Delaney

I sat on the edge of Kai's hotel couch, rocking back and forth as thoughts bombarded my mind from every corner.

"What just happened?" I whispered to the empty room, my right hand above my chest. One minute I was watching Alpha Ronan devour a woman in his hotel suite, and the next I was dripping in rogue blood. I couldn't decide what terrified me more: the rogue jumping towards me, Roman's recurring sex scene in my mind or the way Kai's arms around me made me feel safe and needy at the same time.

"You shouldn't have been out there." Kai emerged from the bathroom, dressed in grey sweats that outlined his member pretty well. I shifted on the couch, snapping my eyes away from his front. I couldn't believe that within a span of a few minutes, I had seen both alpha king twins nude, and damn, were their bodies a sight for my sore eyes.

"I can handle myself," I replied, my voice sounding rough.

"Not against that." His voice sounded almost monotonous.

"I am not an alpha's daughter for nothing. I can defend myself," I retorted, tapping my right foot on the carpeted floor.

"An alpha's daughter who can't tell when a rogue is cloaked?" He let out a light mocking chuckle.

"Cloaked?" I asked, tilting my head.

Kai nodded, his jaw tight. "That rogue did not have any smell on it, not until I killed it. Otherwise it wouldn't have managed to get past anyone without their usual sewer-like smell selling it out," he explained, making me narrow my eyes.

"B-ut, how is that possible?" I pressed, shifting on the seat yet again.

Before he could answer, the door burst open. His brother Alpha King Ronan, followed by my father, strode in, dressed. They were clean, as if they hadn't fought or even transformed.

"You're covered in blood; are you okay?" My father observed, closing the distance between us.

"It's not my blood," I chuckled, trying to calm down my dad.

"It's the rogue's; she disobeyed you." Kai threw me under the bus, his eyes dancing with amusement when I glared at him.

"I told you to stay in your room, Delaney! How could you endanger yourself like that?" my father roared, his alpha power rolling off him in waves, though I could feel the alpha kings' aura overpowering his.

"Why do I train if I can't use the skills when need be?" I muttered, casting my eyes on the floor.

"Because you don't have a..." He stopped himself from finishing the statement, making me snap my eyes to him. No one was supposed to know what he was about to say, and he knew I wouldn't forgive him if he blurted my secret out, especially to the alpha kings.

Ronan stood between us, facing him. "She disobeyed you, yes. But we wouldn't have known that the attack was coordinated," he spoke.

"What do you mean by coordinated? Rogues are feral beasts, unable of planning a good attack." My father took a step back but sent a glare my way, sending a silent communication that he would deal with me later.

"First of all, they retreated when I stepped out, all of them except..."

"The one that made it to the hotel," Kai finished his brother's statement.

"Rogues fight to death; they have nothing to lose. So why would they run away when they sensed me?" Ronan's question only raised more questions than answers.

"This town is bordered by the neutral grounds on the north, and this hotel is near the border. It's not the first time rogues have been sighted lurking around the border either," my father clarified, looking at the two alpha kings.

"We came to inspect the situation because you called us at the headquarters, saying that the rogues seemed to camp just outside this territory in organised groups. Is that right, Alpha Thorne?" Kai asked, arching his eyebrow. I could only tell them apart because Kai was shirtless; otherwise, I would have been left guessing as to who was who.

"Yes," my father spat.

"Then the night we arrive is the same night they decide to invade the pack, with their scents cloaked. Doesn't that make you question the entire thing?" It was Ronan who spoke, exchanging a look with his brother.

"But only witches can cloak scents..." My father trailed off.

"Meaning, they are working with a witch," Kai finished, making my father run his hands on his face.

"But witches don't exist," I chimed in, looking at the three men alternately.

"There are so many things that you don't know, honey," my father began, sitting down beside me.

"Then tell me," I almost begged.

"Can we talk to you alone?" Alpha Kai joined in, cutting off mine and my father's conversation. My father opened his mouth to speak but quickly pressed his lips together in a firm line and then nodded, standing up. I knew that the three men had mind-linked with each other, keeping whatever they were saying away from my prying ears.

