Betrayed By One, Chosen By Another

CHAPTER ONE

I felt a smile of giddy happiness stretch across my lips as Logan strolled confidently towards me down the aisle. Yes, he was late, and it wasn't customary for brides to wait for their grooms at the altar, but I couldn't care less. I was finally marrying the man of my dreams, and a little tardiness wasn't going to ruin my day. I expected to see the same look of unbridled joy on Logan's face, or even one interspersed with a mildly nervous expression. When Logan was close enough for me to study, however, the expression on his face wasn't one I could decipher. Our eyes didn't meet as he came to a stop in front of me and the stately priest who cleared his throat self-importantly and began the ceremony.

"Cutting it pretty close, aren't you?", I joked in a whisper, smiling besottedly at the man who would make me the happiest woman on earth.

His eyes stayed firmly affixed on the ground, not even giving the slightest response to my attempt at breaking the sudden tension between us. With a confused tilt of my head, I let his strange behavior go, attributing it to wedding nerves, ignoring the small voice reminding me that Logan was one of the most confident people I knew. He was after all, the Alpha of the Ravensong Pack.

"And do you", the priest said to me, "Isabella Stormfang take Alpha Logan Ravensong as your lawfully beloved mate?"

I smiled serenely, but inwardly, I was squealing with joy.

"I do", I said loudly, all the better for the pack members present to hear.

The priest turned to Logan who now looked mildly nauseated.

"Do you, Alpha Logan Ravensong take this shewolf, Isabella Stormfang as your lawfully beloved mate?"

I could almost feel the congregation - me included - lean forward in anticipation. This union was one that was widely waited for by all. The daughter of the prestigious Stormfang Alpha and the Alpha of Ravensong. It was a match made in heaven.

Logan took a deep breath, looking resolved. I smiled encouragingly at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I..." He paused, then took another breath. "I don't."

I smiled stupidly for a moment, thinking he'd given the right answer before my brain finally registered what he said. What?

The priest faltered, staring at Logan with an aghast expression on his face and the crowd seemed confused. Had they heard right?

"Um...Alpha?", The priest stuttered, looking at Logan questioningly.

Logan finally met my eyes and the expression in them was a perplexing disgust and rage, the reason of which I couldn't pinpoint.

My face grew ashen beneath my bridal makeup and the hand holding my bouquet sweated.

"I don't accept her", Logan repeated loudly, to the loud murmurs of the congregation.

"What?" My voice was shrill with disbelief and I wiped my other hand - the one Logan's ring was supposed to go on - on the skirt of my dress.

Logan scoffed and shook his head disgustedly. "Did you really think I would accept you, Isabella? After what you did?"

I shook my head. What I did? "What... What did I do?" My voice was pitifully small, not at all like the confident one I'd used to proclaim that I would have Logan.

He raised a derisive eyebrow. "You're going to play the dumb game?" He rolled his eyes. "You've always been good at deception.*

I wanted to take a step towards him, but I felt as though I was glued to the floor. "Logan, I don't know what you mean. What's happening?"

"You threatened to have Elena killed, that's what!", He burst out.

The congregation gasped in horror while I just furrowed my brow in confusion. I ignored their aghast murmurs as I searched my mind for what might have set Logan off. He was usually so calm, I couldn't imagine what he believed about me now to act this way, even going as far as doing it before an audience.

"Who's Elena?", I asked dumbly.

The rage on Logan's face was so palpable I took a scared step backwards.

"Stop lying, Isabella. Everyone knows what you did", he hissed.

I managed a disbelieving laugh. "Except me, it seems!", I cried.

Logan ran a hand through his intricately styled hair, mussing it up. "I knew I never should've agreed to this sham of a marriage. I should have listened to my gut."

I was getting hysterical, and quick.

"Sham?", I shrieked. "This isn't a sham!" My bouquet fell out of my slack grip and the congregation obviously took it as an omen. An enterprising little girl rushed out of the front pew, snatched it up, and raced back to her mother, giggling. Her mother tried to pry it from her fingers and she let out a shrill scream so very similar to the one I wanted to let out.

