wouldn’t sit well with them, and the fact that they were, how the quads like to put it, 'unmated horny male wolves,' I doubt they would want me close to them. They always go bonkers whenever I'm close to any guy other than them. I rolled my eyes thinking about it, but I had a small smile playing on my lips this time. They were crazy, but I guess they were my soon-to-be crazy bum mates.
"So this is the filth the Alphas left us for,” I heard someone say behind me, with so much venom that I was instantly dragged out of my thoughts of the quads.
Turning around in my seat, I was faced with three very pissed off, but might I add, gorgeous she-wolves. The she-wolf at the front had long brown hair with green eyes, and lashes so long they were practically touching the top of her eyelids. She had makeup on, and tons of it, that highlighted every curve on her face. Behind her were two blondes with brown eyes, and the same lashes and makeup. Though they were gorgeous, the glares they threw my way sent chills down my spine, and made their eyes look monster big.
Who were these she-wolves?
Realization quickly set in when I remembered them saying that the quads had left them to be with me. Now when I think of it, they smelt a little familiar. The scent the younger three quads had on them when I came to the packhouse on Monday night, or more like early Tuesday morning. These were the quad's ex-girlfriends. The ones they would have broken up with to be with me.
I whimpered at the memory, insecurity slowly seeping in. These she-wolves were gorgeous, everything I wasn't; tall, slim, muscular build, stylish and confident.
Seeing my uneasiness, I saw the brown-haired she-wolf smirk and lean down closer to me. I instantly backed up because of the years of bullying I suffered at the academy. Seeing my reaction, one of the two blondes at the back scoffed and said to the brown-haired girl,
"I can't believe the quads gave us up for this pathetic excuse of a she-wolf. Just look at her, Aria, she can't even look at you without flinching. Pathetic!”
The brown-haired girl, which I knew as now Aria, just nodded at the blonde's comment, and stood straight up again and grabbed a strand of my hair, twirling it around her finger, trying to look intimidating, which in her case was working and said,
"You're right, Cassandra! Here I thought my Azreal would only have left me for someone that resembled the Moon Goddess. But looking over this thing, she isn't even dirt."
I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. I knew I was like every other Nancy - nothing special; however, they didn't need to degrade me like that in front of pack members, who were now silently watching the show go down.
"I know, right? I can't believe my baby Sam would even be caught dead with her around. Like seriously, look at her,” said the last blonde, whose name I knew to be Ivy now, as Cassandra and Aria called out agreeing with her.
"Who knows, maybe she's good in the sack!” Cassandra snickered, making the other two laugh.
"Oh, I doubt it, boo! Look at her. She even looks prudish,” said Aria.
The way they claimed the quads sent jolts to my heart, not the ones I get when the quads touch me, but jolts of heartbreak. I knew the quads had an extensive record of she-wolves, but were all their exes like this? How could any girl let down another female in such a way? It wasn't my fault I was to be their mate. Heck, I didn't even want to a few days ago. I could feel my tears about to fall, but I kept them at bay with all I had.
Like the wolves in the academy, they were bullies, and I didn't need to feed their egos by letting them see me crumble. That's what they wanted. But, the next thing that came out of Aria's mouth was the nail in the coffin for me.
"Don't be too happy with yourself, she-wolf. As soon as they fuck you, they'll throw you out like the garbage you are. The younger three quads told us that night they supposedly claimed you."
No, no, no!
They wouldn't do that. They have told me that they wanted me and no-one else on multiple occasions. They always backed it up when I asked.
Was it all a set-up to get me to fall in line?
No, stop it, Em. They are just trying to get into your head.
I looked up after drying the tears from my eyes, facing Aria and her posse and said,
"You’re lying, they would never do that,” even though I wanted it to come out stern, it was a whimper and seemed more like a question.
"Oh really? Do you think we would lie about something like this? They're Alphas, it’s in their nature,” replied Aria, with a smirk on her face. Cassandra and Ivy nodded in agreement with Aria's claim.
They were right, they wouldn't lie about something like this, the quads would punish them for spreading rumours.
No, please, Moon Goddess, you can't do this to me!
I could feel my heartbreaking. Was it all a lie? They knew what had happened to me before they claimed me, and they still had the audacity to go ahead with their plans.
Were all guys like this?
Did that mean that whatever Hannah had said about her brothers was a lie? No, that couldn't be. She was my best friend, she would never do something like that to me. She probably didn't know the quads’ plan.
Oh, Goddess, she's going to be so disappointed. I didn't want to create fights between the siblings. I couldn't tell her all this, it would break her, she looked up to her brothers.
But what was I supposed to do? I could feel my heartbreaking, and the wall the quads had lowered was back up a little.
"Aw, is the little wolf about to cry? I heard Cassandra ask, puckering her lips in a fake pout.
I looked up at the three with tears slowly running down my cheeks. Why were they doing this? Why would they embarrass me in front of everyone like this, and why wasn't anyone doing anything to stop them?
I saw Aria extend her hand, grab my hair, and pull my head back. I whimpered at the pain and closed my eyes with tears falling out of them. I was too hurt to fight back, and what was the point? I doubt I would be able to beat her while her minions stood guard behind.
"Listen here, little wolf, you better know your pl…,” before she could finish, I heard a series of loud growls erupt around us, and all of a sudden Aria was pulled from me. I whimpered at the impact as she pulled some of my hair out when she was pushed away.
Opening my blurry eyes, I was shocked to see all the wolves with their necks bared, and the aura around the room was so suffocating, it made me tremble a bit. I slowly looked over to where the three she-wolves stood before they attacked me, and was stunned to see them pushed to the wall in the air by their necks.
And, were those the...