Emma’s breath came out unevenly as she watched Lily and her mother sneer at her.“You can explain all you want,” Lily said, arms crossed over her chest, her tone dripping with mockery, “but it doesn’t change what we saw.”Emma’s stomach churned. She could already picture the smug way they would present this to the Alpha, twisting the story, leaving out details that mattered.She shook her head, trying to keep her voice steady. “It’s not what you think.”Lily’s mother let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “We don’t care what you say. The Alpha will hear about this.”Emma’s heart pounded. “Please, just listen—”Lily stepped forward, the glee in her expression undeniable. “No. You listen. We’re telling him, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”The finality in her words settled like a weight in Emma’s chest.With a triumphant smirk, Lily turned, her mother following close behind. The click of their heels against the floor echoed in Emma’s ears, each step sealing her fate.Emma swallowed
Emma’s heart pounded as she sprinted through the trees, her breath coming out in sharp, uneven gasps. The cool breeze burned her lungs, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. Branches clawed at her arms, the damp earth shifting beneath her feet as she ran blindly through the dense forest. Her heartbeat roared in her ears, drowning out everything else—except for the heavy footsteps closing in behind her. Tyler was following. “Emma!” His deep voice rang through the trees, urgent and commanding. “Stop running!” Her pulse pounded harder. No. She couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to hear whatever he had to say. Didn’t want to face him, didn’t want to deal with this. Not now. Not ever. But he was fast. Too fast. Her legs burned with exhaustion, but Tyler showed no signs of slowing. His heavy footsteps grew louder, closer. “Emma, stop!” She tried to push herself harder, forcing her body to move faster—but before she could get any farther, a strong hand clamped around her wrist. A s
Emma stormed into her room, her chest tightening with frustration. She had left Tyler without a word, unable to process what had just happened. It was too much—too overwhelming. She was already struggling with the twins, Kale and Jayden, and now fate had cruelly tied her to Tyler as well. Three mates. Her hands clenched into fists as she paced back and forth. Why? Why did fate insist on playing games with her? First, it had given her a weak body, making her the pack’s punching bag. Then, it had forced her into a mate life where she had to fight for every scrap of respect. And just when she had started carving a place for herself, fate twisted again. Her breath came out shaky. Ever. The name alone made her blood run cold. She had suffered because of Ever. She had torn her down, made her feel like nothing, turned her into a joke. And now? Now that it was finally her turn to rise, to enjoy even a sliver of happiness, she was still being tormented. Was she never meant to find pe
Emma’s body ached, her lungs burned, and sweat dripped down her forehead. She had already lost count of how many times Cedric had thrown her to the ground, but she refused to stay down. She tightened her fists, pushing herself up once more. Cedric smirked. “Give it up, omega. You’re embarrassing yourself.” Emma wiped the blood from her lip, eyes burning with determination. “Not yet.” She took a deep breath, adjusting her stance. She had been fighting defensively, trying to block his attacks, but that wasn’t working. If she wanted to win, she had to stop holding back. The moment Cedric lunged at her again, she sidestepped swiftly, dodging his punch at the last second. Instead of retreating, she turned and drove her elbow into his ribs with full force. He grunted in pain. The crowd gasped. But Emma didn’t stop. Before Cedric could recover, she spun and kicked his knee, sending him stumbling. Using that momentum, she jumped, twisting midair, and delivered a powerful kick to his
The rumors about everything happening in the pack hadn’t missed Ever’s ears. She had been ecstatic when she first heard that Alpha m hated Emma now, believing it was what Emma deserved. That weak, pitiful girl had stolen attention that didn’t belong to her for far too long. But Ever’s joy faded when she learned what had happened the previous day. That changed everything. If Emma truly had the twins and the Alpha on her side, it meant she wasn’t as alone as Ever had hoped. It meant Emma had protection. Ever clenched her fists. No. She wouldn’t let this slip through her fingers. She needed to act before things spiraled out of her control. After pacing in her room for nearly an hour, Ever finally came up with a plan. It wasn’t enough to sit back and hope Emma’s misfortune continued. No she had to make sure of it. She went to find her mother, who was sitting on the porch, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Her mother was blissfully unaware of everything happening in the
Ever’s fingers twitched in her pocket, gripping the stolen toothbrushes as she forced herself to remain calm. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to breathe evenly. Jayden’s sharp eyes bore into her, scrutinizing her every movement. “I didn’t take anything,” Ever insisted, her voice perfectly steady, though her pulse hammered in her ears. Jayden scoffed, taking another step forward. “I don’t believe you.” Ever let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head as though she was exhausted by the accusation. “I don’t know why you’re acting this way. I was just looking around. If I knew you’d be this paranoid, I wouldn’t have even left the room.” Jayden didn’t flinch. “Then empty your pockets.” Ever’s jaw clenched, but she quickly masked it with a wounded expression. “Jayden, really? Do you think so little of me?” Before Jayden could respond, the door creaked open, and Emma stepped in. Her sharp gaze flickered between Ever’s stiff posture and Jayden’s tense stance.
