Marked by the Alphas

Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Kane POV

She stands there, arms crossed, and her smugness infuriates me.

“Now you’re out of things to say?” I growl, irritated. “Come on, I know there’s more groundbreaking wisdom in that pretty little head of yours.”

“Don’t push it, Kane,” Axel warns me. “You can’t lose it twice in one day.”

Hunter paws at me, pleading with me to listen to Axel. My wolf is supposed to be a fierce fighter. So, why is he backing down in Elara’s presence?

Except when it was time to mate her ... I shake my head, the last thing I need right now is to think of Elara in bed.

“I’ve got it under control, Axel,” I grunt.

“Yeah,” he replies sarcastically. “Sure, you do. Don’t forget I can sense when your mind wanders.”

“When your mind wanders to what exactly?” Elara asks.

“Did you just ...?”

“Heard everything you said?” She cuts me off. “Yup.”

I glance at Axel, and his confusion mirrors mine. I need to talk to him, but it is impossible now that Elara is here. Why can she hear us, and not Alice? freēwēbnovel.com

“Can either of you tell me what’s going on here?” She throws her hands out. “First, Alice says the mate bond didn’t work, and now our minds are connected, but you didn’t claim me.”

“Honestly, your guess is as good as ours,” Axel shakes his head. “We’re the first wolves in our pack to take two mates.” ƒrēewebnovel.com

“Look,” I sigh deeply, scrubbing a hand over my face as discouragement replaces my anger. Goddess, how is this going to work? “The High Elder has made this dumb-ass decree, and we like to keep our pack, so we have no choice but to follow it, and neither do you.”

I hold her gaze, expecting her mind to wander to us impregnating her. But there is no desire in her eyes. Instead, I sense something deeper, sharper, something like resolve. Something that would piss me off again.

“Sounds like you’re in a lose-lose situation,” she says.

Yup, there it is.

Elara POV

Excitement bubbles inside me as I look at them. If I play my cards right, I might find a way to freedom.

“Clearly, that whole thing,” I wave my hand between Axel and Kane, “with Alice has become a shitshow of epic proportions. Also, I distinctly remember telling you I’m not raising Alice’s offspring. And you can double down on that if I’m expected to have little ones of my own.”

“Fine,” Kane clears his throat. “You’ll both raise your own pups.”

Axel’s head snaps towards Kane, and I know he is dying to say something, but I beat him to it.

“Something tells me Alice isn’t the most maternal she-wolf who ever lived,” I eye them. “But I guess that’s your problem to deal with. Let’s hope you’re able to convince her to forgive you, otherwise you’ll be in deep shit with the Council.”

Kane looks at Axel, scratching his neck, and Axel clears his throat. I swear, if I had not hijacked their mind-linking, they would have shared an intense conversation.

“I want to make you an offer,” I smile sweetly, intertwining my fingers.

“What could you possibly offer us?” Kane demands, smirking.

“I can save both of your asses from the Council,” I shrug nonchalantly. “If you let me go.”

They gape at me as if I am crazy.

“No way that’s happening,” Axel huffs. “What makes you think that you, an eighteen-year-old she-wolf from an average family, can save us, the Alphas of the Constantine Pack?”

“And in case you forgot,” Kane’s voice drops to a low warning growl. “You’re still our mate. We’re not just letting you go.”

Oh, dear Goddess, I roll my eyes, they are so arrogant.

“Let’s cut the crap, okay?” I say firmly. “You don’t want to be with me, and I don’t want to be with you. So, let’s fulfil the High Elder’s decree and move on with our lives.”

Actually, this is not entirely true. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I have a desire to be with them. I want to be their mate, and I do not understand why. Since I met them, they have been nothing but rude, belittling, and dismissive ... except for that one magical night.

I need to get away from these guys - and fast.

“What exactly are you proposing here?” Axel narrows his eyes, looking me up and down.

“She’s proposing nothing!” Kane shoots Axel an icy glare. “We don’t take orders, we give them.”

“I’m done with this conversation,” Kane brushes past me in a huff.

“Fine,” I shout as he darts down the hall. I overheard their conversation with Alice, and he is sorely mistaken if he thinks I will not use it against him. “I’ll tell the High Elder that Alice isn’t your true mate, and that she’s refusing to do her Luna duties.”

Kane whips around, his eyes flashing a furious crimson, and Axel’s fists clenched at his sides.

“Something tells me the Council won’t take that news too well,” I shrug.

“You wouldn’t dare, Elara,” Kane roars, storming at me, but Axel jumps in between us.

“Let me get this straight,” Axel says, looking at me. “You’re blackmailing us?”

“Technically,” I wrinkle my nose, and Kane’s face turns even redder.

“Okay, look,” I hold my hand out in surrender. “I can do all of Alice’s Luna duties and give her the credit. She doesn’t want anything other than the Luna title and to be treated as special for being the Alphas’ mate. She doesn’t love you; she loves the status you give her.”

If I had been anyone other than Kane’s mate, he would have ripped me to shreds. Kane and Axel lock eyes, and I know they are desperate to communicate privately.

“You sure have a lot to say,” Kane’s voice is cold and detached. “But why should we believe you’ll do any of it?”

“Let me prove it,” I say adamantly. I know I am standing here all determined and cocky, but truthfully, I am not just thinking about myself and my freedom. I am also thinking of Selena and her future. If I screw up, the High Council will be devious enough to take it out on her. She is the ultimate reason for me upholding my end of the deal.

“You won’t have to tell anyone you fucked up by taking Alice as your mate,” I continue. “And she’ll look like the perfect Luna.”

“But?” Axel asks, the intensity of his gaze practically burning a hole in my retinas.

“But if I do that,” I reply, “you must let me go.”

“Did you forget the part where you must produce pups, too?” Kane demands.

I did not forget, but I wish I could.

“When Alice gives you pups and becomes the perfect Luna,” I explain, “no one will look twice at me. Everyone, including the Elders, will see that you guys were right in choosing Alice, and then you can publicly reject me for being an unfit mate.”

“And,” I take a deep breath. “And you can banish me from the pack forever.”