"Oh, come off it", Logan snapped impatiently. "We both know the real purpose of this wedding is to help you and your family! Your pack needs the alliance with Ravensong! You never even loved me!"

I felt all the air rush out of my lungs with an audible whoosh. That Logan would bring up something he and my father had talked about in secret to light in such an unfeeling way was like a knife to my heart. His implication that I had no feelings for him was like twisting the said knife.

"That's a lie, and you know it, Logan", I said, voice thick with tears. "You know I'm in love with you. Everything else doesn't matter. You love me too, you said so yourself."

"I lied! I'm in love with Elena and obviously, you were so jealous that you told her you'd have her and our child killed!"

The sudden hush that fell over the church told Logan he'd said something he wasn't supposed to. He faltered, then plowed on.

I staggered back. "Your child?"

Logan stared at me expressionlessly. "Elena's pregnant."

"Elena...you have a secret lover?!", I yelled, suddenly seething. "You bastard!"

"I told you to drop the act!", He suddenly yelled back. "You knew about my relationship with Elena. You knew she was pregnant!"

"I knew nothing! If I did, what makes you think I would have agreed to marry you?"

"You need my help!"

"I do not! My father's pack has managed long before you came into the picture, and we'll continue to! I wanted to marry you because I love you!"

"Bullshit!"

"Don't fucking say that again!", I shrieked. "How shameless are you? Accusing me of a crime I didn't even commit! And on our wedding day too!"

"We're not fucking getting married!", Logan shouted. "Or you're not."

Suddenly, he turned and stalked to the second pew. There, he stopped and held his hand out expectantly. I watched with horror as a pretty woman in a pink dress smiled bashfully and took it. Elena.

My mouth fell open. She was Elena? She'd barely been in the pack for three months? When had their 'relationship' even begun and how was she pregnant so quickly?

Logan led her back to the altar, looking at her with hearts in his eyes. He'd never once looked at me that way.

"Logan Ravensong", I hissed. "You will not disgrace me so thoroughly. This wedding will go on!"

The Alpha of Ravensong ignored me and instead, stood in front of the priest with his pink slut hanging off his arm.

"Father*, he said, "this is the woman I would love to marry. Wed us instead."

"You will do no such thing!", I shrieked, ignoring the snide looks I was getting and the running makeup from my eyes. I turned a furious glare on Elena and she took a scared step back, looking every bit like the innocent doe she no doubt pretended she was.

There she stood, looking positively virginal in her pink dress, clutching Logan's arm, while I stood on his other side in my wedding dress, looking the picture of a jilted bride.

The priest cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but I can't do that. You were supposed to be wed to Miss Isabella here. Marrying another woman after what you've just done to her would be the height of discourtesy."

Discourtesy indeed. The man couldn't even tell his alpha that he was being a colossal ass.

Logan sneered. "In that case, I'm done here. Goodbye, Isabella."

He turned to go with his pretty little thing and I snatched her arm. She yelped.

"When have I ever spoken to you?", I demanded violently. "When did I threaten you? Answer me!"

She pouted and tears gathered in her eyes. I scowled at her obvious act. Logan shoved me backwards suddenly, making me stagger a few steps back. Elena put a hand on his arm as if trying to calm him. My eyes shot daggers at her.

"Don't touch her. Ever", he growled. "Now, leave my pack."

"What?", I asked, suddenly quiet. "Logan, you can't do that."

Both his eyebrows raised in an expression I used to once adore. "Can't I?"

I began to sob again, in earnest. "Logan please. I - I'll do anything, just..."

I hurried forward and grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me..."

He shook me off irritatingly. "Leave, Isabella. There's nothing here for you."

With that, he turned and walked away, led by the devil in pink. There was a ripping sensation in my chest that had me doubling over, then sliding to the floor, clutching my broken heart and sobbing.

