Chapter 4

Rowan, Damien, Lucian, and Kai’s POV

The throne room was heavy with tension. Each of us stood with a scowl on our faces, fuming with frustration. Our minds were clouded with thoughts of Mira.

What she’d done earlier still echoed in our heads, but it wasn’t just that—no, it was the fact that she was rejecting something we couldn’t even control.

She was trying to ruin everything.

“She’s out of her mind,” Kai growled, his fists clenching tightly as he paced back and forth.

“Who does she think she is? She tried to cut herself, to stop us from claiming her!”

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Damien said, his voice deep with frustration.

“I kept seeing her face in my dreams. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt her presence. She’s everywhere, and I can’t get her out of my head.”

“I feel the same,” Rowan muttered, leaning back against the large stone pillar. His eyes narrowed as his mind seemed to drift back to the events of the night before.

“She kept appearing in my thoughts, haunting me like a shadow. My wolf couldn’t settle, couldn’t calm down. All I could think about was her. And now this.”

Lucian crossed his arms, his expression hardening. “Same here. My wolf’s been restless. All night, I couldn’t get a moment’s peace. And now? Now she’s trying to fight against it. Rejecting us. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Kai stopped pacing and spun to face the others, his eyes blazing with anger. “We have to make her understand. We can’t let this go on. She needs to accept what’s happening between us. We’re not giving up on her.”

Rowan let out a sharp breath and shook his head. “We can’t rush it, Kai. If we force her too soon, she might push us away for good. We need to handle this carefully. It’s about patience, not just strength.”

Lucian’s voice softened, though his words still carried weight. “I don’t want to lose her, but if she keeps rejecting us, we’re going to need a way to make her see reason. She can’t fight the bond forever.”

Damien stepped forward, his eyes dark. “We have to make her feel safe. She needs to know that we’re not just claiming to use her. We need her to trust us.”

Kai scoffed, clearly agitated. “Trust? How are we supposed to get her to trust us when she thinks she’s some tool to be used?”

Rowan’s eyes softened with understanding. “That’s why we have to show her we’re different. We’ll prove it to her. But it starts with treating her with respect. She’s not just a breeder to us. She’s our mate.”

Before anyone could respond, the heavy doors of the throne room creaked open. We all turned as Serene strode into the room, her steps purposeful and filled with anger.

“What’s all this nonsense?” she snapped, her voice dripping with fury. “Defending her earlier? The breeder? Have you all lost your minds?”

Serene’s icy gaze swept over us, her eyes filled with disbelief and anger. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing? She’s nothing but a pawn, a tool for you to use, and now you’re defending her? She has to leave!”

Rowan stood tall, his posture commanding as he locked eyes with her. “Enough, Serene. We’ve made our decision. Mira stays. She’s our mate, and nothing you say will change that.”

The words hit Serene like a slap in the face.

She faltered, looking from Rowan to the others as her rage enveloped her more.

“Mate?” she spat, her voice laced with surprise.

“You’re all insane. She’s nothing. She doesn’t belong here. You can’t honestly be telling me you want her here with you just because she’s your damn Mate!”

Damien stepped forward, his voice quiet but full of authority. “Watch your mouth, Serena! You don’t understand anything. This isn’t about what you think. The choice is made already by the moon goddess. Mira is a part of us, and we’re not pushing her away.”

“Watch my mouth? Oh please, Don’t be a fool,” Serene shot back, her eyes blazing.

“You don’t know what you’re doing. You can’t let her stay. She’ll destroy everything you’ve built. She’s not like us. She’s just a breeder. That’s all she is. And once you’re done with her, you’ll throw her away.”

Lucian’s expression remained stoic, but there was a hardness to his voice. “She’s not just a breeder, Serene. Get your facts right. She’s our mate! We’re not going to throw her away.”

“How could you all possibly want her over me? After all this time? I’ve stood by your sides for years. I’ve done everything for you all. And now you’re choosing her? A breeder?”

Kai growled under his breath, clearly losing patience. “We don’t need your approval, Serene. Mira stays! And she’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Get used to it!”

Serene’s eyes flashed with fury, her fists clenched at her sides. “You’re all blind. You’re all fools. You all will regret it.”

Without another word, she stormed out of the room, her heels clicking angrily against the floor.

We all stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of Serene’s words lingering in the air.

But none of us was ready to put her words into consideration.

“We need to make sure Mira is comfortable,” Rowan said, breaking the silence like nothing had just happened.

“I’ll have the steward arrange for a change of clothes and a proper meal. She needs to feel like she belongs here.”

“I’ll see to it,” Lucian said, nodding.

“I’ll have some maids bring her some fresh food,” Kai added.

Damien let out a sigh, his voice filled with exhaustion. “That’s better. We’ve got to keep our eyes on her.”

Serene’s POV

I slammed the door behind me as I stormed back to my room. My heart was pounding with rage, my mind racing with every cruel thought I had about Mira.

How dare they choose her over me? After all I had done for them, this was how they repaid me?

I paced back and forth in my room, trying to calm the fury building inside me, but it was impossible.

The very thought of Mira living here with my husbands, was driving me mad.

“Why are they doing this?” I muttered to myself, my hands shaking with anger.

“Mate? Why her? She doesn’t belong here. She’s nothing. Just a breeder. She’s not like me.”

As I turned in circles, my personal maid, Lila, stepped into the room.

Her expression softened when she saw my agitation. “My lady, what’s wrong?”

I turned to her, my frustration boiling over. “It’s that breeder! She’s the one they’re all defending, Lila. Her! The brothers—my husbands—are letting her stay. They’ve chosen her, and I don’t understand why.”

Lila thought for a moment before speaking, her voice soft and careful. “But she’s just a breeder, isn’t she? She doesn’t have any claim over them. Why should you worry?”

I scoffed, pacing again. “That’s what they keep saying, but she’s more than that now. She’s their Mate! I don’t know what they see in her, but they’re making a mistake. I can’t let her stay here.”

Lila stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she whispered, “Maybe we shouldn’t let her live in peace here. She’s causing problems already. If she thinks she can just come here and take everything from you, maybe it’s time we made her feel unwelcome.”

I stopped pacing, my heart pounding at the thought. “Do you have a plan?”

Lila nodded, a sly grin forming on her face. “I do. And I think it’ll work perfectly.”

A dark laugh escaped me, my anger giving way to a cruel sense of satisfaction. “Good. Let’s make her life here as difficult as possible.”

“Mira, you’re in for a tough ride!”