8. Piper
CHAPTER 8
Piper
I woke up on the day of my wedding with a tight ball of anxiety in my stomach and the feeling didn’t dissipate.
I got ready alone, I did my makeup alone, I put my wedding gown on alone.
It was too damn embarrassing to tell any of my friends back home that I had gotten claimed by Pack Skystone. They’d all probably be jealous of me, when the reality was far worse.
Tied to three jackasses who barely spoke to me.
Well, that was fucking fine, I guess.
If they left me alone except for when I was in heat, that wouldn’t be such a bad deal.
When would I go into heat, to make this bearable?
I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I walked down the aisle. Just as I had suspected, the horrible dress Erain had picked out was incredibly uncomfortable, poking into me from every angle and jabbing me painfully in the side with the stupid, prickly crinoline.
I looked like one of those fancy toilet paper coverings my granny used to keep in her bathroom.
Up at the front, Rook, Erain, and Teddy looked like they were on the way to a dental surgery.
Not a smile to be seen. Rook’s face looked harsh and remote. Erain’s mouth was puckered like an asshole. Even Teddy, who had been the nicest to me, was looking at the audience and not me.
The entire ceremony was a blur.
I said the required Omega lines. My Alphas said the required Alpha lines, but they felt like nothing.
When it came time for the vows, my voice sounded rough and low.
“Do you, Piper, promise to love and cherish your Alpha Pack?”
“I do,” I said, crossing my fingers a little in my bouquet so I could add a little if they're nice to me caveat in my head.
“And you?” the officiant said. “Do you three promise to love and be faithful and loyal to your Omega?”
I was forced to look at each of my Alphas.
“I do,” said Rook. His tone was expressionless, cold. I felt nothing from him. Would I start feeling something when I went into heat?
“I do,” said Erain. His voice was clipped, like he wanted to get the words out as soon as possible.
“I do,” said Teddy, before I even had a chance to process what Erain had said.
And then it was over as they slipped on their wedding bands and we went to walk down the aisle.
It was customary for Alphas to give their Omegas a wedding band on the first anniversary. But I didn’t even know how we were going to make it past the wedding night, let alone the first anniversary.
Oh, God, this wedding night was going to be a disaster, wasn't it? Were they planning to put a paper bag over my head? Could I put a paper bag over theirs ?
And it was over. We were officially married.
We walked back out of the ceremony, each of them surrounding me, but holding on to me with the merest fingertip.
Cool disinterest washed over me, and I was glad that I had put on the most extra noxious perfume I could.
I went to the bathroom to at least wipe off the worst of this god awful smell, and try to pee without spraying the entire back of my horrible bustle. While I was in the stall, I heard women talking.
“Poor Skystone Pack.”
It didn’t recognize the voice but it was snotty as fuck.
“Of all the Omegas in the whole world, this is the one they got scent matched with? That's got to be embarrassing for them.”
“I would never,” another woman said, her voice squeaky. “She’s literally, like, nine feet tall and she looked ridiculous in that dress. And her hair?”
“What about her face?” the other woman countered. “Kind of plain, didn’t you think? Absolute white trash energy.”
They left, laughing, and I emerged with only one thought on my mind.
Did my Alphas agree with what the women had been saying? Is that why they weren’t acting excited to be married?