Logan's POV
As the first rays of dawn filtered through my curtains, I found myself wide awake, and my mind was a churning cauldron of thoughts and emotions.
I stretched in my bed, muscles tensing as I grappled with the bizarre twist fate had thrown our way. How in the Moon Goddess's name were we supposed to share my brother's ex-girlfriend as our mate?
Sure, Avyaane was pretty - I couldn't deny that. But as Chad's ex, I harbored a deep-seated resentment towards her. It could've been anyone else's ex, for fuck's sake.
But no, it had to be the one belonging to Chad - perfect, precious Chad, who always came first and was always the best. Everyone else was second fiddle to him, and this situation only served to show how we were left with his leftovers.
"Damn it all," I growled, punching my pillow in frustration. The familiar bitterness rose in my throat as memories flooded back - Dad training Chad alone when he was alive, forgetting about the rest of us as if we weren't his children too.
The constant, unspoken implication that only Chad mattered, that he was the only one worthy of becoming Alpha.
I sat up abruptly, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "What if something happened to his precious Chad?" I muttered darkly. "What if one of us had to take over as Alpha? Would we had mattered then?"
The thought sent a perverse thrill through me, quickly followed by a wave of shame. He was my brother, after all. But the resentment had been festering for so long, it was hard to quell.
I shook my head, trying to focus on the matter at hand. Avyaane. Our mate. The girl who had attempted rejecting us so violently.
"Just you wait, little bitch," I snarled, a cruel smile twisting my lips. "Once you get better, you'll wish you had stayed forever in the hospital. Even Chad will pity your life here with us."
With that vow echoing in my mind, I finally allowed myself to drift into a light, restless slumber.
About an hour later, as sunlight flooded the room, I was jolted awake by the persistent whine of our wolves. The pain from Blair's wound was still palpable through our bond.
Cursing under my breath, I threw off the covers and strode purposefully to my stubborn brother's room.
Without bothering to knock, I barged in. "Alright, enough of the bravado facade," I announced, eyeing Blair's pale form on the bed. "Let's get you checked out. The bullet might be laced with poison." I concluded.
Blair's eyes snapped open, narrowing in irritation. "Oh, come on," he groaned. "Get out of my room, you dickhead." He cursed.
I felt my temper flare. "Watch your tongue," I snapped. "I'm not one of your fawning groupies."
Ignoring his protests, I sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his arm. The wound was still seeping blood, looking angry and inflamed.
"We're going to the hospital before school," I declared, my tone brooking no argument. "I'm sure the nurses will give you something."
Blair's lip curled in a sneer. "Alright, boss," he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I stood, fighting the urge to smack him. "Now get up and dress," I ordered. "Or do you need me to do that for you?" I asked sarcastically.
His eyes flashed dangerously. "Save that treatment for your princess that's soon to join us," he retorted, his words laced with equal parts sarcasm and venom.
I cursed under my breath, my patience wearing thin. "Fuck you and the princess," I snarled, slamming his door as I left.
About half an hour later, as we gathered around the ornate mahogany breakfast table, the early morning sunlight streaming through the large bay windows cast long shadows across the room.
The four of us reclined casually on the dining chairs, waiting to be served. The cook, a middle-aged wolf named Marta, moved silently around us, her eyes downcast as she placed steaming plates of food before each of us.
I couldn't help but notice, as usual, how our individual personalities were reflected in the way we wore our school uniforms. My own tie was always loose and deliberately askew, a small act of rebellion against the constraints of our position.
Blair, the bitch, ever the peacock, had left several buttons of his crisp white shirt undone, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of his toned chest - always his way of drawing admiring glances from the pack's females.
Killian, with his perpetual chip on his shoulder, had his sleeves rolled up, his muscular forearms on display as he was constantly ready for a brawl.
And then there was Chad - perfect, polished Chad. His uniform was immaculate, every crease sharp and every button fastened, the very picture of the ideal Alpha lead.
The clink of silverware against fine china filled the silence as we began to eat. It was Chad who finally broke the tense quiet, his voice laced with a concern that grated on my nerves.
"Blair," he said, his brow furrowed as he regarded our injured brother, "I didn't think you'd go to school in your condition." He said.
Blair's response was as swift as it was caustic, his lips curling into a sneer. "Oh, don't start treating me like a lady around here," he spat, blue eyes flashing. "Save that for Allison." The mention of Chad's girlfriend hung in the air like a challenge.
