Chapter Six

MARIA

I woke up slowly, my body heavy and aching in the most delicious, filthy way. A deep soreness throbbed between my legs, radiating through my thighs, my hips, and deep inside my pussy. Every muscle felt used and claimed. I shifted under the sheets and felt the sticky remnants of last night—dried cum on my skin, my folds still tender and slick.

I blinked against the soft morning light and looked down at myself. My breasts were covered in dark hickeys and bite marks. More bruises bloomed along my neck, my hips, and the sensitive insides of my thighs. I traced one with my fingertips and shivered at the memory.

I had seriously done it. I’d fucked two guys exactly like I’d dared myself. And fuck… it had been the best sex of my entire life. Raw. Intense. Overwhelming. Being claimed so completely by two powerful men at once was something I would remember for a long time. A filthy, perfect rebound.

A small, satisfied smile curved my lips, but it quickly faded as reality crept in. Embarrassment flooded me at the thought of facing them now. What would I even say? 

I quietly tied my messy hair into a loose ponytail, slipped out of the huge bed, and hurriedly pulled on my clothes from the night before. They were wrinkled and smelled like sex, but I didn’t have a choice. Thankfully, the room was empty. No sign of either of them. I crept out as quietly as I could and spent the next half hour wandering through the enormous mansion, trying to find my way to the exit without running into anyone. My legs were shaky, and every step sent little reminders of how thoroughly they had fucked me.

Finally, I reached the front gate, breathing hard. Three guards stood watch. Their sharp eyes swept over me immediately—taking in my disheveled hair, my rumpled clothes, and especially the obvious hickeys blooming across my neck and collarbone. Their expressions said it all. They knew exactly what I’d spent the night doing. Heat rushed to my face, but I kept my chin up and tried to look composed.

After a few knowing glances between them, they finally let me through. I didn’t hesitate. I slipped past the gate and walked away as quickly as my sore legs would allow.

I adjusted my clothes one last time as I walked the long path away from the mansion, trying to smooth out the wrinkles and hide the worst of the damage. I pulled my collar higher to cover some of the hickeys, though the ones on my neck were impossible to fully conceal. My hair was tied back neatly now, but my lips still felt swollen, and every step sent a dull, aching throb through my core — a constant reminder of how thoroughly they had claimed me last night.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The way they had fucked me like they owned me. The way they kept calling me their mate. The way my body had betrayed every plan I had to stay distant and escape at the first opportunity.

By the time I reached our pack house, I had mostly composed myself. Or at least I hoped I had. I pushed open the door quietly, only to freeze in the entryway. My parents were in the middle of a heated argument in the living room.

“You had no right to do this without telling her first!” my step-mother's voice cracked with anger and worry. “She’s our daughter, not some bargaining chip!”

“She knew the pack is dying,” my father snapped back, sounding exhausted and defensive. “Our people are starving and sick. This alliance with the twins’ territory is the only thing keeping us alive. The contract is already signed. She’ll be their mate now.”

My stomach dropped.

I stood there in the doorway, sore, marked, and still smelling faintly of their scent, listening in horror as they argued about me.

My father noticed me first. He stopped mid-sentence, his face shifting into something guarded and guilty. My step-mother turned sharply, her eyes red from arguing. “You’re back,” she said, trying to soften her tone. “We didn’t expect you so soon.”

I swallowed hard. “What’s going on?”

My father hesitated, rubbing a hand over his face. He wouldn’t quite meet my eyes. The reluctance was clear in the way he shifted on his feet, the heavy sigh he let out before speaking.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said quietly, his voice heavy. “Last night… I finalized a contract. A political mating alliance with the twin Alphas of the strongest neighboring territory. To secure food, medicine, and protection for our pack.”

The floor felt like it dropped out from under me.

“You… sold me?” My voice came out small at first, then louder as anger rose. “You sold me off without even telling me?”

My step-mother looked devastated. My father flinched but didn’t deny it.

“Why?” I demanded, stepping forward. “Why me? Why not Avery? She’s your stepdaughter, but you’ve always treated her like she’s more important. Why didn’t you sell her instead?”

My father’s jaw tightened. He looked genuinely torn, but his voice stayed firm. “I refused to sell Avery. She’s… not suited for this. The Alphas requested someone from our bloodline for the contract. It had to be you. You’re stronger than you think. This alliance will protect the entire pack — your mother, me, everyone. Including Avery.”

“I’m sorry,” my father said, and for a moment I almost believed the regret in his eyes. “It was the only way. The contract has been signed now.”

I stood there, heart pounding wildly in my chest. I didn’t even know the names of the twin Alphas my father had sold me to. All I knew was that last night, heartbroken and drunk, I had thrown myself at two dangerous men and let them claim every inch of my body.

And now, probably, I was theirs by contract too.

Probably

A traitorous shiver ran down my spine at the thought.

My father’s jaw clenched. “Don't worry. You’ll be taken care of. They’re powerful. They’ll protect you.”

“Protect me?” I laughed bitterly, the ache between my legs flaring again as memories crashed over me — rough hands gripping my hips, two thick cocks stretching me open at once, growling voices calling me their mate while I came apart screaming. I pressed my thighs together instinctively, hoping the scent of them had faded enough that my parents wouldn’t notice.

“I already met them,” I said flatly.

Both my parents froze.

“What?” my step-mother breathed.

“Last night. At the bar. I was drunk… heartbroken… and I ended up going home with two men. Twin Alphas.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “I didn’t know who they were. I let them… I let them fuck me. Both of them. All night.”