Ever stormed out of the packhouse, her heels clicking against the pavement, her face twisted in frustration. The cool night air did little to ease the heat of her anger. Her mother, rushed after her, confusion written all over her face. “Ever, slow down!” Her mother called, struggling to keep pace with her daughter’s hurried steps. “What’s gotten into you?” Ever barely spared her a glance. “Nothing.” Her mother frowned. “Nothing? You insisted we come here, and now you’re dragging me out like we weren’t just welcomed inside. What happened?” Ever rolled her eyes, inhaling deeply to keep her patience in check. She couldn’t let her mother see how much Emma had gotten under her skin. “I just wasn’t feeling well,” she muttered, keeping her gaze forward. Her mother sighed, reaching out to grab Ever’s wrist. “You seemed fine before. Tell me the truth, Ever. Did something happen with Emma?” Ever jerked her hand free, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “Why do you always assume I’m the p
Emma let out a deep sigh as she stepped out of the bathroom, her body still damp from the hot shower. Steam curled around her as she wrapped a towel securely around herself, tucking the edge between her breasts to keep it in place. The night had been exhausting, her mind clouded with everything that had happened with Ever, the twins, and the suspicions surrounding her sister. She ran a hand through her wet hair, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her thoughts were a mess, but she wasn’t going to let Ever win. Not again. Just as she turned toward her closet, the door to her room suddenly burst open. Emma gasped, clutching her towel tightly as she spun around. Jayden and Kale stood in the doorway, their eyes locking onto her instantly. Their presence filled the space, their towering forms radiating something intense, something primal. “Wh-what are you doing here?” Emma stammered, backing up slightly, her fingers gripping the fabric of her towel. The twins stepped inside, cl
“Oh my!” Ever gushed out excitedly, barely restraining her squeal. “Repeat that again” she said to her friend over the phone.“I'm telling you Ava. It really happened. Emma has been banished. She will be sent out of the pack tomorrow” Milly, her friend, repeated.“How did it happen?” Ever asked, her eyes widening with interest. “Give me the full details”“Ohh, Ava you should have been there. She was purely humiliated. Dragged by the guards and thrown across the floor like a piece of rag”“And worst still, the twins barely spared her a glance. It was as if the veil she had put over their eyes had lifted. Serves Emma right,” Milly murmured. “Acting like she was Queen.” Ava took all of these details in with delight. So she had finally succeeded after all. She had managed to deter the rise of her sister. Now she could have the twins to herself.But first she needed to celebrate. “Hey Ever, are you still there?” Milly's concerned voice filtered through the line. “You're awfully quiet. You
Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair sat on the couch. Mr. Sinclair rubbed his head while Mrs. Sinclair held her hands together.“How did this happen? How did we stay here and this unfortunate incident happened?” Mr. Sinclair asked.“We failed them,” Mrs. Sinclair lamented, shaking her head sorrowfully. “We failed our daughters.”“We should have known something was wrong with both of them and did something about it,” he said.“I kept asking Emma, but she said everything was fine,” she said. “I tried everything possible to make her talk but she refused, maybe I should have tried harder. I should have kept on persisting on the matter, I should not have given up or left her alone.” She continued lamenting.Mr. Sinclair stood up and started pacing. “We didn’t do enough. We didn’t help and we didn’t protect Emma. We failed her.”Mrs. Sinclair started crying. “What do we do now? How do we help her? I can't imagine the pains she must be going through now. Ohh my poor baby!”“Do you think there is anything
Emma's eyelids had barely closed when the door to the dungeon burst open, sending a huge rush of cool air into her cell.Emma shuddered at the temperature as she rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself.Slowly, she looked up to see two muscled guards with scowling faces approach her cell. Her heartbeat kicked up and she slid further back into the darkness her cell provided.Her little attempt to protect herself was futile as the gate of her cell was flung open and the menacing guards walked in.“You're coming with us” one of them snarled as he lunged forward to snatch her arm but Emma was quick to duck from his grasp but she was no match for the other guard.He grabbed her by the neck and hurled her out. “Where are you taking me? Let me go” she screamed frantically as she struggled to escape but the guards held on firmly.They half carried and half dragged her out of the cell and Emma was a bit relieved when she was met with bright light. Being in the dark dungeon for too long h
