Chapter 23: Mated To Two

ALEXANDER

I was stunned by his reaction, but what left me completely speechless was when he reached out, grabbed my arm, and pulled me toward him, making me stumble.

He stepped between Chris and me. Staring at his back, I heard him say calmly to Chris, “Alex is my wife.”

Chris didn’t look surprised. He must have seen me standing beside Damon earlier. But what troubled me was this—was that the reason Damon had invited me to the podium? Did he already know that I was fated to his uncle as well?

The realization sent a chill through my heart. I scoffed at the foolish hope I had allowed myself to feel after standing beside him in public.

Chris looked at Damon calmly, then said with a smile, “I’ve heard many rumors about you and her. Word on the street is that you don’t love her, that your heart belongs to a missing woman named Tracy. I also heard that you never officially married her and swore never to make her the Luna of the pack…”

The more I listened, the more shocked I became. But Chris said nothing about Damon turning me into a sex slave, or sending me to the envoys’ beds to satisfy them.

I glanced at him weakly, wondering whether he had intentionally left that out, or if he truly didn’t know. I shook my head. That seemed impossible—how could something like that be hidden from him?

“All of that is baseless rumor. If you have any questions, you should hear the truth from me first,” Alpha Damon replied. Then he turned to me. “Return to your palace.”

I didn’t want to leave, but one look at Alpha Damon’s cold stare and tightly pressed lips told me I couldn’t defy him. So I turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

That night, I was alone in my room when Alpha Damon came to see me. As the light fell across his face, I saw the coldness in his eyes as he stared at me.

“Do you like my uncle?” Alpha Damon asked condescendingly.

I looked at him, then smirked. Running my fingers through my soft hair, I replied unhurriedly, “Of course I do. Who wouldn’t love such a gentle man? A man who knows how to speak, who is endearing, and emotionally mature...”

Before I could say more, his hand clamped around my neck, cutting off the air in my throat. My eyes widened as Alpha Damon forced me down onto the bed, looming over me with cold, merciless eyes.

He sneered. “You really can’t stop being a whore, can you? Even without a wolf, you still can’t settle for one man. You seem to enjoy having men pass you around. Disgusting.”

Then he let go. The fury burning in his eyes was strangely satisfying. I smacked my lips, tempted to provoke him further, but the sting in my throat and its dry soreness kept me silent.

I took a deep breath.

He scowled at me. “My uncle wants to mark you as his mate and take you away.”

At his words, I stiffened in shock. When I recovered, I sat up immediately, my eyes wide with disbelief—and relief. Though this place was supposed to be my home, I had never truly belonged in the pack castle. I had always dreamed of seeing the world, of leaving the pack behind, but my stepmother had made that impossible.

“You want to leave with him?”

I didn’t even think before the answer slipped out.

“Yes.”

The air in the room grew heavy, and I could feel his anger prickling against my skin. I looked at Alpha Damon’s face—his bloodshot eyes, his tightly pressed lips, the cruel expression twisting his features—but I didn’t care.

I wasn’t afraid of him anymore.

So I looked straight at him and decided to provoke him even more.

“If I ever had to choose between you and him, I would choose him over you. Again and again.”

Alpha Damon let out a bitter laugh and reached for my throat, but before his hand could close around it, he stopped himself and pulled back. Taking a step away, he forced his emotions down until he looked much calmer than before. Then, with a smile that made my skin crawl, he said, “Do you really think I’ll let you be with him? Stop dreaming. I will never let you leave this pack with him. You’re staying here, Alex, and no one will take you away from me. You’re far too useful for satisfying my warriors and making them stronger.”

My breath caught in my throat, and fury burned inside me. He must have noticed the darkness on my face because his smirk only widened before he turned and walked away.

That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to escape this prison.

Christina’s visits had become expected, but I was stunned when my father came to see me.

He wore a broad smile as he stared at me, then suddenly burst out, “Good child, good child!”

Something about the way he praised me felt wrong. I looked at him suspiciously. He held my gaze, and a strange grin spread across his face before he gave a low chuckle and declared, “The Moon Goddess is favoring me.”

“Dad, what is wrong with you?” I asked, unable to keep watching him behave so strangely. It frightened me and sent chills down my spine.

He looked at me heavily and said, “Both Chris and Alpha Damon are bonded to you. With them as my sons-in-law, who would dare challenge me? Who would not tremble at the sound of my name? You haven’t just made me powerful—you’ve made me feel like I could rule the world…”

He looked at me with deep satisfaction before adding, “Alex, you are very special, and you’ve made me very proud. Tell me, what do you want me to do for you? Say it, and I’ll do it.”

I wasn’t surprised that my father had turned the situation into something about himself. There had never been a day when he wasn’t selfish.