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Maya

I observed the brothers' jaws clenching in unison, their stern gazes locking onto me—solely on me. They shared a brief glance between themselves, opting for silence as their chosen arsenal. Their sudden hush intrigued me, though simultaneously, I simmered with an incensed fury, carrying the weight of countless horrors despite playing no role in the history that burdened me with its consequences. 

"What, has the cat got your tongues now? You two never fucking seem to shut up when I need you, so what's with the silence today?" I chuckled, observing a cluster of maids from the kitchen sneak a peek at the unfolding drama.

"What's your problem? Haven't seen someone put on a show before, you fucking gossips?" I glared at them, recognizing each face that never cracked a smile because the Sterling twins wouldn't—none of them, barring the older ones. Every last one seemed to harbor a desire for Leonardo and Maximus—they wanted to sleep with them, “Wouldn't you rather watch a good flick than do some actual work? Don't you all already fucking know that your Alphas despise me? They detest their mate and yet put on the act of being the best mates of the world whereas infact they are the absolutely fucking worst.”

A few maids darted back into the kitchen, while others remained frozen in shock.

"Maya, quit creating a scene," Maximus hissed, his eyes shooting daggers in my direction from where he stood.

"A scene? Why bother creating one when you both serve as enough of a spectacle yourselves? Spewing heartless words like the monsters you truly are!" I spat out the words, eyeing the few maids who lingered. "Hey, you there—from one to four, and you, seven. The seven of you are young and attractive, yet I recall your faces contorting with disdain every time you laid eyes on me. No need to wonder why; I know you're all after a piece of the Alpha action, especially the future Alphas. Well, here's some good news for you—they're fucking  a different woman every day. You seven have a shot at being part of their rotation, considering they haven't locked in this week's conquests yet, I believe. So congrats! You all can get fucked by them by being this week’s whores. And I am telling you—they will fuck you good. Not just good…they will make love you to. All night long…..”

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Leonardo stormed over and seized my wrist in a painful grip, but I yanked it away, too enraged to care about his or his brother's reaction.

"What are you waiting for?" I challenged the wide-eyed onlookers. "Come on, give them a sample, preferably a test-blowie so they can pick their whore for the night. After all, they fucking love tormenting their mate, putting her through hell, and making her feel like she should be fucking dead—it's like a daily fix for them. They can't seem to kick the habit, even though they don't quite see it as harmful, just necessary to spread that burn all over me. To make it hurt like hell."

"Maya, just shut it!" Leonardo yanked me around to face him, but without a second thought, I shoved him away with all my might, causing him to stumble a few steps backward.

"Why do you want me to shut up, huh? Did I lie?" I demanded, pushing at his chest once more, pinning him against the stark white pillar. "Answer me! Is it a lie that you both fucked another woman just to inflict pain upon me? Is it a lie that you forcefully took my innocence on the very night you discovered I was your damned mate? Is it a lie that you both violated me, labeled me a whore, an opportunist, and a mirror of my mother? Tell me, Leonardo fucking Sterling! Answer these damn questions if you have an ounce of decency!"

Leonardo remained silent, merely staring at me. This time, his gaze held an inexplicable absence of rage, which momentarily threatened to sway my thoughts, but thankfully, I held firm.

He didn’t have any emotions. Emotions were foreign to them—they were fucked-up twisted monsters just like their deeds that clawed at my memories,, in my mind the pain there was an awakening of the raw, festering pain I endured each time.

"Enough, Maya!" Maximus interrupted, appearing at my side as he attempted to seize my hand and drag me away. Once more, I wriggled free from their grasp.

"Do you even fucking realize the burning sensation on my skin when you two were out there fucking another woman, Maximus?" I questioned loudly. "Do you have any clue how it tore at me, how it wrenched my insides when I glimpsed flashes of you with that woman?! Do you comprehend the agony of always facing what's left? You two always fucking rant about how there’s so much left to face, but do you even know how much it always fucking hurts? I died that damned day! Can you hear me? I died not just once, twice, or thrice—I died a hundred deaths each time you both did something to hurt me. Whether it was engaging with another woman or hurling hurtful words at me. So, in case you didn't know, let me enlighten you—your mother, Ayala Sterling, didn't die once—she perished a thousand times. And you two might have aimed for one death, but you're subjecting me to hundreds, just like your father subjected your mother to!”

Even he fell silent this time, perhaps taken aback by my response. Frankly, I didn't care about their reactions. I despised even the sight of them.

"What? Why the silence now? Why aren't you spewing the same crap you always do?!"

Silence lingered in the air, met only by their absence of response.

Pathetic cowards.

For a fleeting moment, I almost entertained the idea of deciphering that expression on his face. But I knew better; it would only reveal false truths, so I held back.

"Listen carefully. This fucked-up ritual of this fucked-up mate bond—I couldn't care less about it. You could arrange a hundred of these, and my answer would remain unchanged. I refuse to let the two of you wreak any more havoc on me than you already have. Besides, I hold plenty of your secrets. If you don't want me to make this a pack matter, stay the hell away from me."

Once again, their silence reigned, their gazes more than capable of instilling fear in anyone else, but not in me—I'd seen it all a thousand times.

Without wasting another breath or granting them more attention than they deserved, I turned on my heel and strode away, ascending the stairs.

They could rot in hell.

All that mattered to me now was my baby and myself. I'd find a way out of this place—there was no other option. I had to do it.