Chapter 10
1597 Words
Ivy’s POV
I sat in silence, my back pressed against the window, watching them.
Ronan, Kieran, and Elias.
The three men who had ruined me. The men who had made my life miserable for years. The same men who had rejected me without a second thought.
And now, they wanted to keep me.
I clenched my fists in my lap, nails digging into my palms. I wouldn’t let them win.
Kieran stretched lazily on the couch, his smirk never fading. “So, sweetheart, how long are you going to keep up this little act?”
I glared at him. “What act?”
“That whole I hate you thing.” His blue eyes gleamed with amusement. “We get it, Ivy. You’re angry. But let’s be real—you feel the bond just as much as we do.”
My stomach twisted.
I refused to give him the satisfaction of a response.
Elias, standing near the fireplace, finally spoke. “Kieran.”
His brother shrugged. “What? I’m just saying what we’re all thinking.”
“You’re an i***t,” Ronan muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
I swallowed hard, keeping my expression neutral. I couldn’t let them see the truth.
Because Kieran was right.
The bond was there. It burned beneath my skin, pulling me toward them even when I wanted to run. My wolf craved them, no matter how much I hated it.
But I wouldn’t give in.
I wouldn’t let them win.
Kieran sighed, tilting his head. “Alright, let’s make this interesting. Since you’re staying here now, let’s set some rules.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Rules?”
Ronan crossed his arms. “Yes. Rules.”
I scoffed. “You think I’m just going to follow your orders?”
Elias’s piercing blue gaze met mine. “You don’t have a choice.”
My heart pounded. “What are these rules then?”
Kieran grinned. “Rule number one—no escaping.”
I rolled my eyes. “Obviously.”
“Rule number two,” Ronan continued, his voice calm but firm. “You eat. Every meal. No arguments.”
I pressed my lips together but said nothing.
“Rule number three,” Elias added, stepping closer. “No ignoring us.”
My jaw clenched. “And what if I break these rules?”
Kieran smirked. “Then we punish you.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “Punish me?”
Ronan exhaled. “Not like that.”
Kieran chuckled. “Unless you want us to.”
My face burned with anger. “You’re disgusting.”
He leaned forward, his smirk widening. “And you love it.”
I slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room, and for a second, everything went still.
Kieran’s head turned slightly from the impact, but when he looked back at me, his blue eyes glowed.
I swallowed hard.
Maybe I’d pushed him too far.
Then, suddenly, he laughed.
“Damn,” he muttered, rubbing his jaw. “I think I like you more when you fight back.”
I clenched my fists, my breathing unsteady. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Ronan stepped between us, his golden eyes locked onto mine. “You should be.”
I lifted my chin. “I’m not.”
Elias studied me carefully. “Then you’re a fool.”
Maybe I was.
But I wouldn’t let them break me.
Not now. Not ever.
Because no matter what they said, no matter what they did—
I would never belong to them.
I refused to look at them.
My hand still tingled from slapping Kieran, but I ignored it. I ignored the way his blue eyes gleamed with amusement, the way Ronan’s jaw tightened, and the way Elias’s gaze darkened with something unreadable.
They thought they had power over me.
They thought I was weak.
They were wrong.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, sweetheart,” Kieran murmured, still rubbing his jaw.
I lifted my chin. “Then let me go.”
His smirk widened. “Nice try.”
I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing. “If you’re not keeping me as a prisoner, then why am I here?”
Ronan exhaled sharply. “We already told you.”
I scoffed. “Yeah. To keep me safe. But we both know that’s not the real reason.”
Kieran leaned back against the couch, watching me like I was the most interesting thing in the world. “And what do you think the real reason is?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Control.”
Silence.
Then Elias stepped forward. “You don’t understand what’s at stake, Ivy.”
I turned to him. “Then explain it to me.”
His jaw tightened. “Selene isn’t going to stop. She knows you’re our mate. She knows the bond won’t go away.”
I hated the way my stomach twisted at his words.
Because deep down, I knew they were right.
Selene had spent years manipulating this pack, making sure she would be Luna. She had them wrapped around her finger. She had the elders on her side.
And now, I was in her way.
“She tried to have you killed once,” Ronan continued. “If we let you go, she’ll try again.”
I bit my lip. “So what? I’m just supposed to hide here forever?”
Elias’s expression darkened. “No. But until we figure out what to do, you’re staying with us.”
My throat tightened. “You don’t get to decide that.”
Kieran chuckled. “We already have.”
Later That Night
I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The room the triplets had given me was beautiful, bigger than anything I had ever been allowed before. The bed was soft, the blankets warm, and a fireplace crackled in the corner, casting flickering shadows along the walls.
But none of that mattered.
Because no matter how comfortable this room was, it was still a cage.
A golden cage, but a cage nonetheless.
I had to get out of here.
I turned onto my side, listening carefully. The packhouse was quiet, the usual noises fading as the night settled in.
It was late.
They were probably asleep by now.
If I was going to escape, this was my best chance.
I slid out of bed carefully, keeping my movements slow and quiet. My heart pounded as I padded across the floor, toward the window.
Locked.
Of course.
I swallowed down my frustration and turned toward the door instead.
I pressed my ear against it, listening. Silence.
Slowly, I twisted the knob.
It turned.
They hadn’t locked it.
For a second, I hesitated.
Was this a trap?
Were they testing me?
I shook the thought away. It didn’t matter.
I had to try.
I pushed the door open just enough to slip out into the hallway, holding my breath as I took a cautious step forward.
The corridor was empty.
I exhaled slowly, moving quickly but carefully.
Every step felt like a risk. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, my pulse racing as I made my way toward the stairs.
If I could just get to the back entrance—
“Going somewhere?”
I froze.
That voice.
Slow. Amused.
Ronan.
I turned my head slowly, my stomach twisting.
He leaned against the wall just a few feet away, arms crossed, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness.
I swallowed hard. “Move.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. “No.”
I clenched my fists. “You said I wasn’t a prisoner.”
“You’re not,” he agreed. “But you’re also not leaving.”
Anger burned through me. “You can’t keep me here.”
“Actually,” another voice drawled. “We can.”
I turned just in time to see Kieran stepping out of the shadows, his blue eyes dancing with amusement.
My stomach dropped.
Trapped.
Again.
Elias appeared last, silent as ever, his piercing gaze locking onto mine.
I stepped back, heart pounding. “This isn’t fair.”
Kieran smirked. “Life’s not fair, sweetheart.”
My chest rose and fell rapidly, frustration and desperation warring inside me.
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered.
Ronan’s gaze softened, just a little. “Because we need you to stay.”
I shook my head. “That’s not good enough.”
Elias finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm. “Then hate us if you want. Fight us if you have to. But you are staying.”
Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
I refused to break.
“You don’t get to control me.” My voice trembled, but I meant every word.
Ronan’s golden eyes held mine, unreadable. “Then prove it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “If you want to leave so badly, then fight for it.”
I swallowed hard. “You mean—”
“A challenge,” Kieran supplied, his grin widening. “If you win, you’re free to go.”
I stared at them, heart racing. “And if I lose?”
Ronan’s expression darkened. “Then you stay—willingly.”
I exhaled slowly.
This was it.
My chance.
I had no choice but to take it.
I lifted my chin. “Fine. I accept.”
Kieran grinned. “This is going to be fun.”
Elias watched me carefully, his gaze unreadable. “Be careful what you wish for, Ivy.”
- Writer
