A Heart to Win Over

Amelia’s POVBeep, beep, beep.I reached out for the alarm clock sitting next to my mattress. Another day of toil was beginning. I stretched and winced; God, what I wouldn’t have given to sleep a little longer like the other pack members. But as a servant, I had to prepare breakfast for the Alpha, his mate, and their two sons—the twins who, tomorrow, would themselves become the pack’s Alphas.Tomorrow was also my birthday; I would finally turn eighteen and could choose whether to stay with the pack or leave and live as a drifter. But what was the point? What could an orphan possibly do? I owned nothing but a few worn-out, patched-up clothes.I lost my father when I was eight; he was the current Alpha’s Beta and gave his life to save the twins. My mother had died giving birth to me. Naturally, Alpha Logan and his family took me in, but they made me work for my room and board.I was often mistreated and frequently reminded that I was an act of charity. They paid for my schooling on the

I had heard that male twins shared the same mate—just as female twins shared a single partner—and I already knew I was their mate; I’d known for three years, in fact. But I also knew they wouldn’t want me. To them, I was hideous and useless. After grabbing a few belongings, I went back outside and left the estate. No, I wouldn’t let them humiliate me by rejecting me all over again. I needed to get away to think—far away from that tempting scent.Alex’s POVI went up to my room—a bit too drunk, I have to admit; the celebrations marking my brother and me as the pack’s new Alphas had led to a lot of drinking. Plenty of female werewolves tried to seduce us, but without success. It wasn’t that we didn’t like women, but we had decided—he and I—a few weeks back that we wouldn’t have any flings, to avoid dealing with jealousy issues once we finally found our mate.We didn’t have any specific physical expectations for our mate; we just hoped she would be gentle, compassionate, intelligent, and

I sighed in resignation and slowly climbed down from the tree. The two men stared at me with a mix of longing and relief. They stood up and took a step toward me, but I backed away; I didn’t want to be touched. I saw the hurt in their eyes, but it wasn’t the time for physical contact—and I was still afraid they might harm me. I simply stared back at them intently, my arms crossed over my stomach.Alex: Amelia, I know we don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I promise we’ll work every day to earn it.Zach: I know you don’t believe us, Amelia—I know. We hurt you so much, humiliated you so deeply... caused you so much pain. And we are terribly sorry...Alex: Please, come back to the pack house with us; let us make amends.Amelia: What proof do I have that this isn’t just another one of your traps? After all, I’m just "the Hideous One"—the girl a mate would have to be pitiful enough to accept!I saw guilt wash over their faces.Alex: Amelia, we’re sorry... we were jealous—jealous of whoever

My father went pale before our eyes.Logan: No! Impossible!Zach: Why is it impossible?He glared angrily at our mother, and she, too, went pale.Anne: Because Amelia’s mother was your father’s first mate, but he rejected her simply because she was an Omega. He never expected to see her paired with his Beta! That’s why he grew to resent his Beta. And I resented *her* because she looked just like her mother! There is no way my sons are going to be bonded to her!Alex: You mistreated Amelia because she’s the daughter of the mate you rejected!Zach: Did… did Amelia’s father know?Logan: Yes, he knew he was her second-chance mate, and he knew I was her first. He was always taunting me with his perfect mate—and later, with his perfect little girl!Anne: So, how could I possibly open my heart to a brat who looked so much like the woman haunting your father’s mind? She deserved what happened to her! She should have died that day from the poison she swallowed! A harmless glass of fruit juice

Amelia: Is this really for me?Alex: Yes, sweetheart; we bought it for your birthday.Amelia: But there’s just so much...She burst into tears right in front of us. Feeling awkward, we shifted from foot to foot beside her. Had we made a mistake by buying so much? Then, to our surprise, she turned and wrapped her arms around both of us at once.Amelia: Thank you, I... I haven’t had anything new for myself since...Zach: We know. We’re sorry about that, too, so we want to spoil you from now on.She picked out a simple pair of black trousers and a polo shirt in the same wonderful green as her eyes. Reluctantly, we left her alone to change and waited in the living room. When she emerged from the bedroom, she smelled of soap and her dark, damp hair cascaded down to her lower back; I had never seen such a beautiful woman.Amelia: I don’t have a hair tie anymore...Zach: There are some in your bathroom cabinet, but you look beautiful with your hair down.She blushed with pleasure and gave us