Chapter 3: The Shadow’s Share

Jax Montenegro

I watched her through the dark.

Raya Tyndall was a mess of soaked silk and shattered nerves, trembling so hard I could hear her teeth rattling from across the room. She looked small in this cavernous suite, like a bird that had flown into a cage thinking it was a sanctuary.

She didn't see me yet. She was too busy fumbling with the lock, her breath coming in shallow, panicked hitches.

The scent of her hit me like a physical blow to the gut. Jasmine. Rain. And that underlying spark of lightning that meant she was a true-born Tyndall. My wolf, a beast I usually kept buried under layers of cynicism and scars, let out a low, possessive roar that rattled my ribs.

Mate.

The word echoed in my head, mocking me. Fated to the bloodline. Derek had gotten to her first, of course. He always got the throne, the tuxedo, and the girl. I just got the blood on my hands.

"Derek?" she whispered, her voice a fragile thread.

I stepped out of the shadows, the firelight catching the dried blood on my knuckles. I saw the moment her world tilted. Her eyes—wide, hazel, and brimming with tears—swept over my face, searching for the man she’d just kissed in the hallway.

"Not quite, cara," I said, my voice a darker, rougher version of my brother’s.

She backed into the door, her hand searching for the handle. "Who are you? Derek said—he said he was the only one."

I laughed, a jagged sound that lacked any warmth. I stalked toward her, enjoying the way her heart rate spiked. I could see the pulse jumping in her neck, right where Derek’s mark was already beginning to fade. It wasn't deep enough. He’d been too gentle with her.

"Derek says a lot of things to get what he wants," I said, stopping just inches from her. I leaned one hand against the door over her shoulder, trapping her. "I’m Jax. The part of the Montenegro legacy they keep in the basement. The twin who cleans up the messes."

"You... you look exactly like him," she breathed, her gaze darting to the scar on my cheek.

"Except for this," I flicked the scar. "A little parting gift from our father. Reminds me that nothing in this world is free. Especially not a crown."

I leaned down, my nose brushing the shell of her ear. She smelled so damn good I wanted to lose my mind. My wolf was pacing, demanding I claim the space my brother had left vacant.

"He told you it was a contract, didn't he? A way to get your revenge on Drail?"

She nodded, her eyes locked on mine. She was terrified, but there was a fire in her. She didn't look away. I liked that. I liked it too much.

"The contract has a fine print, Raya. The Council doesn't just recognize a King. They recognize a bloodline. And since Derek and I share the same DNA, the same soul, and the same wolf..." I trailed my fingers down her arm, feeling the goosebumps erupt in my wake. "We share the mate."

"No," she gasped, her chest heaving. "That’s... that’s not possible."

"In our world, everything is possible if you’re desperate enough."

The door behind her suddenly buckled. I didn't move. I didn't need to.

Derek stepped into the room, his eyes flashing gold as they landed on me. He looked from my hand on the door to Raya’s flushed face. The air in the room became heavy, the two of us radiating so much Alpha authority it was a wonder the windows didn't shatter.

"Jax," Derek growled. "Get away from her."

"Make me," I retorted, not moving an inch. I turned my head slightly to look at my brother. "She’s the one, Derek. The bond... it’s screaming. You felt it too, didn't you? The moment we saw her in that garden?"

Derek’s jaw tightened. He walked over, his movements stiff with suppressed rage. He grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back, stepping into my space, shielding Raya with his body.

"She’s had enough for one night," Derek said, his voice tight. "Go wash the blood off your hands. We have a pack meeting at dawn."

"I’m not going anywhere," I said, my voice dropping an octave. "You brought her here. You used her to take the throne. But you can't lie to her, brother. You can't tell her she belongs only to you when her wolf is already answering to me."

Raya looked between us, her face pale. "Is this true? Both of you?"

Derek didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on me. "It’s a technicality, Raya. A loophole to keep the Council happy."

"A loophole?" I barked a laugh. "Tell her the truth, Derek. Tell her that if she stays, she’s signing up for both of us. The King and the Executioner. Tell her that if she wants her revenge, she needs the monster as much as she needs the crown."

I turned back to Raya, ignoring my brother’s warning growl. I reached out, my thumb catching a stray tear on her cheek.

