TAMED BY THE ALPHA TWINS

CHAPTER 2

EMMA MORRETI

The music still vibrates through the walls of the mansion as I walk through the back, trying to escape the crowd.

My head spins slightly from the many drinks I’ve had, but the coolness of the night is a welcome relief. I breathe deeply, enjoying the silence the garden offers.

Finally, a moment of peace.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that I almost don’t notice his presence until his voice interrupts my tranquility.

“Hey, baby, are you having fun?”

I turn, surprised, and see a man standing a few feet away from me. His smile makes me uncomfortable, so I take a step back.

“Ah... yes, I am. I just needed some air.”

I try to keep my voice steady, but the tension in my chest betrays my nervousness.

“You don’t have to leave so quickly.", he takes another step toward me, blocking my way.

I swallow hard but keep my posture.

“Sorry, but I really need to go back.", I try to pass by him, but he reaches out, gripping my arm firmly.

“Come on, let’s enjoy the party.", the smell of alcohol on his breath makes me want to run even faster.

I pull my arm, trying to break free.

“Let me go! I don’t want to!”, I say, my voice a little louder now.

He doesn’t seem to hear.

He pushes me hard against the stone wall behind the mansion, getting dangerously close. My heart races as I try to dodge his hands, which move toward my face and body.

“Please, stop!”, I plead, but he ignores me.

I feel the tears begin to run down my face. My body trembles with panic.

That’s when a voice comes, sharp and full of authority.

“Don’t touch her!”

I look to the side and see Elijah.

He’s standing there, his eyes glowing with an intensity I’ve never seen before.

In the moonlight, they seem golden, fierce, and... something else.

Something that makes me forget the fear for a moment.

“I didn’t do anything!”, the man asks, staggering, but Elijah doesn’t respond.

He advances with impressive speed and shoves the man with force.

So much force that he falls to the ground like a ragdoll.

“If I see you get close to her again...”, Elijah’s voice is low, but full of threat.

The man tries to get up, but Elijah grabs him by the collar and throws him to the ground again.

Each blow Elijah lands is brutal. The sound of the punches echoes through the garden, and the man groans in pain.

“Elijah, stop! Please, stop!”, I finally shouted, my voice choked with sobs.

He freezes, breathing heavily, but still holding the man by the collar. When he looks at me, I see something more in his eyes.

Not just anger, but also guilt.

“Emma... I...”, he begins to speak, but before he can finish, Damon appears.

“What the hell happened here?”, Damon looks at Elijah, then at the bloody man on the ground, and then at me.

He quickly approaches, pulling me into his arms.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head, trying to control my crying.

“No... I’m fine.”

Damon shoots a deadly look at Elijah before turning back to me.

“Let’s go; I’ll take you inside.”

He holds my hand and leads me back into the mansion, ignoring the curious glances from the guests. We head up to my room, where he helps me sit on the bed.

“What were you doing out there?”, Damon asks, his voice filled with frustration.

“I just... wanted some time alone. I didn’t know this would happen.", my voice comes out low, almost a whisper.

“You know it’s dangerous! Emma, you have no idea what could have happened!”, he runs a hand through his hair, clearly irritated.

“I just wanted to have fun!”, I reply, my voice trembling with emotion.

“Fun? Is that fun for you?”, Damon is clearly at his limit.

Before he can say anything else, Elijah enters the room. He looks devastated, but there’s something in his expression that makes me want to listen to him.

“Damon, let me talk to her.”

Damon hesitates, but eventually agrees. He leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Elijah slowly approaches me, kneeling in front of me.

“Emma, I’m sorry. I should’ve gotten here sooner. I should’ve protected you.", he touches my face gently, wiping away a tear that’s still falling.

“You understand that you’re our girl, right? If something had happened to you, Damon and I would never forgive ourselves.”

His words pierce my heart, and I can’t help it. I throw myself into his arms, sobbing.

“I’m so sorry, Elijah. I just wanted... to be normal for a moment.”

He holds me tightly, his voice low in my ear.

“You’re more than normal, Emma. You’re special. And we’ll never let anything happen to you.”

The door opens again, and Damon enters. He crosses his arms and looks at both of us, still clearly worried.

“Has she gotten the message?”

I turn to both of them, the guilt growing inside me.

“I promise I won’t go out like this again.”

Damon sighs, walking over to the bed and messing up my hair with a tired smile.

“Good girl. But know that if I see that guy again, he’s going to regret it.”

Elijah gives Damon a warning look, but says nothing. Despite their differences, I can feel how much they care about me.

When I’m finally alone, I lie down on the bed, hugging the pillow.

The scene of the night keeps playing in my mind, but what disturbs me the most is the image of Elijah’s golden eyes.

I fall asleep, but my dreams aren’t of darkness or fear.

They’re of golden light, warmth, and safety. And, somehow, I know I’ll always have that with them.

The sound of the alarm clock echoes through the room, sharp and insistent.

