Claimed By The Alpha Twin

The Heartbreak

Chapter 2: The Heartbreak

Maya

Two months had passed since that awful meeting in the living room, and things had only grown worse.

The days blurred together into a heavy, suffocating fog. Alpha Ian had been traveling out of the country for a week now, and I missed him terribly. The mansion didn't feel like home without his booming laugh echoing through the halls or his warm presence making everything feel safe. Without him, the walls closed in, turning the once-comforting space into a cold prison of marble and silence. My weak wolf curled up inside me, quiet and defeated, as if she too had given up on being noticed by the pack.

Lucas was always buried in pack work, distant and unreadable as ever. He barely looked at me these days, his hazel eyes guarded whenever our paths crossed. Caleb was nowhere to be seen most of the time — usually off somewhere with Kate, their laughter drifting through the corridors like knives twisting in my chest. The scent of their mingled scents lingered in the halls, making my wolf whimper in pain.

I spent most days feeling completely alone in this massive house. The hallways that once echoed with our childhood laughter now felt endless and empty. My room, once a sanctuary where Caleb would sneak in to talk late into the night, had become a cage I rarely left. I would sit by the large window for hours, staring out at the pack members going about their lives, feeling like a ghost no one could see.

By the third night of another endless stretch of isolation, I couldn't take it anymore. My throat was parched, and the thought of calling for a servant at this hour felt too exhausting. I slipped downstairs quietly, my bare feet padding across the cold tiles of the kitchen. Moonlight filtered through the tall windows, casting long, pale shadows across the counters and making everything look ethereal and slightly unreal. The distant howl of a patrol wolf outside only made the emptiness sharper.

I pulled a jug of water from the fridge, poured myself a glass, and drank it down in greedy gulps. The cool liquid soothed my dry throat but did nothing for the ache in my chest.

Then I heard slow, deliberate footsteps behind me.

Kate walked in. She had no real reason to be in the kitchen at this hour. She leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms, and stared at me with that heavy, mocking gaze I had come to know too well. The moonlight caught her face, giving her an almost ghostly appearance that sent a chill down my spine. Her scent — cloying and fake-sweet — filled the air, making my wolf recoil.

I set the glass down carefully, my fingers tightening around it. "What do you want, Kate?"

She chuckled, the sound sharp and cold, echoing slightly in the quiet kitchen. "What? Can't I come into the kitchen? I mean, I am a maid after all."

I sighed and tried to walk past her, but she stepped directly into my path, blocking me completely. Her presence felt like poison in the air.

"You think I'm just going to stand here and let you get engaged to the young Alpha heirs?" she hissed, her face inches from mine, eyes gleaming with malice. "I'm not going to let you marry Caleb or Lucas. I worked too hard to get here. No one is going to stop me from becoming Luna."

I laughed bitterly, though the sound felt hollow even to my own ears. "Do you really think you can stop me? Everyone knows you're just a maid."

"Everyone knows you're the weakest wolf in the pack," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "A pathetic little healer. If it wasn't for you, I'd have been the Luna already. But you're just a stray. An Omega who's been aspiring to carry the Luna title for far too long. It's time for me to take your place."

Her words landed like physical blows, each one reopening old wounds. I had heard the whispers my whole life — about my weak wolf, my lowly origins — but hearing them spoken so bluntly by her made my blood run cold and my wolf whimper in pain.

"You're nothing but a snake, Kate," I shot back, my voice shaking with the effort to stay strong. "You've been manipulating everyone since the day you arrived."

She laughed, low and cruel. "Manipulating? I'm just making sure I get what I deserve." She stepped closer, her eyes glinting dangerously in the moonlight. "You think you're so special because Alpha Ian took you in? You're just a stray he found in the woods."

I clenched my fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. "Get out of my way."

She grabbed my hair hard, yanking my head back with surprising strength. I gasped, my hands flying up to pry her fingers away. My scalp burned fiercely.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, the sound echoing off the kitchen walls.

"Let go of you?" She laughed cruelly, twisting her grip tighter. "I'm not going to let you ruin everything I've worked for."

I shoved her back with every ounce of strength I had. She stumbled, caught off guard for a second, but recovered quickly and lunged at me with a snarl. I dodged, but her claws raked across my arm. I cried out as hot blood welled up, warm and slick against my skin, the metallic scent filling the air and making my wolf panic.

"Look at you," Kate sneered, advancing slowly like a predator toying with prey. "Bleeding already. You can't even fight back. You're useless."

