Josie
I didn’t know what broke inside first — the ache in my chest or the rage in my throat. The sheets tangled around my legs felt suffocating, mocking with the faint scent of a night I didn’t even understand anymore. My hands trembled as I grabbed them and tossed them down, the fabric hitting the ground with a harsh thud that sounded too much like everything I was feeling — ssy, angry, exhausted.
The room was spinning. My heartbeat echoed in my ears like a drum that wouldn’t stop. I wanted to scream until my lungs gave out, but all that ca out were sobs that tore at my throat. I slid down against the edge of the bed, my knees hitting the cold floor as I pressed my palms over my face. My tears were hot, relentless.
Why were they treating like this? Why did every second with them feel like a war I never signed up for?
I didn’t even hear the door creak open — didn’t even feel the shift in the air until I heard his voice.
"So this is what you do now?" Thorne’s tone was sharp, his words slicing through the quiet like a blade. "You cry after you’ve replaced with my brother in less than twenty-four hours?"
My head snapped up. I froze. His presence filled the room — tall, broad, and radiating fury like heat. His jaw was tight, his eyes a storm of hurt and anger. But I was too tired to flinch. Too tired to care.
"Don’t start with ," I muttered, standing slowly. My voice shook, but I refused to back down. "I’m not answering your stupid questions. You need to leave my room, Thorne. You have nothing to offer except pain."
He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "You think this is about pain? You’ve been acting worse than a pup, Josie. Reckless. Stubborn. You won’t even listen long enough to hear out."
A bitter laugh tore out of . "Listen to you? You an the man who reduced to nothing? Who couldn’t even rember what we shared and still had the audacity to insult in front of his family?"
I took a step closer, my hands curling into fists. "Tell , Thorne — how exactly am I supposed to listen to that?"
He clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring. "I ca to correct that mistake."
"Correct?" I mocked, my tone sharp and dripping with venom. "Oh, what’s this? A sudden burst of mory? You finally rembered our little ’incident,’ and now you’ve decided to be noble?"
"I rember enough," he snapped. "Enough to know I want to fuck you till you can’t walk or look at another man again."
His words hit like a physical blow. For a mont, everything in went silent — my thoughts, my breath, my heartbeat. The air crackled between us, raw and dangerous.
Our eyes locked, and for one tense heartbeat, the world stilled. There was no sound — just the sound of my breath catching and his chest rising and falling as he glared down at . His scent filled the space, thick with Alpha dominance, heat, and sothing darker that twisted deep in my stomach.
"Do you even hear yourself?" I whispered, trembling, though not from fear. My anger was eating alive. "You can’t just say things like that and expect to lt, Thorne. You don’t get to treat like property."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze dragging over my face, then down — slow, deliberate, cruel. I was barely dressed, the thin fabric of my slip clinging to my skin, but I refused to hide.
"Why are you shaking then?" he murmured.
My hand twitched. "Because I’m angry, you idiot."
I turned to walk away, to end this before I did sothing stupid — but before I could take two steps, his hand shot out. His fingers wrapped around my wrist and yanked back with force that made gasp. My body collided with his chest, and his breath brushed against my ear as he growled, low and warning.
"I didn’t say you could leave."
My pulse thundered. "You can’t force to stay either," I bit out, struggling against his grip. "You never treated like your mate, Thorne. You’ve done nothing but tear apart piece by piece, like you enjoy watching hurt!"
He gritted his teeth. "I’m a broken man, Josie. But I’m still an Alpha. My word stands."
I froze at the hardness in his tone. His eyes were wild, and there was a strange mix of pain and desperation behind the fury.
"You’re going to be my Luna," he said, voice low, resolute, and trembling slightly — like he was trying to convince himself more than .
My chest tightened. "You don’t get to decide that," I whispered.
He leaned in closer, his breath brushing my lips. "Watch ."
He started to lower his head, his eyes fixed on my mouth, but before his lips could et mine, I moved on instinct. My forehead slamd against his nose.
He groaned in pain, staggering back as I gasped for air. My head throbbed, but the jolt of pain barely registered through the surge of adrenaline.
"Don’t you dare," I hissed, wiping my tears angrily.
His hand flew to his face, blood trickling from his nose. "You little—"
Before he could finish, he grabbed again, shoving against the wall. The impact knocked the breath out of . My back hit the hard surface, and I flinched as his shadow lood over .
"Thorne!" I gasped, fury and fear twisting in my chest.
His eyes burned down at , a storm of emotion he didn’t even seem to understand. His hands trembled, but his grip stayed firm against the wall beside my head.
"You don’t get it, do you?" he rasped. "You’ve been under my skin since the first day. Every ti you look at , it’s like I’m being torn apart from the inside. I hate it. I hate that you make feel anything at all."
"Then let go!" I shouted, my voice breaking.
He stared at for a long, painful mont, his chest heaving. I saw sothing flicker behind his eyes — a war between the Alpha and the man beneath it.
"I can’t," he finally whispered.
The word shattered sothing in .
His face lowered again, closer, and closer — and this ti, I didn’t think I could stop him. My breath hitched. My nails dug into the wall behind as he whispered, "You’re mine, Josie."
Before I could even react — before the space between us could disappear completely — the door slamd open.
"Get the hell away from her!"
The sound of Varen’s voice was like thunder, and the force of his presence hit both of us.
Thorne’s head snapped toward the door, his expression darkening, but he didn’t move fast enough. Varen crossed the room in two strides and shoved him hard, sending him stumbling back.
The crack of impact echoed through the room.
"Have you lost your damn mind?" Varen snarled, his voice raw with fury. His hand was still pressed protectively in front of , his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Thorne straightened slowly, wiping the blood from his nose, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Stay out of this, Varen."
"Like hell I will," Varen shot back. "You think I’m going to stand by while you try to hurt our mate?"
My entire body trembled as I pressed myself against the wall, my pulse still racing. The tension between them was thick — feral, electric, ready to ignite.
Thorne’s jaw flexed. "You don’t know what you’re talking about."
"I know enough," Varen hissed. "I’ve been watching you destroy her, Thorne. You want to talk about being broken? Fine. But don’t take it out on her."
For a mont, no one moved. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. My eyes darted between them — two Alphas, both mine, both burning with a fury that mirrored the chaos inside .
Thorne’s breathing grew harsher, his chest rising and falling with each strained inhale. His gaze flickered toward for just a second, and sothing in it faltered — regret, pain, confusion.
But it didn’t last. His jaw hardened again, and he took a slow, deliberate step forward.
"I told you to stay out of it."
Varen stood his ground, his voice a low growl. "And I told you to leave our mate alone."
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