Promised To The Alpha Twins
Chapter 91

I hadn’t really had the chance to get to know the twins for a considerable amount of time, around half a year to be more precise. Our connection formed quickly, although it took longer than usual in the context of werewolves. This bond helped us feel close and comfortable with each other, yet there were still unknown aspects about my attractive companions.

One of those things was how striking Ethan could be when he was consumed by a killer instinct. I had witnessed this side of him on the battlefield, though my attention was divided between him and his injured brother. I had also witnessed his transformation into a wolf, yet there was something strangely captivating about watching him move in his human form.

In a quick and surprising moment, Ethan lunged forward, much faster than Aly or I could intercept, and tackled Nicolas. Despite wearing a suit, his speed exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, Ethan proved to be quicker.

“Ethan, stop!” I exclaimed in an attempt to halt the situation.

Aly’s sharp cry joined the chorus, though it was almost drowned out by the growls emanating from both men. His words surprised me, but his emotions momentarily left me stunned.

If he had picked up that I had sensed his feelings, he showed no signs of it. He kept his eyes fixed on the struggle between Ethan and Nicolas, just before another outburst of rage erupted.

Both wrestled and grappled in a struggle for dominance, but Ethan was driven by a bloodthirsty fury and determined to exact his revenge. His hand closed around Nicolas’s throat, nearly choking him. I could see tiny drops of b***d, like rubies, welling up from his neck. Though Nicolas didn’t show pain or fear on his face, his emotions hinted at a trace of apprehension, proving he wasn’t entirely indifferent.

Aly’s emotions seemed to shake me from my daze, and I approached Ethan with determination. I not only invoked our bond, but pushed it with all my might until I exhausted all my energy.

Ethan reacted as if he had been hit by an electric shock. I sensed his pain and worried I had exerted too much force in getting his attention.

“Enough, you’ve had your fill,” I whispered as I placed my hand on the wrist that held Nicolas against the wall.

A pang of heartache hit me as I observed Ethan, his dark eyes burning with murder and desperation. While the others couldn’t grasp his emotions like I could, they couldn’t feel the storm consuming him. His dark hair fell across his face, and his chest heaved from ragged breathing. Nicolas remained still like a statue on the wall, emitting no sound that could provoke another burst of anger from Ethan. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Nicolas displayed complete calmness in the face of death, nor that he was accustomed to this violence, but it did.

A sigh escaped my lips as Ethan finally yielded to my touch and released Nicolas. I let him recover as I watched him construct a weak facade on his face. My touch had prevented him from killing Nicolas, but it didn’t seem to dispel his fiery urge for destruction.

Once Ethan was at a safe distance from Nicolas, I turned my attention back to Aly. I couldn’t ignore what I had witnessed, especially when her eyes reflected such stark clarity. Though her face showed a flush from the intense confrontation between Nicolas and Ethan, it paled significantly as our gazes met. She tried to speak, but the words didn’t come out. What could she say in this situation? It was evident she couldn’t deny the truth her emotions had revealed.

“Sussan, please…” she whispered as my eyes turned to Nicolas.

Nicolas remained unaffected against the wall, though the blush was beginning to fade. He didn’t address the exchange between Aly and me, but held my gaze with determination. He stood unwavering, not yielding, even though I knew only one thing could disturb his apparent indifference.

“I might need some of your help. If I had any other choice, I would take it. However, in the current situation, you are the most valuable person, and the last one my father would suspect of assisting me,” Nicolas continued with coldness. “Help me, and I will reward you. I could ensure that Liam replaces his cell unexpectedly open one night.”

A growl escaped Ethan, which Nicolas wisely chose to ignore. I planned to intervene on Ethan’s behalf until he could regain his composure and speak coherently.

“Answer my previous question, and we can discuss this directly,” I retorted. I kept my voice firm and composed, despite the urge to shout until my throat burned. I balanced his coldness with my own, hoping that the tangled fragments of his rhetoric would be exposed.

“It’s obvious that my father is responsible,” Nicolas replied, rolling his eyes in a gesture that seemed immature given his inflated ego and position. “His only mistake is also our only opportunity. Usually, my father doesn’t care who knows about our… other matters. As long as what he keeps secret remains so.”

“Then what is this great secret?” Ethan finally managed to articulate, containing his anger enough to speak.

At that moment, a charged silence fell over the scene, and Ethan flashed a dangerous smile.

“It seems you’re willing to help, but you don’t dare defy dad,” Ethan said with a hollow laugh that seemed to resonate in the empty corners of my being, left behind by Liam. “You don’t stand a chance of earning our trust.”

“It’s regrettable, because I would be willing to trust you a lot,” Nicolas responded brusquely, mocking Ethan’s fondness for profanity. “I need someone who’s enough of an enemy to my father to keep this matter secret, as it could benefit us both. Would you like to see Liam return and help the white wolves? I can make that happen. Help me, and we’ll do that.”

