Chapter 2 My Mates

Raven POV

I froze.

My breath caught in my throat as I stepped into the clearing.

And every fiber of my being screamed the same word, Mate.

They stood apart, but the connection between them was undeniable...not just in their matching golden hair that shimmered like sunlight, or the regal angles of their faces.

It was in the way they watched me in that still silent ,possessive way.

Like the bond had hit them just as hard.

Yet... they weren't identical. Not completely, but they were easily the most handsome men I have ever laid my eyes on.

The one on the left was tall and broad-shouldered, his arms crossed as if trying to hold himself back.

His jaw was sharp, dusted with a bit of stubble.

Eyes like molten bronze. He radiated control...but just beneath it was rage, like a storm waiting for permission to break.

The man on the right was leaner but slightly less dangerous-looking.

His hair was slightly longer, falling across one eye. His expression was unreadable, cold and assessing..like he was trying to figure out if I was a threat or a prize. Or both.

He didn't flinch when our eyes met. If anything, he looked like he'd already made up his mind about me.

But it was the one in the center who truly took my breath away.

He was... beautiful.

There was no other word for it.

Feminine in the sharp, otherworldly way some predators are...his golden hair was tied loosely back, his features delicate but captivating.

His silver eyes glowed like moonlight, unblinking, locked onto mine. Unlike the others, he looked at me not with caution or calculation.

But with awe.

And something that almost felt like... sorrow.

I couldn't move.

My torn gown clung to me. My skin was scraped, bruised. My heart still bled from what I'd left behind.

But somehow, standing here in front of them, I almost couldn't remember what I was running from.

The tall, broad-shouldered one stepped forward.

I didn't move.

His heat washed over me like a furnace as he reached out and cradled my face between his large, calloused hands.

His touch was unexpectedly gentle, but his eyes...those burning bronze eyes...were anything but.

"Where did you run out from wearing a wedding dress, little mouse?" he murmured, tilting my chin up. "You look like hell."

I flinched slightly at the name. Mouse.

But I couldn't speak. I couldn't even breathe.

"Hey, Ansel," the leaner man with the longer hair said, his tone sharp, warning. "Be careful with her."

Ansel didn't take his eyes off me.

"She's my mate," he whispered.

My breath hitched. I wasn't sure I could take hearing it again. It was too much.

The man with the cold eyes stepped forward now, closer but not touching.

"She's mine," he said evenly. "I felt the bond first. The second she crossed the ridge."

Ansel blinked, his brows lifting. He turned to face him slowly.

"She is?" he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching. "That's funny, because I feel the bond too."

They stared at each other, the air between them suddenly crackling with something hot and primal.

I turned toward the third one...the beautiful one with the silver eyes. He hadn't moved. He hadn't said a word.

His gaze was fixed on the trees now, his jaw clenched, as if he wanted to pretend I wasn't even here.

"You too?" Ansel asked him over his shoulder, a dark sort of curiosity in his voice.

The beautiful one said nothing.

But his hands were fists.

And the bond in my chest surged with confirmation.

Yes.

All three.

All three of them were mine.

"Fuck this," Ansel growled, his voice low and edged with irritation.

"Let's take her back first. We'll figure out what the hell is going on when we're not in the middle of the damn woods."

"No!" I stepped back, stumbling slightly on the uneven ground, heart slamming against my ribs. "Take me where? I don't even know you!"

Ansel's dark eyes narrowed, one brow arching like I'd just said something funny.

"Yeah? I don't think you're in a position to be making demands right now, you are our mate, you belong to us."

"I said no!" My voice cracked with panic, my legs trembling beneath me.

"Ansel," the other one ...Asher...stepped in sharply, folding his arms across his chest. "Be gentle with her."

Ansel rolled his eyes. "I am being gentle."

Before I could run away, before I could even scream again, Ansel lunged at me.

His arms wrapped around me like iron bars, lifting me clean off the ground.

I shrieked,my fists slamming into his back, legs kicking wildly as he tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Put me down! Please!" I screamed, the words torn from me in pure panic.

Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, blurring the rushing trees as he began to move. "I don't want to go with you! Stop...please stop!"

"Hold on tight, little mouse," Ansel muttered, ignoring the way I struggled. "It's a long walk."

"I'm not a mouse!" I shrieked, twisting in his grip, my voice raw with fear.

"Could've fooled me," he said, like this was a joke.

But it wasn't.

Branches whipped past us. Cold air bit at my skin.

My stomach turned from the speed. I didn't understand what was happening...only that I was being taken against my will, dragged deeper into territory I didn't recognize.

The further we went, the more something inside me frayed, like a thread pulling loose, unraveling.

I felt it the moment we crossed something ...a border I couldn't see but my bones recognized.

Something snapped inside me, sharp and sudden, like something sacred had been broken.

Still, Ansel didn't stop.

I hit his back again, weaker this time, breath hitching as panic turned to exhaustion.

The shock of seeing my fiancé marry someone else. The pain of my first shift. The impossible pressure of finding out I had not one but three mates.

