One Luna, three mates.

A wedding was supposed to be one's happiest day, why then did Xena's feel like a funeral?

The general expectation of everyone for her was excitement or even anxiety but her soul remained cold, dead even.

She felt she was in attendance of a funeral rather than her wedding.

As she looked around at the people trying to get things together,it caused her heart to ache more.

Everyone seemed to be excited about the wedding,especially her family. Her father had given the warmest of hugs in the early morning as he expressed how proud he was of his daughter. He would soon be the father in law to the alpha of the strongest pack in the clan. He had called her the perfect daughter. She was great at calculations,reading and even at swords but coming from the weakest pack had limited her opportunities,they were usually ignored by the bigger packs but soon all that would change. His excitement grew at the announcement of the Luna king's presence. It would give him the chance to show off his son and maybe interest their Lord.

"I am very proud of you,my beloved daughter." Xena's father had whispered in her ear.

She had smiled just because she wanted everything to be perfect for her father. She knew how much it meant to him,how much it meant to the family but it didn't cause her to feel any better.

Stuffing her stomach with every available food did not brighten her mood,neither did taking a walk or even talking to the alpha's mother. Her sulking only grew worse by the second.

Her family was so dearly soaked up with worshipping alpha Caleb that they took no notice of her mood.

As she looked around,she finally understood what it felt like to be surrounded with numerous people, yet lonely.

For someone who had insisted that lonely and alone were the same thing,she had definitely gotten a first hand experience on the difference.

She would just have to take in the horror of living with alpha Caleb forever.

"Do I see a frown on the bride's face?" Melinda asked, taking careful strides towards her closest friend. She had expected that reaction from Xena but low-key prayed it wouldn't be so obvious.

As she walked closer, she noticed the crystals of tears formed at the bottom of her friend's eyes.

"You know you don't have to do this , right? "She quickly expressed as she wrapped her arms over Xena's, hoping the hug would at least warm if not comfort her.

Xena's mood slightly brightened up as soon as she saw her friend. She returned Melinda's hug eagerly.

Xena's shoulders dropped as her face dug into her friend's chest.

"I don't want to do this." She complained,squeezing her eyes.Tears would not leave them,at least not today.

Quickly,she looked up to the sour look on Melinda's face.

"Don't worry about me. I can fix my own problems." She assured her friend with a pat on the shoulder.

"It's okay to feel weak and helpless. You can't always be strong and all,feel free to cry if you must."

" I will be fine,trust me." She reassured with a faint smile.

With a quiet smile,Melinda left the room to her and her maids.

"More food,more cakes!" She ordered,shoving a piece of cake into her mouth.

If she would drown,it should at least be in cake.

*****

Chatters and laughter of joy filled the hall as everyone took their respective ranking seats. It was time for the ever mighty alpha Caleb to be mated with his chosen bride. Magaret's eyes scanned the place as her hands slid into her husband's.

The view of the many respectable wolves had kept her eyes dancing for joy. The entire seven alphas were present and the Lycan king had been rumored to be in attendance.

He was one to be rarely seen and would never leave his abode if it wasn't necessary. His presence and acknowledgement was a great honor.

The noise ceased as soon as the royal blue carpet spread through the hallways. Soon,everyone was on their feet,awaiting the entrance of the Lycan king.

Gasps erupted as they watched him step in,basked in the every magnificent glory he was rumored to be.

His blonde hair flowed down to his back,slightly covering up the blue attire he had on.

"Blessed be the eyes that sees the Lycan king!" The announcer proclaimed and Margaret's head nodded in accordance.

It was truly a sight to bestow.

"Mommy,who is the Lycan king?" Her daughter's light voice asked.

"The Lycan king is the ruler of legions."

"What's a legion?"

"A legion is a group of packs. The Lycan king rules over seven alphas in his legion. Now,keep quiet. You don't want to ruin your sister's big day.

Soon,he was seated and the entire hall returned to their activities quietly.

The door popped open again and as expected,the groom made his appearance.

It was time.

Magaret's lips spread as she saw her soon-to-be son-in-law step in with a smirk on his face.

Her dreams had come true,she would be of high standard soon.

The groom took his place at the altar and by the priest as they awaited the bride.

"Now,the bride!" The announcer proclaimed.

The doors popped open,leaving eager eyes watching.

Seconds passed but the doorway still remained empty.

Worry washed over her as she expected the worst.

A guard soon arrived at the doorway with a look of dismay on his face.

"The bride is dead!" He announced.

The entire hall stood still,awaiting the groom's reaction.

"Dead or missing?" The groom asked,stepping off the altar.

The guard gulped down a saliva.

"I think you need to see for yourself," he replied,awaiting the next order.

