The Alpha Twins of Red Moon

Three.

The moment my sisters left, I clicked the lock on my door, I wanted to slide down the back of it and cry into my knees until my lungs gave out, but I didn’t have the time for self-pity. I could do that later. Right now, I needed to get an escape plan together.

I pulled out my phone and quickly texted my on again off again boyfriend Mitchell. He was a nice guy, and we loved each other, but we weren’t mates, which is why our relationship was so unsteady. We wanted each other, but we didn’t want to get so attached that we would break our hearts when our mates eventually came along.

Me: Hey Mitch, are you on patrol tonight?

Mitchell also just happened to be the best tracker in the pack. If he was on patrol, then there was no way I would get past the border without him noticing.

In less than thirty seconds, my phone dinged, and Mitchell’s name flashed across the screen.

Mitchell: No, why?

I let out a small sigh of relief. That meant I had a chance.

Me: Nothing, I just needed to burn off some stress. I was going to come and help you out on patrol for a little while, never mind.

I often snuck out at night to meet Mitchell and help him patrol. I was so busy with Luna training all the time that sometimes I needed to take a breather and just run. I can’t believe I spent all those years training so hard to be the perfect Luna that my parents expected me to be just to end up some Betas mate. It wasn’t the rank I cared about. I was mad because I could have been out, having fun, enjoying free time with my friends, I could have been normal. But they took all that away from me, and for what? It all felt wasted now.

Mitchell: Sorry, you can always come over here.

He messaged back, it was tempting, very tempting actually, but I couldn’t.

Instead, I snapped my phone in half over my knee. I pulled the latch back on my window and hurled the two pieces as far as I could into the night.

Next, I went to my cupboard, usually, I was a very meticulous packer, but I didn't have the time. I didn't even bother with the hangers. I yanked at all the clothes I could get my hands on, and whatever slipped off the hangers was thrown straight into my backpack. I wouldn’t be able to take too much with me, unfortunately, but my wolf could handle one bag easily enough.

I ran into the bathroom next and shoved my toothbrush and hairbrush into the bag. I didn’t bother with all the lotions and conditioners. I wasn’t going to have much use for them on the run. When or should I say if I can find another pack to take me in, I’ll replace all that then.

I rushed back into my room; it was like a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured down over me. My father was standing in the doorway. I didn’t even hear him approach the room. His eyes went black the moment he saw me, only he wasn't looking at me but at the black backpack in my hand with clothes spilling out of it.

Crap. He knew. How could I have forgotten Jared was outside the door, he must have heard me and mind linked my father.

“Going somewhere?!” he growled out, my sensitive ears could hear his teeth grind.

“No.” I dropped my bag to the floor and swiftly kicked it under my bed. It was pointless, he had already seen the bag, of course.

“You would rather be a rogue? Where is your sense of loyalty,” he roared. I had no doubt the whole house could hear him now. If he wanted the others to hear, then so be it.

“Where is yours?” I squared my shoulders and shouted back. He wouldn't intimidate me just because he was loud. Louder didn’t mean smarter. “You promised me to another man like I was some prostitute without even so much as consulting me about it. You disgust me.”

If he wanted everyone to hear us, then they could damn well listen to both sides of the story. He could paint me as a traitor if he wanted to, but at least my friends would know why and that’s all that mattered to me, and if they didn’t understand, then they weren’t my friends.

My mother appeared behind my father's shoulder, she placed her hand over it, she was trying to calm him down through the mate bond, but he shrugged her away, and as she always had, she took a step back. She never fought against him, even when it mattered. Not even for her daughters.

“FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PEOPLE.” He was going around in circles like a damn carousel.

“If you were a better leader, we wouldn't need Red Moon to protect us.” I hissed.

I felt the sting on my cheek before I even saw his hand move. His chest was rising and falling hard as he tried to steady his rage. Outside of training, this was the first time my father had ever hit me. I know he almost had earlier, but he had controlled himself.

Despite my reluctance, tears sprung to my eyes as I rubbed my throbbing cheek. I can feel where my skin is raised in the shape of his handprint. I can taste the blood in my mouth. At first, I was simply going to swallow it back. I didn't want him to see that I had been hurt physically by his petty slap, but anger overrode all else, and I spit it at his feet. His eyes flashed back once again. His wolf Titan must be fighting to come to the surface. He didn’t scare me either.

“Some Father too.” I sneer, his eyes return to their normal colour, and there is so much regret swimming in his eyes right now that I'm almost tempted to apologise, but what did I have to feel sorry for? I was angry. What else did they expect? Did they believe I'd be happy about this, or even okay with it? Surely they knew how against it I would be.

My mother ducked quickly under my father's arms. For a moment, only a moment, I let her hold me to her side before I shoved her gently away. I didn't want to hurt her, but I also didn't want her anywhere near me right now. It may seem childish, but if you can’t defend me, then you can’t comfort me.