My heart pounded wildly in my chest. I looked around frantically for anything to defend myself with, but the counters were frustratingly clear. Panic clawed at my throat.

"Please, Kate," I gasped, trying to steady my breathing as pain throbbed through my arm. "Just let me go."

She laughed again, the sound bouncing off the walls like shattering glass. "After everything I've done? No, Maya. You're going to pay."

Her eyes were wild with fury. She grabbed a knife from the counter. The blade glinted menacingly in the moonlight. She lunged again. I dodged desperately, but she was faster this time. The knife sliced across my arm deeper, burning like fire. I screamed, stumbling backward against the fridge. My feet slipped on the blood pooling beneath me, and I crashed to the floor, clutching my wounded arm as the world spun.

I couldn't focus. The pain was overwhelming.

Then Kate did something I didn't expect.

She dropped the knife with a clatter. She grabbed a ceramic mug from the counter and slammed it onto the floor. The sound of shattering porcelain exploded through the kitchen. Then she threw herself against the wall, dropping to her knees and sobbing hysterically, her act flawless.

I stared at her, confused and dizzy from blood loss. "What are you—"

The kitchen doors burst open.

Caleb came rushing in, his eyes wild with alarm. He saw Kate crying on the floor amidst the broken pieces. Then his gaze flicked to me — bleeding, breathing hard, the knife lying near my feet.

"Miss Maya, I'm so sorry!" Kate whimpered loudly, her voice trembling with fake terror. "I shouldn't have gotten close to Caleb! Please… please don't hurt me!"

Caleb rushed straight to Kate's side, completely bypassing me. He bent down, holding her carefully, his eyes full of pity and concern. Then he whipped his head toward me, his face twisting into pure fury.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Maya?! Why are you targeting her?!"

"Caleb, please," my voice cracked, weak from pain and shock. "I didn't do anything. She did this to herself. She attacked me—"

"Bullshit!" he roared, standing up to tower over me. "Was the meeting the other day not enough for you?! You also had to corner her in the dark?! I saw the knife, Maya. I saw the blood."

Kate held tightly to his arm from the floor, crying pitifully. "Caleb, please don't argue because of me. She's right, I'm just a maid…"

I held my ground, forcing myself to stand despite the dizziness and the blood still dripping down my arm. The unfairness of it all choked me, fueling a fire I hadn't felt in weeks.

"I am standing up for myself, Caleb!" I shouted, my voice gaining strength. "And I don't regret telling her to stay away. I'd do it again if I had to."

I stared directly at Kate, catching the tiny, victorious smirk she hid against Caleb's shoulder. Rage blinded me for a moment.

Caleb stepped between us sharply, his hand cutting through the air.

His palm connected hard with my face.

The slap echoed through the kitchen like thunder.

I stumbled backward, my hand flying to my stinging cheek. The physical pain was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the agony ripping through my heart. Caleb had never hit me before. Never.

I looked up at him, tears blurring my vision. Our eyes met. His widened in horror as the rage drained from his face and realization set in.

"M-Maya…" he choked out. "I… I didn't mean…"

Tears streamed down my face. Caleb had once protected me from everything. He used to open doors for me, sit by my bedside when I was sick, hold me when I cried. Tonight, he chose her. He believed her lies over me. And he hit me.

"Don't touch me, Caleb!" I screamed, backing away.

He flinched, freezing in place. His face twisted with guilt and regret. "Maya, please—"

Kate reached up from the floor, wrapping her arms around his waist possessively. "It's okay, Caleb. I know you didn't mean it. You were just protecting me." She smiled sweetly up at him, her eyes still wet with crocodile tears.

I backed away slowly, gasping for air as the walls seemed to close in. My hands trembled violently. Blood continued dripping from my arm onto the cold tiles.

I turned and ran.

I ran up the stairs, my feet barely touching the steps. I burst into my room, slammed the door shut, and locked it behind me. I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into my hands as the weight of everything crashed down on me.

Caleb had cheated on me once with Kate. I had forgiven him, foolishly believing it was a mistake. But a slap? Hitting me because of her? I couldn't forgive that. Not ever.

It was in that moment I realized he didn't truly love me. Maybe he never had.

If he loved Kate so much, fine. Let them be together. I would figure out how to survive until my birthday.

And then everything would change. I would walk away from all of them. I would find my own path, my own life, my own love.

But first, I had to survive.