The members of the congregation began to file out individually. Occasionally I would hear their barely concealed whispers.

"I always knew there was something wrong with her..."

"She's definitely capable of that..."

"Look how pitiful she looks..."

"I bet that's just an act..."

I plugged my fingers into my ears and screamed out loud. It was a scream of pain, heartbreak, betrayal. It was a scream that promised vengeance.

The priest placed soothing fingers on my shoulder. When I stared at him murderously, he took a tentative step backwards, before hurrying away, leaving me to my tears.

The church had emptied out quickly, leaving me feeling the way it was. Hollow. I suppose I should've known that the happiest day of my life would turn out to be the absolute worst and the man who had made me happy would turn into a nightmare.

I sniffled, the sound echoing in the empty space. A fitting end to the day, nothing special. Just a weeping bride in an empty church.

CHAPTER TWO

It was late evening when I stood from where I'd lain curled up on the wooden floor. Silently, I put my hands up to my hair and tugged, sending the tiny pins holding my hair up in the intricate hairdo pouring to the ground. I tossed the veil pinned to the back of my head away, not even caring where it landed and walked to the small door at the side of the church.

The little field outside was deserted and I thanked the Goddess for that. I wasn't sure I would be able to stand seeing any sneering gazes. Thankfully, the church was near one of the woods that bordered Ravensong and my parents pack, Stormfang. With a final gaze at the Ravensong Pack house in the distance, I trudged into the woods, the lengthy train of my dress dragging behind me sluggishly.

I walked for what seemed like hours, but was really only just a few minutes. Stormfang was very close to Ravensong. My eyes were swollen with tears and they stung anew whenever I thought of what had happened. I couldn't wait until I was back home, already imagining the fury on my father's face and the comforting hug my mother would give me. Logan didn't know it yet, but he had just made an enemy of Stormfang's alpha.

I reached the borders of Stormfang, marked by a large oak tree that stood sturdily in the centre. As I expected, a pack warrior apprehended me as soon as I crossed in. He silently took in my dirtied wedding dress, sweeping train, and sullen expression, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He gave a short bow.

"Where are my parents?", I asked, sounding clogged.

"At the pack house, ma'am", he answered respectfully.

Usually, I hated the deference with which the rest of the pack treated me simply because I was the alpha's daughter, but today, I didn't exactly care. I might've even welcomed it, craving the feeling of being respected after being so thoroughly disrespected by Logan and his slut mate.

I nodded at him thankfully, stepping around him so I could be on my way. The man looked uncomfortable as he stepped in front of me, blocking my advance.

I raised a tired eyebrow at him. "And?"

He looked at his feet as though he was afraid to meet my eyes.

"Speak up, man!", I snapped, feeling another onslaught of tears begin to come. I desperately needed the comfort of my parents.

"You are not to enter the pack", the man muttered.

"Excuse me?" I dimly wondered what the man had been indulging in.

"Do you not know who I am?", I questioned. Even if he didn't, the wedding dress should have clued him in. Everyone in Stromfang knew the alpha's daughter was getting married today.

"I do", the man said apologetically. "It's just that I have orders not to let you in the pack."

My eyebrows raised disbelievingly. "Orders from whom?"

"Um...your father, ma'am."

I barked out a laugh. "My father would never give an order like that. Let me through."

The man shook his head and stayed resolvedly put.

I scoffed, then tried to walk around him. "This is a very poor joke. When I tell my father about this, you'll be searching for a new job."

The man bent his head again. "I'm sorry, ma'am. But I'm really following orders."

"Orders! In what sick world would my father order you to not let his daughter in the pack? His heir? Get out of the way please. I've had a long day, and I'm sure you've noticed."

The pack warrior looked like he'd been forced to swallow something unpleasant when he took me by the arm as I tried to get past him again.

"What is your problem?", I yelled. "Let me go this minute or you'll regret it!"

"He'll regret it if he does", another voice cut in.

