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.

Llámame maldita solo porque apenas puedo transformarme.

«Barry… pero me lo prometiste. Me prometiste que sería para siempre, y ahora…» La última palabra se me atragantó.

Se echó a reír a carcajadas, agarrándose el estómago mientras la risa brotaba de su interior. Antes me hipnotizaba su risa; era una de las cosas que más me gustaban de él.

¿Y ahora? Ahora quería hundirle los dedos en esos ojos risueños y verlo retorcerse de dolor. Tenía que sentir lo mismo que yo.

«No eres nadie, Sloane».

«Así es, cariño», intervino Kylie.

«No eres más que una simple humana. ¡No tienes sitio en esta manada!».

Extendí la mano hacia él y me empujó, dejándome caer. Rompí a llorar desconsoladamente.

«No me extraña que nunca encontrara pareja, cariño», se burló Kylie. «¿De verdad creías que Barry se casaría contigo?» Se acercó tranquilamente hasta donde yacía y se echó el pelo hacia atrás, dejando al descubierto una marca reciente en la base de su garganta.

¿Lo hizo? No. Por favor, no.

«¿La… la has marcado?», pregunté con voz débil, llena de incredulidad.

«Sí, él me ha marcado. Nunca iba a acabar contigo». Kylie se agachó a mi altura, con la mirada fría. «No eres más que una inútil, Sloane. Ni siquiera deberías haber existido».

Sonrió y mostró un anillo en su dedo corazón. «Además, estamos comprometidos. Barry es el beta y yo me merezco un beta. No tú».

Le había dado todo. Cada año, cada sacrificio, cuidé de él. Me hice pequeña para que él pudiera ser feliz. ¿Así era como me lo pagaba? ¿Como si fuera basura? ¿Como si mereciera ser humillada?

Me obligué a levantarme, despacio y con firmeza, reuniendo la dignidad que me quedaba. Estaba a punto de hablar cuando la puerta se abrió de golpe y los guardias de la manada inundaron la habitación. Kylie se envolvió en la sábana a medida que se acercaban.

Me sequé las mejillas con el dorso de la mano y me planté firme. Que respondieran por esto. Ambos se merecían pudrirse por lo que me habían hecho.

—¿Qué está pasando? —preguntaron Barry y Kylie, desconcertados.

—Los guardias… —comencé a decir, pero me ignoraron y se volvieron hacia mí.

De repente, tres de ellos estaban a mi lado, agarrándome con fuerza por los brazos.

¿Qué demonios estaba pasando?

«¿Qué está pasando?», exigí saber, pero no dijeron ni una palabra y apartaron la mirada, tratándome como si ni siquiera estuviera allí.

Uno de ellos dio un paso al frente, más alto que el resto, con la nariz torcida y una expresión severa. «Sloane Moon, quedas detenida por fraude. Guardarás silencio».

Espera… ¿¡qué!?

Intenté tomármelo a broma y zafarme de ellos, pero me sujetaron con más fuerza. «Están cometiendo un error», dije. «¡Son ellos los que deberían estar entre rejas!»

«¡Llévense a esta!», ladró el comandante.

Me empujaron hacia la entrada y me sacaron a rastras. Me resistí, arañándoles las manos y retorciéndome hasta que el aliento me quemaba los pulmones.

¿Fraude? ¿De qué estaban hablando? El corazón me latía con fuerza contra las costillas mientras cruzábamos la finca hacia el centro de la manada. Divisé a mi hermano y me zafé de un tirón, corriendo hacia él.

El alfa Kris, mi hermano, el líder de la Manada Carmesí, sabría qué hacer. Si alguien podía arreglar esto, sería él.

Pero al acercarme, su sonrisa se transformó en algo desconocido.

—¿Qué está pasando? Me acusan de fraude —balbuceé, desesperada por que él interviniera.

Poco a poco, su brillante sonrisa se desvaneció y se transformó en otra cosa, como asco. Me miró como si fuera una mancha en su traje.

—¿Kris? —susurré.

—¡Quítame las manos de encima, traidora! —espetó.