The Alpha Triple Claim : Her MoonSeed Bond

Sloane

I never thought I would cry for a man, but here I am-frozen, my ass exposed to the wind-as I bawl, watching my boyfriend go balls-deep into my best friend.

He'd told me he would be working late today, a line he'd been using too often. So I decided to surprise him, wearing nothing but sexy lingerie and carrying his birthday cake.

My hands shook as a hollow, punching feeling hit my chest. The cake slipped from the box, scattering across the tiled floor. I tried to control myself, to steady my fast, ragged breaths, but I couldn't. Barry turned, his eyes landed on the ruined cake and then moved up to meet mine.

I expected him to say something, to stop, to tell me this was all an act. Instead he smiled. A small, calculated grin as he held Kylie's hip tighter and slapped her ass so hard she screamed.

"You ride me so good, baby. Just look at your wet pussy juicing out for me, you filthy whore."

I trembled; bile rose in my throat and I could barely form a word. The tears came fast, running down my face and smearing my makeup.

"Oh my God, Barry. God, you feel so good. Fuck!"

"That's it babe, take my cock."

"Oh my god!"

It felt like my whole world was collapsing in front of my eyes. I gathered the last of my strength and screamed so loud, eyes shut, that Kylie flinched. When I opened my eyes, Barry sat on the bed, and Kylie clutched the sheets to her bare chest.

"Oh my God, Sloane, a little privacy?" she said, rolling her eyes as she swung her legs off the bed, her naked ass on display.

"You just had to ruin this. Typical, Sloane," she hissed. I lunged toward her, breathing ragged, fists clenching and unclenching until my knuckles ached.

"How dare you? How dare you sleep with my boyfriend and talk to me like that?!" I screamed.

She glanced at Barry, and together they laughed in my face. Barry stood up and walked to where we stood.

"Boyfriend? I was never your boyfriend, Sloane. Yuck, it's so disgusting that you think I would end up with someone who can't even shift. Someone with no wolf!"

"You didn't expect me to marry you, did you?" he continued, and my heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Tears slipped down my cheeks, blurring my vision.

No. I can't cry in front of them. I...I won't.

I looked down and fidgeted with my fingers while the man I had loved my whole life, since before I could walk or even speak, insulted me.

Call me cursed just because I can barely shift.

"Barry... but you promised. You promised me forever, and now-" I choked on the last word.

He cackled, clutching his stomach as laughter tumbled out of him. I used to be mesmerized by his laugh; it was one of the things I loved most about him.

Now? Now I wanted to shove my fingers into those laughing eyes and watch him wince in pain. He needed to feel what I felt.

"You are a nobody, Sloane."

"That's right, baby," Kylie chimed in.

"You're no more than a mere human. You have no place in this pack!"

I reached for him and he shoved me away, letting me fall. I burst into full blown tears.

"No wonder she never found a mate, babe," Kylie sneered. "Did you really think Barry would marry you?" She strolled to where I lay and flipped her hair up, revealing a fresh mark at the base of her throat.

Did he? No. Please, no.

"Y-you marked her?" My voice was thin with disbelief.

"Yes, he marked me. He was never going to end up with you." Kylie crouched to my level, her eyes cold. "You're nothing but a useless thing, Sloane. You shouldn't even have existed."

She smiled and flashed a ring on her middle finger. "Besides, we are engaged. Barry is Beta and I deserve a Beta. Not you."

I had given him everything. Every year, every sacrifice, I cared for him. I made myself small so he could be happy. Was this how he repaid me? Like trash? Like I deserved to be humiliated?

I forced myself to stand, slow and steady, gathering what dignity I had left. I was about to speak when the door burst open and pack guards flooded the room. Kylie yanked the sheet around herself as they got closer.

I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand and planted my feet. Let them answer for this. They both deserved to rot for what they'd done to me.

"What's going on?" Barry and Kylie asked in confusion.

"Guards-" I began, but they ignored me, turning to me instead.

Three of them were suddenly at my side, hands snapping onto my arms.

What the hell was happening?

"What's going on?" I demanded, but they didn't say a word, and averted their eyes, treating me like I wasn't even there.

One of them stepped forward, taller than the rest, his nose crooked and his expression hard. "Sloane Moon, you are under arrest for fraud. You will remain silent."

Wait...what?!

I tried to laugh it off and shake them loose, but their grip tightened. "You're making a mistake," I said. "They're the ones who should be locked up!"

"Take her away!" the commander barked.

They shoved me toward the entrance and hauled me out. I fought, clawing at their hands, twisting my arms until breath burned my lungs.

Fraud? What were they talking about? My heart hammered against my ribs as we crossed the estate toward the pack center. I spotted my brother and wrenched free, running to him.

Alpha Kris, my brother, the leader of the Crimson Pack, would know what to do. If anyone could fix this, it would be him.

But as I drew near, his smile shifted into something unfamiliar.

"What's going on? They're accusing me of fraud," I stammered, desperate for him to intervene.

