Chapter 24
Regan POV
I’m almost hysterical. This had to be some sort of sick joke of theirs. There is no other explanation that I can think of. I make it home and slam the door, out of breath and panting heavily. The Alpha twins, my mates? The moon goddess has to have made some sort of mistake. I wipe the sweat off my face with the back of my hand and bend over with my hands on my hips, struggling to breathe in oxygen. I had run as home as fast as possible, not wanting to face them any longer, but now I could feel a whole host of emotions running through me, wanting to make me cry with devastation.
What was I going to do? What were they going to do? I sank onto the bed, fighting the urge to burst into tears. All my life, I had heard of the mate bond, how special it was, and how blessed. It was said that the moon goddess blessed each mate pair herself. I nibbled on my lower lip, feeling anxious. Isabelle would be furious if she ever found out that the Alpha twins were mates with me. I could feel my body trembling as fear struck my heart. Surely, they wouldn’t tell her. Not after I had rejected them. Or would they use the rejection against me as another reason to hurt me?
“Shit” I cursed, glancing towards the window and hearing the distant sounds of music in the air.
The party had started. That was a good sign, right? That meant that Isabelle must still be going ahead as the chosen mate and Luna as planned. Why did I feel so hollow when I imagined her with the twins? Why did my stomach churn, thinking about them marking her instead of me? I swallowed hard, trying not to picture it in my mind but it was impossible.
You made the only logical choice you could Regan. You deserve better than some mates who have treated you so poorly in the past. Isabelle and those two deserve each other. At least they have some things in common. The pack will accept Isabelle, they would never have accepted you I reminded myself shaking my head at the foolish notion that I could have been Luna or even been able to lead this miserable pack
I gave a crooked grin, beginning to strip my clothes off, heading into the bathroom and taking a warm shower, before beginning to dress into some casual pyjamas. The sound of the front door opening abruptly and the loud sound of sobbing reached my ears, and I tensed as I realized who it was coming from.
Is that Isabelle? Why is she crying? I thought that she would be happy about being the twin’s chosen mate. Aren’t they meant to be making some sort of announcement tonight? Oh no. My stomach dropped. This wasn’t good. Something had happened, to make Isabelle upset. Something bad.
Several footsteps. I tensed. My stepmother and father should have remained at the party, but it looked as though they were back early with Isabelle. This did not bode well. What on earth had happened after I left the twins back in that clearing? I could feel my mouth going dry. It was too late to escape the house, there was nowhere to run
“Regan” my father’s bellow practically shook the windows in the house.
I winced. He was angry, Isabelle was sobbing loudly and as I walked towards the stairs the vicious look on
Heather’s face. There was blind rage in her eyes. I hesitated to come down the stairs, but my father’s eyes narrowed, and he stared pointedly at me. There was no point in creating more conflict. I began to tentatively walk down, not meeting anybody’s eyes. This wasn’t my fault, but I doubted they would believe anything I had to say.
bitch?
my stepmother hissed as I timidly met her eyes “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she spat our “You little
I was beginning to get an inkling, my suspicions arising as I looked quietly towards
my
father.
“You had to ruin everything, didn’t you Regan?” he shook his head, his lip curled back in anger, while Isabelle stood there, her eyes.
red and puffy, her sobs continuing to fall from her lips. You couldn’t just leave well enough alone? You had to spoil his for us, for your sister” he snarled as 1 blinked, not comprehending what he was saying
I in no way had tried to ruin this for them. It had just happened. Why was I being blamed for this?
His hand shot out and gripped me by the neck as I struggled weakly against him.
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112:19 Fri, Jan 10
Chapter 24
I don’t know what you mean wheezed, trying to deny it, kicking out and flailing.
“The twins refused to take Isabelle as their chosen mate tonight Heather’s voice was dripping with venom.
870%
They had? My heart swelled slightly, even as realization dawned and I glanced at Isabelle horrified. No wonder they were so angry with me. I began to feel my father’s hand tighten some more.
“Instead,” my father said between gritted teeth “they declared in front of everybody that their fated mate would become Luna instead. They won’t accept anybody else. Months of negoting, of ensuring their cooperation and it’s all down the drain” he roared, shaking me as I winced “do you want to know who their fated mate is?” he hissed as I began to feel dread rising inside of me.
They wouldn’t have. I had rejected them. That should have been enough of a clue to leave me alone, to leave me in peace. But as my father glared at me and Isabelle cried, I knew instinctively what they had done. I closed my eyes, bracing for the inevitable, unable to believe the twin’s audacity. They had no idea what they had done, the danger they had put me in. All because they couldn’t accept a refusal from someone or believe that I didn’t want to be their mate. Their arrogance was. astounding.
“You, Regan” my stepmother snarled, her lower lip twitching “The Alpha twins declared in front of witnesses and the pack, that Regan Lourdes was their fated mate. I wonder when they had time to discover that she murmured, stepping closer as I flinched “considering that you were meant to remain inside the house today?”
I felt my body hit the wall with a heavy thud, crying out at the pain as my back began to throb with pain. My father’s eyes
narrowed.
just went for a walk” I denied, clutching my chest and staring up at them with watering eyes “I didn’t know that I was going to run into them”
My father stared at me, his hands clenching into fists. Slap. I felt my head go sideways as Isabelle’s hand connected with my check. I stared at her, frightened at the wild look in her eyes.
“You bitch” she screamed “You’ve ruined my life. I was meant to be Luna, not you” she sobbed, as I put my hands up, trying to defend myself against another hit “You’re just some loser, nobody even wants around” she spat.
She kicked me for good measure, and I groaned before Heather moved her daughter away from me. It didn’t matter though, because my father moved in. I had seen him angry before, but not this enraged. It was like he was letting out all his frustrations, all his anger over the years in one fell swoop. I lost count of how much he had hit me, my cries becoming hoarse, the blood splattering on the walls as I begged him to stop. So much pain. I felt my ribs crack, felt my bones break, He was ruthless. Nothing was stopping him this time. I was afraid he would kill me.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance” he sneered, stamping on my hand as I turned my head away, spitting out blood “instead of letting you grow up and ruin everybody’s chances for a better life.”
I whimpered. I couldn’t take much more. Heather to her credit was beginning to look nervous as she pulled at my arm, trying to gain his attention. “Johnathon” she whispered “stop. If they find her like this..” she trailed off.
“Who cares” my father growled.
“Please” Heather insisted “What if they come to check on her? She’s their mate now” her voice rose in alarm.
father’s
He paused and then spat at me. I felt the spittle land on my cheek and shuddered. “Fine, put her down in the dungeon” he snarled “while I attempt to fix what this little bitch has done. Tell Isabelle to come down and help drag her” he added darkly and then stomped off, leaving me a bruised and bloody mess on the floor, with a frantic Heather calling for Isabelle in the background. I barely registered the feeling of the cold concrete beneath my body when they dumped me carelessly in the cell.