“Unless you are going to step in and put a stop to this, you do not get to come near me.” I said letting my frustration show. My mother whimpered a little, but she didn’t try to hug me again, which was a relief.

“Honey, we-” but I cut her off.

“We what? We want to offer a bunch of lame excuses. Well, you can save it. I don't want to hear them.” I have never been rude to my mother in my life, but I couldn't bring myself to respect her, not anymore. I had never asked her, not once, to step in for me, not at school, not at home, not with pack affairs. This was the only time I needed her help, and she wasn't even going to give it to me.

“You will not speak to your mother like that.” My father was snarling at me. His teeth were barred as his lips pulled back into a snarl. His wolf was challenging mine. No Alpha would allow anyone to disrespect their luna, not even their pups.

My wolf, who was even more upset about this than I was, was not about to back down. She was ready to earlier in his office, but that was before she had the chance to register what was being asked of her. I could feel Kali’s rage like it was my own.

'Stand your ground.' She ordered me. It was the first time she had bothered speaking to me since I was called to my father's office after lunch.

Tears were streaming down my mother's face. She didn't even try to wipe them away. Instead, she just let them stain her cheeks wet.

My father was never one to get sad. He got angry instead, and when he got mad, he got even, and by the way, he is staring me down right now. I knew that I was no exception.

'Keep fighting it.' Kali urged, but I could feel my resolve waning. He was my Alpha. It was almost physically impossible for me to go against him despite being of Alpha blood myself.

The minutes felt like hours, every single one of my muscles ached, I was fighting his power as hard as I could, but he had realised all of it, even my mother was baring her neck to him, beads of sweat rolled down my face and neck, I felt so clammy, I could vomit. In the end, I couldn't take it anymore; neither could Kali, and we bared our necks in submission.

I have never instantly regretted a choice before, the way I do right now. I wish I had been able to hold on.

With my neck barred in submission, He ordered me.

“You will mate with Adam, Beta of the red moon. You will not leave the pack or defy Alpha orders. He will arrive as soon as tomorrow. You have until morning to pack your things and say your goodbyes.” and with that, he had sealed my fate forever. I couldn't go against an Alpha command, no matter how much I wanted to.

My mother followed him out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. I dropped to my knees, they stung as they hit the hard floor, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I was losing everything. My mate whom I would never meet, my sisters, my pack, my home and although I hated them right now, I was losing my parents too. I was losing more than that. I was also losing my freedoms, my choices and my voice. He took away any say I had in my life and gave it to some man I didn't even know. I hated this Adam.

With that thought in mind alone, I mind linked Mitchell. I would text him, but I had destroyed my phone earlier just in case my father tried tracking it after I escaped. It was a little pointless now, but there was nothing I could do to change that either.

Mitchell: Meet me in my room. I’ll leave the window unlocked for you.

Kali growled at me in my head, she didn’t agree with what I was about to do. She wanted to wait for her mate. Didn’t she get it, we were never going to be with our mate. But that’s okay I don’t need her to understand, she wasn’t human, I loved her but she couldn’t understand this.

'I’m sorry Kali, really I am. I saved myself for our mate just like we wanted, but we don’t get him, not anymore. I want to be able to give my virginity to someone of my choosing. Not someone I’m being forced to mate with, so I am going to give it to Mitchell. I should get to choose this at least. If you can’t understand that, please try to at least respect it.'

She didn’t like it but I could feel her push her understanding and acceptance towards me through our bond.

'You are right of course. I am sorry, but I just can’t be here for this. I will only ever want our mate's hands but I won’t stop you and I’ll never bring it up again.' She said despite her sadness.

She is the best wolf.

'Hey, Kali.' I approach her spirit in my mind tentatively.

'Yes?' She responds quietly, I can feel her despair. My poor sweet Kali girl.

'Will you forgive me after?' I didn’t want my wolf to hate me too, soon she would be all I had. I know she said she would accept it, but I just had to make sure.

'There is nothing that needs to be forgiven, Ally.'

I feel her close herself off to me, she wasn’t mad at me. She just didn’t want to be a part of what I was going to do next. I wonder if this is how she will always cope, will she open herself up to this Adam if he marks her, or will she hide away from him forever? Surely he would expect me to bear him a pup one day, could I do that without Kali's help? I didn’t want another man's child, only my Mate’s, but I didn’t want to give up on all of my dreams because of this and I always wanted to be a mother one day.

I'm on my way. I will be there in twenty.

Mitchel linked back. I could feel both his excitement and curiosity through the link. We have fooled around plenty over the years and had done everything but s*x and yet I have never invited him into my room before. We had always gone to his.

I only had twenty minutes to get as hot as I possibly could. Better get to work.