I whirled around to glare at a man I recognized - my father's chief of border patrol. Unfortunately, the pack warrior was still holding on to my arm, so when I turned, I twisted it behind me. I winced, then turned back to tell at him as he hurriedly let me go.

"You oaf!"

"My apologies", he quickly murmured, then bowed hurriedly to his boss before scampering away. I turned haughtily to look at the man who had joined us.

"What is the meaning of this?", I demanded. "What orders?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry, princess. But your father was very clear. You are not to be granted entry into the pack."

I gaped. "Did he at least say why?"

His gaze travelled up and down my dress of shame. "My guess is it had something to do with your failed wedding?"

"Your guess?", I asked shrilly.

The elderly man sighed. "Would you like me to repeat to you what he said?"

"Word for word", I demanded.

"Very well." He cleared his throat, then took a deep breath as he prepared to imitate my father. "Tell Isabella that I do not want to set my eyes on her. If she's such a failure that she can't do something as simple as wed a silly boy, then she has no business being the future Alpha of this pack. She had one task, and she failed at it. She can return when she has our alliance with Ravensong figured out."

My mouth fell open and two fat globs of tears suddenly dropped down my cheeks.

"My father did not say that", I told the gray-haired man in front of me. "My father would not say that!", I protested again.

He bent his head. "I'm sorry, Isabella."

The tone of his voice led me to believe that maybe he didn't approve of this. He was after all one of my father's closest friends.

"Did you not talk to him?", I whispered. "Try to convince him that this is foolishness?"

The man shook his head. "You know how your father can be, dearie. I had no say in the matter."

"And Mom? Did she have no say too?"

"I'm not sure I'm in a position to say this, but the Luna and the Alpha may have had a slight disagreement."

I scoffed, then sniffed. "Slight disagreement? None of them even care about me!"

"Princess, you know that's not true..."

"Isn't it?", I sneered. "Because it sure looks to me like they're turning away their only daughter when she's just been turned away by the man they wanted her to marry too!"

The old guard shook his head helplessly. "Princess..."

"It's okay", I reassured through tears. "I'll leave."

"But if the Ravensong alpha turned you away, where would you go?"

I gave him a sad smile which I'm sure he saw through. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I am alpha material, despite what my father thinks."

I exchanged another sad smile with him before turning away, heading back in the direction I'd come, towards the border. Just like that, I had no home, no belongings. It was amazing how much could happen in such a short time.

I walked through the woods until I came to a forked path. One was the one I'd come through, the one that led to Ravensong. The other one led deeper into the woods, towards no-man's-land. It was dangerous territory, one that I'd never been on.

Barely even stumbling in my silly silver wedding shoes, I turned and took the uncharted path.

CHAPTER THREE

Ever since I was a little girl, I'd had an irrational fear of the dark. I jumped at little noises that were most times just the creaking of my bed, and startled at sudden movements that were always just random items of clothing hanging off chairs or in closets. Now though, nothing about those fears were irrational or fake.

Trees with long branches and sweeping leaves waved back and forth in the slight wind, and the wind made a high whistling sound as it wove through the dense vegetation, rustling the dead leaves on the forest floor. I hugged my arms to myself as I walked, the heels of my shoes sinking into the soft earth.

I was suddenly yanked backwards by my dress and I screamed, whirling around and expecting to see someone holding on to me. I heaved a quiet sigh of relief and a titter at my own jumpiness when I saw that the train of my dress had simply snagged on a tree root. Sighing, I gripped the flimsy lace firmly and pulled taut, ripping it in two so that it now hung halfway to my knees instead of trailing a full two feet behind me. The end tangled in the trees fluttered to the ground quietly and I turned to continue on my miserable way.

The night was a dark one, and the dense canopy of trees above me enhanced the darkness. I could barely see three feet in front of me. My hearing was excellent though, which was why I heard the sound of a tree branch snapping underfoot.

