Claimed by the Lycan Triplets

Chase

Chapter 5



Annalise

“Why are your streaks not in a braid today?”

I froze, the authority in that tone sending a ripple of unease down my spine. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Dane.

Under the dim, golden glow of the hall’s lights, Dane’s presence was like a shadow cast over the world—imposing, unyielding, and impossible to ignore. His chiseled jaw and high cheekbones gave him a regal, almost otherworldly appearance, while his dark, deep-set eyes bore into me with an intensity that felt like it could unravel secrets I hadn’t even realized I was keeping.

Framed by bold brows and crowned with wavy, midnight-dark hair, he was striking in a way that demanded attention without effort. Clad in tailored black attire, he radiated quiet dominance, the kind that made even the air feel heavier in his presence.

I didn’t need reminding that among the three of them, Dane was the oldest. His power was quieter but no less demanding than his brothers’, and somehow that made him all the more unnerving.

Even though they looked nothing alike, each of the triplets shared a beauty that was almost unnatural. Striking features, perfect symmetry—they weren’t just handsome; they were ethereal, too perfect to be real.

But beauty was their mask.

Dane’s fingers lightly caressed the streak of white hair that fell over my face, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. His dark eyes, sharp and piercing, remained fixed on me as he spoke, the words sliding out of his mouth like honey, masking the venom within.

“You look sad, Aurora. Something troubling you?” he asked, his voice smooth, almost too smooth.

I flinched at the name. Aurora. He always called me that, no matter how many times I corrected him. It was a name he clung to, an obsession that I couldn’t shake off.

My fingers twitched as his gaze traveled to the streak of white hair, and he ran his fingers through it, a careless, almost mocking gesture.

“Your eyes aren’t shining brightly tonight, either,” he mused, his voice colder now. “Making them rather… ordinary, I might say.”

He released the streak of white hair, his touch lingering for a moment too long. The words stung, but they were nothing compared to the situation I was in.

My pulse was pounding in my ears, my heart racing as I realized the gravity of the situation. One wrist was in Sylus’s grip, the other in Cassian’s. And Dane—Dane stood directly in front of me, blocking my escape. Even if I wanted to run tonight, there was nowhere to go. The triplets had me cornered, ready to begin their sick, twisted game.

I wasn’t afraid of them—not like I used to be. But there was something primal in their presence, something that made my skin crawl. They were royalty—powerful, untouchable—and I was nothing. A mere pawn in their game. They could have everything they wanted with a snap of their fingers, and I couldn’t even claim my own freedom.

Dane stepped closer. Too close. His breath brushed my skin, his lips just a whisper away from mine. I could feel the heat radiating from him, the danger in the air. The other two princes growled, their eyes flashing with possessiveness, and I shuddered.

Dane’s smirk widened as he leaned in further, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

“If tonight we catch you, we won’t leave you.”

The words were a promise—and a threat.

Sylus and Cassian released their grip on my wrists simultaneously, but it was no act of mercy. The game had begun. My heart hammered in my chest, panic flooding me as I realized what was happening.

I didn’t have time to think. I didn’t have time to react.

I heard Dane’s voice, soft and cold, as he taunted me.

“Run, Aurora.”

And in that instant, my body moved before my mind could catch up.

I sprinted.

I didn’t look back, didn’t care to see if they were following. My only thought was to get away, to lose them, to hide before they could catch me. I pushed myself faster, my heart racing in my chest, my breath coming in sharp gasps.

For once, I didn’t care about the consequences. All I wanted was to escape, to be free from their presence, their game, their control.

I didn’t have a scent—at least, not one that they could track—and for the first time, I was grateful for that. I ran, and I hid, praying that they would grow bored and leave me alone.

I crouched low, hidden in the thick shadows of the garden, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I watched them—Sylus, Cassian, and Dane—move like shadows themselves, running past me without even a glance in my direction. They were close, so close that I could hear the soft crunch of their boots against the gravel, but I knew they wouldn’t find me. Not tonight. Not ever.

I had become an expert at this—hiding, waiting, slipping through their grasp. They never learned. Every time, they thought they were closer, but they would never catch me. I’d make sure of it.

But as I crouched there, my mind wandered back. When did it all begin? When did the triplets decide that I would be their prey? Was it my hair? My golden eyes that shimmered when the light hit them right? Or was it something else? Maybe it was because I dared to pick flowers from their precious garden, or maybe I just didn’t care about their rules. I’d always been different, and they never liked that.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it didn’t matter. It wasn’t about the flowers or my eyes or my hair. It was just that they were bored. They had everything, and yet all they wanted was me—running, hiding, playing their twisted game.

They didn’t even like each other. I knew that. They only came together when they needed a target. And I had become their favorite target. Their favorite game.

And as much as I wanted to fight back, to stand my ground, it wasn’t enough. They had everything—power, influence, freedom—and I was nothing but a puppet in their hands. A toy for them to play with whenever they wished. It was humiliating.

They’d threatened me in ways I could never forget. They’d cut my hair. Stolen my mother’s necklace. Threatened to kill my father or banish him from the council. Told me they’d hunt me down and kill me if I didn’t play along. They were royalty. They could do whatever they wanted. And it terrified me.

But there was one thing they didn’t understand about me. I wouldn’t break. I would run. I would hide. And no matter how many times they tried, they would never catch me. Never.

Hours passed, and they still searched. I waited, hidden in the garden’s maze of trees and hedges, my heart pounding in my chest, but I knew it was only a matter of time before my father would come and when he did, it would be over.

Finally, I saw him—my father, walking into the garden with the triplets trailing behind him. The game had ended. They couldn’t touch me now. Not in front of him.

I watched as they spoke with my father, their words polite but their eyes on me, intense and cold. They didn’t need to say anything. I could feel their gaze burning into me, a silent promise that this was not over. One day, they would find me. One day, they would catch me.

But I wasn’t afraid anymore. Not like before.

Then my father spoke, his voice steady but laced with something I couldn’t place. “I’m ecstatic to hear that you’ll be attending Thavlion for the competition,” he said, his words sending a chill down my spine. “May the fittest win the crown.”

I froze. They were coming to Thavlion? The triplets? Joining the competition?

I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know whether to feel relief that I had won this game or dread that a new one was about to begin. The Princes’ smiles were wide, too wide, and for the first time, I felt like the loser in this game.