02: Saved

SUNSHINE:

The song entitled Beautiful in White wafted through the air sung by a woman who I already forgot her name.  Jericho and I had chosen this singer because we believed that she could give the same justice to the song.

The singer smiled at me as I walked down the aisle.

I returned my gaze to the altar.

My chest had been pounding wildly nonstop. A few minutes after Knoxx left, the wedding organizer called my presence saying I would be now walking down the aisle. 

Images of Jericho and that woman writhing in pleasure in bed could not get out of my mind. 

My family was happy to see me dressed in my wedding dress. Mother was crying while Alpha Ezra was consoling her nonstop.

Knoxx and I locked gazes. 

'Fool,' he whispered in my mind. ‘Did your Mother raise you like that?’

'Shut up. This is my life. I will decide on my own.' 

'See that asshole? He is smiling at your foolishness. He is only doing this because you are not his mate. It's because of me. He thinks you're important in my life and that he can exact his revenge if he marries you. He will hurt you in the end.'

I gritted my teeth. 'Shut up, Knoxx. This is my decision.'

'I am your alpha,' he insisted. 

'I will only recognize you as my alpha if you start acting like one.'

In his seat, Knoxx shook his head. 'You're impossible.'

'Don't make me think that you cared about me.'

He laughed darkly inside my head. 'I never cared about you. I just don't want Jericho to have the final laugh.'

'Bullshit. Fuck off, Knoxx.'

Jericho was indeed smiling at me. And on his side was his father, the previous alpha of their pack. I had nothing against their family. They treated me nicely. Maybe because I was the stepdaughter of Alpha Ezra? 

'You don't curse your alpha.'

'I just did.'

I stopped and finally reached where Jericho was standing. 

"You look beautiful, Sunshine," he whispered and pressed a kiss on my hand. “The dress suited you better. You have an excellent taste.”

He never bothered to come with me when I chose this dress. When I told him to go with me, he said he had a meeting and could not come. I wondered if those were true.

“I’m dying to see you put the dress on, Sunshine. I know you will pull this off excellently. You are the most beautiful bride right now.”

Sunshine. 

Jericho never bothered to give me an endearment. According to him,  calling me Sunshine alone was beautiful and should not change it. 

Did you call the woman you fucked love? Did you have a good time with that woman, Jericho? How could you do this? What did I do wrong?

"Thank you, love," I answered with a shaky breath. “All the stress is all worth it. I’m glad you have seen my efforts.”

“Of course. Of course.”

I accepted his hand and his father left us and we faced the preacher. He went on with his ceremonial statements. Until we reached the part where he asked us something.

"Alpha Jericho. Did you come here on your own will and wasn't forced by anyone?"

"I did come on my own will."

The preacher looked at me. "Sunshine...did you come here on your own will and wasn't forced by anyone?"

"I...did."

‘Excellent decision, stepsister,’ Alpha Knoxx muttered inside my head. 

"Alpha Jericho. Do you accept Sunshine to be your Luna and lawfully wedded wife?"

"I did."

The preacher said other statements and some of the words did not register in my mind.

"Sunshine...do you accept Alpha Jericho to be your husband?"

I gulped. 

'Say you don't, Sunshine. Marrying a bastard is like digging your own grave.'

'Save your fake concern, Knoxx.'

"Sunshine? Are you okay?" Jericho asked. The preacher looked at me. "You should have told me that you're not feeling well."

The preacher was already waiting for my answer. "Sunshine. I repeat. Do you accept Alpha Jericho as your husband?"

The church was now filled with whispers against me saying an omega like me would not know the worth of someone like Jericho. 

Fuck them!

"No. I don't accept Alpha Jericho as my husband."

Jericho's smile vanished and looked like he was feeling constipated. 

"Come again?" Jericho asked.

"I said I won't accept you as your husband."

Jericho laughed and glanced at the visitors. "It looked like my wife was not feeling well today."

I lifted my veil and stared at him. "I'm not your wife, yet. We haven't finished the ceremony."

He leaned on my ears and whispered harshly. "What the fuck is the meaning of this, Sunshine? Are you out of your fucking mind? Don't you dare embarrass me in front of my pack."

I shoved the pictures into his chest. "You brought this upon yourself."

Jericho glanced at the pictures and his eyes bulged. "Who gave you these?" he mumbled loudly. His face turned ashen.

I stepped back. "It's no longer important, Jericho. I never thought you could do this to me. How could you?"

He forcefully grabbed my hand and whispered, "Let's settle this after the wedding." To the preacher, he said, “You can continue now. This is just a simple misunderstanding.”

I pulled my hand away from him and watched him with disgust. After the wedding? Did he think I would playfully accept him?

"Let me go, you sicko!"

"Sunshine!"

My fingers trembled as I pointed at him. "Don't you dare touch me."

The whispers continued and all kept on asking what was happening. 

Facing the crowd, I exclaimed, "You're asking what's the fuck is happening? Well, I will tell you."

Knoxx smiled in his seat as if he was enjoying the show. Fuck him! Everything was his fault!

My wolf was crying in the background. 

Mother was about to say something, but Alpha Ezra stopped her. And she obliged. However, her worry did not disappear.

"Sunshine. That is enough!" Jericho exclaimed. "Don't be hysterical. We can work it out."

"Don't you fucking say that everything will work out." I laughed bitterly.  "What the fuck did I do wrong, Alpha Jericho? I had given. Everything for you. I promised to serve you for the rest of my life. I promised I would be submissive like a slave. I had given myself and this was all you have to pay me, you cheating whore!"

Someone laughed in the background. I don't have to turn around and verify who it was. 

Knoxx. I was humoring him.

"Did you enjoy fucking that woman?" I asked and pointed my hands at the singer. I could never be mistaken. The woman who was writhing in pleasure at the video was her and nothing else. "You said you will be listening to her sing. Only to find out you had fuck her behind my back? Did you enjoy hearing her moan, huh? You disgust me!"

I pushed him away. 

My body trembled in anger and all I wanted to do right now was to hit Jericho. 

"Sunshine. That's enough!"

"No! You shut up!" I responded back. "You good for nothing bastard."

Jericho's eyes widened and closed the distance between us, lifting his hand in the air. And before he could slap me, someone pulled me away and caught Jericho's hand. When I looked up, it was none other than Alpha Knoxx, my stepbrother.