Claimed By The Twins Alphas

Chapter 6

~ ROWAN’S POV

My body was a map of the previous night. My pale skin was covered in marks. Dark purplish bruises bloomed across my hips where Julian’s fingers had gripped me with bruising force. There were faint red marks on my thighs, and a deep, dark hickey sat prominently on the curve of my neck, just above my collarbone.

But it wasn't just the bruises. My scent had changed. Even with my own dulled senses, I could smell them on me. The heavy, musky scent of two powerful Alphas was clinging to my skin, marking me as theirs.

I reached up and touched the mark on my neck. It throbbed slightly under my fingertips. To any other wolf in this pack, this mark was a sign of status. It meant I was under the protection of the Knox twins. It meant I was untouchable.

But looking at the reflection in the mirror, I didn't see a protected woman. I saw a bird in a gilded cage. I saw a girl who had been stripped of her name, her pack, and her dignity, replaced by a title I never asked for.

I was a breeder.

I ran a hand over my stomach, the skin there still flat and smooth. They wanted a child. They wanted to use my body to create a weapon.

I looked back at the door Julian had just walked through. He had been so cold, so dismissive. He had looked at me and seen nothing but a vessel. And Marcus... Marcus had been kinder, but he was still part of this. He had been right there beside his brother, taking what he wanted.

I felt a spark of that old stubbornness flicker in my chest. They thought they had broken me. They thought that because they had claimed my body, they owned my spirit.

"I'm not just a machine," I whispered to the empty room. My voice was stronger this time.

I looked at the marks on my skin again. They were ugly. They were a brand. I hated them. I hated the way they looked against my skin, and I hated that I still felt the echo of the pleasure that had caused them.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Breakfast, Miss Brooks," a muffled female voice called out.

I didn't answer. I just stood there, staring at the girl in the mirror. She looked tired. She looked hurt. But behind the hazel depths of her eyes, there was a fire that hadn't been put out yet.

They wanted a child? Fine. They wanted me to follow their rules? Fine. I would play their game for now. I would eat their food and stay in their room and let them mark me however they pleased.

But I wasn't going to accept defeat. I was Rowan Brooks, and if they thought I was going to be their quiet little breeder forever, they were in for a f*****g surprise.

I picked up the silk robe from the foot of the bed and tied it tightly around my waist, hiding the bruises and the marks from the world. I walked over to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open to find a young maid standing there with a silver tray.

The girl looked up at me, her eyes widening as she caught the scent of the Alphas on me. She immediately bowed her head, her posture submissive.

"Your breakfast, ma'am," she said, her voice trembling.

"Thank you," I said shortly.

I took the tray from her hands. It was heavy, loaded with eggs, bacon, fruit, and coffee. More food than I could possibly eat.

"Is there anything else you need?" the maid asked, still not looking me in the eye.

"No," I said. "Just some privacy."

I shut the door and carried the tray to a small table near the window. I sat down and looked out over the sprawling grounds of the Cresent Moon estate. It was beautiful, in a sterile, controlled way. High stone walls topped with iron spikes surrounded the perimeter. Armed guards patrolled the walkways.

It was a fortress. And I was at the very center of it.

I picked up a piece of toast and took a bite, but it tasted like ash in my mouth. Every time I swallowed, I felt the soreness in my throat. Every time I moved, I felt the ache in my core.

I was twenty-three years old, and my life was over. Or at least, the life I knew was.

I spent the next few hours pacing the room like a caged animal. I explored every corner of the suite, looking for anything I could use, anything that would give me an edge. But there was nothing. It was just luxury. Silk, velvet, and gold. A beautiful prison is still a prison.

I found a bookshelf in the corner and pulled out a volume. It was a history of the Moon Haven packs. I flipped through the pages, looking for any mention of Moon-bound wolves.

I found a small passage near the back.

The Moon-bound wolf is a rarity of the highest order. Blessed by the Goddess herself, these females possess the unique ability to bond with multiple Alphas, creating a lineage of unprecedented power. However, the toll on the female is great. She becomes the focal point of all Alpha aggression and desire, often living a life of seclusion for her own safety.

"Seclusion for her own safety," I muttered, slamming the book shut. "That's a nice way of saying she’s a slave."

I threw the book back onto the shelf. I couldn't sit here and read about how my life was supposed to be. I needed to move. I needed to do something.

I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water get as hot as I could stand. I stepped under the spray, hoping the heat would wash away the scent of Julian and Marcus, hoping it would scrub the memory of their hands off my skin.

But no matter how hard I scrubbed, the marks remained. The bruises were vivid reminders of the power they held over me.

I leaned my head against the cool tile of the shower wall, the hot water streaming down my back. I thought about Dylan. I thought about the way he had looked at my sister, Elowen, on our mating day. The betrayal still felt like a fresh wound, a jagged tear in my heart that wouldn't heal.

He had chosen her. My own pack had turned on me. They had branded me a traitor because it was easier than admitting their own corruption.

"I'll make them pay," I whispered into the steam. "All of them."

I didn't know how yet. I was trapped in a room with two of the most dangerous men in the world, with no allies and no power of my own. But I had my will. And I had my stubbornness.

I finished my shower and dressed in one of the simple silk dresses that had been left in the closet for me. It was a pale lavender color, soft and flowing. It felt like a costume.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting by the window, watching the sun crawl across the sky. I waited for Marcus to return. I waited for Julian to come back and remind me of my place.

As the shadows grew longer, the reality of my situation truly began to sink in. I wasn't going back to Lunar Crest. I wasn't going to find a new pack or start a new life. I was here. This was my world now. This room, these rules, and those two men.

I looked at the mark on my neck in the fading light. It was dark, almost black now. A permanent brand.

I wasn't Rowan Brooks anymore. Not to them. I was just the breeder. The prize. The weapon.

But as I watched the first stars appear in the sky, I made a silent vow to the Goddess.

They could have my body. They could even have my blood. But they would never, ever have my soul.

I stood up and walked toward the bed, the same bed where I had lost everything the night before. I lay down on top of the covers, staring up at the massive chandelier.

I was a prisoner. I was a tool. I was alone.

But I was also alive. And as long as I was alive, I was a threat.

The door opened, the heavy thud echoing through the quiet suite. I didn't turn around. I didn't have to. The scent of sandalwood and rain filled the room.

"Rowan," Marcus's voice said, much softer than Julian's had been.

I closed my eyes and waited for the next part of my nightmare to begin.