Slowly, his bright smile collapsed into something else, like disgust. He looked at me as if I were a stain on his suit.

"Kris?" I whispered.

"Get your hands off me, you traitor!" he spat.

Sloane

Traitor? I looked at my brother as if he suddenly had two heads growing on his neck.

"Kris? What is going on, and why are you calling me a traitor?"

"Because you are one. You think I wouldn't know about the fraud?!" he shouted.

I shook with fright and tried to steady myself, staring at him. Pack members drew near, whispers sliding in from every angle. They all criticized me, insulted me more than they already did.

My mother walked straight to where Kris stood, both hands folded across her chest.

"Mom... what's going on?" I asked.

She said nothing to me. The same look was on her face as on Kris's. Kris took a step back, his mouth twisted in distaste. Just then, Kylie and Barry appeared in the midst of the council.

Everyone looked at me and called me names. "Traitor," they said, while I fought for what was mine.

"I didn't think you would do this to me," Kris said, voice breaking.

"I didn't do anything, you've got to believe me!" I cried.

"Shut it!" Mother snapped, and a loud slap hit my face. The sting flared across my cheek as I clung to composure.

"You shouldn't even speak, you worthless, shameless traitor!"

"You don't deserve to be here," Kris added. I shook my head violently. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees and crawled toward him. The moment my hands brushed the edge of his trouser, he kicked me, sending me sprawling backward.

"Get your dirty hands away. You have brought disgrace upon Crimson Pack, Sloane. Even as a doctor of the pack, you missed the rights."

"I didn't do anything."

"So you mean the evidence is fake?"

"What evidence?"

"Get her out! She deserves to leave!" someone shouted from the crowd.

I couldn't blame them. This is what I'd reduced myself to...a mockery for everyone in the pack. They insulted me because I did not have a wolf yet.

They called me useless while my family just watched.

Now this. This hurt more than anything, and not one person stood up for me.

They all hated me for a reason I didn't know.

The tears I had wiped away earlier began to fall again as I sobbed, loud and ragged.

"I, Alpha Kris of the Crimson Pack," he began.

I lay on the floor while they chastised me, listening to my last verdict. What was there to live for when no one came when I called for help? When I was nothing but a traitor to my own family? I closed my eyes and let every one of my brother's words pierce me.

"Exile you, Sloane Moon, from the Crimson Pack. Never show your face here again. Your services will no longer be needed in the pack's hospital. Pack your things and leave the estate immediately, you are no longer part of the royal family."

Life could be so uncanny. Have you ever heard of a princess stripped of her royal status? Today, I was that princess.

Hopeless.

Broken.

I looked up at my brother and my mother with the last strength I had, but they averted their eyes. Tears streamed down my face as security grabbed me and dragged me to the gates.

My legs scraped the rough ground while people hurled things and curses at me. I glanced back at Kylie and Barry. Their smiles were victorious. They had planned all of this and I am sure of it.

"Good riddance," I heard Kylie say. What hurt most was that I had trusted her with my life. I had told her everything, about me and Barry's relationship.

I never lied to her. I never kept secrets. But she was the real devil.

They both were.

They threw me out of the gates and one of them hurled my phone at my face. The large gates slammed shut in front of me, the reverberation echoing coldly in the air.

Kylie and Barry stood inside, watching me through the gate openings. They mocked me, laughing their asses off as I begged my brother to open up for me.

After what felt like dying hours, Kylie spoke. "Once a lonely retch, always a lonely retch," she said, and they both walked away.

That broke something in me. It unleashed something raw. It was more than pain. It was more than anything I had ever felt.

This was different...mixed with anger, a rumble from the pit of my stomach.

I watched them walk back into the estate, my eyes seething. How dare they? How dare they hurt me like this?

I was broken, yes. But the fact that I was broken made it hurt even worse. I could barely stand as I cried and cried, spilling everything. I clenched and unclenched my hands in anger, but really, what could I do?

Absolutely nothing.

The gate man stared at me with a blank expression. He spat at me, then went inside.

I don't deserve this pain. I have been through so much for them. I have sacrificed my life, training, and practice, letting myself be groomed to become the Moonseed. I endured the insults and pain they rained in me each day. I kept Barry as my boyfriend but he lied about how much he loved me. I loved him so much but I guess everything was a lie. It was a sham.

Yet this is how they treat me? They throw me away like trash. They curse at me and stone me with filthy water.

I swallowed roughly as bile rose in my throat and I spat blood into the street. I touched my chin and felt a fresh scratch, still bleeding. The road was dry and empty; not a single person stopped.

I picked up my phone, opened my contacts, and dialed the one number I knew would come to my aid.

The same person who had promised me protection years ago. My first love and my brother's best friend -

Dean.

Sloane

I opened my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the bright light spilling across the room. I sat up and took in my surroundings. I lay on a king-size bed, the drapes drawn tight. Tonight I wore a nightgown instead of the dusty lingerie I'd fallen asleep in.

