THE BEAST STOLEN BRIDE

[LILY'S POV]

I stood at the altar in a dress that cost more than my entire year's rent, staring at Tyler Harrison's perfect smile, and wondered if all brides felt this nauseous or if it was just the ones marrying for survival.

"You look beautiful," Tyler whispered, squeezing my hands too tight. "I can't wait to make you mine, Lily. Finally mine."

Something about the way he said finally made my skin crawl. Like he'd been waiting for this moment longer than three months. Like he'd planned it. But I smiled anyway because I was good at smiling through discomfort. You didn't survive five years as an orphan without learning how to pretend everything was fine when it wasn't.

"Thank you," I managed.

The priest cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness...."

The stained-glass windows exploded inward.

Screams erupted as colored glass rained down. I threw my arms over my face, my bouquet falling to the marble floor.

Through my fingers, I saw something massive crash through the window frame; it was a wolf, bigger than any animal I'd ever seen, its fur black as midnight and its eyes burning gold.

My heart stopped.

"LILY, GET DOWN!" Tyler shoved me behind him, shifting mid-movement. His bones cracked and reformed, his expensive wedding suit tearing as silver-white fur burst through skin. His wolf was beautiful; powerful, regal, everything about Tyler was beautiful. That's why I'd trusted him. Beautiful things felt safe.

The black wolf landed on the altar, snarling. Its lips pulled back to reveal teeth the size of daggers.

Church pews splintered as guests shifted in panic. Wolves were everywhere; brown, gray, red they all screamed chaos and fangs and terror.

"You've got some nerve showing your face here, Ford!" Tyler's wolf voice was distorted, guttural. "Coming for what's MINE!"

The black wolf Ford; didn't respond. He just lunged.

They collided mid-air with a sound like thunder. Teeth sinking into flesh. Claws ripping through fur. I stumbled backward, my heel catching on my train, and hit the marble floor hard enough to knock the air from my lungs.

"LILY, RUN!" Emma screamed from somewhere in the chaos.

I tried. God, I tried. But wolves blocked every exit. Tyler's security; massive gray wolves with military precision circled the black wolf, corralling him away from the guests. Away from me.

Ford's jaws clamped around Tyler's shoulder. Tyler howled, thrashing, but Ford didn't let go. He dragged Tyler across the altar like he weighed nothing, smashing him into the stone podium. The priest scattered, robes flying.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"GET HER OUT!" Tyler snarled through fangs. "Owen...safe house...NOW!"

A massive brown wolf appeared at my side. Owen. Tyler's beta, his best man an hour ago. His teeth closed around the back of my dress, lifting me like a pup.

"No! Put me down!" I kicked, but what could human legs do against a wolf?

Ford's head snapped toward us. Those gold eyes locked on