Mia's POV
The moment I walked into that room, the moment I didn't break, didn't fall for his manipulation-he knew he had lost.
I should have felt victorious. I should have felt satisfied.
But all I felt was rage.
Because I had let him get this close.
I had trusted him-even if just a little. I had let him speak to me like family, had let him use my mother's name like it was something he had any right to claim.
And while I was playing along with his game, my brothers-
I turned my head toward the cage, my breath catching in my throat.
My stomach dropped.
They were ruined.
Chains dug into their wrists, raw and bleeding from where they had struggled against them. Rolex's knuckles were split, his breathing labored like he had spent hours fighting against something he couldn't break. Xavier sat against the bars, silent, his eyes void of emotion, but his jaw clenched so tightly I could see the tension ripple through his entire body.
Sean had his head tilted slightly downward, his fingers flexing at his sides, like he was barely holding himself back.
And Nathan-
Nathan looked like he was seconds from snapping.
His breathing was uneven, his body tensed like a coiled spring, his fingers trembling at his sides from the sheer force of keeping himself from lunging.
The sight made my chest tighten, a deep, painful ache settling in my ribs.
This was my fault.
They had been caged. Beaten. Humiliated.
Because of me.
Because I was too blind. Because I let Lucas in.
I swallowed hard, my nails digging into my palms as a burning shame coiled inside me.
I had spent years learning the art of patience, but this wasn't the time for waiting.
Everything had to be precise-every step, every word, every move.
I sent word to the Golden Corral Pack, making sure the message was urgent and impossible to ignore. The real Alpha needed to know someone was using his name, and I ensured he had the exact location of where to find the imposter.
Now, I just had to wait for the storm to hit.
The air grew tense as heavy footsteps echoed through the stone walls. I didn't have to turn around to know what was happening. Warriors flooded in, moving with discipline, weapons ready, eyes locked onto one target.
Lucas.
He barely had time to process before they surrounded us.
For a second, he hesitated-his confidence cracking just enough for me to see the panic underneath.
Good.
I leaned slightly toward the brothers, keeping my voice low. "They aren't here for us."
Xavier shifted beside me, his eyes never leaving Lucas. Rolex exhaled, keeping his stance relaxed, while Nathan cracked his knuckles, ready to strike if needed.
Lucas forced a smirk, though I could see the way his fingers twitched at his sides. "This is amusing," he muttered, scanning the warriors. "Mia, are you calling for backup now? Can't handle things on your own?"
I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. "Not for me. For you."
His expression faltered for the first time.
I saw the exact moment realization hit.
"See, you got sloppy," I mused, tilting my head. "You used a name that didn't belong to you. Played a role you weren't meant to have. And now?" I gestured toward the warriors, who didn't flinch. "It's time to pay the price."
For the first time since this entire game started, Lucas looked unsure. Lucas looked like a man whose entire world had just crumbled beneath him.
His confidence was shattered, his arrogance nowhere to be found. The moment the warriors arrived, the mask he had worn so effortlessly cracked, revealing what had been lurking underneath all along-fear.
He took one step back, then another. His breathing had turned erratic, the shift in his stance screaming one thing.
He wasn't going to fight. He was going to run. He took a step back.
Then another. Then-He ran.
The coward bolted. The warriors instantly moved, ready to give chase, but I lifted a hand, stopping them.
"Let him go," I murmured.
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious?"
I nodded. "For now."
Lucas was desperate, and desperate men made mistakes.
Lucas vanished into the darkness, his footsteps pounding against the stone, but I didn't flinch.
The warriors gave chase immediately, their movements swift and precise, the sound of steel being drawn echoing through the air. They wouldn't let him get far.
I exhaled, forcing myself to unclench my fists. The adrenaline still thrummed through my veins, my body wired from the fight, from the raw rage still simmering beneath my skin.
But then-
A presence.
A shift in the air.
I turned my head as another figure entered the scene, his steps slow, deliberate.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried himself with calculated confidence. The kind that came with power, authority-like he knew the weight of his presence and didn't need to flaunt it.
The warriors moved slightly to the side, their postures stiffening as he approached.
Even before he spoke, I knew.
The Alpha of the Golden Corral Pack.
He wore a mask, a dark obsidian piece that covered half of his face, its design sleek and unreadable. His gaze swept over us, unreadable.
For some reason, my stomach twisted.
A strange sense of anticipation coiled beneath my ribs, something I couldn't quite place.
His voice was deep, steady. "I was told there was an imposter using my name."
Xavier, still stiff from the fight, inclined his head. "That's right. He just ran like a coward."
The Alpha didn't even spare a glance in the direction Lucas fled. His focus was entirely on us.
"Who sent the message?"
Silence stretched for a beat.
Then, without hesitation, I stepped forward.
"I did."
The moment the words left my lips, he froze.
It was so subtle, so brief, but I caught it-the barely perceptible way his breath hitched, the way his shoulders tensed for the briefest second before smoothing out again.
His head tilted slightly, as if studying me closely.
"Who are you?"
His tone was calm, controlled-but there was something beneath it.
Something sharp.
Something almost familiar.
I lifted my chin. "Mia."
A beat of silence. Then, slowly, his hands lifted to the mask.
A single motion. The mask slipped away, revealing his face. And my entire world tilted.
I stared.
No.
No, this wasn't possible.
The sharp jawline, the high cheekbones, the same piercing eyes-
It was like looking into a mirror. He looked exactly like me. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe.