The Alpha Twins Can't Have Me

Chapter 4: Introduction

Malakai POV

I smelt her before I saw her. The smell of vanilla enthused with a hint of wildflower. It reminded me of a vibrant meadow. For the first time, my focus wasn’t on the so-called event but the distinct smell of a scent that could only signal one thing.

My brother and I had finally met our mate. The mate we had been waiting for since we turned eighteen, and the mate bond could be felt.

She was a lovely thing too. I spotted her the moment we entered the room. Draven’s gaze automatically swung to her as well. She looked like a doll. Her hair was lightly curled, and her eyes were so green it took my breath away. She wore a dress that reminded me of the fur trees outside, and her skin was a pale porcelain.

She was stunning.

I wanted her. My wolf wanted her. The moment our eyes met hers, the bond snapped into place. It felt like a rubber band snapping and hitting me in the chest.

“Mate!” my brother and I roared, and the crowd fell silent.

Mouths dropped open in shock.

My brother and I moved as one. Our entire focus was on the girl who was about to become our luna. Everything else faded into background noise.

She surprised us. Or maybe shocked us would be another way to describe it.

“No thank you.”

She was blunt and utterly unconcerned about offending us. For a moment we were speechless, wondering if we might have heard her wrong.

It was the very first time a girl had ever dared to run away from us, and she even took the time to grab a piece of cake on her way out.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

“Did she just run away from us?” Draven growled, his expression dark.

A small smile played at my lips.

“She did."

Luna Elowen came rushing up, a distressed expression on her face, hand clutching her chest as though she might suffer a heart attack at any moment.

“I’m so sorry for my daughter’s disrespect,” she gasped, immediately apologizing. “She’s a bit of a wild child,” she continued. “Doesn’t have any manners."

Wild child? She made it sound as though her daughter was some sort of uncivilized cavewoman instead of the daughter of an Alpha.

“Daughter?” Draven asked, “What’s her name?” he growled.

“Juniper. But I assure you, there won’t be any hard feelings when you reject her. I understand with your reputations that you have an image to maintain, and well, Juniper,” she paused, “does not fit that image.”

It was blunt and callous. A mother speaking of her child like that? It infuriated me, and I felt my jaw clenching as I struggled not to let loose my wrath on her.

Draven inhaled sharply, looking just as enraged.

“Mother,” Caelen Ashwood spoke behind us, his voice firm, “Juniper is an amazing girl, and anybody she’s mates with would be lucky to have her. She is not wild; she is a free spirit and unique.”

He was defending her as a good brother should. I admired that.

“She’s a mess, Caelen,” Elowen hissed, forgetting about us entirely, “don’t defend your sister. She’s just embarrassed us all. I should have never insisted she attend this summit," she finished darkly.

Caelen moved to stand in front of us. His expression was not apologetic. This made me like him even more. At least he had the balls to speak with us on his sister's behalf.

"My sister is not the typical girl you're used to. She's wilful, she's smart, she's wild and she's more than any man can handle on their own. If you can't deal with that, with somebody that isn't like other girls, then do the right thing and reject her before you hurt her," he said solemnly.

“We haven’t even met her properly yet,” I pointed out with amusement, “she vanished before we could speak to her.”

Or rather she'd run like her dress was on fire.

“I can take you to her,” Caelen said evenly, “so long as you aren’t intending to hurt her for disrespecting you or punish her.”

“It depends what you mean by punishment,” Draven muttered beside me, and I shot him a warning look.

“We would be appreciative, thank you.”

“She’s in the forest,” Caelen sighed, “probably in her favourite spot. She has a tree she loves,” he added, motioning towards us as we followed with bewildered expressions.

A favourite tree?

Was this girl some sort of forest nymph or magical being?

It was a bit of a trek, and Draven swore under his breath as his suit got crinkled and covered in dirt and grass.

He had always been somewhat of a snob and put a great deal of pride in his appearance.

We reached a particularly large tree with wide open branches and soft dirt surrounding it.

“Here it is, good luck,” Caelen muttered and then left us alone.

Our eyes slowly rose, and we saw the girl sitting in the tree, high on a branch, a nonchalant expression on her face, and cake smeared on her face, which she absently wiped off.

She was adorable. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It didn't faze her in the slightest. She simply blinked those big green eyes of hers at us and swung her legs.

“I thought I made myself clear? Why are you here?” she called down, her voice musical and angelic. “Oh, I get it. You need to be here to reject me. Okay then,” she continued brightly, “get it over with already. I’m sure there’s plenty of girls waiting to dance with you,” she added enthusiastically.

Neither of us appreciated her offer. We looked up at her with matching dark expressions and clenched our hands into fists, fighting back the anger that was beginning to take over.

How could she speak so nonchalantly about rejection? How could she refuse the mate bond so easily as though it was nothing?

“We aren’t here to reject you,” Draven snarled at her, his jaw twitching.

She looked disappointed and confused.

“Why not?”

"Because you're ours," we answered simultaneously, folding our arms across our chests and refusing to budge, "and we aren't leaving this pack without you."

"Then prepare to be disappointed," she warned.

"Princess, maybe we didn't make it clear enough for you," Draven's voice turned dangerous. "If we have to drag you kicking and screaming back to our pack, then we will."

"That seems a little bit overkill," she muttered. "You know there are plenty of other girls at the summit who would only be too happy to become your chosen mate."

"They aren't our fated mate, and that's the only girl we'll accept," Draven hissed.

She sighed.