Killian, never one to miss an opportunity to stir the pot, let out a derisive snort. A smirk played across his lips as he added,
"Who's gonna woo all the ladies if Blair doesn't show up? I bet he's more worried about pussy right now than his health condition." His words were deliberately crude, designed to provoke a reaction.
I felt my patience wearing thin. Before the situation could escalate further, I intervened, my voice clipped and authoritative. "We're passing by the hospital to patch him up on the way," I informed them, my tone brooking no argument.
At the mention of the hospital, Killian's eyes lit up with a cruel gleam that sent a chill down my spine. "That's great," he said, his voice dripping with malice.
"We can see our little miss beauty before we reach school. I was thinking school won't be fun without our plaything." The way he referred to Avyaane, our mate, as a 'plaything' made my stomach churn.
Not to be outdone, Blair chimed in, his handsome features twisted into a sneer. "She's probably still knocked out from all the trauma," he mused, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.
"Come to think of it, no girl can stand pleasuring the four of us. Let alone the weakest in our pack." His words hung in the air, a mix of boast and threat that left me feeling conflicted.
I felt a turbulent mixture of emotions swirling within me - disgust at their callous attitudes, anticipation at the thought of seeing our mate again, and a darker, more primal part of me that relished the idea of exacting revenge for her violent action.
It was a toxic cocktail of feelings that left me feeling off-balance and on edge.
Chad, ever playing the role of the levelheaded leader, rose from his seat with a deliberate grace. "Alright, time to head out," he announced, his voice steady and commanding. "Who's driving?" He asked.
Eager for any distraction from my tumultuous thoughts, I stood quickly. "Allow me the pleasure," I replied, stretching my arms above my head in a show of casual nonchalance that belied the tension coiled within me.
As we filed out of the dining room and piled into our sleek black SUV, the air around us seemed to crackle with unspoken rivalries and simmering resentments. The leather seats creaked as we settled in, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense silence.
As I slid behind the wheel and gunned the powerful engine to life, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were hurtling towards something beyond our control.
Our newly discovered mate, our wounded pride, our fractured brotherhood - it was all a volatile mix, a powder keg just waiting for a spark.
The smooth purr of the engine filled the car as I steered us towards the hospital and the unconscious girl who had, in the span of a single night, turned our world upside down.
As the familiar streets of our territory blurred past the windows, I found myself wondering if any of us were as thrilled as I am for what lay ahead. The road stretched out before us, leading towards a certain future where only the bold and strong will lead.
Killian's POVI didn't care much about Blair's injured arm as I did about seeing my secret love and crush, Avyaane. Yes I was in love with her since I first saw her six years ago when she joined middle school and was barely 12.There was something about her that captivated me. You are safe to say I fell for her way before Chad did and dated her for two years before they broke up recently.I was trying to make my move on her after their breakup but I couldn't summon the courage, not that I was weak, but that was a different courage.And now she suddenly became our mate.I can't tell you how happy I felt because now I can have her please me and no one will raise a brow, because she's ours after all.If I chose to sleep with her, that's my choice. I swear I'd even get in a fight with my brothers if they would suggest we reject her or not touch her. Because, that was something I'd never agree on.Just then, Logan pulled up at the hospital, bringing me back to reality from the journey of m
Avyaane's pov My mouth felt dry and every part of my body felt sore as I struggled to drag myself into consciousness. I could hear the faint beeping of a heart monitor and from the smell of antiseptic and saline drifting Into my nostrils. It was clear I was in a hospital. I pried my eyes open and looked around. I was alone in the room and an oxygen mask was affixed to my face. I had no recollection of how I ended up here at first. I didn't know how long I'd been here for either. A few days? A week? Possibly a month? It was hard to tell exactly. I tried to get the mask off my face just as a nurse walked in. Her small eyes widened when she saw me awake. “Hello Avyaane. You woke up earlier than we thought”She rushed over to me and assisted in getting the mask off. After propping me to sit, She offered me a glass of water from the side table. “What happened” I asked her when I'd taken only a few sips. My mouth was dry and I was terribly thirsty but it hurt even more to