It was too much.

My head dropped, darkness closing in. Everything spun, then stilled. And I gave into the darkness.

After a while I heard a voice cut through the fog.

"Hey."

"Wake up."

I felt someone nudge my leg with force.

I blinked, squinting against the light. My mouth was dry. My body felt heavy.

"She's up," the voice said-obviously Ansel.

"About time," Asher muttered.

I shifted, trying to sit up. Every muscle burned.

Rowan crouched beside me, his silver eyes looked calm. "Take it slow. You passed out from exhaustion."

I looked around. The air was different. The woods were quiet. We weren't on pack land anymore.

"Where the hell am I?"

"Our land," Ansel said simply.

"You dragged me here."

Ansel didn't even look at me. He just tossed a spare dress in my direction.

"You should be awake to see your new home."

I scowled at him but didn't say anything.

I picked up the dress and threw it over my head, not caring if it matched or not. It was better than walking around half-naked in tattered remains of a wedding gown.

We started moving again.

Everywhere we passed, people bowed at them.

They walked like they owned the place.

Carried power like it was stitched into their skin. I could feel the looks they gave me. Like I didn't belong. Like I was just some stray they picked up from the side of the road.

I didn't care.

I was brought here against my will. That meant I owed them nothing.

We kept walking until we reached it...a massive building that looked more like a castle than a house. Stone walls. Tall towers. Heavy iron gates.

I stopped just outside the entrance, staring up at it.

Ansel turned around, bored. "You're already here. Might as well see what fate dragged you into."

"It's not like you have a choice," he said, pushing open the heavy doors.

I followed meekly behind them, each step feeling heavier than the last.

As we entered, a hush fell over the room.

Someone stepped forward, bowing low. With a clear, respectful voice, they said,

"Welcome back, Your Majesty."

My breath caught. Did he just say Your Majesty?

My heart hammered in my chest. What did that even mean? Was this some kind of joke? Or had everything I thought I knew about myself been a lie?

I glanced at Ansel, but he didn't meet my eyes. Rowan's face was unreadable, and Asher's gaze was softer than before, but serious.

The weight of those two words crashed over me like a tidal wave.

"Your Majesty."

"Give her a room. Make sure she's well bathed, dressed, and fed," Ansel ordered flatly, his eyes still not meeting mine.

"We'll talk later."

With that, he turned and walked away, Rowan remained silent at his side.

Asher gave me a small look of sympathy, maybe even guilt...but said nothing as he followed them down the corridor.

The guard beside me gave a stiff nod, then gestured for me to follow.

I stayed close, clutching the hem of my tattered dress, eyes sweeping nervously over the towering walls and unfamiliar faces.

Everything felt like it was moving too fast, like I'd stepped into someone else's life.

The guard stopped in front of a large door and pushed it open.

The room inside took my breath away. It was... beautiful. Rich, warm tones, thick velvet drapes, and a bed that looked like it could swallow me whole.

He turned to leave.

"Wait," I called out, my voice shaking slightly. "Can you...can you tell me where I am?"

The guard hesitated, then turned back to me with a blank, almost bored look.

"You're in the Silver Crest Pack."

Silver Crest. The capital pack. The strongest, most powerful of all. The heart of the kingdom. I swallowed hard.

"And... them?" I asked, though I already felt the answer forming in my gut.

He looked at me like the question was obvious. "They're the princes of the kingdom."

The guard left without another word, the door clicking shut behind him.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at space. My body was screaming for me to move..my stomach cramped with hunger...but I couldn't move.

They're the princes of the kingdom.

I wasn't just brought to any pack.

I'd stumbled right into the center of power.

A soft knock broke my thoughts.

The door opened and two women who were obviously servants entered the room, both dressed neatly in deep grey uniforms. They didn't speak much, just offered polite, distant smiles.

"This way, please," one said gently, motioning toward a door to the side.

I followed silently, too tired to resist.

The bathing room was like something out of a dream.

Steam rose from a massive marble tub, the scent of herbs and oils curling through the air.

One of the women helped me undress out of what was left of my gown without comment. The other fetched towels and soaps.

I sank into the hot water with a shaky breath, my muscles finally relaxing after everything I'd endured. My mind felt raw. Numb.

The woman gently washed the dirt from my skin, cleaned my hair, even brushed it out with soft, careful hands.

I wanted to cry again, but the tears wouldn't come.

Afterwards, they dressed me in a soft silk nightgown. It clung to me lightly, and for the first time in days, I felt clean. Almost Human.

"Food is waiting," the woman said before they left.

I moved slowly to the table and sat.

This time, I did eat...although mechanically at first. A bite. Then another. Then more. I didn't stop until the plate was nearly empty.

Still, the room felt too quiet. Too big.

Too far from home.

I curled up in the armchair by the fireplace, bringing my knees to my chest, staring into the flames as night settled outside the high windows.

They were princes.

And I was... what? An omega. A reject. A girl who'd been betrayed by her mate and cast out of her pack.

What do they want with me?

The question echoed louder than anything else.