As Margaret saw the sight before her,her heart dropped to her stomach.

"This cannot be a proof that she is dead" the groom proclaimed,stretching his long arms to the brutally torn white dress on the floor. Horror filled the eyes of many as they saw pearls scattered all through the floor,the book shelves torn down and the table divided into halves.

"This is definitely an attack," a distant voice said.

"They chose the wrong alpha to pick on." He said exiting the room.

As Xena stood right before her parents, she realized she had never wished for something as much as she wished for death at the moment. The looks of dismay she saw on the swollen, reddish eyes of her father had said it all. She had finally crossed the line. She had broken her father's most important rule and worst of all, she had tricked them into thinking she was dead. It was one thing to disobey her parent's wishes but it was yet another thing for her to overplay thier wisdom.

She had heard of the footmen they sent to look for her in the freezing weather. The gravity of her actions dawning heavily on her, caused her shoulders to slump. Truly,she hadn't really thought things through. She wanted to kneel and plead, beg for their mercy even so they could know she felt apologetic but she couldn't. She couldn't display emotions she didn't feel and lying to her parents was the least on her list.

"I cannot believe you're my daughter. You do not act like someone who is my blood. I find it very hard to believe I sired a person who could be so foolish." her father had finally spoken up. The words stung as bad as a spider would but, she deserved it. Heck,she deserved even more. She had after all, ruin her family's big day. Her once respectable and honorable father would seem like a fool before many because of her.

Staring into the cold, blue eyes of her father, she recalled how he had always instructed her on the one rule to never break.

"The very last thing you should do before your death is ruin your family's name. " Her father's voice repeatedly played itself in her head.

She had not just destroyed their name but she had totally diminished it.

"Why do you so badly hate the idea of mates?" He brought up the topic as he adjusted his weight on the chair.

It wasn't new to either of them,they would bicker on how and why she didn't want a mate and her father would still shove her opinions aside. Quietly,she waited for privacy.

With a quick wave of his hands, every worker exited the room. She had definitely given them a gossip worthy of a month. The entire clan would speak of it for ages and there would be no end to the mockery. She had successfully given herself a stain,one that would stick forever.

"When I ask a question, you answer." He quietly spoke awaiting her reply.

Quickly, she casted another glance at his direction but words would not leave her mouth.

She wanted to explain but to her father,there was no reason that would justify her actions.

"Xena, what more could we have done to make your life better? " Her father's wife asked.

Quickly, she closed her lids not wanting her eye balls to roll in their sockets. The last thing she needed as another bashing from a relative. She knew she was wrong and had admitted it but magaret just wanted to rub it all in her face,as expected. The pride of the family has fallen.

"You left your groom at the altar. You feigned your death and you left everyone at the church waiting."

" You have ruined your life! " She stressed,cracking her high-pitched voice.

"Magaret, I may have done many horrible things but I definitely didn't ruin my life. Trust me. "Xena defended immediately, pointing a finger at her direction.

Fr someone who was in deep trouble,she was quite cocky and she knew.

Why wouldn't she feel bad?

Maybe if she cried and rolled on the floor,it would make things better.

Her father's glare told her she had broken another rule but she couldn't care any lesser than she did. She would never call magaret her mother and that was final. Moreover,the deed had been done and hopefully, her father would learn to respect her decision some other time.

"Is there someone I need to know about?" He asked, lifting his weight off the chair.

"Huh?"

"Is there someone I need to know about?" He repeated.

"There has to be someone that's causing you reject every suitor coming your way. There's probably -"

" -there's no one. " She quicky interrupted.

As Xena looked directly into her father's glowing eyes, she realized one thing. He would never understand the reason for her actions. No one would.

"I have no interest in a mate and that's it." She finalized, leaving their presence.

As she walked, she felt their eyes lingering on her; her father, magaret, the workers and the miscreants she was forced to call siblings.

They were all probably wondering what had snapped in their then perfect and adoring sister but no one knew. Not even her.

"It would have been better if you were actually dead" she heard her father's voice proclaim. Her feet halted,her breath seized and her world seemed to have frozen. More to say,she felt a sting at her heart but she still couldn't speak.

With a cold sigh, her feet dragged themselves up the stairs.

The last thing she needed was a banter with anyone.

A slam at the door set her soul at peace. As she slid down the cold wood, listening to the howls of owl and the sounds of the wind disturbing the curtains, she felt her heartbeat settle.

There was truly nothing compared to the peace that came with solemnty.

Everything would be fine. Everything had to be fine. Tomorrow, everything would return to normal and they would forgive her of her sins but..... the streets would never forget. Her tales would be written boldly in the walls of her heart and avoiding it would be impossible.

