Torn Between Two Alpha Brothers

A Battle of Wills

KLAUS:

Today has to be the most frustrating day of my life. Right after Greta was brought in unconscious, the doctor had talked about her vitals dropping because of how concentrated the drug she had been forced to inhale had made her. This had me locking up all the men I had asked to carry out the kidnap.

A mess had been made at the cathedral but I had my men clean up the place, leaving no traces of a disastrous wedding and paid off the church to keep it a secret.

And now, I am seated in my throne room, before the Council Elders who are really displeased by the choice I made.

Lord Lyall is on his feet, a scowl on his face. Of course, he can look at me in this manner because he was my father's best friend and believing he was aware of what had happened several years ago, he is heralding this meeting.

"I am glad the Dowager brought this to our notice," He continues. "If she hadn't, we would have gone ahead to approve a forbidden union."

"Forbidden union?" I scoff, shaking my head. "You call a union the moon goddess has by herself, made possible by bonding us together a forbidden union?"

He nods. "Your reason is very much valid, your majesty, but this is a great anomaly."

"You call what the goddess has brought together, an anomaly?" I fire back, my voice going notches higher and echoing around the whole room.

The atmosphere in the room shifts to a tense one. Varrish looks like he doesn't know what to say next. He looks down at the book in his hand for a few seconds before he looks back up at me.

"The conclusion of this is that the Council of Elders aren't in support of this marriage to your Step Sister. So we will not be blessing the marriage and the High Priestess has washed her hand off this union."

Like a volcanic eruption, my temper flares, bursting out of my skin in flames. Just as one of the butlers hands a glass of wine to me, my hand crashes to the side, hitting the cup from his hand. It crashes to the ground and I push to my feet, my eyes wide in anger. Aries is once again enraged. He has been that way since my mother told me Greta was my stepsister. It feels like he is disagreeing with whatever narrative is being spun to stop our union.

"You lots have no idea what you're talking about!" I growl. "Because you sit in plush chippendales doesn't give you the right to tell me who or whom not to get married to, get that?!"

"It is a forbidden marriage," Lord Varrish says again. He is on his feet but his expression gives nothing away. "Her mother was an outcast. The child of an outcast is also an outcast. Besides, she was carrying a baby belonging to the late King before his death. We're sorry and we deeply understand how this makes you feel but the marriage can not hold."

The seats and windows in the courtroom, after the Elders left, had taken the brunt of my anger.

*****

"What are you going to do about this, Klaus?" Fenrir, my Beta and best friend asks me as soon as I am back in my study and pacing around. "As much as they are right, I can see how this affects you. I can feel it too and it's not a good feeling."

My claws have been jutting in and out for the past hour and you can tell from the once smooth walls that I have been doing a lot of scraping and scratching because you can see claw marks on the surfaces. Thankfully, Fenrir is here to keep my outburst in check.

"The only thing I've been wanting to do."

He c***s his head to the side. "What could that be?"

"I am getting married to Greta."

He goes silent for a while before sighing and speaking once again. "How about we confirm that she isn't your sister?"

I burst into laughter. "And how the f**k do we do that? By running a f*****g paternity test? My father passed away a long time ago. That can surely not happen again. I have no option in this!"

"I am not trying to be like everyone, but are you going to get married to your Step Sister? That is incest, I hope you know that?"

He is terribly right. I hate that everyone is right! It is messing me up because Aries keeps feeling drawn to her the most. It had taken a lot for me not to pull her in for a kiss when I saw her standing in her wedding dress in front of the Palace. Aries had thrashed against me as soon as he felt her. We knew she was about to escape but I had come right in time.

"The moon goddess never makes a mistake. For her to make this possible, then she wants our union. Then it means we are not siblings in any way."

Fenrir raises his hand and closes his eyes. "You are wallowing in delusion, brother. I read a story about a couple who used to be so attracted to each other. They had the mating bond but when it was time for that to happen, he could barely even mate with her before he combust into nothingness."

"Don't tell me you believe that stupid folklore?" I glare at him. "I know you are not in support of this, Fenrir. Just come clean like everyone and stop trying to support me."

Sagging his shoulders, he nods. "Alright, then. I am not in support of it either."

A knock sounds on the door before I can give Fenrir a reply. The door is pushed open and a maid walks in timidly, stopping a few inches away from the door before she bows. "Your majesty."

"What is it this time?" I ask, rubbing my temples to relieve the headache building up around my head.

"She has refused to get out of her dress. She slapped Henrietta when she tried to take her clothes off."

"Feisty one, too, huh?" Fenrir cackles and I glare at him before pushing to my feet.

"Tell them all to leave. I'll take care of it."

Nodding, she walks out of the room. Fenrir is looking at me with wide eyes. He pushes to his feet and blocks my way before I can leave.

"Don't tell me all of this is to fulfill your s****l fantasies of f*****g a step sibling? We used to watch a lot of porn while we were still teenagers but you can not possibly have s*x with your—"

"Shut the hell up, Fenrir," I snap. "There's a lot for us to discuss. I'll see you later."

*****

Greta isn't in her room when I walk in and for a split moment, panic overwhelms me before I sense her at the balcony. It's funny how her scent got embedded in my memories on the first day we met. I can literally smell her from anywhere now that she is closer to me.

"f*****g get a grip, Aries," I mutter to my wolf as I cross over to the other side of the room where the french doors are left open with the light chiffon drapes moving with the wind.

"It's not my fault that we both feel too attracted to her. The more she hates and feels miserable, the more drawn we are to her."

"That doesn't mean you should act like a sixteen year old who hasn't had sex."

"That's on you, Klaus. Check in on her. She has a mark on her face and it has been covered by her makeup. I am guessing she got abused by someone. You know who. "

And that has my anger intensifying. Aries has successfully planted something in me.

I push past the door, stopping in my tracks when I find her seated on the marble floors, her gown gathered around her body.

Like she knows I am here, she twists her body to see me. Immediately, she pushes to her feet, her face marked with lividity as she backs away from me.

I take in the tiny, insignificant movements she's making. Her pupils dilating, more air expelling through her nose than usual, her lips tightening into a grim line, her body tensing up as her fingers tighten around the lacy fabric of her dress.

"Are you here to have your fingers wrapped around my neck while you threaten me again?"

"No, I am not." I reply to her, losing all the confidence with which I came to this room. All I can feel now is anger, need and pure hunger. "I am here because the maids reported you to me."

She scoffs. "And you're here to do what? Punish me for being a hassle?"

I click my tongue, loving how that sounds. "Honestly, it would be the best. But you would claw through me if I have my hands on your buttocks—"

"Stop!" She screams, her face red. I can't tell if it's from anger or if she is flustered.

"I'd really love it if you don't make this hard for us both. Since you have chosen to stress the maids out, I'll have to do this myself. You can't keep wearing a wedding dress around. Your wedding is over and you need to get changed."

With gritted teeth, she snarls at me, her eyes wide with hate. "Nothing is going to make me change out of this dress, Klaus or whatever the f**k your name is— what the hell are you doing?!"

Ignoring her screams, I lift her off the floor, walking into the room with the sole intent of giving her a bath.