BRIAN

From the very first moment I laid eyes on Iria, something in me shifted. I couldn’t explain it. There was just this unshakable pull, a gravity that kept dragging me toward her no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.

And now, standing only inches away from her, with every pair of eyes in the hall locked on us, that pull was stronger than ever.

I told myself to step back, to resist, to not give in to this insane surge of want clawing through my chest. I had felt attraction before, sure, but this wasn’t ordinary. This was deeper, darker, more primal. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, pushing against my control like it wanted to tear its way out and claim her right here in front of everyone.

Before I could stop myself, my body betrayed me. My hands closed around her waist, tugging her closer until her small frame collided against my chest.

And then it hit me.

The sensation I had been unable to put into words before now roared through me with clarity so sharp it almost stole my breath.

Her scent.

Sweet, intoxicating, unforgettable.

Mate.

My mate.

Everything suddenly made sense. My wolf hadn’t been restless for no reason; it had recognized her long before my mind did. It wanted to claim her, to sink teeth into her skin, to mark her as ours.

The word slipped from my lips before I even realized it. “Mate.”

I didn’t care if the whole room heard me. Hell, I wanted them to. I wanted the world to know she was mine.

But instead of joy, instead of relief or recognition, Iria’s eyes widened in sheer panic.

“Get away from me!” she cried, shoving at my chest. Her hands trembled, but her strength surprised me as she pushed herself free.

For a second I just stood there, stunned, trying to process why she would react this way. She was supposed to be happy. This was supposed to be one of the best moments of our lives. She was mine, chosen for me by the moon goddess herself.

So why did she look at me as if I was her worst nightmare?

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head violently. My chest ached at the sight.

Why the hell was she acting like this?

“You’re my mate,” I said, my voice harsher than I intended. I took a step forward, trying to close the distance again. “Where do you think you’re going? You think I’ll just let you walk away?”

The thought of losing her now that I had finally found her sent panic shooting through me. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

But then she looked me dead in the eye, her voice breaking with anger and despair. “Let go of me. I don’t want you as my mate. I reject you!”

Her words crashed over me like a tidal wave.

The room went silent. Every whisper, every laugh, every conversation that had filled the air just seconds ago vanished. People stared at us, mouths hanging open, as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just heard.

Neither could I.

Iria’s knees seemed to buckle as the weight of her own words hit her. She broke into sobs, covered her mouth with her hand, and then turned and bolted from the hall.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. My feet felt rooted to the spot. Rejection. She had rejected me. Publicly. In front of everyone.

A heavy hand slapped against my shoulder. “What the hell was that about?”

I turned to see Marcus, one of my football teammates, staring at me with wide eyes.

“She rejected you? In front of everyone? Damn, man. She must be crazy. Do you know how many girls in this room would kill to be your mate? Forget her. She has no idea what she’s lost. I can introduce you to someone better right now if you want.”

I shook him off, glaring. “No. Something’s wrong.”

The words tumbled out before I could stop them. And I knew they were true. Iria hadn’t rejected me because she didn’t want me. I saw it in her eyes. That wasn’t hate. That wasn’t disgusting. That was fear.

What was she so afraid of?

I muttered mostly to myself, “I need to find her.”

But as I tried to move past, another guy blocked me.

“What for? Didn’t you hear what she said? She doesn’t care about you. Stop wasting your time. There are so many girls here who’d throw themselves at you.” He laughed, like the whole thing was just some kind of joke.

Before I could reply, a girl stepped into my path. She was tall, pretty, and way too confident. “Brian, remember me? Bianca. I’ve liked you for a long time. Since she rejected you, why not give me a chance? I promise I’ll never reject you.”

She reached out and brushed her fingers against my chest.

Disgust rolled through me. I slapped her hand away so hard she gasped. “Don’t touch me.”

The longer I stood here surrounded by idiots, the more anxious I became. Every second wasted was another second Iria was out there, alone, crying, scared.

I shoved past everyone and ran out of the hall.

I needed to find her. I needed answers.

And no matter what it took, I wasn’t letting her go.

IRIA

What had I done?

My legs carried me as fast as they could, but no matter how far I ran, I couldn’t outrun the storm inside me. My chest heaved, my throat burned, and tears blurred my vision until the path ahead looked like a smear of light and shadow.

I had rejected him.

The words still rang in my ears, sharp and final, and my heart twisted painfully each time I replayed them.

I didn’t mean it. Not really. But in that moment, panic had swallowed me whole, and rejecting him had felt like the only escape.

How could Brian be my mate when I was already bound to Grey?

The thought made my stomach churn. My life had been one cruel twist after another, and now the moon goddess had decided to torment me with these two mates, two brothers, locked in hatred for each other, both tied to me.

It was madness.

Who would even believe such a story? I barely believed it myself.

And now Brian probably hated me. I had humiliated him in front of the entire school, torn his heart out in public, and then ran away like a coward.

But what else could I do?

If anyone found out the truth, they would never understand. They would never forgive me.

Grey had already made it clear he didn’t want me. He’d rejected me emotionally even if not formally. So maybe… maybe there was a way out of this.

If I could find Grey and convince him to officially reject me, then at least that bond would break. That would leave me with only one mate. Just Brian.

Things would go back to normal. Or as normal as my life ever got.

I clung to that fragile thought, trying to calm my pounding heart.

That was when headlights flared across the road in front of me.

A black car screeched to a stop so suddenly that I froze where I stood.

The door opened. Two men jumped out.

For a second, my brain refused to process what was happening. Then dread flooded through me.

They were running straight toward me.

I spun on my heel, ready to bolt, but hands closed around my arms like steel traps. One of them shoved a rough sack over my head, plunging me into darkness.

“No! Let me go!” I screamed, kicking, thrashing, clawing at the air. But my cries were muffled, and my body was no match for their strength.

They lifted me off my feet as if I weighed nothing.

The smell of gasoline and leather filled my nose as they dragged me toward the open car. My heart hammered in my chest so hard I thought it might burst.

“Please,” I begged, my voice breaking, but they didn’t respond.

In seconds, I was shoved inside, the door slammed shut, and the car roared back to life.

The world outside was gone.

I was trapped.

Kidnapped.