Minutes went by as they conversed via the mind link, keeping me floating in whatever was going on. A weird feeling began to bubble inside the more silence filled the room.

"Go get your things from your hotel room," my father instructed, his eyes not meeting mine. His voice trembled a bit, even though he was trying to keep it steady.

"The Alpha Kings will accompany you home, and there you will pack your essentials and..." He couldn't finish the statement without swallowing hard.

"What do you mean, pack my things, Dad?" I stood up, looking at him, trying to read something out of his demeanour.

"I am so sorry, Delaney. If only there was something I could do to change things and make this territory safe for you. If the rogues managed to breach the town, they might as well advance deeper into the pack, into our homes," he continued, his words heavy.

"I don't understand, Dad. What do the rogues have to do with me packing?" I held his hand, attempting to look into his eyes.

"You are coming with us," I don't know who spoke between the Alpha Kings, because my gaze directed at my dad didn't waver.

"Why? Just because a rogue got into the hotel room?" I shouted, letting go of my dad's hand.

"Yes, Delaney. The alpha kings' guards just raided the rogues camps outside the borders, in the neutral grounds." He paused, heaving a deep sigh.

"They discovered a paper scribbled with your full name, Delaney Imara Thorne, alongside a picture of you in the lobby earlier today." I opened my mouth to speak, but no word could come out. What could werewolves who had lost their humanity possibly want with me?

"You were the target today, and until we find out why, you will be safe with us at our estate," one of the twins spoke, his voice low and rough.

How was I going to live with the same men my body was craving, knowing well that they were not only the alpha kings but also my dad's close friends and age mates?

Delaney

"I can't believe you are leaving," one of my best friends pointed out, sprawled on my bed while I paced across my bedroom.

"I am not going anywhere, Nyra. How the hell am I supposed to just leave the life I have known since I was a child?" I retorted, my voice rising higher than I intended.

"But the alpha kings said—"

"I don't care what they said, Nyra," I snapped, cutting her off. "They can go fuck themselves for all I care."

"Oh, we will be fucking, just not ourselves." Kai strolled in through the half-open door to my bedroom, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I glared at him, trying to push away the feeling of his arms around me, and his cock pressed on my side.

"You must be Nyra; Alpha Thorne has told us about you," he spoke, walking over to Nyra as if he owned my bedroom. I watched as he extended his arm, stretching his hand to shake Nyra's hand.

"What is taking too long?" Ronan followed, hands in his pocket. For men around my father's age, they sure looked like they were in their early thirties.

"I thought you had already started packing," he added, looking at me, standing in the middle of my room. The two of them in my room was suffocating, now that my adrenaline had lowered.

"Goddess me, Del, you didn't tell me they look like gods!" Nyra whispered, getting off the bed. She attempted to stretch out her hand to greet Kai but instead bowed her head, letting out whimpers as her wolf recognised its Alpha Kings. The power rolling off them was too much in one room; I could see the waves pulling down Nyra to her knees before Kai.

"What the hell are you doing kneeling, Nyra? Get up," I hissed, walking to her side. I attempted to pull her to her feet, but she wouldn't move; it was like she was stuck there.

"I can't; too much po-wer," she stuttered, turning her head and bearing her neck, a sign of submission. I couldn't fully understand why she felt that way, maybe because even at 22, my wolf had still not manifested. That was the same reason my father ordered me to stay in the room back in the hotel. It was a secret we had sworn to keep between us. It was an abomination for any werewolf and especially the child of an alpha to be wolfless.

"Tell her to get up," I glowered, staring at both men.

"Are you ordering us, little mouse?" Ronan raised his brow, his lips stretching into a smirk.

"What's amusing here? She is kneeling before you, and you can't ask her to stand?" I complained, turning my attention to Kai.

"That is no way to speak to your alpha kings," Kai warned, his tone unreadable.

"Get up, Nyra. Any friend of Delaney is our friend," Ronan said, flashing a smirk my way.

"I am not your friend," I mumbled under my breath, helping Nyra up.

"What was that?" Ronan narrowed his eyes, while I shrugged, ignoring him.

"Now give us a minute, Nyra," Kai chimed in, not even sparing Nyra a glance. Nyra got up without a word and walked out of my room, head bowed.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked, placing my hands on either side of my waist.

"You need to learn how to tame that little mouth of yours, and I will gladly help you do so," Ronan stated, plopping down on my bed.

"Whatever," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. Yes, they were the alpha kings, but they did not scare me, maybe a little.

"If you don't pack, we will drag you out of this house as you are," Kai threatened, looking around my room.

"I am not going anywhere with you." I stood my ground, glowering at both of them. My father walked in at that moment, a vein on the side of his forehead popping.

"Honey, it is for the best. I thought we agreed that you would be safe with the alpha kings," my father remarked, looking apologetically at me.

"Agreed? You have not given me a choice at all. How do you all expect me to just pack and walk out of the life I have known since I was born?" I shook my head, shaking off the growing pain in my temples.

"If you stay, you will not have much of a life," Kai stated, his face void of any emotion.

"You know what's at stake, Delaney. Please do not make this hard," my father begged, closing the door behind him.

"What about my friends, the rest of the pack and you, Dad? Are you not deserving of protection?" I pressed, narrowing my eyes.

"This pack has warriors, plus me, their alpha, capable of keeping everyone safe," he responded.

"Then you can protect me too." My voice wavered, the mere thought of leaving my home weighing down on me heavily.

"No, whoever is controlling those rogues is specifically after you. Have you already forgotten that your name and your picture were found at one of their camps?" Ronan reminded me, looking straight into my eyes. For a second, his image tangled with the woman who crossed behind my eyes, distracting me a bit. I had to close my eyes briefly to pull my thoughts together.

"So that makes it right for you to force me into going with you? For the hundredth time, I am not going anywhere. I would love to see you try and carry me by force." I raised my head high, challenging them.

"Del-"

"We've got this, Thorne," Kai spoke, earning a nod from my dad, who looked once at me, then exited the room. I watched as Kai and Ronan exchanged a silent communication and then began approaching me.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, looking at them alternately, taking steps back.

"Kai is very patient," Ronan began, his voice neutral, still advancing towards me until my back came into contact with the wall beside the door.

"But I am not," he finished, putting his hand above my shoulder, beside my head.

"And while I am patient," Kai chimed in, lowering his face until it was level with mine.

"I hate being defied." His voice sent chills down my spine, and not the good ones. I gulped, closing my eyes at their proximity and the threat in their words.

"So little mouse, unless you want me to throw you on my shoulder and force you into the car, I suggest you grab what you need and willingly walk out of this house," Ronan ordered, his hand grazing my cheek.

"And if my brother ends up carrying you because you have refused to follow our command, I will put you on my lap," Kai whispered, trailing his hand gently to the curve of my hip and finally to my ass. "And spank you until your ass turns purple, and I will not stop until you cry out an apology," he finished, making me yelp as he squeezed the flesh of my ass gently.

"So what is it going to be, Delaney?" My name rolled out of Ronan's mouth in a way that made my heart leap.

"You have a minute and not more to decide. Do not test us, Delaney; you won't like it," Kai threatened, then stepped back, leaving me trembling against the wall, my mind and heart racing.

Delaney POV

I was left standing against the wall, the click of the door after they walked out barely registering. The throb in my temples was growing, spreading to the frontal part of my head, threatening to explode. No one had ever defied the alpha kings and lived to tell the tale, but how could I just leave? A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts, prompting me to step away from the wall.

"Come in," I murmured, my eyes glued to the door. I wasn't expecting to see my other best friend, Carter, accompanied by a pale and shaken Nyra.

"Nyra wasn't joking when she said you were being forced to leave," Carter stated, pulling me into a tight hug. I closed my eyes, relaxing in his arms as he rubbed my back. Something about his embrace felt different, though. It did not make me feel safe like it used to or arouse feelings like before; it simply didn't feel like Alpha Kai's. We had kissed a couple of times, but each time I stopped it before it escalated to sex.

