Rejecting The Alpha Twins (Regan)

Chapter 83

Xavier POV

it" I yelled, kicking aimlessly at the bars of the cell, ignoring the sharp burning pain that began to spread through my

foot.

They had taken her. They had taken Regan; our mate and we had been helpless to stop it. Isabelle that bitch, what was she planning on doing with Regan? It didn't bode well. Not at all. For once, even Xander didn't look like his usual, calm, rational self, flinging his body at the bars in some vain attempt to get them to break or even part. The guards simply stood back, watching, their arms across their chest, expressionless. I gestured at them wildly.

"Can't you see that you're being manipulated?" I shouted out. "Do you honestly think that my father is in charge of all of his mental faculties right now?"

Were they blind or stupid? Anybody could see that my father was not himself. Were we the only ones who seemed to have any common sense in this pack?

The guards shot each other a glance, their lips flattening in denial. Xander's voice rose from behind me, also sounding panicked. "Qur father is not himself, His mate and Isabelle have him under a spell. Surely you should be able to tell the difference?" he demanded hoarsely.

Another glance between the two guards at our comments. Their eyes went cloudy. They were mind-linking with each other and silently communicating. We stared at them, willing them to believe us. But their eyes returned to normal and the first guard, a man called Sampson if I recall correctly, raised a brow and scoffed at us.

"Oh please, you'll try anything in order to gain your freedom. You both should be ashamed of yourselves, for trying to kill your own flesh and blood. I never took you for the bloodthirsty type" he snarled, curling his lip back.

I blanched even though it wasn't true, I would never betray my father like that. Nor would Xander. These men didn't know us as well as they thought they did. They had misjudged us without hearing our side of the story.

The other man, Jerome, nudged Sampson with his elbow, his eyes glittering with mirth. "You have to hand it to them though," he said with laughter in his voice. "The story they just came up with about the Alpha being under a spell? What lunacy" he mocked as I glared at him. "Everybody knows the witches wouldn't just help anybody. The price they demand is too high for most shifters to even contemplate such a thing. You're merely lying to try and gain sympathy" he said darkly "and it's not going to work. We are and always will be loyal to Alpha Jackson and therefore his mate."

His tone was filled with resolve. At any other time, a man like this would be highly valued as a warrior and appreciated. Now, however, I felt nothing but exasperation and annoyance towards the man and his colleague."

"I admire your loyalty" I protested thickly, feeling a lump in my throat, knowing I didn't even have to turn to know that my twin Xander was nodding his head in agreement, "but surely, you've noticed the change in my father's behavior the last few days? The strange look in his eyes? The suddenness with which Heather has taken over while my father remains in the background?" I pressed.

A host of small things that when put together should have raised alarms and produced red flags.

Sampson pressed his lips together. "So what?" he asked nonchalantly. "Stuff like this tends to happen when you have a new mate like the Alpha. He's merely showing his mate how much trust he has in her. You can't deny that he found proof in your room. You had vials of poison" he said darkly.

"They weren't ours" Xander roared back irritably, "and who happened to coincidentally find them in our room?" he snarled. "Heather or was it, Isabelle? Doesn't that seem just a tiny bit suspicious to you or convenient?"

The guards looked mutinous. No amount of protesting, pleading, or begging was about to make these two men change their minds. They had already condemned us to our fate. They only trusted our father and nothing we said would change their views or make them inclined to help us. We were screwed unless we were able to come up with a plan. I gritted my teeth,

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glancing back towards the staircase where Regan had vanished along with Isabelle and her men. We had only a small amount of time. I didn't know what Isabelle wanted Regan for, but the crazed look in her eyes as she had Regan dragged behind her spoke volumes. She was going to harm our mate, and we weren't there to stop her. We had to get out of this blasted cell. I slammed my hand against the door, cursing under my breath as I pulled it away, my skin blistered and burned. It was nothing in comparison to the pain I was feeling on the inside for failing to protect my mate like I had promised to do.

of it. I

I tried once more to reach my wolf, but my mind was like a blank canvas that was missing the most important aspect was so used to having my wolf with me, to guide me and advise me on what to do, that the loss of him was overwhelming. I ran a hand through my hair frustrated, watching the guards out of the corner of my eyes as they stepped back into the shadows, silently murmuring to one another, so quiet that we were unable to hear what was being discussed.

