Axel’s pov I sat in my room, sifting through some old pictures on my desk. Most of them were old memories, so simple and carefree. I frowned but try as I might, couldn’t shake the anger that had consumed me since the day that woman had entered my life. Karla. That woman. She had rejected me and my brothers in front of people in the pack. She was supposed to be our destined mate, not that it mattered to me in any way. I would never tolerate her; certainly not after this grand display she had turned it into! If she wanted to be stubborn and hate us then fine! I wasn’t going to waste my time anymore trying to keep her under control because she didn’t deserve our efforts. I was going through another photo when my mother, Luna Stephanie, entered my room without bothering to knock. She never did and always assumed she had the right to enter our space. “Axel,” she said steadily. “You have to go and talk to her.” I didn’t even look up from the picture I was holding. “No, I don’t.” “
Karla’s pov As soon as he was gone, the tears I’d been holding back spilled over. I buried my face in my hands, sobbing quietly. How had my life come to this? Just days ago, I was living a simple, peaceful life as an omega. Now, I was trapped in a bond with four brothers who represented everything I hated—arrogance, control, and power used to intimidate others. I didn’t know how long I cried, but the ache in my chest didn’t go away. The bond felt like chains wrapped around my heart, tightening with every passing second. I hated it. I hated them. But most of all, I hated how powerless I felt. There had to be a way out. I didn’t know what it was yet, but I refused to believe Axel’s words. The bond might be strong, but I was stronger. At least, that’s what I told myself as I cried alone in my room. I suddenly thought about axel and how he had acted so smug before me. I hated him. I hated them all. How dare they decide my fate for me? How dare they claim that I belonged to them, l
Karla’s pov Was he being serious? Who did he think he was to tell me what I could and couldn’t do? I growled at him in anger and looked at his brothers. They were so much alike yet I still hated them. When I woke up, the first thing I saw was them. The quadruplets. Axel, Alaric, Lysander, and Kai were all in my room, just sitting there like they owned the place. To be fair they did own the place but still, I didn’t like the way they paraded themselves about like some kind of gods or something. It disgusted me. These men had caused me enough pain and I hated them. They were just as bad as the people themselves. They looked at me as if they’d been waiting for me to wake up for hours. Their presence immediately put me on edge, and the memories of the earlier ceremony came flooding back. I had rejected them—publicly, in front of everyone. Thinking of it made me cringe and I could see why they could be mad at me for doing what I did. But at the same time I didn’t care. I was putti
Axel’s pov I thanked the healer but told him that he could leave while I conferred with my siblings. He nodded and left us alone in the garden as I turned to my siblings. My siblings were still arguing as we sat in the garden. Alaric paced back and forth, muttering angrily under his breath about how disrespectful and bold Karla had been to reject us. Kai, ever the hothead, kept tossing sharp words at Lysander, who was trying to defend her. None of them noticed when I leaned back against the wall, deep in thought. The prophecy was clear: our mate couldn’t reject us unless she hated us so much that she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with us. That thought gnawed at me. Did Karla truly hate us to such an extent? Or was she just overwhelmed? She was an omega, after all—weak and unused to standing up to power. And yet, she’d stood before everyone and rejected not one, but all four of us. As the oldest, I had to think logically. If we were honest with her—if we told her that
Axel’s pov I ignored them. Their words were noise, nothing more. I wasn’t interested in why Karla did what she did or how she felt about it. She wasn’t my choice. She was chosen for us. If she didn’t want to accept that, it was her problem. But even as I thought that, my eyes drifted to her. She was still unconscious, her breathing shallow. She looked peaceful, like she didn’t have a care in the world. It was strange to think that this quiet, fragile girl had stood before everyone and rejected us with such boldness. “Axel, say something,” Alaric said suddenly, turning to me. “You’re the eldest. What do we do about this?” “Nothing,” I said without looking at him. “Nothing?” he repeated, his voice rising. “She rejected us, Axel. Publicly! How can we just let that go?” “What do you want me to do, Alaric?” I asked, finally meeting his eyes. “Force her to accept us? Drag her in front of everyone and make her say yes? If she doesn’t want us, that’s her choice.” “She’ll regret it,” A
Karla’s pov My reply seemed to get Everyone around me shocked but I wasn’t surprised. Why were they? Did they expect that after all I had been through I would just fall in love with the first person I see? What was going through their heads anyway? Luna stephanie stepped up with a sad look on her face. “You can’t just toss everything we’re doing for you away,” she said. “What have you done for me?” I asked in rage. “I’m only used as a doll just to bring your children up to a certain standard. No one cares about me. I’m used wherever I go. I don’t need anyone to talk me into doing anything for anyone. I’m no one’s slave. I am my own person.” “My children rescued you!” I scoffed. “I didn’t ask to be rescued! I already know how this works. Your children will use me however they want and cause me irreversible pain and toss me away. I’m done with that. Let everyone let me be. I’m tired of this. What’s the difference between me staying here and being in Darwin’s hold? I’m still a sl