My spine stiffened as I straightened abruptly, pausing in my tracks. My ears strained keenly, waiting to catch that sound again. I must have stood motionless for at least a minute, before concluding that maybe I'd been the one to step on the branch. Afterall, the large skirt of my dress prevented me from seeing the ground directly in front of me. More carefully this time, I took a tentative step forward, before beginning to walk in earnest. Since I had no idea of where I was going, I had just decided to walk in a straight line, figuring I would definitely get to a landmark of some sort.

I'd walked for another minute maybe, when I heard it again. The sound of deep breathing, and the light padding of footsteps behind me. I whirled around and I saw it.

About four feet tall, the creature was mangy, patches of fur missing from it's coat. It's dull yellow eyes were sickly, and saliva dripped hungrily from it's canines. My eyes darted around and I saw that I had spoken too soon.

Not it. They.

About half a dozen of those such wolves stood in a half circle in front of me. I had stumbled right into a pack of rogue wolves.

Tales of what had happened to people as careless as I was began flooding through my mind. Stories of the havoc rogue wolves caused, the injuries they inflicted on the minds and bodies of their victims. Little, useless pieces of advice on what to do if you were confronted by a rogue. Nothing that could help me though. Because I wasn't cornered by a wolf. I was cornered by wolves.

One of them growled menacingly and a glint of hunger passed through his eyes. I could easily have defended myself or outrun them if they were regular wolves, but from their size and the intelligent look of villiany in their eyes, I knew without a doubt that they were werewolves.

I ignored all my instincts screaming at me to run, because I knew they would only chase me down. The instinct to give chase was inborn in all predators. So I tried talking.

"Er...hello", I said tentatively. "Anyone know the way to the nearest town? I think I'm a bit lost." I added a little 'hehe' at the end of my statement, as if I couldn't believe myself.

The wolf in the middle growled again. He was a lot bigger than the others and by the way he stood authoritatively, front and center, I knew he was their Alpha.

"Do you mind telling me your name?", I asked him instead, hoping to lure them into their human forms though I wasn't sure which was better. To be chased and mauled by wolves, or to be left to the calculating evil of six sense-deprived human minds.

One of the wolves flanking tenses, his claws scratching at the ground expectantly, and I instinctively knew what was coming. I didn't wait for him to pounce, only turned and ran faster than I'd ever run in my life, grateful for my alpha genes for once.

Despite my speed, I was still considerably slow, especially when compared to six muscled wolves used to chasing down their prey. My dress hugged at my legs and I cursed my lack of foresight in not doing something about it earlier. The sharp heel of my shoe snagged across a thin root of a tree and I found myself sprawling forward, barely managing to catch myself throwing my arms out in front of me. I landed with a yelp of pain, immediately turning on my back to see the advancing wolves. They looked really hungry. And they were going to get me if I didn't do something, and fast.

"Wait!", I suddenly screamed, breaking the serenity of the night. Surprisingly, they listened and all of them paused, staring at me inquiringly.

It was a lot like a lion asking a lamb what it wanted before it got eaten.

"Wait a moment", I continued, my hands shaking as I tried to grab as much handfuls of lace as I could. Who the hell designed these things? A bride couldn't even run for her life in them.

"This isn't a fair chase", I told them sternly, keeping my voice firm so they wouldn't take it as a sign of weakness and stop listening to me. "Give me a moment."

My heart thundered as the wolves stared at me perplexed as I ripped along the middle of my dress as quickly as I could until the whole thing was knee-length and a frothy concoction of dirty lace lay heaped on the ground beside me. Next, I took off my shoes, wincing at the blisters on my feet from keeping them imprisoned in pointy-toes all day.

I could tell by the shifting muscles that the rogues were going to pounce on me anytime soon, fairness be damned, so slowly, I got to my feet, the fear I felt at that moment overpowering the relief of being barefooted after a whole day.

Before the first wolf could take the initiative, I turned and resumed my race, this time infinitely faster than I previously was. Tiny twigs prickled the soft underside of my feet, but I barely even noticed. It was literally a death race. I knew that the rogues would have zero qualms ripping into me...or worse.