Chapter 11Chad's Pov She looked so small, swaddled up in a flimsy hospital bedsheet. Her eyes were hollow and her cheeks sunken. She looked like a scared little puppy. “Looks like the little mutt survived afterall” Logan growled from beside me as we filed into the small room, our presence taking up the space. The nurse shrinked out of the room quietly and the doctor looked he wanted to as well. “Looks like the doctor was wrong. Didn't take you up to two weeks too wake up now did it?” Blair said with an evil smile. He was fully healed up from the bullet wound Avyaane had given him four days earlier but his pride wasn't and he was itching to make her pay. “I knew you were stronger than you looked” Killian said, a little less loudly, staring into Avyaane's eyes with a smirk on his face. His words were meant to sound sarcastic but his tone had made it sound like he was praising her. “Let's give her a little room guys” The doctor said, making halfhearted hand gestures to
Chapter 12 chapter twelve Avyaane's pov I numbly walked with the Alpha's as they led me towards their waiting SUV outside the hospital. The discharge papers were processed very quickly and a nurse had handed me my clothes, freshly washed and ironed, to wear. The Alpha's never left the room, leering at me as I slowly took off the flimsy hospital gown and put on my clothes. I felt their eyes ravage my naked body but I refused to look up, to look at them. I was theirs now. In word and in writing. My father had signed the papers giving my off as property to the Alphas, sanctioning them to do with me whatever they pleased. I had ready the papers twice, going over the words in disbelief. I stared at my father's words and signature in shock. And then in anger. The good for nothing bastard. In a way, I was glad to be rid of him once and for all but I knew it wasn't for the better. It was like jumping from a frying pan into a big,roaring open flame. With my father, at least I knew w
Avyaane's POVThe heavy downpour of rain did nothing to quell my screams as my father beat me up mercilessly and without remorse with his favorite stick for not opening the door fast enough after one of his drunken sprees.“Pease, father, I’m sorry.” I pleaded for him to stop to the extent that my voice was little more than an agonized whisper, but he didn’t listen. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying beating the crap out of me.“You stupid bitch,” he spat as he hit me again, strategically avoiding my face as he usually did because my face was his source of income these days. I honestly wished he could just mark my face and disfigure it, but I knew he wouldn’t; it was his precious merchandise after all.“Please!” I coughed, my entire body stinging with pain.“How dare you keep me waiting? Are you trying to follow in your mother’s footsteps like a whore?” He spat, his face red with anger.If he continued to hit me, I was sure I’d die this time, as I could no longer feel the pain of
Avyaane's POVWhen I got to school, all I wanted to do was blend in as much as possible, but of course my wishes went unanswered because, as soon as I stepped into the gate, I was bathed in water that smelled like it had been left to marinate for days at room temperature, after it was used to wash fish or any other sea food.“There’s our favorite little stupid puppy; I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to come back to school.” A familiar voice said so, and a bunch of other voices around her laughed.I let out a sigh as I sat down on the floor, afraid to look at Allison in the eye. That would probably only result in a beating, and I was getting tired of being beaten up.Allison was the daughter of the Beta of the Black Moon Pack, and she was one of the people my father wanted me to please to get good graces from her father. She was the most beautiful girl on campus and the most entitled. She got away with anything due to her beauty and popularity, and it irked me, but I couldn’t do any
Avyaane's POVAllison looked like she had seen a ghost soon after Chad's words dropped like venom.“She doesn’t deserve your sympathy, Chad. She’s a liar and a dirty whore,” she spat.“Shut the fuck up and get out.” Chad growled and began to press against my chest, trying to get the water out of my lungs.The more he pressed, the more I wondered in my delirious state. He hated my guts and my very existence, so why was he helping me? And why at the expense of Allison?!I coughed and sputtered, finally expelling the last of the pool water from my lungs. As my senses fully returned, I became aware of Chad kneeling beside me, his expression unreadable."Wh-why...why did you save me?" I managed to rasp out between gasping breaths.Chad's jaw clenched minutely. "Let's just say I didn't want your death on my conscience."A bitter, ragged laugh escaped my lips. "Since when did you grow a conscience where I'm concerned?"His eyes flashed dangerously. "Watch your tone. I may have just saved you
Avyaane's POVThey led me back to my small apartment amidst my protests, and once inside, Logan and Blair quickly started to rummage through my belongings, pulling out every personal item they could get their hands on.My breath caught in my throat when Killian deliberately opened my drawer of undergarments.“Look what we have here,” he cackled, holding up a pair to Blair and Logan, who had stopped what they were doing, “the curviest set of lingerie I've ever set my eyes on.”Logan lets out a sneer, snatching the lingerie away from Killian, while I stand unable to say anything, wishing the ground would open and swallow me.“Too bad they end up getting ripped away from her body by the pack's drunkards and cheating married men.”I heard him say, and I shrank back against the wall, arms wrapped protectively around myself as they advanced. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from their leering eyes and vile comments. Before I could react, Killian had me pinned against the bed, his w