Where is this place? Where is Dean? I must've passed out after we spoke.

I swung my legs over the side and stood, moving toward the hallway. Halfway there, glass shattered somewhere beyond the door. I froze, listening for what would come next. More crashes came and two men came flying out from the room, one throwing a glass cup at the other.

One had red hair, with tattoos on his left arm, while the other had hair black as midnight, with piercings on his lip and eyebrow and ink covering his whole body. His hair hung down, covering part of his forehead.

The one with the red hair ran and suddenly hit me, causing both of us to tumble and him to fall on me.

"Urgh!" I screamed in both anger and pain.

His body was heavy above mine. It felt like I was smashed against a gigantic rock, feeling nothing but warmth that I tried to ignore. For one humiliating second, I stared at him, my hands splayed against his chest as I tried to process what had just happened.

He groaned above me as his huffs of breath brushed my face. Instantly, I caught the sharp scent of manky sweat and cigar.

"Get off me," I snapped, shoving him back.

He raised his head. Red hair fell over his forehead, and for a second his expression shifted from shock to something that looked like interest.

"Well, hello to you too," he said, his voice rough, with a raspy undertone.

I glared at him, my heart still hammering. "Are you insane?!"

Finally, he pushed himself off me and rose to his feet in one fluid motion as if he had not just tackled me to the floor. He held out a hand toward me, trying to help me up.

"I can get up on my own," I muttered, rolling to my side and pushing myself up.

The dark-haired one had already turned back toward the room, muttering something under his breath. His posture was rigid; shoulders tense, jaw locked as if he was fighting the urge to kill someone.

The room behind him looked like a boxing ring, with glasses shattered everywhere.

What exactly were these guys playing in there? And what is wrong with men and breaking things?

My gaze flicked from one man to the other. They looked alike; it was uncanny, but not so identical that I couldn't tell them apart.

The redhead was still watching me, his mouth tilted with an amused glint in his eyes, as if he found my irritation entertaining. The black-haired one, on the other hand, looked at me once and then dismissed me like I wasn't important enough to hold his attention.

That annoyed me, but I turned my gaze away the moment I heard footsteps approaching us in the hallway, hurried steps that from far off carried the kind of command an alpha would have. The two men straightened with serious faces as Dean appeared.

He walked toward us like he owned the whole place. His blonde hair fell to his neck, little strands touching his forehead. He looked bigger and broader than the last time I had seen him. Stronger, too.

He looked older as well-his resemblance matching that of the other two men-but not enough to have lost the handsomeness that made my heart do backflips whenever he came close.

I used to have a crush on Dean when I was still a teenager. The first day he came to the house with Kris, I remembered offering him my cupcakes and begging him to play princess and prince with me. It was so stupid, and a stupid offer for a man of nineteen at the time. I was so enthralled I composed a romance playlist in his name.

"Dean," I whispered.

He nodded, his gaze drifting over me once, briefly. "You're awake. Good."

That was it? No welcome? No sympathy?

He started toward the room I had come from and I followed behind.

"You brought me here?"

"Yes, I did, Sloane."

"That's it? I have no clue where I am and you're just going to answer with that?" I spat.

A corner of his mouth moved upward, a short smirk. "Would you prefer a speech? You called me and I answered."

The red-haired one made a low sound behind me, something between a cough and a laugh. The black-haired one was leaning against the wall now, arms folded, watching the exchange like he was enjoying himself a little too much.

"Can you stop looming?" I snapped, turning my head. "All three of you are starting to look suspicious."

The redhead barked a laugh. "She's got teeth."

"I'm sorry," I shot back, "was that supposed to be an insult? Because after the day I've had, you really should do better!"

The black-haired one's brows lifted a fraction. "She bites too."

"Hunter," Dean warned, his voice sharper now.

So that was him. Hunter. The name fit him too well. Yet there was something in the way he stood that made me think of a man who did not chase but waited until the kill was in front of him.

Then Dean stepped closer, drawing my attention back to him. "We need to talk," he said.

"We talked already," I said. "I called you and you said you'd help, and now I wake up in a strange house surrounded by your very aggressive family members."

"We are triplets," the red-haired one muttered.

Dean didn't look away from me. "Logan."

Triplets?

So the redhead was Logan. I looked at him properly then, taking in his arm tattoos and his rough energy. He looked like the kind of man who would smile while breaking someone's nose.

Lovely.

Dean's voice turned low. "This is not the place for all of this."

"Then take me home."

The three of them paused as if I had said something abominable.

"I can't, Sloane."

"Why?" Even though it seemed like I didn't have a home, he could try talking to Kris and all of this could be resolved.

"You can't go back there," he said slowly.

"The situation at Crimson Pack is unstable and your name is being dragged through the mud."

"My name has already been dragged through the mud," I snapped. "I was exiled, remember? My brother looked at me like I was filth."

A muscle ticked in his jaw. It was something raw, dark, and controlled. It wasn't pity or softness but raw anger.