I started to severely doubt the strength of my alpha genes when I started to tire after only a few minutes of ducking under and leaping over branches. I was tired - pre-wedding nerves and the events of the day had prevented me from eating anything other than a slice of pineapple that morning.

I heard the rrip my dress made as it was snatched my sharp teeth and urged myself to run faster. I saw what I thought was my salvation in the form of a tree branch that was high enough that I didn't need to leap over it. A crazy idea room hold in my mind, and without thinking it through, I jumped, right as I passed under the tree, putting as much power and momentum as I could into that jump, slapping a hand on the bark of the branch, and launching myself upwards.

I underestimated my momentum, or the pull of gravity. My shoulder screamed as my whole weight dangled on it for a split second before I swung my body up onto the branch. A sharp searing pain up my calf had my eyes watering. I glanced down to see that the rogue who had been in the lead had completely sped past the tree, and one of them had clawed at my leg when they saw what I attempted. I barely had time to climb up to a safer, sturdier branch when one of the wolves leapt, putting his forelimbs right in front of me, on the branch that was already ominously creaking.

With a snap, the branch fell, and I screamed as both I and the ambitious wolf tumbled several feet to the ground. He recovered before me. My ears rang and my vision swam for a minute before I shook myself alret.

The wolves had completely surrounded me, and I knew there was no means of escape. They wouldn't fall for any more tricks, nor would they let me out of their sight long enough to run. My eyes stung, but I silently ordered myself not to cry. At least not before the alpha wolf began to shift.

His body undulated, and his limbs creaked, then, there was a rough, scarred man in front of me in place of the wolf. His face was hard as he glared down at me. I swallowed fearfully as my gaze travelled down his naked body and I saw that he was rock hard. My face paled at the realization of what was to come.

The man licked his lips. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing out in these woods on your own?"

My only response to that was a fearful whimper.

He looked around at his circle of loyal wolves.

"She's pretty, eh, boys? What d'you say we have her now? Of course, I get the first turn." He grinned at me, showing off teeth yellowed with poor nutrition.

I gasped, my heart thundering as the other rogues made noises of assent and began to shift, all of them sporting erections. I felt the beginnings of a panic attack coming on as the alpha stooped and gripped me firmly by the front of my dress, his grimy hand entering into the sweetheart neckline, the backs of his large fingers brushing against my breasts. I screamed as he yanked me upwards, then yanked at a lock of his mangy hair, angling my face towards his ear so I could get in a good bite.

He seemed to read my intentions, and backhanded me across the face, sending me falling backwards. My wedding dress was not made for that type of strain. As I fell backwards, the sides of the dress ripped, since he was still holding on to it. He let go, and I fell to the ground, sobbing and trying to hold up the open bodice of the dress. The rogues hooted and whistled as my breasts peeked out, and the alpha started to descend on me with single minded purpose.

I stared to crawl away as fast as I could only to be yanked backwards by a grip on my ankle, the rough ground skinning my knees through my thin garters in the process. The man turned me around and shoved my legs apart while I fought uselessly.

Suddenly, there was a bellowing growl, and a large shape hurtles out of the woods towards the men. It took the man on top of me first, slamming him into a tree and ripping into his throat iñ the blink of an eye. The other rogues tried to rally around, but their attacker was easily three times their weight.

The dark wolf - that was what it was - lunged at two men at the same time, killing them with such efficiency that my head spun. He moved with all the grace and practice of a seasoned killer, ripping through throats and spines, yanking heads off. It was a bloodbath.

Soon, there was nothing left of the rogue werewolves but blood and few chunks of body parts.

My heart thundered as the black wolf - my saviour - stalked towards me, amber eyes sharp. He paused right in front of me, scrutinizing me with keenly intelligent eyes. I wondered dimly whether he was truly my saviour or if he only wanted me for himself.

I never got to find out the answer to that question because soon after he stood before me, my vision doubled and my ears began to ring again. I lost consciousness before I could even convince myself of the foolishness of that decision.