Chapter 6 HEART'S DIVIDED
The pack had always looked to Andrew as their strength, their anchor, the unshakable Alpha who carried duty above all else. But ever since Amanda arrived, whispers of uncertainty stirred through the corridors like restless spirits. Some whispered that she was a curse. Others dared to say she was the true blessing the Moon Goddess had sent.
And in the middle of it all, Amanda tried to keep herself invisible, though she seemed only to draw more eyes every day.
Amanda stood in the library that evening, her fingers tracing the spines of books she could hardly read. She had never been allowed to learn much under the Sebastians' rule, and now every written word seemed like a locked door she longed to open.
"Do you like reading?" a voice asked from the doorway.
She turned and found Ethan leaning against the frame, his arms crossed casually. His presence always seemed to bring a calmness, like stepping out of a storm into shelter.
Amanda smiled faintly, a little embarrassed. "I do not know if I like it. I was never taught enough to truly understand these books."
Ethan stepped closer, his green eyes soft. "Then allow me to teach you."
Before she could protest, he reached for a book from the shelf, one with faded letters on the cover. He opened it and guided her to a chair near the window.
Their shoulders brushed as he leaned close, pointing to the words, sounding them out slowly. Amanda followed, stumbling over the letters at first, but with his patient guidance, she began to form them with her lips.
She laughed nervously at her mistakes, but Ethan's smile never wavered. "You learn quickly," he said. "Faster than I expected."
Amanda's cheeks warmed at the praise. She had never been told she was good at anything, never been encouraged. The gentle pride in his voice lit something inside her, fragile but beautiful.
As she looked up, she realized how close they sat, how intently he watched her. The air shifted between them, heavy and uncertain.
Her breath caught, and she glanced away quickly. "Thank you... Ethan."
His voice lowered, steady and filled with something unspoken. "I would do anything for you, Amanda."
Her heart stuttered at the weight of his words, though she could not bring herself to answer.
Upstairs, Andrew's wolf paced violently.
He could feel the bond pulling at him, burning hotter every time Amanda laughed, every time her scent drifted through the halls. But tonight, the bond carried something else-something sharp and bitter.
Jealousy.
He had seen Ethan leading Amanda to the library. He had seen the way his brother looked at her. And though Andrew trusted Ethan with his life in battle, this was different. This was not war for land or power. This was war for the heart of his mate.
The wolf inside him snarled. She is ours. No one else. Ours.
Andrew could not resist any longer. He left his chamber and strode down the hall, his steps heavy with restrained fury.
When he reached the library doors, he paused. Through the crack he saw Amanda smiling as Ethan leaned close, his hand brushing against hers as he guided her through the words on the page.
The sight made his vision blur with silver fire.
He pushed the doors open with a force that made them slam against the walls.
Amanda jumped, startled, and Ethan rose quickly to his feet, his eyes narrowing.
Andrew's voice was deep and commanding. "Amanda. You should not be here alone at this hour."
Ethan stepped forward, placing himself slightly between Andrew and Amanda. "She was not alone. I was with her."
The tension snapped through the room like a drawn bowstring.
Andrew's gaze hardened. "You forget yourself, brother. You know what she is to me."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Do I? You speak of bonds and destiny, but I see how she trembles around you. I see her fear as much as her longing. Perhaps she deserves more than fire that burns her. Perhaps she deserves gentleness."
Amanda's heart pounded as the two brothers faced each other, their voices sharp as blades.
Andrew's fists clenched, his wolf clawing to the surface. "You dare challenge what the Moon Goddess has decreed?"
Ethan's eyes blazed with defiance. "And what if the Goddess made a mistake? What if fate does not see what I see? Amanda is more than a bond. She is a woman, and she deserves to choose who loves her. Not be trapped by your claim."
Amanda stood frozen, caught between their fury, her hands trembling. She wanted to speak, to calm them, but her voice would not come.
Andrew stepped closer, towering over his brother. "Do not test me, Ethan. She is mine."
Ethan did not flinch. "Not while she has not chosen."
Their eyes locked, Alpha against brother, silver against green, power against defiance.
The room seemed to hold its breath, the fire in the hearth crackling in sharp bursts. Amanda's chest tightened painfully as she realized what was happening.
The bond pulled her to Andrew, fierce and undeniable. Yet Ethan's words touched a part of her heart she had long buried, the part that longed to be seen as more than destiny's pawn.
Her voice finally broke through the silence, trembling but clear. "Stop. Both of you. Please."
The sound cut through their fury. Both men turned to her, their expressions raw with emotion.
Amanda's eyes shone with unshed tears. "I did not ask for this bond, nor did I ask for this fight. I am not a prize to be won."
Ethan's expression softened immediately, guilt flickering in his gaze. Andrew's jaw remained tight, but his eyes betrayed the torment inside him.
For a moment, silence filled the room once more.
Then a cold laugh echoed from the doorway.
Angela stood there, her lips curled in cruel delight. "How touching. The mighty Alpha and his brother, fighting over a girl who was nothing more than a servant in my house. How pathetic."
Her eyes glittered with venom as she stepped inside. "But do not worry, Amanda. This will not last long. Once my family is finished with you, neither of them will have the chance to love you."
Her words fell like poison into the room, and Amanda felt her blood run cold.
Andrew's wolf snarled, Ethan's fists clenched, and Amanda knew the storm was only beginning.