“Suddenly, you care about the white wolves?” Ethan asked with a somber tone.

“The people who help me have as much at stake as I do if we get caught,” Nicolas replied, pressing his lips firmly together. This time, his gaze landed on me, and his words sent a shiver down my spine. “My father collects white wolves, that’s his secret. He desires you with overwhelming intensity. You’d be the jewel of his collection. You can run and tell someone; they’re likely to be dead by dawn. Or you can listen to me. I’m not naive enough to trust you, and you shouldn’t trust me either. We both want something, and we can both help each other. Ignoring this opportunity would be a foolish move. I’ve taken too many risks by meeting you, not to mention telling you this.”

His words confirmed what I had already suspected deep within me. On the positive side, the most influential member of the High Council had a keen interest in keeping me alive. To manipulate, use, and possess for his twisted purposes.

“You can’t be serious,” I blurted out, perhaps for the sixth time since we had returned to our rooms.

Aly sat on the bed, watching her hands. She had suppressed the wave of sadness that had engulfed her and replaced it with determination and anger. Ethan leaned against the wall, radiating his unmistakable charm even in his formal attire.

“He can’t claim me,” I said, repeating once again. “No matter how this strange werewolf world works, s*****y is illegal. It was a grave mistake when it first happened. Haven’t werewolves learned anything from that?”

“There will always be those who try to plunge the world into darkness again,” Ethan growled. “Human history barely includes werewolves. We fought and won our own battles. Some packs may have been involved in human wars, but we rarely hear about them.”

“Well, that’s something new I know,” I muttered, scolding myself internally.

In some way, I had already foreseen this would happen, perhaps since I met Bruma. I often thought of the old woman and hoped her life continued to be simple and beautiful.

Now I needed to fortify myself. Complaining was pointless. I straightened my shoulders and suppressed my fear before addressing Ethan.

“The first thing I’ll do when I’m in the High Council is free all the enslaved white wolves,” I declared with a certainty that exceeded my own doubts. “I know it won’t be easy, but I’m committed to trying. What I can’t do is stay here in fear and walk straight into the arms of David Zoe. I won’t let them control me, especially people like him.”

Ethan took a moment, observing me as he approached with the grace of an Adonis statue carved in stone. After a few tense seconds, he offered a smile and drew nearer.

Even with the abyss in my heart due to Liam’s absence, Ethan’s smile managed to make my heart dance in my chest.

“There you go, my girl,” he murmured, lifting my chin until his lips brushed mine. It was a gentle and sweet gesture that left me breathless for a moment and yearning for more. Before I could experience more, Ethan nodded toward Aly and stepped away.

“Seems like you two have a lot to talk about,” he said softly, for my ears only. His next words were laden with intimacy and a fierce but desperate protectiveness that transcended words. It was an “I love you” that conveyed Ethan’s unfathomable peculiarity. “I won’t be far, I promise.”

As soon as he left, I turned to Aly.

I hesitated for a moment, assessing the situation. I wasn’t sure how she would react. Aly was one of the strongest women I had ever met. Someone who had faced every challenge life had thrown at her with sheer determination and willpower. But this, this was different.

She had spoken to me about rejection shortly after she finally accepted both Liam and Ethan. I understood why the twins had avoided the topic, especially after having felt Aly’s emotions firsthand. Rejection was a knife to the soul. Much more painful than any physical wound and twice as lethal. It was a constant, eternal pain that shortened lives. Aly deserved so much more than that.

I noticed her rising from the bed and watched in shock as she managed a smile. My eyes welled up, I realized. Tears were on the verge of spilling, stirred by the whirlwind of her emotions and the understanding that my best friend had been rejected.

“Don’t cry, seriously. If I start crying, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop. And I’ll make you pay if you make me miss this High Council meeting,” she scolded me, taking my hands in hers. I sniffled and let out a laugh mixed with sorrow, quickly regaining my composure. “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you.”

“No, I mean, wow. I’ve made some mistakes myself, so I can’t blame you,” I admitted. I braced myself to ask the question I feared. I needed to hear her say it, even though I wished my abilities were wrong in this case.

“So he… he really did it, didn’t he?” I inquired. Her shoulders slumped slightly, but her smile never wavered.

“Yes, he did. That idiotic fool rejected me. Not like I’ve lost much, really. Have you seen his attitude? He’s got a long way to go, and the issues with his father are massive,” Aly said with a snort that sounded more like herself again. It was a relief to see her personality returning, because how could you face a short life when you felt so… alive? “Can you believe it, Sussan? I guess my stubbornness has to come from somewhere.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve had the displeasure of seeing Nicolas Zoe for who he really is,” I replied, rolling my eyes, which earned me a smile. “Yes, I can believe it. I’m starting to think I might have some sort of precognition ability, considering I predicted I’d end up at the cabin.”

“With all the mess that’s going on, I think you already have enough abilities. It’s like you’re a fortune teller,” she said with a laugh, though only half-seriously.