Claimed By The Alpha Twin

The Mirror

Chapter 10: The Mirror

I hated everything right now.

The embarrassment was choking me. The confusion was suffocating. The helplessness of not remembering what happened made me want to scream. And that man — Lucas — treated me like I was some desperate girl who crawled into his bed begging for attention.

Like I had no morals. Like I was nothing.

What the hell was actually wrong with him?

My face was burning. Not just my face — my whole body felt like it was on fire. Everything was turning scarlet. That only happened when I was furious. When I could feel the heat under my skin about to explode but had to contain it because showing anger would only make me look guilty.

What did he take me for? Some shameless she-wolf who threw herself at any Alpha in sight? What did he think of himself?

And what the hell did he mean he didn't like women like me? Women like me!?

I was the victim in this story. I was the one who had been betrayed. I was the one who had been humiliated. And yet he stood there, cold and unbothered, making me feel like I was the one who had done something wrong.

I replayed his words in my head, each one cutting deeper than the last.

"You crawled your way into my bed, desperate for attention."

"I played along because I wanted you, but don't mistake that for affection."

"I don't touch intoxicated women."

"Stay away from me."

Each sentence was a knife, and he had twisted every single one.

Was this my life now? A downward spiral from one disaster to the next?

I caught my childhood love cheating on me with a maid. I blacked out at a bar. I woke up in a bed with my complicated ex-best friend — a man who was gorgeous but cold, a man I could never quite understand. And now he had just left me alone.

Great. Just great.

I sat there for a long moment, staring at the closed door, willing myself to move. But my body wouldn't obey. It was like every part of me had shut down, too overwhelmed to function.

Finally, I took a deep breath and tried to stand.

A dull ache tugged between my thighs. I immediately collapsed back onto the bed with a small whimper. My weak wolf stirred inside me, confused and unsettled, as if she too didn't understand what had happened. She whimpered softly, echoing my own uncertainty.

Didn't he say we hadn't gone all the way? So why was my body aching like this? Why did I feel so sore, so marked, so claimed?

I caught a glimpse of movement in the mirror opposite me. What I saw made me freeze.

Is that me?

I walked closer and stopped. My breath caught in my throat.

My hair was an absolute mess — tangled, wild, like I had been through a storm. Strands stuck to my damp forehead, and there were knots I would probably need a brush and thirty minutes to fix. My neck was covered in pink and purple blotches. Hickeys trailed across my collarbone and even down the soft slope of my chest.

I pulled the duvet down further, and my stomach dropped.

My breasts looked like someone had taken their time to mark them. Bruises in the shape of lips and teeth dotted the sensitive skin, some darker than others. My thighs weren't spared either — faint bruised kisses dotted my inner skin, evidence of a night I couldn't remember.

I looked like I had been devoured. Like someone had taken their time with me, claiming every inch of my body. Like I had been thoroughly, completely, and mercilessly marked.

My wolf whimpered again, but this time it wasn't fear. It was something else. Something I didn't want to name. A warmth. A contentment. A sense of being claimed that made no sense.

I pressed my fingers against one of the hickeys on my neck. It was tender to the touch. A fresh reminder that something had happened — something intense, something that had left its physical proof all over my body.

The lack of memory didn't erase the evidence. It only made it more confusing.

"Oh my gosh, what the—"

A sharp sound echoed through the room. I jumped, my heart slamming against my ribs as my hands flew to my chest.

My eyes scanned the room and spotted my phone buzzing violently on the ground where my clothes were still scattered. The screen lit up, vibrating against the wooden floor like it was trying to escape.

I went forward, my fingers finding the phone. I stared at the screen, and my stomach twisted into a sick knot in one glance. My hands went clammy.

Alpha Ian.

I swallowed hard — scared, but mostly ashamed. What would he think if he saw me like this? If he knew what had happened — or what almost happened? How could I face him after everything?

With a deep breath, I pressed the green button. My face lit up immediately at the sound of his voice, warm and familiar.

"Y-Yes, Alpha Ian?"

His voice came through the speaker, warm but urgent. "Where are you, Maya? You're not in your room. Come to my office. I have something important to discuss with you. Should I send someone to come get you?"

I exhaled, forcing my voice to stay steady. "N-No. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Click.

I stared at the phone for a long moment, my heart pounding. My body was still aching. My mind was still spinning. But Alpha Ian needed me. Whatever he had to say, it was important enough to call me directly. That meant I couldn't fall apart. Not yet.

I looked at myself in the mirror one more time. The marks on my skin. The mess of my hair. The evidence of a night I couldn't remember.

What had happened? What had Lucas done to me? What had I done to him?

Why did my wolf feel so… satisfied?

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. My wolf whimpered again, but I silenced her. There was no time for confusion.

Get dressed, Maya. Pull yourself together. You can fall apart later.

I grabbed my scattered clothes and started putting them on, my hands trembling with every button. The simple act of dressing felt foreign, like my body wasn't fully mine anymore.

I caught another glimpse of myself in the mirror and felt heat rush to my cheeks again.

I looked like I had been claimed.

And I didn't know how to feel about that.

I finished dressing and ran my fingers through my tangled hair, trying to make myself presentable. It was useless. I looked like a mess. But it would have to do.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Here goes nothing.