"One of them has a key" Xander muttered with a tinge of hope in his voice. "Maybe if they get close enough..." he trailed off, glancing at me as I thought it over and then realized the folly of such a plan.

It was impossible for such a plan to work. Too many things could go wrong. The odds of it working were laughable. I hated to crush Xander's hopes but I had to be realistic. It wasn't going to work.

I shook my head. "How? They aren't stupid. There is nothing that is going to lure them close enough to the cell in order to surprise them with a sneak attack or get the upper hand. Even if we did, they would only call more men" I pointed out wearily. If only I had my strength back or my wolf. This blasted silver, I thought, staring at the cuffs and wishing I could simply yank them off myself.

Xander frowned. "We have to do something, Regan's out there," he said, his voice rising.

"Don't you think I know that?" I shouted, staring at him in disbelief. "How could I forget about our mate? It's my own stupidity and recklessness that has caused her to become a target and put us in this stupid position" I added, daring him to contradict me. All of this, it was my fault. Regan deserved better mates than us. We should never have forced her to accept us as her mates. We should have accepted her rejection the first time. I was thinking irrationally but my guilt was practically crushing me by

now.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself" Xander sneered, staring at me and looking like he'd like to throttle me with his bare hands. "Our mate is trusting in us to help her and you're busy wallowing in self-pity," he said in disgust, curling his lip and raking his gaze over me.

I opened my mouth to answer him when both of our faces contorted into an expression of pain. We bent over doubled, panting and grasping at the ground, startled as what felt like a fire swept through our bodies. Our bodies shook and shuddered. I flinched. Xander let out a small moan. Our eyes rose and met each other's. Comprehension began to dawn. Neither of us had been injured just now. We hadn't touched the bars; we hadn't swung our fists at each other. That meant the pain had come from another source. That meant that somebody else was experiencing the pain alongside us. I could feel my body beginning to shake but it wasn't with fear but rage. Regan. She was being hurt. This was her pain that we could feel. Somebody was hurting her. Isabelle, I thought, letting out a ferocious growl, my eyes darkening. That bitch was laying her. hands on our mate and we were stuck here unable to do a damn thing to stop her. I could feel myself becoming almost berserk with the urge to become vicious, seeing another but red as my thoughts began to whirl inside my mind. I had to save my mate. I had to get to her. I had to.

"Regan" Xander rasped, horrified, as the pain faded and then started again, a burning, heating pain that caused us to wince and grit our teeth.

The pain we were feeling was all hers. Xander looked as though he was on the verge of losing control. I saw his eyes as he glanced towards the guards who had stepped towards us, eyeing us with interest. darken

"They are hurting our mate" Xander snarled, while the guards remained still."Do you think that you will be spared if we get out of here? Do you think we will grant you leeway for what you have done?" he roared.

Both of us were staring at the guards with bloodlust. Reason had gone out the window now. Our hands were itching to land a

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hit on one or both of the guards.

"You don't scare us," Jerome said with a laugh but Sampson was quiet, tilting his head and studying us closely, an indecipherable expression on his face.

"If she dies, I don't care what it takes, I will personally rip you limb from limb" Xander threatened, while I stood there thinking hard.

It was time to act. We couldn't stand here forever throwing threats towards the guards. Regan needed us. The pain continued to come in waves, fading and then hitting hard, my stomach clenching as the worst of it hit. I could almost picture Regan screaming in my mind and it almost caused me to become undone. My mate. My mate could be dying for all I knew.

There had to be a way to get the guards to come closer. A way to make them take notice and let down their guard or cause them to make a mistake. Something that would make them take action without considering the ramifications. I had the inkling of an idea, but I needed Xander to go along with me. He had to understand my motives. Would he be able to read my mind? I couldn't risk mind-linking him. The guards would instantly get suspicious. No, he would have to interpret and adjust to my plan. We were twins and this wasn't the first time he'd had to follow my lead. I had complete faith that he would instantly recognize what I needed him to do. Otherwise, we were toast.

I took a deep breath and then turned towards Xander, narrowing my eyes and spitting at his feet, causing him to jolt back in shock.

"This is your fucking fault", I growled, hatred simmering in my eyes. "If it wasn't for you and your damn incompetence none of this would have happened. You call yourself an Alpha?" I mocked, my tone becoming dark, "You are nothing but a weakling. No wonder Regan prefers me to you" I added arrogantly as Xander began to tense, his eyes beginning to blaze with anger.

It was time to dance. I threw the first punch. Xander didn't see it coming.

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Chapter 79

Regan POV

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My father is dead. There had always been this thought in the back of my mind that he might have died while being a rogue, but now I knew for sure. He was gone. That wasn't even the worst part. I had been the one to kill him. I had killed my own father, my own flesh and blood. I had dealt the deadly blow that caused the light to fade from his eyes and his body to slump to the ground. Even though he had connived with Heather and Isabelle, there was still regret inside of me for what I had been forced to do. If only my father had simply seen the choices he'd made and become good, there might still have been some hope for him, I thought bleakly, but he'd chosen to remain the evil bastard that he was and now he'd paid the ultimate consequence. Death. At my hands. My stomach continues to churn. Even though we had washed the blood off and the mud, I still felt dirty all over. It's as though I can still see all the blood, my mind conjuring something that is no longer there.

"It wasn't your fault, Regan. He was going to kill both of us." Xavier's voice is soothing as he attempts to comfort me, perhaps reading my mind.

"I know, but that still doesn't make me feel better" I confessed feeling hollow.

The light fading from my father's eyes and the image of him dropping to the ground would haunt me in my dreams. Now I had no father or mother. Heather and Isabelle ironically were all I had left and they were merely my stepmother and stepsister, who had already, tried to hurt me and my mates.

"I'm sorry it had to be you" Xander's voice is filled with self-depreciation "I should have been able to protect the both of us better."

I just shook my head at him as we continued to walk in silence. If we kept up this pace, we would make it back to the pack grounds by nightfall. I became lost. in my head and the hours began to slowly tick by, neither of us deigning to speak.

"Not long now and we'll be back at the pack. I wonder how Heather and Isabelle are going to feel when they see us" I murmured, now recognizing some of the landmarks around us. "Do you suppose they put my father up to trying to kill us?" I asked.

Xavier shrugged. "They could have done. I guess we'll find out soon. At the very least, they'll be surprised to see us. I bet it will come as a shock. Either they knew where we were going, or they simply guessed. He was intended to slow us down. If we hadn't gone back towards the pack house, he would have cut us off."

His tone was knowing. There was no doubt in his mind. My father meant to kill us both. He was determined to have his revenge and it had been his downfall.

Inodded, feeling tired and drained. I inhaled as I realized we were about to step foot back into Blood Moon Territory, feeling relief wash over me. Home, we were finally back home. My eyes sparkled. Xavier sighed, looking somewhat relieved himself. To our surprise, as we stepped over the boundary line, a large black wolf came to meet us. Xander. My heart swelled with joy. He gave a low growl and then shifted. Before he could speak, I had lunged at him and wrapped my arms around my other mate, my heart singing with joy. We hadn't been gone long, but I had missed him all the same.

"Whoa steady there" he laughed, even as I stood on tiptoes and fiercely claimed his lips, liking the way he grabbed the back of my neck and reciprocated, his own mouth moving fervently, acting as though he hadn't seen me in months.

We pulled away from each other reluctantly while Xavier folded his arms across his chest and looked at his brother gravely.

"Something tells me you didn't just meet us here for a conversation and biscuits," he said teasingly and Xander shook his head, glancing at me quickly, fear flickering in his eyes..

"There's trouble. Isabelle claims to be pregnant with my child" he glances at me swiftly to see my reaction, but I show nothing.

I remain expressionless. I already know thanks to Mala. He looks surprised by my lack of anger. I put a hand on his shoulder.

