CHAPTER 2

ARIA

Today, I was going to leave the house.

I have a mate, and I am not going to sit back here and get forced to marry people I did not even know.

My plan was simple. I would say I needed to get something from town. If anyone asked questions, I would just say it was a woman thing, something I could not really talk about. From there, I would head straight to my mate Karlo’s house. I knew he would help me.

At this point, that was the only way I could get out of here without getting lost or caught. I did not even know my way around.

Putting on my most innocent face, I stepped out of my room. I needed to find Kavin. He was my escape ticket. I knew he would let me go if I asked nicely, unlike his brother. Mr. Gerald had already told me he was in the training room, so I made my way there quietly.

The sound of muffled grunts reached me before I even opened the door. When I finally stepped into the training room, the sight before me made my breath hitch.

Kavin and Davin were sparring. They were both shirtless, muscles tensing and moving in perfect rhythm. Every strike and dodge was controlled, like a dance they had practiced a thousand times. For a moment, I just stood there, watching.

Then Davin’s head turned. His eyes found me almost instantly, and Kavin stopped mid-swing, following his brother’s gaze.

“Well, look who finally decided to leave her room,” Kavin said, his tone smooth but carrying that familiar flirtatious tease.

I straightened. “I… needed to get something from town,” I said quickly, keeping my tone calm. “It is… a woman thing.”

Kavin’s brow lifted slightly. “A woman thing?”

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a small, shy smile. “Not something I can really explain.”

The two brothers exchanged a look. My heart thudded in my chest. This had to work.

Davin sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. “Fine,” he said at last, his eyes never leaving mine. “But I am going with you.”

My heart nearly stopped.

No. No, no, no. This was not supposed to happen.

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I could feel the panic rising. “That is not necessary,” I said quickly, forcing a laugh. “It is really just something small. I will be back before…”

“It is fine,” Davin interrupted, his tone flat but firm. “It is not safe for you to go alone. I will drive.”

He was not even looking at me anymore. He was already reaching for his towel. That was it. My plan was unraveling right before my eyes.

Kavin just shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “Guess you are stuck with him,” he said with a half-smile.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “You do not have to, really…”

“I was not asking,” Davin said, cutting me off. His eyes met mine briefly, telling me it was final.

That look alone told me there was no point arguing.

So I nodded, pretending to give in. “Okay… if you insist.”

“Meet me at the door in fifteen minutes,” Davin said as he grabbed his towel. Without waiting for a reply, he walked out of the training room.

The door had not even closed before Kavin stepped closer.

“You look… beautiful, as always,” he said, his eyes scanning me slowly. His tone was teasing and flirty, like yesterday. It did not take me long to realize he was probably a playboy.

But being close to him still made heat rise to my cheeks, and I instinctively took a step back. My fingers twitched, wanting to hide my face and my embarrassment for letting him make me blush, but I did not. Instead, I forced a small, nervous smile.

“Thank you,” I whispered, trying to sound composed but failing miserably.

Kavin’s lips curved in a faint smirk, clearly amused by my reaction. That look alone made my chest tighten. I turned quickly before I embarrassed myself further and hurried out of the room, my heart still pounding.

I could not let him distract me. Not now. I still had to find a way to escape Davin today before he realized what I was doing.

By the time I made it downstairs, Davin was already waiting by the door, dressed in a black shirt and jeans, car keys spinning in his hand. His gaze swept over me once, unreadable as always.

“Ready?” he asked.

I nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah.”

The drive to the mall was quiet, the tension sitting thick between us. Every time I glanced his way, he seemed perfectly calm, one hand on the wheel, eyes fixed on the road as if he could sense my nerves but did not care to ask why.

When we arrived, I unbuckled my seatbelt a little too quickly. “I will just be a minute,” I said.

Davin’s brow lifted. “I will come with you.”

My stomach twisted. “It is fine. I just need to grab…”

“I said I will come,” he repeated, his tone final.

I forced a laugh, pretending to be casual. “You really want to walk into a women’s store?”

That made him hesitate. After a moment, he sighed. “Five minutes,” he said, handing me a look that was half warning, half challenge.

“Five minutes,” I echoed, and slipped out of the car.

As soon as I rounded the corner, I darted through a side exit, my heart hammering in my chest. The noise of the mall faded behind me as I broke into a near run, heading for the back lot where I could get a cab.

I made it.

By the time Davin realized I was gone, I had already taken a cab halfway across town.

Karlo’s house came into view, and for the first time all day, I let myself breathe. Relief washed through me. I was safe. I was finally free.  

His door was not locked, so I stepped inside, calling his name. But then I heard it. Slow moans and grunts.  

I followed the sound to his room, my heart pounding harder with every step.  

And when I pushed the door open, the world stopped.  

Karlo was there. So was my sister. She was on top of him.  

My mate was fucking  my sister!!!.