Chapter One

ROWAN’S POV

"I didn't do it!"

"Shut your mouth, you traitor!" 

One of the two pack guards barked at me as they dragged me out of the dungeon, against the floor, my knees scraping the rough floor.

As they dragged me into the pack square, the shouts of my pack members hit me.

“Traitor!”

“And a whore!”

“Die, Rowan! You must die for what you did!”

One rock hit me hard on my temple, then another followed on my shoulder and then my ribs. I stumbled to the ground and looked up through my teary eyes and saw the faces of the people I once called family.

They were now calling for my death.

"I didn't do it, I swear!" I screamed desperately, hoping that my desperation touches the heart of the people I once called my family but instead I was met with another rock on my face.

"I hope you die, bitch!"

"You should rot in hell, you betrayer!"

The guards reached the center of the square and threw me down on the ground. I landed on my hands and knees, trembling and heaving in pain, it hurt everywhere but it hurt especially in my chest.

I didn't do it.

I didn't commit treason neither did I plot against the pack. I would never.

Then I looked up and saw her.

Elowen. My twin sister.

She stood there in front of me in a midnight blue silk dress, her hazel eyes, the exact same colour as mine, sparkling with triumph. Beside her stood Dylan, the Alpha of our pack, who is also my mate. Or "was", because he stopped being that yesterday, after the mating ceremony. 

Elowen stepped forward, her heels clicking majestically against the stone floor. She leaned down to be the same eye level with me.

"Aw, look at her. Poor Rowan. How the mighty has fallen." She said with a smile that she wasn't even trying to hide. "I cannot believe the righteous and noble Rowan sold our borders to the hunters."

The sarcasm in her voice told me all I needed to know.

"You... you framed me." I whispered breathlessly. I didn't know it was possible but I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. "You planted those letters. You framed me, Elowen."

Elowen let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Are you just figuring that out? Yes, Rowan. I framed you and they believed every single word. It was too easy, much easier than I planned and that's because I'm the golden child and I will always be." 

She leaned closer to my ear, her breath warm against my face, "But that wasn't the best part of it all. You wanna know what is? The mind blowing sex Dylan and I had yesterday. Goddess, he fucked me so hard, I could barely breath. That was the best sex of my life."

My breath hitched in my throat and a lone tear slipped down my face. I just wanted to know why, why my own twin sister was doing all these to me, why she pretended to be me at the mating ceremony yesterday. She wore my scent, wore my dress and when it was time for Dylan to bond with me as mates in front of the moon goddess, she took my place.

"He's mine now." 

I looked at Dylan who stood there and bonded with my sister as if I didn't exist. His gaze was cold and indifferent as he said, "You’re nothing but a traitorous bitch who deserves everything coming to her." 

The bond I had waited all my life for had been hijacked and stolen by my own sister.

Elowen turned away from me and faced the angry pack members. She raised her hands and the crowd fell into silence. 

"Pack brothers and sisters!" Elowen’s voice rang out. "This woman here– this evil criminal– has put our lives at risk! Our mothers! Our fathers! Our children!"

"Yes!" 

"She has committed treason and plotted against our pack. She is a threat that we must get rid of!"

"Yes! Yes!"

"So, tell me, how should we punish such a monster?"

"Throw her in the dungeon and starve her to death!"

"Throw her to the rogues! Let them tear her apart!"

I looked around, my eyes wide with horror. "No! No! Please! I'm innocent! I swear on my life, I didn't do it, I'm innocent!" I screamed with tears flowing freely down my face but nobody was listening to me. 

Elowen glanced back at me with a smug smile on her lips. She looked at Dylan, who gave her short nod.

"No," Elowen announced with a sense of pride in her voice. "The dungeon is far too kind. The rogues? Too quick. For a crime this cruel, we have to give her the ultimate judgement. And I have decided.... that Rowan will be executed by the Twin Alphas."

The square went dead silent. A collective gasp echoed through the crowd which was followed by terrified murmurs.

"The Twin Alphas? The Knox brothers?" 

My heart stopped. 

Not them. Anyone but them.

Anyone but Julian and Marcus Knox. 

They were the most powerful Alphas in Moon Haven, even extending to the neighbouring towns. Nobody dared face them, nobody dared step on their toes. They were ruthless, impulsive and brutal. But that was not the worst part of it. 

The Knox brothers delighted in executing criminals, this showed in how they would decapitate the body and hang the pieces in the town square for days, just to prove a point, instead of just beheading. Now that was the worst part of it all. 

"No!" I screamed so loud I heard my voice crack. "No, please! Dylan! Elowen! Please don't do this to me, I'm begging you! Don't let them execute me!"

I tried to stand to run over to where Elowen was standing but the guards slammed me back to the ground. My fingernails broke as I clawed at the bare ground. "Elowen, please! I'm your sister! Your own blood! Don't do this to me!"

All my pleas fell on deaf ears, instead my sister looked delighted at my terror. "You should have thought of that before you betrayed us, Rowan. Sorry but justice has to be served."

Suddenly, the air in the pack square changed. It grew heavy and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. From the north entrance of the square, a black SUV skidded to a halt, then followed by another and the car doors opened.

The crowd parted with the pack members tripping over themselves to get out of the way, and two men stepped forward, standing in the middle of the pack square.

The Twin Alphas were here.

As much horrifying stories that I've heard about them, I had never set my eyes on them. They had the same face but if you looked closely you could see the striking difference between them. Both were tall with broad shoulders and a lean build. 

They both had deep brown hair, sharp jaws and a perfectly sculptured face but while one of them had captivating grey eyes that looked like you could drown in them, the other had icy baby blue orbs and they were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.

"Alphas," Dylan began, even he was terrified by their intimidating presence because his voice trembled. "Thank you for honoring our invite. The traitor is ready for execution."

The Twin Alpha with captivating grey eyes did not even look at Dylan, instead he had his eyes locked on me, his gaze following the blood that dripped down my forehead.

"So," He said, his voice was a rich, dark bass that matched the commanding presence he held. "This is the little traitor who sold her pack borders to the rogues."

"I'm innocent," I managed to say. I was so weak and exhausted that I could barely speak. "Please Alpha, I'm innocent. Please don't... don't kill me."

The Twin Alpha leaned down, his face few inches from mine. I could smell the cedar and sandalwood from him. "You're begging," he purred, a cold smirk touching his lips. "I love it when they beg."

"The execution," Elowen prompted with eager voice. "We are ready to proceed."

This was it. I was going to die with pieces of my body hung in the town square for birds to feast upon. It's over.

I closed my eyes with a sigh of defeat, waiting for the Alphas' blade to slice through my neck. The only wish I had now was for it to be fast.

But instead of the cold metal on my neck, I felt gloved fingers hold my chin up, and then,

"She is no longer a member of this pack," 

When my eyes flung open, I was met with a beautiful baby blue pair, staring

into mine.

The other Twin Alpha stepped to my other side, "From this moment on," he announced with a growl, "she is our breeder."