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"I know, but we'll deal with it. It's not your fault."

But it did hurt. To know that it was in fact, his child and that he would be having it with my stepsister, even though she had engineered it. He was my mate, and I should be the one bearing his children.

"Let's get you back to the pack house" he nods at me, wrapping one arm around my waist while Xavier puts a hand on my shoulder, the two of them escorting me to the house.

"Where's father?"

""Hasn't left the room."

Xavier just nods grimly. I know we'll come up with a way to find a method to give him the antidote in the morning without arousing suspicion. But as we get nearer to the pack house, Isabelle is standing there, her arms folded across her chest. She raises a brow. "If it isn't Regan and Xavier" she trilled, her voice making me wince at the ear-piercing noise it made. "Mother and I have been wondering where you were."

I glared at her. "Out."

She had no business asking. Involuntarily my eyes dipped to her stomach, but it wasn't showing her pregnancy, at least not yet. Either that or her clothes were hiding her bump remarkably well. She saw and put her hand to her stomach gloating. "I take it that Xander has told you the exciting news," she said with excitement "We're going to have a baby together.

She clapped her hands, looking me squarely in the eyes "It must hurt to know that I'm going to be the first woman to bear your mate's child."

I wince despite myself.

"Shut up Isabelle" Xander roars, glancing at me in concern. "You have no business taunting Regan right now. I still demand a paternity test" he added scornfully, although I knew it would do no good.

The child was his. Mala had said so. As if to further add insult to injury, Isabelle withdrew some papers from her bosom and thrust them at Xander who took them. "The results came back. The child is yours." She smiled sweetly as Xander paled.

He looks at me, his complexion pale. "Regan, I swear. I didn't..." he trails off as Isabelle smirks at me.

"I know you didn't sleep with her" I cast a disgusted gaze at Isabelle "We can discuss this in the morning" I added pointedly.

Isabelle looks disappointed by my lack of reaction. The truth is I'm barely holding it together. Between my father's death and her conniving, my restraint is at an all-time low.

"Mother would like to see you Regan," she said raising a brow. "What does she want Regan for?" Xavier demands suspiciously. "Nothing that either of you needs to know about" Isabelle laughs

"She's not going alone" Xander protests. "Neither of us trusts you"

"Fine" Isabelle shrugs, "All of you go then. It's no big deal."

We move past her, heading to the study. Xavier is fuming. "I have a few choice words to say to this bitch" he declared.

"You need to keep calm Xavier" I warned him. "Don't let her see you riled up. She's probably expecting a confrontation." "I'm going to kill her" he vowed.

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"If you kill her, then what? She's technically still your father's mate" I pointed out, "until we've given your father the antidote. and he declares what he wants done with her, you're going to have to bide your time."

He grits his teeth, looking furious. But to kill his father's mate, while still marked by him, would also cause his father. undeniable pain and both boys know it.

We enter the study, surprised to find that Alpha Jackson is standing next to Heather Ramona, one hand resting on her shoulder. I swallow hard, feeling as though something is about to happen and that his presence means it's not going to be anything good. Why had Heather chosen now to bring Alpha Jackson out of his room and why did he look so cold? The boys stared at him, taken aback by the expression on his face. I could see Xavier subtly trying to reach into the bag for the antidote vial even as Heather began to smile at us all like a Cheshire cat. She looked far too pleased with herself and as I glanced at Alpha Jackson, I wondered what she had in store for us now.

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Chapter 80

Xavier POV

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I feel a sense of unease as we face my father and Heather Ramona aka Heather Dominion. I would never think of her as one of us, however. She looks too comfortable standing beside my father and his eyes, they are strange, looking as though he is looking right through all three of us. I subtly try to get the vial of the antidote that Mala gifted us, even as Heather smirks and my father finally decides to speak. This is the first time that he has left his room, according to Xander, since we left, and something tells me that this is not good. Heather looks too smug and that alone is enough to unsettle me. Regan casts me an uneasy glance but Xander remains stony-faced. Whatever this is. I rationalize, we will face it together. All we had to do was get close enough to be able to feed my father the antidote and everything would return back to normal.