"Drail broke you," I whispered, my voice thick with a sudden, unexpected hunger. "He made you a joke in front of the whole world. Derek offers you a title. But I? I offer you the power to burn every person who laughed at you. I’ll be the shadow that hunts them while you sit on your throne."

I saw the shift in her eyes. The pain was still there, but the hate was winning. She looked at me, then at Derek.

"I want them to crawl," she said, her voice finally steady. "I want Drail to lose everything. I want Sienna to realize that her baby will never see a day of power."

Derek’s expression softened into something possessive and dark. He reached back, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. "They will. I promise you."

"But there’s a price, isn't there?" Raya asked, her gaze moving between us. "The contract. What does it actually say?"

Derek and I exchanged a look. This was the moment. The point of no return.

"The contract states that to maintain the Alpha bond of twins," Derek began, his voice low and serious, "the Luna must accept both as her mates. In public, you are my Queen. My wife. In private..."

"In private," I finished, stepping closer until I was flanking her other side, "you are ours. Entirely. Completely. There is no jealousy between us, Raya. Only the pack. And only you."

The silence stretched, thick with a chemistry so volatile it felt like a match was about to be struck. Raya’s breath was the only sound in the room. She looked at Derek’s polished, commanding beauty. Then she looked at my scarred, blood-stained face.

She took a shaky breath, her fingers tightening on Derek’s hand.

"And if I say no?" she asked. "If I just want one of you?"

"Then the bond will tear you apart," I said honestly. "You can't choose between two halves of the same soul, Raya. Not when you’re the piece that fits both."

Derek leaned down, his lips brushing her forehead. "We won't force you. You can walk out that door right now. You’ll be a rogue, hunted by Drail’s men, but you’ll be free."

I leaned in on her other side, my lips hovering near her neck. "Or stay. Stay and let us turn you into the most feared woman in Europe. Stay and let us show you what it’s like to be loved by two Alphas who would kill the world to keep you."

Raya closed her eyes, her head tilting back slightly, exposing the delicate line of her throat.

"I don't want to be free," she whispered. "I want to be powerful."

Derek’s grip on her hand tightened. My wolf let out a purr of triumph.

"Then it’s settled," Derek said, his voice vibrating with a new, dangerous heat.

He didn't give her a chance to rethink. He reached out, his hand sliding into her hair, and pulled her into a deep, commanding kiss. But as his lips met hers, he didn't pull her away from me.

He pulled her back.

I didn't hesitate. I moved in, my hand settling on her waist, pulling her flush against my chest as Derek occupied her mouth. I buried my face in her neck, my teeth grazing the spot where my brother’s mark should be.

Raya let out a soft, broken moan, her hands clenching into Derek’s shirt while her body arched back into mine.

The heat was instantaneous. A literal explosion of sensation that made my vision blur.

Derek pulled back, his eyes pure gold, his breathing ragged. He looked at me, a silent communication passing between us that had existed since the womb.

"She’s ours," he rasped.

I looked down at Raya. Her lips were swollen, her eyes glazed with a mixture of shock and arousal. She looked like she was drowning, and we were the only thing keeping her afloat.

"Not yet," I said, my voice sounding like gravel.

I reached for the zipper at the back of her emerald dress. The sound of it sliding down was like a gunshot in the quiet room. The silk fell away, pooling at her feet, leaving her in nothing but lace and moonlight.

Derek’s breath hitched. I felt my own heart skip a beat.

"Before we claim you," Derek whispered, his hand sliding up her thigh, "there is one more thing you need to know about the Montenegro bloodline, Raya."

She looked up at him, her lips parted. "What?"

Derek leaned down, his voice a chilling, romantic promise.

"Drail didn't just reject you because of the baby. He rejected you because he was told you were dead."

Raya froze. "What are you talking about? I was right there!"

"No," I said, my hand stopping its exploration of her skin. I looked at the door, my ears picking up the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. "The girl Drail rejected tonight? That wasn't the girl he was engaged to."

I looked Raya dead in the eyes, the plot twist hitting her like a physical blow.

"You have a twin too, Raya. And she’s the one currently sleeping in Drail’s bed."

The handle of the bedroom door turned.