Claimed Under The Mistletoe: The Triplet Alphas' Destiny

Chapter 14

Cane

The night air was crisp, but my thoughts burned hotter than any fire as I circled the packhouse under shadowed trees. Every instinct told me there was a secret—an entrance, maybe, to something hidden beneath the surface. The brothel, the chains holding Gwen captive—it all had to have a backdoor, a way in and out that Karl and Terrance overlooked.

I traced the outline of the building, eyes sharp in the darkness. Somewhere inside, Gwen was trapped—not just by walls, but by an alpha order that crushed her voice and will.

A scent teased my nostrils—faint, warm, unmistakably hers. My heart clenched.

I pressed my palm against the packhouse, breathing deep.

Then it hit me—the subtle, intoxicating scent of her arousal.

She was probably dreaming. About me, I hoped.

The thought sent a surge through my veins, both thrilling and terrifying.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, it was like a thread pulling taut inside me—the scent. Gwen’s scent. It was subtle at first, almost like a secret whispered on a breeze, but then it hit me in waves. Warm, sweet, and sharp all at once. Like wild honey mixed with the crispness of pine needles and the faint trace of jasmine she’d worn once when we met. But beneath it all was something more primal—raw and aching. Desire. Fear. The scent of a wolf restless and caged.

I closed my eyes, letting the world narrow to that single sensation. Each inhale dragged her closer, a magnetic force threading through my veins, shaking me to my core. It was as if the very air carried her heartbeat.

Step by step, I followed it down the quiet corridor, the stone cold beneath my boots, the distant crackle of winter wind outside seeping through the walls. The silence wrapped around me like a shroud, heavy with what was unsaid—what couldn't be said.

I pushed the door open just a crack, the faint creak sounding louder than it should in the heavy silence. The room was dark, lit only by the pale silver glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains. Shadows pooled in the corners, wrapping around the sparse furniture like quiet sentinels.

My eyes searched the dim space, and there she was—curled beneath the thin blankets, the rise and fall of her chest slow and steady but heavy with restless dreams. Her dark hair spilled across the pillow, a wild halo against the pale fabric. The air was thick with her scent—warm and intoxicating—and beneath it, the sharp, almost electric trace of arousal lingered like a flame just flickering out.

Her hazel eyes snapped open and she saw me in the doorway. "Cane?" she whispered, breathlessly. "You were dreaming about me" It was a statmenent, not a question. I could smell her arousal in the small space as I stepped forward and closed the door behind me. I watched her trembling there, fragile yet fierce, every breath she took setting fire to something deep inside me — a hunger that wasn’t just physical, but elemental. Her scent wrapped around me like a drug, sharp and sweet and utterly addictive. I could feel the weight of her restraint, the invisible chains dragging at her soul, and it tore me apart.

Goddess, how I wanted to claim her right here, right now — to press her down onto the bed, skin to skin, to taste the heat of her lips and mark every inch of her like she was mine and mine alone. To let the hunger consume us both until there was nothing left but raw, unfiltered need.

My fingers itched to trace the curve of her waist, to pull her flush against me, to lose myself in the madness of wanting her so badly it burned through reason. The pull between us was magnetic, fierce enough to snap the world in two, yet she pulled away, fragile and scared, caught in that cruel command that silenced her voice and shattered her strength.

Every moment she resisted felt like a blow, like the pain of wanting something I couldn’t have — and I hated it with everything inside me.

I leaned in, breath warm against her cheek, the ghost of a kiss lingering on my lips, but I held back. Not yet. Not while she was trapped beneath that iron grip.

“Soon,” I whispered again, my voice rough, laden with promise and torment. I wanted to shred every barrier she faced — to fight for her, to save her from the darkness threatening to consume her.

But right now, all I could do was stand in the shadows of her silence, aching and burning and utterly desperate.

Because Gwen was mine.

And I would never stop fighting to prove it.

I went to leave but she caught my hand, her fingers trembling but firm. “Stay,” she whispered, voice barely steady. The single word was both a plea and a warning, fragile but resolute.

My heart slammed against my ribs. That one word almost broke something inside me—hope, restraint, control. I wanted to throw caution to the wind, to take her then and there, to prove with fire and flesh that she belonged to me. But her eyes—wide, haunted, raw with a storm I could feel but not calm—held me back.

I swallowed the growl rising in my throat and leaned closer, the heat of her breath mingling with mine. My hands hovered just inches from her skin, craving the permission to touch, to claim. The world around us blurred; the tension was almost unbearable.

But I stopped. I could feel the weight of the Alpha order suffocating her, the invisible chains she was fighting to break. I couldn’t be the one to snap them just yet—not like this.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned in, breath mingling with mine, the warmth of her lips nearly brushing against mine. Time slowed, the world shrinking to just the space between us — so small, so intimate.

My heart thundered in my chest, every instinct screaming to close that final inch. But I pulled back, the weight of everything pressing down like a stone on my chest.

I couldn’t risk it. Not now. Not like this.

Her eyes snapped open, shimmering with hurt and confusion, a flash of frustration flickering across her face.

“Why?” she whispered, voice trembling.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady the storm raging inside me. “Because, Gwen,” I said low, voice thick with raw need and a fierce protectiveness, “if I start—if I give in to this—I won’t stop. I’ll take everything from you. And I won’t be able let go.”

Her breath hitched. I could see the conflict tearing through her, the desperation to trust me battling the chains that bound her.

“This… this isn’t just about what I want,” I added, voice softer now but no less urgent. “It’s about what you need. I want you whole, free. I can’t do that if I break you.”

The room felt impossibly quiet. I reached out, fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, longing to pull her back to me.

Instead, she stepped away, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and I knew the hardest part was just beginning.

"Get out" She whispered, the tears she was trying to hold back streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, Gwen," I pleaded with her to understand. "Get out, Cain." her voice was firm now, unyeilding. I took one last look at my sweet mate before leaving, kicking myself for hurting her.