"My sons" my father rumbled, glancing between Xander and me it has come to my attention that you are trying to take my authority and have plans to kill me."

His tone was filled with rage.

What? What nonsense was he spewing now? Xander speaks, sounding angry "We plan to do no such thing. Father, can't you tell that this woman is spewing lies" he blurted out, motioning to Heather whose smile only grew wider.

It was as if we were falling into her carefully laid trap. I glared at her, feeling frustrated and fighting the urge to shake some sense into my father, knowing it would do no good. Without the antidote, he would only continue to believe Heather and neither of us. Still, it rankled. "Silence" our father snarled, glaring at Xander. "How dare you speak about my mate like that? How dare you imply that she is lying? I have always known you two were ambitious, but to plot to kill me, your own father" he shook his head in sorrow "I cannot even begin to tell you how much that grieves me."

"Alpha Jackson" Regan attempts to speak, her voice shaking slightly in fear, her eyes wide with disbelief, "your sons would never do such a thing."

"You" my father points at her "are an accomplice to their misdeeds. As their mate, you have helped them to do this. You are just as much at fault as they are," he said.callously.

Regan's mouth dropped open in shock. For a moment she looked dumbfounded by the accusation. None of us had any idea that this was what was in store for us when we first entered the study. You had to hand it to Heather Ramona, she had planned for everything. She was smarter than we had given her credit for. She and Isabelle. We had underestimated the both of them or perhaps we had been too arrogant.

"What proof do you have?" Xander's voice is tight. "What proof do you have that we are attempting to kill you?" he asked incredulously.

Without proof, my father could claim nothing. It was a reasonable question but it didn't faze my father in the slightest.

"I saw it myself," he said, drawing himself up and straightening his shoulders. "If Heather hadn't discovered the vials of poison in your room, I would never have guessed that you had been slowly poisoning me in order to make me ill. It was lucky that she found them in time, preventing me from becoming seriously ill" he roared. "Do you have any idea how fatal that poison is when ingested in large amounts?"

"Ridiculous" I snapped, my hand finally closing around the vial in the bag and slowly withdrawing it, my hand keeping it well hidden from prying eyes. "We are your sons, we would never..." I trailed off at the dangerous look in his eyes.

He didn't believe me. Heather had him well and truly wrapped around her finger.

"I too, am devastated that you would take such action against your father. If I hadn't suspected that you had intentions to get rid of him, not to mention myself and even Isabelle, well then, who knows what might have happened? We would all be dead. How could you even think to harm my daughter when she is pregnant with your child" Heather asked sounding indignant.

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Xander opened and shut his mouth, looking lost. "Isabelle is not having my child" he growled, still in denial.

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But she was. The paternity test had proved it and I had every reason to believe Mala's words. Not that I had gotten around to explaining everything to Xander.

"It is your child and the rightful heir to the pack as Alpha" Heather said, flipping her hair over her shoulder and smirking at him.

Xander looked on the verge of attacking her.

"We are the rightful heirs and Alphas of the pack" I shot back, staring at my father "You are under some sort of spell, you need to wake up I urged, my voice rising.

Regan moved closer to me. Something made me put the vial in her hand instead of holding onto it. I felt her hand close around it. My father gave a bitter-sounding laugh. "Spell? Heather would never attempt such a thing. What could she hope to gain by putting me under a spell? No, the only villains here are my own two sons. I killed my own wife for your sake" he spat at Regan and then turned back to Xander and me "And this is the thanks I get? I have sacrificed, worked hard, sweated blood to make sure that you have been taken care of and in the end, you stab me in the back"

He shook his head looking disgusted.

"What a shame" Heather shook her head, a smile curving on her lips "but then there are always bad apples in every family. Take Regan for example" she purred. "She's always been a troublemaker. It's no surprise that she's helped the two of you. Do you realize the consequences of what you have done? Do you realize the depth of your own stupidity?" she pressed.

