CHAPTER 10
Xavier’s POV
My coffee cup clattered against the saucer as Rolex’s words sank in “She’s my mate too.” The café around us faded to background noise as my wolf howled in protest. This couldn’t be happening.
I yanked my phone out, my fingers trembling slightly as I typed. “Nathan. Sean. Café. Now. Emergency.” The response was immediate – they must have sensed the urgency in my message.
“What the fuck is going on?” Nathan demanded as he stormed in fifteen minutes later, Sean trailing behind him. The café owner quickly ushered us into the private back room, away from curious eyes.
“Mia,” I said, watching their reactions carefully. “She’s my mate.”
“And mine,” Rolex added, his jaw clenched tight.
The silence that followed was deafening. Nathan’s face went through a range of emotions – shock, denial, rage. But it was Sean’s reaction that confirmed it. He removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose – a gesture he only made when deeply
troubled.
“You feel it too,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
Sean nodded slowly. “Since the moment she arrived. I thought I was going crazy.”
Nathan’s fist connected with the wall, leaving a dent. “This is bullshit! We’re not even fucking twins! How can we all have the same mate?”
“Dad,” Rolex said suddenly. “He might know something.”
The drive to our father’s office was tense, each of us lost in our own thoughts. My wolf was restless, torn between wanting to claim what was mine and rejecting the idea of sharing.
We found Dad in his study, reading through some papers. He looked up as we barged in, his expression shifting from surprise to understanding.
“You know something,” I accused, stepping forward. “About us having the same mate.”
Dad set down his papers carefully. “I was wondering when this day would come.”
“Cut the cryptic shit,” Nathan snarled. “Is it possible? For four brothers who aren’t twins to share one mate?”
“You knew?” Nathan’s voice cracked with disbelief.
“Yes.” Dad stood, moving to face us directly. “It was prophesied before any of you were born. The oracle of the Moon Goddess herself spoke of four alpha brothers, born for rule different pack but united in blood, who would share a single mate.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sean asked quietly.
“Because it had to happen naturally. The prophecy was clear – you had to discover it yourselves.” Dad’s eyes met each of ours in
turn.
I felt the fight drain out of me as the truth settled in. All this time, our future had been written in the stars. Our mate had been chosen long before any of us were born.
“You should have still told us,” Rolex snapped.
“Would you have believed me?” Dad countered. “Have you found her then? Your mate?”
“Who is she?” Dad asked, his voice steady. “Who is your mate?”
I watched his face carefully as I answered. “Mia.”
1/2
CHAPTER 10
+25 BONUS
The color drained from his face. For the first time in my life, I saw real fear in my father’s eyes. “No,” he whispered. “Not her. Anyone but her.”
“What happened to your prophecy?” Nathan sneered. “Not so happy about fate now, are you?”
Dad slammed his hands on the desk, making us all jump. “You will forget this. All of you. Mia is your sister, nothing more.” “Sister?” Rolex laughed bitterly. “You’re the one who forced her on us. Made us accept her as family when you knew—”
“I said forget it!” Dad’s voice thundered through the room. “You cannot claim her as your mate. The consequences would be devastating.”
“Consequences?” Sean stepped forward. “What about the consequences of rejecting our mate? You know what that does to wolves.”
“Better to suffer than to destroy everything we’ve built.” Dad’s voice was hard, final. “She is your sister. That’s all she can ever
be.”
“You’re asking us to reject our mate,” I said slowly, anger building in my chest. “After you brought her into our home. After you made us responsible for her. How dare you?”
“I’m not asking.” Dad’s alpha command filled his words. “I’m ordering. None of you will tell her. None of you will claim her. She is your sister, and that’s final.”
The rage exploded in my chest. “Fine,” I snarled. “You want me to reject her? Consider it done. I want nothing to do with her – as a sister or a mate.”
I stormed out, slamming the door so hard the frame cracked. But as I reached the hallway, voices made me pause.
“We need to get rid of her,” Nathan’s voice drifted from around the corner.
“Make her life so miserable she leaves on her own,” Sean agreed, his usually gentle voice cold. “A few well–placed words, some accidents‘…”
My blood ran cold. I recognized that tone – it was the same one Nathan used when planning to destroy his opponents in the ring. They weren’t just talking about making her uncomfortable. They were planning to break her.
Part of me wanted to walk away, to let them do whatever they planned. But the image of Mia’s bruised face flashed through my mind, the way she’d flinched when I touched her cheek. She’d already been broken so many times.
“She’ll run back to wherever she came from,” Nathan finished. “Problem solved.”
My hand tightened on the doorframe until the wood creaked. They were planning to hurt her – our mate. The same girl who looked at us with those wounded eyes, who tried so hard to disappear when she was scared.
My wolf snarled, protective instincts warring with the anger and confusion. I couldn’t accept her as a sister. Couldn’t claim her as a mate. But could I stand by and watch my brothers destroy her?
“She’s already broken. A few more pushes…”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.