CHAPTER THREE

“So… you eat your mates?” I asked, trying to steady my shaky voice. I forced my head up, meeting his dark eyes.

“Exactly,” he said calmly. Too calmly.

“You are sharp. I will give you that,” he added, his tone cutting.

“Why would you even do that? Why would you eat your mate?”

His lips curved into something cold. “I will do the same to you if you dare let anyone know about this bond. No one should ever find out we are mates.”

My chest tightened. “But why?”

“Because I do not want you. I cannot let these people who worship me know that my mate is a traitor. You destroyed your sister’s home. Tell me, what kind of wolf does that?”

“You are not so different from the devil,” I said, my fists tightening at my sides.

He laughed, throwing his head back, the sound cruel and mocking.

“You have some balls,” he sneered, his eyes glinting darkly. “And I cannot wait to crush it. No one talks back to me. Not in this world, not in any other, will I ever allow something like you to be tied to me.”

His words cut deep, slicing through the fragile hope inside me. I could feel my wolf stirring restlessly, straining to rise, but I held her down. Was I bound to his rejection now, or to this cursed bond pulling me toward him? I could not tell anymore.

“Follow me,” he commanded. His voice was sharp, leaving no room for defiance. He walked ahead with a dangerous calm, one hand buried in his pocket, every step heavy with power.

I did not want to walk behind him. I wanted to grab the stones on the floor and crush his head, to leave him there bleeding. But I couldn’t. This place was the second version of hell, a world no one outside even knew existed.

After a short walk, we stopped in front of the dining hall. Inside, everyone sat waiting for him like dogs waiting for their master.

“Here, we hate traitors!” he roared.

“Yes, we do!” the crowd answered, their voices rising like bleating goats.

Sweat slid down my face as I stood in the corner, my chest tight as if I had run for miles.

“And when we catch a traitor, we reform them, don’t we?” His voice thundered.

“Yes, we do!” they shouted back.

He turned toward them, his eyes gleaming. “Today, I present to you Nightowl Academy’s newest traitor.”

The hall erupted in jeers.

“She will do your laundry. She will wash your clothes, even your underwear. She is not a wolf. She is a filth and will serve as one,” he said, throwing me an evil smile. He was enjoying every second of my humiliation.

The crowd howled, fists in the air, feeding on my shame.

“And her duty…” he paused, pulling off his coat as he walked closer. His eyes never left mine.

“…starts today.”

He dropped the coat on my shoulders and strode away while the hall roared with cheers.

I wanted to throw the coat back at him, maybe even whip him with it the way his mother would have. But I couldn’t. I could do nothing except stand there and let shame eat me alive. My wolf roared inside, clawing to break free, but I forced her down.

I stood frozen in the middle as one by one, they stepped forward, tossing their coats onto me.

“Wash it until it shines white,” one boy said, laughing as his black coat slid off my shoulder.

The others joined, laughing louder, feeding on my humiliation.

The blonde walked up slowly, her lips curling in delight. “I hate to do this, but…” she purred, pulling off her panties. The room erupted with howls and jeers.

“Wash these,” she said, tossing them onto the pile before strutting off with the rest.

If I survive this place, all of them will pay.

***

I dropped the clothes on the table. Every surface was black, not a trace of colour, not even in their hearts. Even after they left the dining hall, the shame still clung to me like a stubborn stain that had refused to wash out.

For a moment the same pull I felt when I first saw Alpha Damon hit me. It crawled under my skin and sent chills through my body. His mate's scent grew stronger. I knew he was in the room.

I heard measured footsteps. I knew it was him, but I did not dare look up.

“Do you feel this too?” he asked, his voice trembling with excitement, sharper than when we first discovered it.

I turned, and there he was. His clothes disheveled, his hair a mess, but his eyes fixed on me.

“What are you saying?” I demanded, my face tightening into a deep frown. How could he act so calm after tearing me apart in front of everyone?

“So you do not feel the mate pull the way I do?” His voice was low, rough, and dangerous as he stepped closer, closing the space between us.

He smelled sweeter than he looked, like fresh rain mixed with honey.. His eyes roamed over my face, soft yet intense. A moment ago he had looked like the devil, but now he looked like pure heartbreak.

“I do, but what…”

“I am Darius. Pleased to meet you, mate.”

“Darius? Are you not Damon?” I asked, my voice unsteady.

“No, I am not,” he said firmly. “But I happen to be his twin. Do not ever mistake me for him.” His eyes carried a weight of worry as he reached for my hand, curling it gently into his own.

“No wonder your sister's husband couldn't keep his hands off you” he murmured with a low chuckle.

My breath caught as his fingers tightened around mine.

“if it were me, I wouldn't have e stopped at touching,” he added, his smile deepening, his gaze burning into me

My wolf stirred like she had just been fed. I stepped back quickly.

“I need to finish the laundry,” I said, keeping my face firm as I bent to pick the clothes.

“Wipe that frown off, you don't want them thinking they already broke you,” he said, his tone lighter now.

Before I could move, he pulled me back against him.

“It is a blessing from the Moon Goddess to have another mate,” he said.

“There was someone before me?” I asked.

“Lost her,” he answered flatly, still holding me, his fingers playing with my hair.

“That’s why you’re so excited to find me?”

“No.” His grin widened. “I’m excited because I don’t have to share a mate with my brother this time. That’s the best gift I could get. I hate sharing what’s mine.”

My heart hitched, Damon's warnings echoing in my head. He lowered his head and kissed my forehead.

“Mine forever,” he said softly. “Be my mate at the bonding season night.”

Then he smirked. “Who would’ve thought the traitor girl would end up mine? Guess the Moon Goddess finally did me a favor.”

He pulled me into a tight hug, his breath warm against my ear.

“You are not touching that laundry. Not while I’m alive.”

A low growl rolled from the doorway. My chest froze as I turned my head. My eyes shot up, and there he was…Damon. His fangs were out, claws sharp, and his eyes locked on me with a rage so fierce it felt like he was tearing right through me.