"Goddamnit Father, open your bloody eyes" I growled, clenching my hands into fists. "We would never harm you. Neither would Regan. You've barely known Heather since you've marked her. Shouldn't that be enough to make you suspicious? Since when have we ever turned our back on you? Since when have we ever expressed a desire to see you harmed? We would die for you" I emphasized as he looked at me stonily. "We wouldn't kill you."

"I thought I knew you" my father's voice is filled with regret "and once upon a time I would have believed that. But the proof is undeniable. The shame" he shook his head. "The only solace I have is knowing that my mate continues to be by my side and that Xander's child will grow up to become the next heir."

His words were condemning. He had already found us guilty. My own father. I couldn't believe it.

"Heather has been conniving with Beta Jonathon" I snapped, motioning to her as she remained expressionless. "She's the one who has been poisoning you, along with Isabelle. They are the ones who want you dead. Why can't you believe us?"

"My husband is dead" Heather's eyes are wide "I couldn't possibly be plotting with a dead man. He was banished months ago and there is no chance he survived as a rogue. You are simply spouting nonsense in order to save your own skin. Bringing up my late husband's memory is low, even for you. You are disgraceful" she declared passionately.

I had

give it to her, she was a wonderful actress. The bitch.

"Worry not" my father murmured, putting a protective hand on Heather's shoulder and regarding us coldly "I shall ensure they are punished properly my darling."

"Sir, we didn't do it," Regan says, glancing at us with desperation I'm telling you..." she trailed off as my father slammed his hand on the desk, cracking it.

He had lost his patience. We stared at him in silence. I got a sinking feeling in my gut.

"Enough. I will not listen to more of your lies. Men" he shouted, and we turned, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, the study suddenly filled with warriors, all of them with grim expressions on their faces "I am now the Alpha in charge. My sons forfeit the titles having tried to murder me. Capture these three" he pointed at Xander, Regan and me "and place them all in the dungeon. I intend to punish them and make an example out of them. Flesh and blood does not give you protection against breaking the law" he boomed. 12:50 Sat, Jan 11 G)

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I tensed. I couldn't believe this. There was no chance of getting close to Father with so many warriors between us all. I glanced at Regan and didn't see the vial in her hand anymore. I was poised to fight but Xander caught my eye and shook his head, subtly motioning to Regan. Neither of us wanted her to get hurt. Not by our own men. We silently submitted, allowing the warriors to restrain us with silver cuffs. It hurt to see Regan restrained, my wolf almost going berserk, but it was better than seeing her be injured. My father gave a malicious grin. "Good work. At last, you see sense. Men, take them. Place them in a cell together" he instructed icily "I shall show them that small mercy at least."

The warriors began to drag us all out. As we left, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Heather give a wide grin as she blew a kiss at the back of us all. She was under the illusion that she had won, but I wasn't about to give up. When I got free, she and her daughter would feel the pain I inflicted on them with my bare hands. Screw the elders, it was now a matter of survival.

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It took everything I had in me not to fight back. I glared as the warriors dragged Regan with them, my only focus on her and ensuring she was safe. My wolf was filled with rage, but if we fought against our men, we would injure them as well as ourselves. We needed to be smart about this. As they shoved us inside the cell, our hands cuffed in front of us, I knelt beside my mate, helping her to stand, my eyes raking over her form, checking her for any major injuries, my lips flattened in anger. They hadn't been gentle when they pushed her, showing very little care for her person. That was a mistake.

"Are you okay?" I asked, even as Xavier let out a low growl of frustration from behind me, the door to the cell closing with a sickening clang.

"I'm fine" she whispered, her cheeks burning red, getting to her feet and dusting herself off, wincing as the silver from the cuffs burnt her skin, causing my wolf to continue growling inside my mind, promising vengeance the very second, we were able to get out of here. Heather Ramona and her bitch daughter would feel the wrath of my fury, there was no doubt about that. Everything they had done would be visited upon them tenfold.

"Traitorous bastards" Xavier shouted out, slamming his hand against the bars of the cell and staring hard at the two who had been left to guard us.

