Mated To The Wrong Twin

CHAPTER 3

LIORA'S POV

The ranch looked all golden in the morning sun, but the night's troubles stuck around. Derek, not in the best mood, found comfort in feeding his horse. The sound of oats in a bucket had to compete with the echoes of last night—a melody that didn't want to go away. I watched from a distance, not wanting to bother him. He didn't want me close, so I stayed back this morning.

Suddenly, Drake showed up, making Derek's mood even worse. He leaned on the fence, clapping his hands like he was mocking Derek.

"Look who's here. Derek, the big alpha, stuck in his own mess," Drake laughed.

Derek turned quickly, looking mad.

As they both stood there—with Derek's scar hidden—I could see one man in two places. They looked exactly the same. Derek was just calmer. I got annoyed at myself for mixing up Derek and Drake last night.

"My goodness! It was the best night of my life. I had never been so loved by any woman before, but Liora, oh! My sweet Liora made me the luckiest man on earth last night," Drake spouted.

He spoke while walking towards Derek.

“It's a shame that your girl couldn't even tell the difference. She gave herself to another man, your own brother. Disgusting, right? But I was the lucky one last night. I got the most beautiful as my mate,” Drake's words hurt, and a tear fell from my eyes. It was torture hearing him say those things to Derek. It was all my fault.

Last night was supposed to be Derek's special night, our special night. I knew how much that night meant to him and I ruined it.

"What do you want, Drake? You got what you wanted last night, right? Now leave town, like you always do. Save me the trouble and disappear again. You won, be happy," Derek said, but Drake just laughed.

“You must be kidding. Liora isn’t the only thing I came for. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. I will be taking everything away from you, down to your boots, and no one can stop me.”

My heart beat for Derek, wondering how much pain he was feeling. Part of me wanted to leave, to stop seeing Derek hurt, but another part wanted to hear the brothers' conversation, to understand their fight better.

"Quite the show you put on last night,” Drake said as Derek hung his head. Derek's hands tightened around the feed bucket, knuckles turning white.

The air crackled with tension as Derek, defensive and angered, stepped closer. Drake's taunts were like arrows, hitting precisely where it hurt the most. Drake just smirked, enjoying how uncomfortable he made Derek, his brother.

"Oh, it hurts you. I didn’t know it would hurt you this much. Hahaha... Just kidding. I knew exactly how much it would hurt, and that is where my joy comes from. I pleasure in seeing you pained."

"You better get used to feeling hurt, because there's a lot of pain coming your way. For starters, I claimed your mate last night and now, bound by the laws of the silver moon, she is mine," Drake said, and my heartbeat stopped for a while as I realized the consequences of my mistake all over again.

"Liora is not yours. Don't even think about it," Derek said, and my heart ached to know that I caused his pain. Drake's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, his words mocking.

"Oh, but she is indeed mine. Last night proved that. We are now bound by the law of the silver moon. There is nothing you, Liora, or anyone else can do about it.”

Hidden in the shadows, I listened, my heart pounding. Derek, unable to contain his rage, took a step forward, his voice angry and defiant. His claws protruding, and grey furs emerging and sprouting all over his cheeks as he attempted shifting into his wolf form.

He felt like shifting and ripping Drake apart, but he then shifted back to his full human form. My brows drew together as I wondered what stopped him from taking the action. I wondered if it was the brotherly love that stopped him, or something else...

Drake laughed the moment he saw that Derek withheld his anger and shifted back.

Drake's laughter echoed in the stable, a cold sound that sent shivers down Derek's spine.

"Oh, brother. I can see you forgot about the twin curse. The moment you lose control and spill just a drop of my blood, you spill yours too. If you bleed, I bleed, and if you die, I die too. Isn't that the best thing father ever did for us?"

Derek's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, as he tried to control the rage simmering within. The revelation of the twin curse was a reminder of the twisted bond that tied them together. A curse born of their father's desperation, a desperate attempt to control the power that ran in their veins.

Drake leaned casually against a stall, a wicked glint in his eyes.

"You see, Derek, you can't hurt me without hurting yourself. It's a beautiful twist of fate, isn't it? Father always knew how to craft a curse that would bind us in the most painful way possible."

The stable seemed to close in on them, shadows dancing with the tension that crackled between the brothers. I witnessed everything, a revelation. My brows drew together as I kept listening.

I felt a chill run down my spine. The weight of the curse explained so much—the reason behind the cautious display the two brothers engaged in, the unspoken fear that lingered beneath their confrontations.

Derek's voice was low, edged with frustration. But still, he could not let his anger take over him to the point of hitting his brother, Drake.

"Why reveal it now, Drake? What's your game?"

Drake chuckled, the sound dripping with malevolence. "Oh, dear brother, it's just a reminder. A reminder of why you can't defeat me. No matter how strong you become, you're forever tethered to me. Our fates are entwined, and there's no escape."

"You're an alpha, and I'm just an omega. You can rip me apart just with a hit from your claw, but you can't. That is what makes your powers useless against me. I'm like your equal and I can do whatever I please because you can't hurt me," Drake said, and the revelation made me tremble.

I strained to hear every word, my eyes widening at the revelation. The curse explained the blend of power, the reason why neither brother could fully triumph over the other. It was a macabre twist of destiny, a reminder that their lives were connected in a way neither had chosen.

Derek's fists clenched, the strain of the curse evident in the lines of his face. "This curse won't protect you forever, Drake."

Drake's smirk widened.

"Ah, Derek, always the optimist. But remember, every punch you throw at me is a punch you take. It's a truth we can't avoid."

The stable seemed to echo with the weight of their words, the curse becoming an unseen player in their struggle for dominance. Still hidden, I felt a chill settle in my bones. The curse was a dark reality, a force that added a layer of complexity to the already tangled web of their lives.

"That is why Liora will always be mine. Mine and mine forever," Drake said, his face brightening up.

"You won't take her, Drake. I won't let you destroy everything. Law or not, I would never let you claim her. Last night was the closest you would go to her. I can promise you that," Derek said to Drake, and my heart shattered.

Drake, always provoking, reveled in his brother's suffering.

"Oh, Derek, you're so naive. This is just the beginning. I'm taking it all—the pack, the alpha position, and yes, sweet Liora." Drake said with a smile. I pressed myself against the cool ranch wall, grappling with Drake's words. What have I gotten myself into?

As tensions peaked, Drake delivered a chilling ultimatum, his words hanging like a scary prediction.

"Enjoy your little moment, Derek. But mark my words, this is just the beginning. You're going to lose everything."

Derek, mad and seething, watched as Drake strolled away with a sinister laugh. I stayed hidden, caught in a storm I never saw coming.

The ranch, once a peaceful place, turned into a battleground. The morning sun, unaware of the trouble, continued its climb, casting shadows on the ranch—a sign of the darkness that now covered our lives.