Kale and Jayden sat in silence in their office, their expression pensive as they each weighed the consequences of their actions. “Do you think we did the right thing?” Kale asked amidst the silence.Jayden’s expression turned concerned as his lips thinned in suppressed irritation. “I believe so” he said half-heartedly as if not thoroughly convinced yet at the same time furious at his indecisiveness.Kale sighed and looked away, obviously passing through the same predicament his other half was going through. He drummed his fingers impatiently against the cool mahogany desk, trying to ease some of his tension but failing miserably.“I don’t understand,” Jayden lashed out suddenly. “Why on earth would she cheat on us? Didn’t we give her everything? Or we don’t love her her enough?” His nostrils flared in anger.“That’s what I don’t understand Jayden” Kale stated as he rose from his seat and placed a reassuring hand on his brother, hoping to ease some of the anger that oozed off him in hi
The cold wrapped around Emma like a second skin.The moment the heavy iron door slammed shut, darkness swallowed her whole. The only light was a thin crack under the door, barely enough to see the stone walls or the damp floor beneath her. She sat there, curled into herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs as the silence pressed against her ears.She didn’t cry. At least not at first.Her mind couldn’t even form full thoughts, not after what had just happened. One moment she had been standing in the hospital room, the doctor’s words still floating ‘You’re two weeks pregnant’ and the next, she had been dragged away like some criminal. The twins hadn’t even blinked.No warmth.No hesitation.Just cold commands.Her heart had shattered the second Jayden looked away, the moment Kale called for the guards. The betrayal burned through her veins hotter than any rage, deeper than any cut.Her body ached now, the dull throb of exhaustion mixing with the sting of rejection. She hadn’t
Emma’s mother’s eyes widened in disbelief, and before anyone could speak. “Shut your mouth, Ava!” she hissed. “Stop saying such stupid things!”Her hands trembled as she stepped forward, furious. “You’re talking about your sister. Do you hear yourself?”Ava’s lips parted as if to argue, but the sharpness in her mother’s glare made her hesitate. For a moment, she seemed unsure. Then her mouth opened again, slower this time, but whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.Jayden and Kale appeared at the entrance.Their presence drew everyone’s attention. Their faces were unreadable. Their eyes immediately found Ava.“Repeat what you just said.” Jayden’s voice was quiet but icy. Ava shifted on her feet. “I… it’s nothing,” she said, shrugging, trying to play innocent. “Just something stupid, like Mom said.”“Say it again.” Kale’s gaze narrowed.Ava looked between them and her parents, then sighed, feigning guilt. “I didn’t want to say it in front of
The twins stood outside Emma’s door, unmoving, still staring at the smooth wood between them and the mate they hadn’t seen in hours.Jayden leaned against the wall, his arms crossed on his chest, his brows drawn in tight concern. “With the time we saw her last, how long did you think she’s in there?” Kale exhaled slowly, eyes still fixed on the door. “Let just say almost five hours now.”They all shocked inckude Mrs. Sinclair who now look worried. Obviously concerned about Emma well being but she couldn’t talk because of the twins present. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” Jayden’s jaw tightened. “That’s why I said we should break the door, by then we can know what’s wrong.” Ava uttered. Kale nodded once. “Let’s call in help.”Kale twins mind-linked their trusted right-hand man immediately. He responded at once, appearing at the end of the corridor moments later. His face was firm, alert. He noticed the looks on their faces and didn’t ask questions.“You called?” he asked, stepp
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a soft golden hue over the pack house. It was quiet, peaceful until the sound of a car pulling into the long driveway disrupted the stillness. The vehicle came to a slow stop near the front gate, and the guard on duty stepped forward with a wary expression.Ava was the first to step out, her chin raised with false confidence and her parents following closely behind her.“Halt,” the guard said, narrowing his eyes as they try to step in. “This area is restricted unless you’re summoned by the Alphas.”Ava scoffed and folded her arms. “Do you not recognize me?”The guard straightened, clearly not impressed. “Doesn’t matter who you are. No one enters without permission especially not after hours.”Ava stepped closer, her voice sharper. “Emma is my sister. The mate of your Alphas. If I want to see her, I will.”Her mother winced at Ava’s tone, but her father only watched quietly, waiting.“She belongs here as much as they do,” Ava added with a glare.
Emma sat motionless on the cold floor, the phone still clutched in her hand as Damien’s voice faded from the call. Her chest tightened, eyes wide, and her heart pounded like a warning drum. The last few words echoed painfully in her head“Three days… just stay hidden.”She couldn’t breathe for a moment.Her throat closed up, and a shaky gasp escaped as hot tears finally broke free. She let the phone drop from her hand as she hugged her knees tightly to her chest.Three days without seeing them.Three days without speaking to them.Three days of pretending like they didn’t matter.How was she supposed to pretend otherwise? After everything they had shared earlier that day… after the way they held her, touched her, kissed her like she was their world. How was she supposed to hide from that?Her body still ached from their passion, but her heart her heart ached even more now.She sniffled and wiped her eyes, trying to quiet the sobs building up inside. It was too much. It was happening t