Chapter 5

Elara POV

No. Fucking. Way.

Rage, embarrassment, and denial rush through my veins. This cannot be happening. First, I catch that slut with Mason, and now she is coming home with us. Show me one person who would be happy with this arrangement. Other than Alice. She is smitten like a kitten, holding Kane’s hand.

A hand brushes across my arm, and I look over to see Mindy standing beside me.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispers, smiling at me. “I know this is wild, and I’m sure you’re confused, but it’s all going to be okay.”

“Mindy,” I throw my arms around her. Guilt consumes me when I realise I have not even noticed who she is mated to. “I’m so sorry, I’m so caught up in my own shit that I didn’t even consider what you’re going through.”

“It’s okay,” she smiles. “Your drama is way more than mine. Especially since it’s Alice.”

“Right,” I gasp, throwing my hands in the air. “At least you get it. I mean, look at her. All smiling and stuff while she knows I know she’s been cheating. She hasn’t had a single worry that I might tell, because they’re all like ‘we love you’ and stuff.”

I cut off my tirade and take a deep breath.

“But enough about me,” I smile. “Who’s your mate?”

“Not mate,” she smiles mischievously. “Mates. I also got two. Monroe Glade and Maxim Fulton.”

“That’s so great,” I exclaim, my heart leaping with joy. Monroe and Maxim were two of the High Guards for Kane and Axel. They live in the same house as the Alpha twins, in a different wing of the huge mansion. “You and I will see each other every day. Are you happy with your match?”

“They’re good, kind men,” she nods. “I’m a little nervous for tonight, but very pleased.”

“They’re sexy as hell,” she whispers mischievously. “I have to go now, but I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

We hold on to each other a minute longer before she steps back and walks to the two huge men standing behind her, staring at her with possessiveness and heat in their eyes.

I sigh sadly as I look at my mates. I wish they looked at me the way Mindy’s mates looked at her. However, my “mates” are currently cooing over Alice, comforting her and stroking her hair.

Fucking great.

I am doomed to share a life with two men who cannot spare me the time of day. Suddenly, my future seems lonely and miserable.

I bite back a growl of frustration. If only I could shift and run. Far away from here and this whole catastrophe.

Kane and Axel simultaneously lift their heads and look at me, and I meet their stares. There is so much coldness between us that I can practically feel the temperature drop.

“Nice,” my voice drips with sarcasm, and I cross my arms in front of my chest. “I see you finally realised that I’m still here.”

Kane’s nostrils flare, Axel grinds his teeth, and I sigh inwardly. Alice smirks at me, and it takes every inch of self-control not to shift and slice her open. As satisfying as it sounds, I am mated to the Alphas and will act accordingly. It is time for me to stop being some snivelling wisp of a girl and act like the woman I am.

“Your compassion for a fellow she-wolf is heartwarming,” I say sweetly, masking my discontent. “And while I appreciate your concern, might I ask what your plans are for your actual mate?”

Axel POV

I look at Kane, and I am pretty sure he is about to blow a gasket. Nobody speaks to him like that … well, except for me. But that is different. I am his brother, he is only five minutes older than I, and I have said worse.

I open my mouth to snap at her, but Elara’s scent wraps around me, and I lose my train of thought. I have never experienced a scent like this before, and my nose - and my wolf - do not know what to do with it. The scent hits me. Her red hair practically glows, just as fiery as her temper. Clearly, her seduction works.

By the look of confusion on Kane’s face, he is in the same boat. Alice tenses and wrinkles her nose. So, she smells it, too.

“She’s not coming with us, is she?” Alice looks up at Kane and bats her eyelashes. A move that melts him every time and has him bending to her every whim.

In the beginning, that move worked on me as well. But after a while, I saw it for the tactic it was. She does that every time she wants something from us. And one of us had to be immune to it to keep a clear head.

“I’m afraid there’s no other choice, love.” Kane sighs, shaking his head.

“But I’m going to be your mate,” she whines.

“I know,” Kane runs the back of his fingers down Alice’s cheek in a soothing gesture. “But we’ve rocked the boat enough today. Be patient with us.”

I look over at Elara, and the expression on her face is priceless. It is a mixture of what-the-fuck-am-I-looking-at and amusement, and I grin before I can stop myself.

I have to admit that she's adorable, and even those little freckles are quite special.

“Is there something amusing, Axel?” Kane asks.

“Something amusing?” I chuckle. “You mean other than this whole situation?”

“I don’t find any of this amusing at all,” Alice sniffs. She looks at Kane and turns her shoulder to me. “Can we go home?”

“She always lacked a sense of humour,” my wolf, Blade, huffs.

“Hush, Blade,” I reply. “She’s just upset.”

I sigh inwardly and shut him out. Lately, Alice annoys him with the tiniest thing. I tend to ignore him. Most people claim their wolves are insightful and know the deepest parts of them, but that is not the case with Blade. He is judgmental, never happy, and he hates practically everything and everyone other than Kane and his wolf, Gibson. Heaven knows what my life would have been like if I listened to Blade. I would be a virgin, for sure.

“Let’s get back to the house,” I suggest. “We can discuss everything there.”

“Agreed,” Kane pulls Alice against his side and leads the way.

“Seriously?” Elara plants her hands on her hips, gaping at Kane and Alice as they walk away.

Something inside me breaks a little. As much as I want Alice and not Elara, I cannot imagine being in her shoes right now. It strikes me how archaic and patriarchal the elders’ rules are.

But then I remember … it was the women who had started the Great War.

Many records of that war have become somewhat blurred. All I know is that now, at this moment, the aftermath of that war has pushed this auburn-haired girl towards me.

Her small mouth opened and closed, asking what plans we had for her. To be honest, I didn't really catch what she was saying. That little mouth seemed magical, rosy, and kissable.

Then I heard Kane said, "We have to sleep together tonight."