They stared at us stony-faced and almost expressionless. They would be the first to die once we made it out of here, I thought if they attempted to prevent us or resist. I wondered what had happened to Malcolm, hoping he had the sense to lie low once he established something was wrong. He might be the only chance we had of getting out of here alive and that was only if he was truly as loyal as he claimed to be. As much as I trusted him, there was always that tiny doubt in the back of my mind that made me question who I could really trust. Regan hastily pulled back Xavier's arm, inspecting it and grimacing at the red angry burn marks that were prevalent, our wolves unable to heal them properly while the silver continued to remain on our bodies.

"Xavier, you need to be more careful" she scolded, looking concerned as he scowled at her.

The pain was minimal in comparison to what we were feeling inside. Xavier looked as though he wanted to tear somebody's head off and I was feeling much the same. We should never have let Heather get the upper hand, let alone allow her to go this far. We should have nipped this in the bud the second we had the chance and worried about the consequences later. At least then, we wouldn't be in this situation. We only had ourselves to blame.

The guards moved back into the shadows, looking bored. The door to the cell was locked and since it was heavily fortified the chances of us escaping were practically nil. At least not without help. Xavier shot Regan a quick glance, motioning for all of us to gather together in a huddle.

"The vial" he hissed, "did they..." his voice trailed off as he shot a quick glance at Regan, his eyes showing a hint of hope.

She shook her head. "They didn't get it." She put a hand to her cleavage and quickly withdrew it, keeping it from being seen, and then hastily put it back between her breasts as we stared, knowing that it was the wrong time to be feeling lust wash over us and still unable to help ourselves. "I hid it before anybody saw it. As long as they don't strip us" she muttered, "We should be fine. But we can't exactly conjure it to his mouth and make him drink it either" she said with frustration.

It was a shame that none of us had the power to use magic, I thought blankly, as that would have solved a lot of our problems. Then again, magic appeared to be the source of our problems which was ironic. There was no doubt that a witch had helped Isabelle and Heather to gain control of our pack.

"No but it means we still have a chance" I murmured, looking at Xavier who nodded in agreement. "Without that," I motioned to the antidote, Xavier having mind-linked me to inform me what it was "we would be lost without it."

Not that it was doing us much good in this current situation. Regan sighed and then sat down, looking far from comfortable. I sat down beside her, feeling somewhat pissed.

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"What do you think our father is going to declare as our punishment?" I asked Xavier, trying to distract Regan and needing one myself.

I immediately regretted asking when realization dawned on me should have kept my mouth shut and protected Regan from knowing what was in store. I was an idiot. Now my mate was going to panic and it was all thanks to me.

"You know the laws" Xavi Voice is grim. "Trying to kill one's alpha, especially one that is of blood and kin is tantamount

to treason" he reminded me tersely "and all of us know the punishment for that."

He avoided looking at Regan but the damage was already done. Regan was now looking hard at the both of us, trying to ascertain what we meant. "What is the punishment?" she asked in concern, still in the dark, even as she narrowed her

eyes at

1. us.

"I don't think our father would go that far" I began, trying to change the subject but Xavier snorted and I glowered at him, knowing that Regan would want to know now.

"Under a spell and Heather Ramona's influence? You bet your ass they will" he muttered, before glancing apologetically at Regan who was beginning to look worried and more than a little hysterical now.

"What is the punishment" her voice was shrill.

Damnit. There was no way we could keep this from her now. She deserved to know what fate was in store for us if we didn't escape, but I was determined we would. I would not allow my mate to die. Not as long as I still had a breath in me.

Xavier avoided looking at her but I forced myself to look into her eyes, vowing that I would make sure we would escape. Either that or I would die protecting her. I would not let Regan die, not so long as I was still alive to take a single breath. "The punishment for treason is execution in front of the whole pack," I said quietly and watched as Regan's eyes widened in disbelief, and then her face crumpled.

"Oh my god, we're going to die," she said in a panic. "Your father is going to kill all of us and Isabelle is going to watch it happen. She's going to swing the axe or whatever" her voice was rising as we tried to shush her, "and Heather Ramona is going to become the Luna of

the pack.".

"Regan try to keep calm" I urged, glancing over my shoulder at the guards who were miraculously remaining silent.

