Chapter Five

Before I walked right into their argument and gained their attention, I had heard them fighting for the throne; the stakes were high, and none of them were willing to give it up.

“I am the rightful owner, Bryan,” Aidan snarled, his tone biting. He was the first to strike his impatience clear as the day, his fingers clenched into fists at his sides. “You’re not fit to rule. The kingdom needs a strong leader, not some hothead.”

Aidan’s cold gaze turned on Bryan, the tension between them palpable. “I’ll be the one who leads, not you. 

“You are not as powerful and strong as I am.” His voice roared, his eyes blazing like fire.

Callum, who stood afar off just watched the drama Infront of him; he was trying to control his laughter, and one could say he enjoyed every bit of it.

He had always played around during serious moments, and one would think he's unworthy, but he's like a lion waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on its prey.

 “This isn't worth it, neither of you will win if you keep acting like children. The one who can secure the breeder first wins, and we both know who that is.”

My body froze at the word “breeder.” The term hung in the air like a cold, cruel joke. It made my skin crawl.

Aidan, Bryan, and Callum were not just fighting over the throne. They were being forced into a competition, a twisted game where the winner—whoever managed to impregnate the chosen breeder first—would gain more rights to rule. The mere thought of it made my stomach twist.

But that wasn’t what had me shaking now.

I felt a strong magnetic pull towards them; there was something about the three alpha brothers that made my heart race beyond normal, and I couldn't point a finger at it.

Now that i had gained their attention and couldn't back away, they were all watching me like hawks, sizing me up and calculating their next move.

It felt like they knew something I was unaware of, a secret. Something I wasn't ready for.

The footsteps I heard behind me brought me back to reality. It was no one else but the troublemaker, Ava Moonshade, my stepsister, always managing to appear at the worst possible moment as if she has been summoned.

I bit my inner mouth hard, trying not to react.

My stepsister's voice cut through the silence like a whip. “Alia, what are you doing at this side of the estate? Do you realize you don't belong here, and Father would be mad if he realized you're wandering around?” she paused. 

“You should go back inside right now.”

Her words were cruel, but they didn’t faze me anymore. I had learned to ignore her long ago.

I never thought of wat happened next

The three alpha brothers turned their attention to Ava, they quickly realized who she was. She was Ava Moonshade the one always trying to seduce them and gain their attention.

They all had a smug look on their faces, and another look I couldn't recognize. Irritation?

Just maybe.

Ava just wanted me to go back inside, to face the humiliation I had left behind, continued blabbering.

“I really do not understand why you are spending your time with her,” she muttered, her voice dripping with hatred. “She's nothing but the Moonshade bastard born out of wedlock; don't let her deceive you, she's evil and she's just a waste of time.

My heart burned at her words; she always had a way of making me feel bad and twisting the truth, she always reminded me of my place at any chance she got.

She always says negative about me to anyone who is ready to listen to her.

But to my surprise, the three brothers didn’t respond right away. They stood there; their faces were blank and unreadable. Then, slowly, Aidan spoke, his voice as cold as ice. “Bastard, you say?”

Ava shot him a smug smile. “Yes. Jerry’s daughter from some... affair.” She flicked her fingers dismissively. “A disgrace, really. But I guess that’s who you’ll be dealing with now. Poor thing doesn’t even know her place.”

Aidan sharp eyes looked at me in a way that made me feel so nervous. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but closed it back, His gaze was something else. Bryan’s gaze shifted, calculating, while Callum’s smirk seemed to fade into a thoughtful look.

They were putting the pieces together. They had heard the rumors. They knew about my father’s secret. And now, everything clicked for them.

Callum’s voice was low and almost amused. “So, she’s the one. The bastard daughter. How interesting.” His eyes shone with amusement as if I was a puzzle he would solve.

Bryan, however, didn’t share Callum’s amusement. His expression darkened, the glint of mockery in his eyes disappearing. “With this everything will change,” he said aloud, biting his tongue, disgust evident on his face.

Ava who wasn't really paying attention to the atmosphere walked forward. “So, you’re all done with this pathetic little girl now?” she taunted, her tone sharp. “Go on, then. Take her in. Maybe she’ll be useful for something after all.”

But I wasn’t listening to Ava anymore. My attention was on them. Aidan, Bryan, Callum. They had finally recognized me. And in their eyes, I wasn’t just Jerry’s daughter. I was something else.

Something they couldn't ignore or push away, something important to them.

Aidan shifted his gaze to me, looking at me from head to toe, trying to see through me, through who Alia really is. “You are not what I expected,” he muttered with a scoff. “Not at all.” he looked away.

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. What was I to them? Just a game? A prize? Or something else entirely?

My heart tightened and I felt unease.

I wasn't ready for all this; I heaved a long sigh.