"I don't want to," I whispered, pulling from the hug.

"I ca-n't." My voice broke, my eyes burning as I looked at my best friends. The very friends who had kept me going since my mother disappeared without a trace when I was 8 years old.

"But you can't defy the alpha kings' orders, I still haven't recovered from the power they were oozing in this very room," Nyra spoke in a hushed tone.

"Yes, I can, Nye," I responded firmly. "How can I just abandon you? college? My dad? I have been the only constant thing in his life since my mom's disappearance. I have seen him struggle to stay strong for me, burying the pain inside every single day to raise me. What will happen if I leave him alone?" I lamented, a lump growing in my throat.

I turned, facing the door that led to my balcony. My eyes were burning with unshed tears, but every time I felt the liquid bubbling to the surface, I blinked rapidly to push it back. Then an idea crossed my mind, making my trembling lips stretch into a smile.

"I have an idea," I suddenly said, walking across the room in short, fast steps to my closet. There, I yanked four bed sheets, my heart beating beginning to accelerate.

"What are those for?" Nyra asked, her forehead creasing as she followed me to the balcony, Carter trailing behind.

"I am going to tie these to the rails and climb down, and then I am going to make a run for it," I explained, knotting the first two bed sheets together with my hands trembling.

"Are you nuts?" Nyra whisper-yelled, looking at me like I had two heads.

"Let me help you," Carter chimed in, earning a side glare from Nyra.

"Do you know what the alpha kings will do to us when they find out, or your dad? He'll kill us!" Nyra hyperventilated, tugging at Carter's sleeve, trying to stop him from tying the remaining sheets.

"I have to do this, Nye, please," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What is your plan once you get down? Where will you go?" Carter asked, fastening the end against one of the metal rails of my balcony.

"I, I don't—"

"Run to my parent's cabins in the woods and wait for us there. I am assuming that once your dad and the alpha kings realise you are gone, they will begin a search. Nyra and I will blend in and come to you in the pretence of searching for you, okay?" Carter's plan sounded good and solid.

"Why can't you just jump? We are werewolves, remember? If you want to escape so much, then jumping will save time," Nyra chimed in, swallowing hard. She had no idea that I had no wolf and that jumping would be attempted suicide.

Before I could answer, there was a knock at my door, followed by my father's voice calling me. All of us panicked, our eyes widening, about to get caught up in the act.

"Go, go distract him, lie that she is in the bathroom." Carter nudged Nyra while I swung my leg over the balcony. I could feel my heart beating as blood rushed to my ears.

"Is she done?" I could hear my father asking Nyra, but I didn't wait to hear her reply. I clutched on to the fabric and began lowering myself inch by inch, ignoring the burn the sheets left on my palms. A few inches down, the knot creaked, sending my heart leaping to my throat. A silent scream passed between my lips as I looked at Carter, then down at the ground. One minute I was dangling in the air, and the next I felt the sound of the sheets tearing.

"Carter!" I screamed his name as my foot slipped, only for the scream to be cut short as I came into contact with the ground. I could have sworn I saw his lips stretch into a sinister smirk. Pain radiated from my ankle, spreading upwards as I rolled on the ground. With my vision blurring, I caught a glimpse of Carter easily jumping down, landing beside me with his feet and one hand on the ground.

"Ssh," he hushed, placing his hand on my mouth.

"Call my d-ad," I breathed, gasping when pain radiated across my chest.

"No need, Del; I am going to take good care of you," he whispered, rubbing his hand on top of my head gently. I was struggling to keep my eyes open, but a blurry glimpse at his, and all I could see was something in them. A feeling that crossed quickly, almost as if I had assumed it.

"D-ad," I voiced out again, my head feeling so full. I attempted to keep my eyes open, but every struggle proved futile, and soon my eyes involuntarily closed.

Before I could slip into nothingness completely, a familiar voice, though sounding so distant, filled my throbbing ears.