#Chapter 5 Defiance and Desire

I was determined to stay rebellious. No matter how many times the alphas cornered me, no matter how many games they tried to play, I wouldn’t break. I’d rather be exiled than bow to them like some mindless pup. Let them tire themselves out trying to tame me. They’d see just how stubborn a half-wolf like me could be.

But they had other plans. That first night, instead of punishment or exile, I was made to serve them.

At first, it seemed almost ridiculous. I fetched tea, water, anything they demanded. I stood quietly by while they bathed—more humbling than I expected—and then, most unsettling of all, I had to help them into their robes.

Robes.

Seriously? They couldn’t dress themselves?

I bit back a smirk as I helped Kieran fold the heavy fabric over his broad shoulders, then repeated the process with Lucian, trying to keep my tone casual, even playful. I toyed with the idea of loosening a tie or slipping a robe off the wrong way—little acts of defiance to remind them I wasn’t theirs.

But something wasn’t right. Their usual cold, controlled demeanor had slipped. Their eyes had morphed. The pupils had shrunk into slits, sharp and wild, like a predator’s. Their teeth gleamed sharper than before. And under the soft glow of the chamber’s lanterns, the veins in their arms bulged and throbbed as if something primal surged beneath their skin.

I swallowed hard. My instincts screamed at me, a loud, pulsing alarm: Danger. Danger. Danger. I couldn’t ignore it, not this time.

Without thinking, I spun around and bolted for the door, every step pounding against the cold stone floor.

But Kieran was faster.

His long strides closed the distance in seconds. One hand shot out, grabbing me with a strength that stole the breath right out of my lungs. I struggled—kicked, twisted, clawed—but it was useless. No matter how much I trained, no matter how much I pushed, I could never match that raw, unyielding power.

He pulled me back into the room against the wall, and before I could scream or fight harder, his grip tightened on my waist, pinning me in place.

Lucian stood nearby, tall and still as a statue, his icy gaze locked on mine. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he bent down and lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

I wanted to resist—to spit out words that would wound, to shove him away—but the weight of Kieran’s hand at my waist kept me rooted.

A shiver ran down my spine—not from fear, but from something darker, something tangled deep inside me. I was trapped. Not just by their strength, but by the electric tension that crackled between us—between twin alphas and one stubborn half-wolf who refused to be tamed.

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity shot through me, sharp and electric like a live wire pressed against my skin. My breath hitched, and every hair on my body stood on end. But what unsettled me most was how eerily silent my wolf stayed inside—no growl, no warning howl, no surge of instinct to fight or flee. It was as if the wild part of me was holding its breath, waiting, watching... confused. The calm inside me felt more dangerous than any roar. Something about this moment wasn’t right.

Lucian’s voice was a low growl as he reached for me, fingers like iron bands locking around my wrist, pulling me close. Kieran was at my other side, breath hot against my ear, his hand sliding possessively down my spine.

My breath caught when Lucian’s lips brushed my throat—soft, teasing, then rough, biting just enough to draw a shiver. Kieran’s hand trailed lower, teasing the curve of my waist, pulling me tighter between them. They weren’t gentle; they were brutal in the best way, fierce and demanding, like wolves marking their mate.

“Don’t forget,” Kieran murmured, voice thick with something dark and dangerous, “you belong to us now.”

I bit back the trembling that threatened to break free, eyes flashing with equal parts defiance and need. The way they moved, the way they claimed me—it was a wildfire I couldn’t resist, even as my mind screamed to run.

Lucian’s hand cupped my face, thumbs brushing over my cheekbones, his gaze dark and infinite. “We own every inch of you.” The words weren’t a threat. They were a promise. His hand moved lower, tracing over my sternum. Kieran’s slid lower along my hip. The room was too warm. My breath hitched. My body burned.

And then—like a fist to the gut—I remembered who I was. Not theirs. Not claimed. Not some pawn trembling under alpha heat.

I grabbed Lucian’s wrist and shoved it off me, twisting out of Kieran’s hold in one sharp motion. My voice came out low, rough. “Touch me like that again without permission, and I’ll break more than just your rules.”

Lucian stared at me, his chest rising with steady, forced control. Kieran’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t move.

“Next time,” I said, backing away, “I won’t ask nicely.”

The bond between us buzzed like a live wire. But I turned and walked out anyway—heart racing, spine straight, heat still licking under my skin like a threat I refused to give in to. Let them burn. I’d survive the fire.

Lucian stood before me, his face smoothing back into that cool, unreadable mask. But his eyes? They burned with something darker—something restless, like he was trying to strip my thoughts bare or dare me to hide a single truth. His hand closed around my chin, tilting my face toward him with quiet authority.

Behind me, Kieran loomed, his breath warm against my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. I felt the faintest brush of his fangs against the delicate skin at my neck—sharp, teasing, a reminder of the danger he carried, the hunger he barely restrained.

My heart hammered so fiercely I thought it might burst free of my chest. Inside, my wolf stirred—usually silent, but now howling wildly, torn between fear and exhilaration.

“They’re ours,” my wolf whispered, urgent and fierce. “Both of them. We belong to them.”