My head throbs, each beat like a drum inside my skull. I groan softly, burying my face in the pillow, regretting the wine glasses from the night before. I can barely think straight as I slide out of bed, feeling the cold floor under my feet.

I stumble to the bathroom, rubbing my eyes to shake off the sleep. All I want is a hot shower to relieve this d*mn hangover.

I open the bathroom door and turn on the light, blinking against the intense brightness. But as soon as I raise my gaze to the shower, my body freezes.

“Oh my God!”, I scream, instinctively stepping back.

There it is, a black spider the size of my hand, standing right in the middle of the glass shower.

Its long legs move slightly, and panic takes over me. I clutch the towel against my body so tightly that my fingers hurt.

“Ahhhhhh!”, I keep screaming, the sound echoing through the bathroom.

I take a step back, but my feet slip on the mat. Before I know it, I lose my balance and fall to the ground.

The impact is followed by a loud crack as my body hits the glass shower, which shatters around me like a rain of shards.

“Ouch!”, I scream in pain as I feel the glass fragments cut my skin.

Blood runs down my arms and legs, mixing with the panic already consuming my body.

Suddenly, the bathroom door bursts open with a bang, and Damon appears, still holding the door.

“Emma? What happened?”, he rushes in, and I can barely process his presence.

“Oh, sh*t!”, he says.

My eyes fixed on him for a moment. He’s only wearing a towel tied around his waist, his wet hair dripping water onto his bare chest.

His body is covered in intricate tattoos, and for a second, I forget the pain entirely.

“A... spider... the glass...”, I murmur weakly, pointing toward the shattered shower.

Damon kneels beside me, his golden eyes assessing the cuts on my skin with an intensity that makes me forget the panic.

“Calm down, Emma. I’ll take care of you.", he picks me up gently, avoiding pressing on the injured areas.

The warmth of his body contrasts with the coldness of mine, and my heart races as he carries me out of the bathroom.

“Damon...”, I murmur, but he just looks at me firmly.

“Don’t say anything now. Let me take care of you first.", his voice is low, almost a whisper, but full of authority.

He carefully placed me on the bed and grabbed a first aid kit from the nightstand drawer. His movements are quick and precise as he cleans the cuts on my arms and legs.

I groan when the alcohol touches my skin, but he just murmurs something reassuring.

“It’s going to sting a little, but it’s to prevent infection.”, he glances at me quickly before returning to his work.

My attention is drawn again to his body. The tattoos are fascinating, covering his shoulders, chest, and ribs. One in particular catches my attention: a wolf with glowing eyes, tattooed near his heart. Before I can stop myself, I stretch out my hand and gently touch the tattoo.

Damon stops what he’s doing, his golden eyes meeting mine.

“What are you doing?”, he asks, a playful smile forming on his lips.

I feel my face burn with embarrassment and quickly pull my hand back.

“Sorry... it’s just... it’s beautiful. I want to get one too...”, I murmur, looking down to avoid his gaze.

He laughs softly, shaking his head.

“You’re only 17, Emma. I think you can wait a little before thinking about tattoos.”

I laugh, despite the pain.

He keeps tending to the cuts on my arm, and his touch is so gentle that it makes me forget the discomfort.

But soon my gaze fixes on him again, or rather, on the towel still hanging from his waist.

I feel my face heat up as I quickly avert my gaze.

"Emma, is everything okay?", Damon asks, noticing my tension.

"Yes! Damon... do you think I'm pretty?", I answer quickly, my voice a little louder than necessary.

He suddenly stops, his hands freezing in mid-air. His golden eyes lock onto mine, and I feel the air grow heavy around us.

"Why are you asking that?", his voice is cautious but curious.

I look away, fiddling with the edge of the towel still pressed against my body.

"Because... the boys at school don't seem to be interested in me. I'm not pretty enough, am I?"

Damon lets out a deep sigh, but there's a small smile on his lips.

"Well, thank God for that.", he laughs, and I lightly hit his shoulder, laughing too.

"I'm serious, Damon!", I say, pouting.

He finally stops laughing and looks at me with a softer expression.

"You're beautiful, Emma. Actually, you're the most beautiful and sweet girl I know.", he leans in and places a soft kiss on my cheek, making me blush even more.

"You should go to the doctor to check those cuts.", he says, changing the subject, but there's still a gleam in his eyes.

"No! I'm fine, Damon. Please don't make this bigger than it already is.", I shake my head quickly, and he sighs, clearly reluctant, but agrees.

"Okay. But if you feel anything strange, I'm dragging you there, got it?"

I nod, and he stands up. My gaze drifts to his body again, still covered in water and tattoos.

When he turns to grab something, I can't help but feel the flush warming my face.

"What is it now?", He asks, noticing my look.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." I quickly avert my eyes, but he just smiles to himself, amused by my embarrassment.

Even as he leaves the room to grab something, I can't shake the strange feeling growing in my chest.

Damon has always been by my side, but today... something feels different.

And for the first time, I don't know exactly how to handle it.