Had they heard? They were giving no indication they had, or they simply didn't care. They were older, more mature, and loyal to my father. There would be no persuading them to let us go. I could feel Regan's body trembling beside me. Xavier moved so, that he was on one side of her, Regan's hair in front of her face, almost like a curtain that was hiding her from view.

"Shh Regan, it's going to be okay," Xavier told her, his voice earnest.

But it wasn't. Not unless we could find a way out of here without alerting any of my father's men or Heather's loyal watchdogs. I cast a warning glance at Xavier but he merely shook his head and continued to try and comfort Regan who looked on the verge of a nervous

breakdown.

Regan let out a sob. The sound of footsteps approaching had all of us tensing in apprehension. Who was down here with us? Who was looking to make more trouble? A face loomed out of the shadows, a wicked grin on her face. Isabelle looked at the three of us and shook her head, a giggle escaping from her.

"Well look at the three of you" she purred. "Not so high and mighty now are you?" she asked and then looked at a hard expression on her face. "Especially you, you little bitch" she snapped.

Regan

with

"Keep your mouth shut unless you want to lose it" I snarled, moving to stand in front of Regan and defend her.

It was only then that I noticed that Isabelle was surrounded by several other men. She smirked. "What do you think you can do Xander Dominion while you are chained with silver?"

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I gritted my teeth. To my horror, I saw some of the men hold up syringes that glistened with droplets of liquid. I didn't have to sniff to know what they likely held. We gave them to prisoners to keep them from shifting, weakening them further in an attempt to keep them from being able to ever escape. Evidently, Isabelle was finding it necessary to also poison us with wolfsbane. Was it out of fear? I doubted it. This was being done out of pure maliciousness.

"Dose them" she declared haughtily, lifting her chin and pointing at the cell with us in it.

got to her feet. This time, Xavier and I put up a fight, punching and kicking, wrestling with the men but as we fought, more and more men showed up. When one of them got their hands on Regan and put his hands around her neck, we were forced to submit, our

eyes locked on Regan as the man smiled, nodding to his comrades. I jerked as I felt the syringe plunge into my leg, my body shuddering as I felt the wolfbane enter my bloodstream, my body dropping to the floor. I saw Xavier have the same reaction. I watched the

Regan

bastards

do the same to Regan but instead of letting her go, the man began to drag Regan to the cell door.

"Let her go" I shouted, getting to my feet and beginning to fight with a recklessness I didn't know I possessed. Xavier was doing the same. There was a blazing look on his face as he took several men down, but with the wolfsbane, we were fast running out of energy. Isabelle laughed as the man successfully pulled Regan who was flailing and fighting, out of the cell.

"Oh Regan" she sighed as Regan glared at her, the man tightening his grip on her throat and causing her to go motionless "I've dreamed of the day when I could get my revenge on you for stealing the men who were supposed to be my mates. You thought that you outsmarted me that day, marking them both. How does it feel to be at my mercy now?" she purred, shoving her face mere inches from Regan as I watched sickened, the cell door once again slammed shut, preventing me from getting to my mate.

"If you hurt her" I snarled, flinging myself at the bars and ignoring the stinging pain from the silver.

Isabelle widened her eyes, feigning innocence. "But that's precisely the point" she smirked, "otherwise where is the fun?" she laughed.

Xavier and I flung ourselves at the door again and again, shouting at the top of our lungs while Isabelle turned around and motioned for the men to bring Regan with them, forcing us to watch as our mate was taken away, while we remained behind helpless to stop her.

"Shit" I yelled, kicking aimlessly at the bars of the cell, ignoring the sharp burning pain that began to spread through my

foot.

They had taken her. They had taken Regan; our mate and we had been helpless to stop it. Isabelle that bitch, what was she planning on doing with Regan? It didn't bode well. Not at all. For once, even Xander didn't look like his usual, calm, rational self, flinging his body at the bars in some vain attempt to get them to break or even part. The guards simply stood back, watching, their arms across their chest, expressionless. I gestured at them wildly.

"Can't you see that you're being manipulated?" I shouted out. "Do you honestly think that my father is in charge of all of his mental faculties right now?" