Mated to the Alpha Twins

Chapter 113

Just as Sabine had said; the Assassin and Hound had finally come, and Chaos followed. “Are you going to come with us willingly, Aurora?” The Assassin spoke first, her voice a delicate falsetto. “Your little magic won’t work on me, but I’d love to see you try.” Something at the very pit of my stomach told me not to use my abilities on her. I didn’t have those punch you in the gut feelings very often, but this was one I couldn’t ignore.

The way she sang my name sent a shiver down my spine, which I suppressed with gritted teeth. She plucked a knife from one of the straps around her leg and held it in her hand. Her glossy auburn hair was tightly pulled back, wrapped in a braid at the base of her neck. She only reminded me of the blade I had as well, given to me by Isaiah before he had left with Mera. It was a kind gesture considering I barely had a clue on how to use the thing. Either way, if the Assassin got her hands on me, this blade could quickly become my salvation. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Clearly, she was the star of the show, the one who led the other two. Chaos was foaming at the mouth, flashing his movie star smile that seemed all wrong with the cruelty in his eyes. The Hound just stood there, mindlessly staring at the five of us, nostrils flaring as he took in our scents. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I assured her, forcing as much false bravado into my voice as possible. The Assassin shrugged indifferently and nodded at Chaos, whose smile widened into a grin. A tremor of excitement seemed to snake its way down his back, making his fingers twitch and eyes sparkle. “F**k yeah, been waiting forever for this.” He whooped, inky hair falling back as he threw his arms out towards the five of us. I realized too late what Chaos’s ability was, and that he hadn’t been aiming for the five of us, but for the twins. The twin’s obsidian eyes brightened, turning a rich shade of crimson that mirrored Chaos’s. H****r enveloped me when I realized that while I could still feel the mate-bond, I no longer had access to their stream of thought. Awareness was leached from their sight, leaving room for nothing but chaos. Alec and Kade turned towards one another, snarling and tensing up. I acted without thinking the

moment I saw Kade’s hand shifting into that of a wolf, nails elongating into curved claws. I lunged forwards, though not towards the twins, and not physically. I lashed out with my abilities, desperately trying to sink my hooks into Chaos and pull with everything I had. Just as I felt myself make contact, and form that connection, the Assassin sliced through them with cold-hot steel. She leaped forward with incredible swiftness, with the Hound tailing her. Her muscular form still moved incredibly fast, making me scramble into action. Chaos was engrossed with the twin’s, using them like a child would battle with two action figures. Kade lunged at Alec, slashing his elongated nails across the soft flesh of his face. I snarled in sync with Alec, who was already shifting before my eyes. I needed to do something, and fast. Another minute and I’d be lucky if I had one mate standing. I wanted to glance at Tori and Sabine, who were both just as exposed as I, but I couldn’t risk placing attention on them. Instead, I did what any completely sane werewolf would do and ran. I veered left into the forest, knowing I wouldn’t make it very long or far. The goal wasn’t to escape, but to get them away from the twins, Tori and Sabine. It was the exact opposite of what everyone had been telling me—that I was more important than everyone else, that I had to stay alive and away from Marcus at all costs. My chest was wracked with pain, because at the end of the day, I couldn’t sit by and let the people I cared about d*e for me. So here I was, running into the arms of the enemy. Even as I heard the Assassin’s snicker at my back, I couldn’t bring myself to regret doing everything humanly possible to save my mates. If there was one thing I promised myself, it was that now I needed to be strong. Aurora, weak human daughter of Melissa, was skin shed from my shoulders. There was room for nothing else–no one else, except for Luna Aurora. I was knocked to the ground, shoved into the dirt just half a minute in. The taste of it filled my mouth,

followed by a disgusting grainy texture that crunched beneath my teeth. The gentle scent of gardenias and rose petals filled my nose, and I met the not-so-gentle eyes of the Assassin. They were a deep, chocolate shade of brown that held rich undertones of caramel. Even though I lacked the fighting skills of your typical Luna, I still had the reflexes. I wrapped a hand around the leather-bound hilt of the silver blade currently hidden within my belt loop. I had no doubt the Assassin had earned her name by writ of blood, but she had made the same mistake everyone makes when they become the best at their trade; she became complacent, she underestimated me. I’m positive she was told everything about me, that my abilities were the most dangerous aspect of my personality. I had no formal training, no lifetime at being raised a werewolf, but I now had a network of people dedicated to train me, to keep me alive. I wasn’t sure where I had found the sudden bout of brutality, or whether it had always lived within me, but I tore the blade from my belt and jammed it into the first thing I could think of; her chocolate-colored eye. The heart would have been the obvious choice, the easiest when it came to securing a k**l. Alec taught me that going for the obvious k**l wasn’t what you should do against a more skilled opponent. Surprise them, use your inexperience against them. She hadn’t been expecting me to a****k, much less something like her eye. Such a vital part, especially in her profession. Metallic warmth splashed against my face, mixing with the dirt granules in my mouth, and the Assassin’s furious howls grated my ears. Instead of panicking and turning her attention to her gaping wound, she tore the knife from her eye and frantically ripped her gloves off. I could still hear the sizzle from her flesh as the silver knife burned her skin, destroying any chances at healing her wound. Her b**e hands touched my skin before I had the chance to get away, and it was then I fully understood what her abilities were. She didn’t just block magic, she fed on it; stole it from other white wolves.

Her touch made my blood run cold, my sweat freeze and breath come out in strained huffs. My veins were clogged with ice, churning and scraping against my flesh as my heart continued pumping. Her nails were digging into my skin, pinpricks of cold in a torrent of ice and snow. “You f*****g b***h.” She hissed incoherently, so furious with me that I wondered if she’d just end my life here and now. I could feel her spittle-or perhaps blood, misting across my face. “This is silver–this is f*****g silver! I’ll never heal from this. I’m going to f*****g k**l–“ “Assassin, you good?” Chaos’s husky voice sounded from a few feet away, jolly even as it made my hair stand. The Assassin let go of me, and I gasped as the pressure had finally been lifted from my body. She snarled at Chaos, whose eyes widened in genuine surprise. “Why in the f**k did you let her get the upper hand on you? Boss isn’t gonna like this, Assassin. You better not let this s***w up your rate.” “I didn’t let her get the upper hand, and it won’t s***w up s**t.” She hissed, sending me a look so full of venom that I thought I might actually faint. “I can still k**l you just the f*****g same.” I let out a grunt as a bony shoulder slammed into my gut, followed by the rancid scent of body odor as it flooded my nose. I opened my eyes to see an upside-down version of the world, watching my hair as it trailed across the ground. I was slung over the Hound’s shoulder like meat, hauled deeper into the forest. The world sloshed back and forth slowly, leaving doubles and triples of everything. With the blood rushing to my head, I could hardly keep up with what I was seeing, so I decided to focus on what I heard instead. “What did you do with her little mates?” The Assassin asked, sending me another d***h and destruction filled look that over lapped one another three times. I could still feel the cold rattling in my chest from where she had touched me with her hands. “Left them wounded real nice.” Chaos sighed unhappily, garnering my attention. “Didn’t have time to maul them the way I been practicing, not with you screaming in the middle of a d**n invasion, making Hound drag my a*s through the f*****g woods.” Relief flooded through me, washing some of that miserable cold. They were alive–which meant Tori

and Sabine had to be alive as well. “She took my f*****g eye, Chaos.” The Assassin hissed, and for a moment I thought she might either m****r Chaos, or come finish her work on me. “I’d like to see how well your little tricks work with one eye.” “Y’know, I don’t see why our soul-eater here needs two eyes to work some magic.” Chaos commented in between whistling some annoyingly repetitive tune. He came up behind the Hound and bent over, tilting his head so that he could look me in the eye. His movie-star grin turned lopsided, giving him that perfect boy next door vibe–if the boy next door was a raging psychopath with crimson eyes. “I call dibs on the brown one. I think I’ll dry it like one of those little heads.” “An eye for an eye.” The Assassin mused, and I hated this look of gentle contemplation even more. My eyes fluttered once, and then twice before we had finally emerged from the forest. I knew I had to of blacked out at some point because the sun was hanging precariously low in the sky, casting splashes of orange and yellow across the horizon. “Shove her in the back.” The Assassin’s voice grew louder in my ears, followed by the sound of a car door opening. Her form was hazy at first, but cleared up the more I blinked. She was glancing down at her watch, tapping on the small screen. “We’ve got fifteen minutes before the alpha and his b***h show up with the entire brigade.” “I told boss those wolves weren’t ready for real battle.” Chaos sighed dramatically, though I knew he wasn’t upset over the lives lost. Another poorly thought-out plan flitted through my head. Fifteen minutes—if I could stall them for that long, then Mera and Isaiah would show up. That had to be who they were talking about. I groaned softly when I was tossed onto a cold leather seat, but quickly turned over and pushed myself into a sitting position. I had limited time, and scoured the floor of the van for anything. There were splotches of paint, and what I hoped wasn’t blood, along with plenty of dirt and little bits of trash. My fingers ached when I felt a slightly bent nail beneath them. It was one of those large construction nails. Judging from the way my fingers stung, there had to be some percentage of silver within the material. It was stuck under a small piece of plastic, protruding from the floor.

Within seconds, the Hound slid into the front seat and the Assassin into the passenger. I wrapped my hand around the nail tightly, trying not to look completely frazzled. My heartbeat could be heard throughout the van, but the fast-paced pattering wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. My stomach clenched as the back door opened, just a few feet away from where I sat. Every muscle in my body tensed, coiled and ready. Even my wolf, whose words of encouragement were all that kept me going, waited withheld breath. Chaos opened the door to the van, and when he was halfway through, I launched myself at him. Either Chaos underestimated me more than the Assassin, or he truly loved any excuse for a fight, because he tumbled to the ground like he weighed less than the Hound. I rolled on top of him, jamming the nail as deep into his shoulder as I could whilst clamoring forward. His hand wrapped around my ankle, making me stumble when I should have already been running. Instinctively, I lashed out with the same foot he had grabbed and smashed my heel into his teeth. His grip loosened enough for me to slip free, stumbling to my feet and running forwards. Before I barreled into the thick brush of the forest, my breaths labored and pained from the tiny dagger in my hip, I glanced back to see Chaos’s beautiful, smiling face; both teeth and eyes crimson. I counted the seconds in my head, lost track, and began counting again. Pain was a distant memory, burning the corners of my awareness just enough to leave a dull ache. I couldn’t feel the pain in my hip anymore, just this tearing sensation whenever I moved strenuously-which was a lot at the moment. I had torn the knife out, almost doubling over when the silver coated handle burned my hand. Somehow, it made sense that Chaos would have a knife that harmed its user; to feel pain whilst inflicting it. I spun on my heel, my eyes practically rolling as I heard Chaos’s joyful whooping fill the forest. It bounced from tree to tree, echoing in every direction yet coming from seemingly nowhere. I continued turning, losing track of where I had been and where I was going. For the second time in what I would soon name the worst day of my life, I was tackled to the ground. This time my face was pushed into the dirt, and I clenched my eyes shut to avoid getting anything in my eyes.

I was lifted from the ground, met with the smell of body odor and flowers. “Tsk tsk, bad soul-eater.” Chaos’s voice was right by my ear, laughing loudly when I jerked my head away. I wrenched open my eyes, wincing when they stung and itched from the dirt that was spread across my face. The Hound held me again, the ever so silent grunt man who did as he was told. Chaos was walking behind us, his hands in his pockets as he flashed me his pretty grin. “You ran for six minutes, by the way.” He commented helpfully, and it was in this moment that I knew Chaos was the second biggest monster I had ever met. His smile revealed nothing of the beast that hid within him, “The other girls I play chase with usually only last for two.” “No games.” The Hound said flatly, his voice unusually deep. He turned to face Chaos; the abrupt motion made my head swim. “You cannot k**l this one.” I realized it was just us three, and that the Assassin was clearly back at the vehicle. Even though it made my body ache to try and use my abilities, I reached out tentatively. A feather light caress against the Hound’s lifeforce, feeling it’s intoxicating warmth just inches away. “Would never dream of it, dear Hound.” Chaos shook his head, a hand against his heart in a very convincing display of offense. The look was wiped away as easy as it had come, replaced with a carefree smile. “Besides, it’s Assassin you should worry about. She’s the one gearing to k**l her. I on the other hand think Assassin looks lovely with her singular eye, just ravishing.” I held back nausea as I was swung around again so that the Hound could face Chaos, letting loose a snarl that cracked and echoed through the trees. If he kept spinning me around, I wouldn’t be able to draw anything from him. Thankfully, Chaos managed to shut up long enough for me to get my bearings again. I couldn’t take much, or too fast. I was sure that he’d notice the significant drain, or the Assassin would. The last thing I wanted were her hands on my skin again, the thought sent a chill skittering over me. My first instinct was to drain Chaos dry just for some of the things he’s said since capturing me, but he was also one of the most dangerous. I had no clue if his abilities worked on me, but I wouldn’t put it past him to hold off until the last moment. Instead, I bided my time and slowly pulled from the Hound,

stopping whenever he stiffened or twitched. We were back within a minute, telling me I hadn’t ran far at all. Beneath the slightly torn fabric of my shirt, I could feel the little knife wound knitting itself back together, taking away the stinging pain of silver in my blood. I wasn’t ready to take down the three of them, but this was a start. My limbs no longer felt like lead and the pain in my chest dulled to a slow throb. I stopped pulling from the Hound the moment I was within sniffing distance of the Assassin. I feigned fatigue, groaning when I was tossed back into the vehicle. Chaos grinned from the seat beside me, the b****y nail still protruding from his shoulder. The quiet hum of the vehicle sounded as we coasted down the highway, away from the fading scent of burning houses and trees. Even as I watched black smoke curl into the sky, and felt Chaos’s crimson eyes on my face, I refused to let fear take hold. “Well, looks like the twinsies are back.” Chaos cheered, gleefully turning to look out the back window. “They sure heal fast.” I did the same, only with an abject look of h****r on my face. It churned in my gut and rose up in my mouth like acid, searing my tongue and throat so that no sound could slip past. From upfront the Hound grunted, narrowing his eyes through the rearview mirror where two onyx- colored wolves could clearly be seen weaving throughout the trees. My heart stammered as I caught sight of them, racing for the vehicle that carried me away. Any flicker of hope I had, it shriveled into a husk when Assassin spoke. “I take back what I said, an eye for an eye doesn’t sound nearly fair enough.” The Assassin said smoothly, sparing me a single glance before turning to Chaos. “Can you k**l them from here?” “Of course.” Chaos scoffed; this time actually offended. He rolled his shoulders and gave me a lopsided grin, “Off the mountain, or speared on a tree?” “Tree.”‘ Both Hound and Assassin replied in unison. The Hound hit on the breaks, a gentle tap that had the twins gaining on us. Chaos bounced eagerly in his seat, rubbing his hands together like a demented child. They were close now, and I could feel my heart fracturing as I read the emotion in both of their eyes.

They could see me through the window, face pale and covered in both blood and dirt. Just as Chaos unleashed his power—I let loose my own. I hadn’t much, perhaps even less than Chaos, but there was something I had that he didn’t. I had my mates, both of which I refused to let d*e. Giving myself up to these three, I did it to spare the twins, not to have them k****d anyway. I had just a split second to ponder if using energy, I didn’t have would k**l me, but the consequences would be worse if I didn’t. “No!’ My scream mirrored Chaos’s laugh, though only one of our magic was able to take hold. Both of the twin’s eye’s widened, still dark and familiar as I flung them back into the depths of the forest. I could feel them, and every branch or tree they clipped as I forced them even further back. During those long moments in between heartbeats, I thought about Mera and Isaiah, pledging to one another that they would not d*e alone. I felt guilty that I couldn’t Alec and Kade that same promise, that we would leave this life together. It wasn’t selflessness that made me desperate–hair pulling desperate to keep them alive. Love, such a small word to encompass something that held no beginning or end. Endless variations and each one was just as important as the next. Mera’s love for Isaiah meant they would face d***h together. My love for Alec and Kade meant keeping them from pain and torture at all costs. It meant sacrificing myself, because I could not live in a world where they didn’t exist–and I, I am much more dangerous than the two of them. It felt like being hit by a pickup truck, using more energy than what I had. It threw me against the driver’s seat and onto the floor, where I gasped and sputtered under the weight that seemed to press down on me. “D**n it!” Chaos hissed, turning to Assassin. He jutted his lower lip out in a pout, an expression that would have worked on almost anyone. “I want to go back for them.” “Boss said to k**l them if we had the chance, not to f*****g hunt for them.” She snarled, looking at the Hound. “Step on it, we’re expected.”

I was defenseless as Chaos grabbed both of my arms and hauled me onto the seat, giving me a grimace when he lifted a bag of crushed Doritos. “You crushed my snacks, soul-eater.” Was all he said before opening the bag. “That was a cute little escape attempt, Aurora.” Assassin nodded to herself, not bothering to look back from where she sat in the passenger seat. Her voice was delicate and smooth, every word precise and perfectly pronounced. “Congratulations, you spared your mates another week or so. Really, you should have let Chaos have at them. The boss will only make you k**l them yourself.” “Marcus won’t get a single thing from me.” I promised her, holding onto that truth, searing it into my heart so that even when things get worse–which they will, I knew I wouldn’t give in. “You say that now, but you got no idea how persuasive he can be.” Assassin turned in her seat, grinning darkly when I paled at the sight of her eye. She was right, there was no chance it would heal properly, even with her white wolf abilities. Where her chocolate eye had once been was now a raw festering mass of flesh, trying it’s best to heal from the wound I inflicted. She gave me a few long seconds to stare, but I refused to squirm at the sight of it. I hissed and recoiled when her cold fingers wrapped around my arm, sending rippling waves of agony up my shoulder. “Goodnight, soul-eater. The fun really begins when you wake up.” I couldn’t tell what images and sounds were real, and what horrible things my head had concocted. Screaming, thrashing and snarling as people were stuck in mid-shift. Magic everywhere–so thick that you could choke on it, like sweet syrup turned into gas. Was it their screams or mine that accompanied the pain and fear, the agony and hatred, the hopelessness—such hopelessness that I wanted to curl up in this darkness and let it sweep me away. But I couldn’t, not with the faces of two beautiful men burned into my mind, etched so deep that no scalpel could ever mar its surface. Still, the pain continued. Slashes of rage, slices of fear, and bruises full of torment and captivity until it all melted into something painful and heavy, seated right on my chest. My eyes snapped open, bringing light and the faint echo of pain. I clutched the silken blankets that had been thrown over me, a deep shade of navy even under the yellow light of the lamps on either side of

the bed. Everything rushed back to me at once, ending with the panic-stricken faces of Alec and Kade’s wolves as I threw them back into the forest. I stumbled out of the bed I was in, my legs wobbling beneath me. I groaned when my head swam, still aching and weak from the Assassin’s touch. Disgust and revulsion ran through me when I glanced down, noticing the sweatpants and tank top I had been dressed in. I was in a fancy looking bedroom, with a large bed covered in accent pillows, a sectional and a bathroom bigger than one person should ever need. I whipped around when I heard the distinct sound of a lock being unlatched, followed by three more. I knew what this was then; a padded cell, an offer. The singular door made of what had to be silver, held a small window about eye height. It was covered with a thin sheet of metal, giving me no forewarning to whoever was about to come inside. Even with how weak and disoriented I felt, my magic lashed out with everything it had the moment Marcus Novak’s face came into view. His neatly trimmed hair that sat thick on his head, just a slight spattering of facial hair, enough to make him look his age. Aman without life in his eyes, without emotion or humanity. Just a pristine, neat version of Chaos. “Hello, Aurora.” Marcus said politely, stepping inside with Assassin on his heels. The Assassin’s cold magic sliced into my own, searing my skin and making my already weak body feel that much worse. My legs finally gave out, and I crumpled to the pale carpet that sat on the floor. I made note of the hulking guard outside, along with the Hound’s ripe scent. I also happened to make note that the Assassin now wore an eyepatch. If I remembered the jagged g**h on her face correctly, the healed version probably wasn’t too many steps up. I glared up at her, hoping she knew I didn’t regret a thing. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak with you before you consequently pass out again.” Marcus said in a rehearsed polite tone, one I knew could change at the flip of a switch. I reigned in that anger, that absolute disgust I felt for this one man and managed not to hurl as I looked him in his d**d eyes, already plotting how I would k**l him in his own land.