"Ugh...." A groan escaped her throat as she heard a banging on the door.

Reluctantly, she lifted herself and soon her hand was on the door knob.

"What do you want?"

"Your father slumped, we can't find a pulse."

Xena's heart froze as she saw her father's body lay lifelessly on the floor.

"We've sent for the healers." The chief maid announced, taking a step backwards.

Xena could only nod as her eyes remained fixated on the sore sight before her.

She had totally forgotten the reason she agreed to be the alpha's mate and it all dawned on her now.

Quietly,she retreated to the closest chair she could find with her eyes not leaving her father. Fear had taken a whole grip on her.

The sole reason she had adhered to her father's demands was due to his blood pressure. Her sole goal in life had been her father's health. She had fought to protect her father's health and now she had destroyed it with her own hands.

Lord!

He was gone, permanently. He wouldn't return again and her last memory of him would be him wishing her dead. Now she had no living,breathing parent. Practically,she would be considered an orphan.

What had she done?

"You killed your father." Margaret's high pitched voice flowed through her ears.

"I am not in the mood!" She quickly retorted,waving a hand in her direction.

She truly had no intentions of dishonoring her father again. Not like she could but she would try her best to amend the amendable.

"You are not in the mood? You just ruined my life and now you're not in the mood! How expected of you,Xena. Always self-centered."

"Self-centered?"she asked,rising from her seat.

Her mood was sour and Margaret sure knew all the right buttons for making it worse.

"You dare call me self-centered?"

Margaret nodded,setting Xena's head on fire.

"I am not self-centered!"

"You're not? Really?" Margaret asked,taking a step forward.

"If you truly weren't self-centered,you would have considered your father's health by choosing a mate or at least not leaving your groom at the altar but you didn't. You did what every self-centered person would do. You disgraced your family and everyone you could while you went off doing heaven knows what. Xena,you were supposed to set your family first. Your dad's life was on the line."

" Look at him,look at that pale body on the floor.

You are the reason he is no more,never forget it." She emphasized.

Xena's fingers jittered as she watched Margaret dish out the worst words she could while she stood helplessly. All her excuses and reasons for running off seemed useless at that moment. Truly,she didn't think things through.

"You know he wouldn't have had this heart issue if it weren't for you, right? " She asked as she crossed one arm over the other.

Margaret's piercing gaze landed on her immediately.

"Do I need to remind you that my own father's disease only came up after he caught you in bed with a foot man. A footman!" Xena stressed.

" Screaming at my face will not change the consequences of your actions.We leave for home tomorrow. I cannot risk anyone realizing the truth of your situation"Margaret announced ignoring Xena's allegations as she slumped on the plump sofa.

The door's creak filled the room as it was pushed open. The healer and his helpers stood in shock as their eyes met with Xena's. They couldn't believe their eyes. For a second,the healer thought he was hallucinating,maybe seeing spirits but she seemed to be real in flesh and blood.

"Will you stare at me all day or get down to business?" She asked with squinted eyes.

Quickly,they scuttled over to the body on the floor.

Xena and Margaret watched each other intensely as they perceived what the future would hold. They were the least compatible pair to ever exist and now they were left alone.

"He is dead. We need to take him to the morgue." The healer announced rising to his feet.

"Good."Xena muttered as she watched her father's body exit the house.

She had pronounced this day as a day of freedom but that wasn't the freedom she expected.

"Everyone will know you're alive,great!" Margaret remarked, rising to her feet.

" We are leaving this town now. Pack your things" Magaret ordered,walking up the stairs.

Her feet stopped and her senses heightened,causing her to turn.

"Danger's coming." She warned everyone walking towards the door.

Xena watched as the calm looking helpers morphed into their beasts.

A loud thud at the door caused her heart to jerk.

"Xena,upstairs!"

"I can fight." She refuted, causing Margaret to return a deadly glare her way. Calmly,she turned around in an attempt to take shelter at a safe place.

As expected, Margaret took the first lead walking to the door.

Carefully,she pulled the door knob,setting it open.

Her eyes widened as she watched the sight before her. He laid on the floor with bruises to almost every part of his body. The blood dripped from his skin ,spreading through the floor. Her stomach churned slightly as she noticed the slice between two of his fingers.

"Help me!" He pleaded with his last breath.

"Auriel,get me a large bedclothe!" Magaret ordered.

His brow raised in confusion.

"Who's at the door?" Xena's voice called out,causing her heart to drop. That child!

"Get to your room Xena." A reply came through the door but she stood still. She would not leave without seeing the face of the man by the door. She had heard that baritone voice before and would unmask him.

" No one can see you like this. We will have to cover you up first before you're taken in. No one can see or know you're here."