BETRAYED BY MY MATE: Mated by My Stepbrothers

agged gasps. The cool night air felt thick with ten

drums and chanting faded into the

ark cell, and now-now, I was free. But wha

in quiet ripples. I knelt at its edge, my hands trembling as I scooped

I heard th

gravel, but my senses sharpened, and I spu

erging from the shadows at the river's edge, their forms

palpable. There was something about them-a strange recogn

lding out a simple leather pouch. He d

was deep, calm, yet carrying

dry to respond, and to

n electric jolt passed between us

to care about the way my ha

r figure stepped closer, his eyes

the words carrying an undercurrent of som

the truth. "How do you know?

, his tone gentle but firm.

d for a moment, I was frozen. They

his eyes unwavering as he studied me with

voice growing more urgent. "The Sil

. I had known I wasn't safe, but hearing it aloud... it ma

he first figure cut me off, his v

" he said, the words heavy with mean

trying to steady m

d, the question slipping from m

free, but I didn't know wh

ance, and the tension between th

on, almost as if t

eady. "It will lead you out of the pack's borders. F

their words sinking in. Freedom. But it wou

ing in my chest, something I didn't

anted to escape, there was something that

den pull that I

nding in my chest despite

names. I don't even know if they were part of the Silver Bow Pack or from another.

nally spoke again. "I'm Lykon," he said, his voice qu

ps, my heart skipped a beat. The r

bout, the new Beta brothers. The ones who h

now. Not when my mind was con

ot alone, Morrigan," he said quietly, as though he

estions, "how did

in two-one part wanting to stay, to follow this strange pull I felt

en if these men weren't enemies, the pack's wrath wo

d, my voice barely audi

go. The river will guide you out, but remember-you're n

ugh his expression was more distant, a

ay. We have

into the shadows like ghosts, their

the water rushing by as I tried to steady my h

, I was free. But the road

ng that filled the space between us as

ozen in place, trying to

odd mixture of gratitude, fear, and something

the current rushing past me with a soun

raced in eve

s in my hands, but now that I h

t offered any answers b

o a heavy weight-the kind of weight that

, or what awaited me beyond the

t the way they had looked at me, the way their voices

t strange, unexplain

ct to run and the unshakable urge to follow

d, I forced my

ack would come for me soon, and I couldn't affor

glanced upstream, then downstream. The flo

uld I find shelter? A place to hide? Or would

in my hair and the nagging feeling

k, the evening stretched out b

wind, their branches groa

ess of the forest, like a sing

e sharp edge of hunger still gnawing at me, th

dn't keep wal

pack's land, but what would I do wh

he sound of the water becoming

ils, faint but real. I stopped and sniffed the air. The scent was

following the river? Or was the smoke a sig

to not risk being seen, but something ab

ource, I spotted a sm

e flicker of a fire, and

art r

by trees, casting long shadows t

out here, but then again, I wasn

approach or turn away, a voice

er than we thought,"

, my heart sk

there, emerging from t

e shock evident in my tone. "

y have been following me,

athed. "You said

rp in his eyes. "You thought you could get away on your own?" he aske

ooked at me. "You're not alone, Morrigan. We promis

cess what was happening. They didn't leave me

heard, the stories the pack had told them? O

I asked, the question slippi

or a moment, I saw something

lingered on mine told a different story. "There are f

dn't explain. I have heard it before, ma

felt different.

on't understa

ay not be able to protect you from everything," he said, his voice quieter now

ing I couldn't quite name. It wasn't ju

emotions that stirred in my chest. I didn't have the

, my voice barely a whisper

the chill of the night. "Come with us," he said simply. "We have

the glow of the fire from the distant clearing

hiding, or if I am walking

a long while, I didn't feel

ion coming with a mixture of reli

omfortable. The twins moved in synchrony, as if they

days of confinement, but they seemed to notice a

ine and earth, mingling with the fain

began to thin, and the

l of tents scattered around a central fire pit, but

ors or pack members-they were

f people who didn't live under

air wasn't suffocating.

e approached. She had sharp eyes that seemed to take in

hing I didn't understand, then said in a low v

thing reassuring in her gaze. "You've co

again, she cal

name he told her? How co

I felt a surge of gratitude toward her, but

eep escaping, but this was the first

ore the tension co

words coming out hoarse. My throa

turning toward the largest tent, gest

presence was ever near, and I realized with a jolt th

d looked after me this way. Not since I was

crackled in a stone hearth, casting a

the corner, along with

the air, a far cry from the dan

where she began to prepar

've been through a lot. You can't

l for the chance to rest but not fully ab

intent on helping me? Wha

e tug toward them, even though

red. But for now, I focused on the sim

owl filled with a thick, earthy stew. The smell made

ing it to me. "You'll

s trembling slightly as

nd I drank it down in slow sips,

ce I'd had anything oth

the bowl back to Ariadne,

understand m

here for the n

our roles to play. Your brothers..." She pause

over you, but that's only part of it. You'

ng, more than

eady. Most of them had led me t

ause of that, she didn't press further. In

I'm sure you have alot of question

taring up at the canvas

e fire outside cast shadow

iet. It kept circli

true purpose i

nd why did their presence make my che

e ever

t my life was about to chang