Claimed By The Twins Alphas

Chapter 9

~ ROWAN’S POV ~

I gripped my silverware until my knuckles turned white. My wolf was growling now, a low, vicious sound in the back of my mind. Rip her throat out, the beast whispered. Show them we are not weak.

"I’m surprised you’re so worried about my belly, Sabrina," I said, my voice low and steady.

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. "Worried? I’m amused. You’re a temporary fix for a permanent need. You’re a tool. Nothing more."

"A tool that is currently living in the Alpha’s suite," I countered, finally looking her in the eye. "A tool that Julian and Marcus spend their nights with. I haven't seen you in the residential wing lately. In fact, I haven't seen you anywhere but the public areas."

The table went dead silent. Sabrina’s face turned a mottled shade of purple.

"You little b***h," she hissed. "I’ve been by Julian’s side for years. I am his partner. You are a biological necessity. Do you really think he feels anything but disgust when he touches you?"

She looked at Julian for support. "Tell her, Jules. Tell her what a pathetic little mistake she is."

Julian set his glass down. The sound of the crystal hitting the wood was like a gunshot. He looked at Sabrina, then he looked at me.

"She’s right about one thing, Sabrina," Julian said smoothly.

Sabrina smirked, leaning back triumphantly. "See?"

"She is a traitor," Julian continued, his gaze drifting to me. "She is a woman without a pack, without a name, and without a future. She is here for one purpose and one purpose only."

He paused, let the words sink in. I felt a sharp pang in my chest, a cold realization that no matter how much I fought, this was how he saw me.

"However," Julian added, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "She is my traitor. And until she has done what I required of her, she is the most important person in this pack. If you forget that again, Sabrina, you’ll find yourself eating in the kennels with the omegas."

Sabrina gasped, her mouth falling open. The humiliation was clear on her face. Julian hadn't defended me because he liked me; he defended me because I was his property.

But I wasn't done.

Sabrina recovered quickly, her eyes burning with a fresh layer of hate. "Fine. Protect your investment, Julian. But let’s be honest. Once that baby is born, she’s nothing. She’ll be thrown out like trash, and I’ll be the one raising your heir. I’ll make sure the child knows exactly what kind of w***e its mother was."

She looked at me, her smile twisting into something truly demonic. "I’ll enjoy watching you walk away with nothing, Rowan. I’ll enjoy seeing the look in your eyes when you realize you were just a distraction."

I looked at Sabrina, this woman who thought she could break me with words because she was insecure about her own position.

I looked at the staff who were watching, waiting for me to cry. I looked at Marcus, who looked almost disappointed.

"You’re right, Sabrina," I said, leaning back in my chair and picking up my wine glass. I didn't let my hand shake.

Sabrina blinked, confused by my sudden calm. "What?"

"I am a breeder," I said, my voice echoing in the hall. "I am here because these two powerful Alphas couldn't find anyone else capable of giving them what they wanted. It must be so hard for you, standing in the wings for years, watching them search for a woman who could do what you clearly can't."

I took a slow sip of the wine, letting the silence stretch.

"You talk about me being discarded," I continued, tilting my head. "But at least I have something they want. You’ve been trying to give them an heir for years, haven't you? And yet, here I am. In their bed. In their house. Marking their territory."

I leaned forward, my hazel eyes locking on her icy blue ones.

"If I’m just a tool, Sabrina, then what does that make you? A broken one? Because from where I’m sitting, you aren't the lady of the house. You’re just the help that Julian hasn't had the heart to fire yet. So, by all means, keep mocking me. But every time you do, just remember–I’m the one carrying the future, and you’re just the past that won't take a hint."

The silence that followed was deafening.

I heard a fork drop on a plate somewhere down the table. A maid stifled a gasp.

Sabrina looked like she had been slapped. Her face went pale, then red, then pale again. She turned to Julian, her eyes welled with tears of rage. "Julian! Are you going to let her speak to me like that?"

Julian didn't look at Sabrina.

He was staring at me. For the first time, the cold indifference in his grey eyes was gone, replaced by something dark and intense. It wasn't love. It wasn't even kindness. It was interest. It was the look of a hunter who had realized his prey had teeth.

Beside him, Marcus let out a short, surprised huff of laughter, his baby-blue eyes twinkling with something that looked suspiciously like admiration.

"The lunch is over," Julian said, his voice clipped.

"But–" Sabrina started.

"I said it’s over!" Julian roared, slamming his fist on the table.

Everyone scrambled to their feet. Sabrina turned and fled the room, her heels clicking frantically against the marble. The staff followed, disappearing through the side doors like smoke.

I stood up slowly, smoothing my dress. My heart was pounding against my ribs, but I didn't let it show. I had won this round.

I turned to leave, but Julian’s hand shot out, catching my wrist. His grip was firm, but not firm enough to bruise. He pulled me closer until I was forced to look up at him.

"You have a very sharp tongue, Rowan Brooks," he murmured.

"I learned from the best," I said, trying to pull away.

He didn't let go. He leaned down, his scent of sandalwood and rain clouding my senses.

"Don't think that changed anything," he whispered. "You’re still exactly what I said you were."

"And you’re still exactly what I thought you were," I replied.

I yanked my arm back, and this time, he let me go. I walked out of the dining hall without looking back, my spine straight and my head held high.

I was a prisoner. I was a breeder. I was a traitor.

But as I climbed the stairs back to my room, I knew one thing for sure.

They were never going to break me.