Claimed by the Twin Alphas and Human Mate

Chapter 18: Restless Shadows

The moonlight had long faded by the time Damon and Ethan returned to the packhouse. Their footsteps were heavy, their hearts heavier. The rejection of their mate echoed like a curse in their souls.

Neither spoke as they walked the empty corridors. Their wolves—Zion and Roan—were silent, seething, broken.

They reached the training deck and sat side by side, backs against the wall, staring into the darkness outside.

“She didn’t even fight it,” Ethan murmured, voice strained.

Damon clenched his fists. “She didn’t know what she meant to us. And now… it’s too late.”

The ache in their chests was unbearable. The bond that had called to them with such ferocity now lay shattered. Zion howled in pain. Roan whimpered in defeat.

But the pain wasn't just guilt or regret.

It was something deeper.

A gnawing sense of wrongness.

Of danger.

Before either of them could speak, Beta Nolan appeared at the door, urgency in his eyes.

“Alphas, there’s a situation,” he said.

“What is it?” Ethan stood immediately.

“Scouts spotted strange rogue activity at the southern border. It’s not the usual kind—organized movements, as if someone’s leading them.”

“Keep me updated. Double the patrols and fortify the wards,” Damon ordered sharply. His alpha tone left no room for argument.

“Understood.”

As Nolan left, the brothers stood in silence again, dread rising in their chests. Something felt… wrong. And it had nothing to do with the rogues.

It had everything to do with her.

Flashback — Two Months Ago

The twins were heading toward their father’s office, voices calm, when they paused outside the slightly open doors.

Inside were Alpha Rogan, the pack witch, and two unfamiliar high-ranking warriors.

“The vision is clear,” the witch said, voice laced with eerie calm. “The twins will be blessed with a rare mate—a powerful Luna with gifts beyond any seen in generations. Her wolf is no ordinary beast. If we act quickly, we can channel her power.”

“Sacrifice her,” she continued. “And the Blue Moon Pack will rise to dominance.”

Ethan’s breath caught. Damon stiffened, rage already flickering in his veins.

“We will not tell the twins,” Alpha Rogan said coldly. “They’ll get attached if they find her. I’ve already made arrangements with the Dark Claw pack. When the time is right, we’ll stage an attack. Make it look like a rogue ambush. No one will suspect it.”

The twins exchanged horrified looks.

“Wait until they find her,” Rogan said. “Then we strike.”

Present

Damon gritted his teeth as the memory replayed.

“We had to reject her,” he whispered. “We couldn’t let him know she’s our mate.”

“We had no choice,” Ethan said. “If we claimed her, Father would kill her. And the pack witch… she’ll make sure of it.”

That Anya would be safe if they let her go. That hurting her now would save her life later.

But it didn’t feel like a victory.

It felt like a betrayal.

Of her.

Of fate.

Of everything the bond stood for.

As they stood by the window overlooking the forest, Ethan’s voice was barely a whisper:

“Do you think she’ll ever forgive us?”

Damon didn’t answer. Because deep down, he wasn’t sure he ever would forgive himself.

Not when the only girl who ever mattered now cried herself to sleep, thinking she wasn’t worthy.

And not when the danger was only just beginning.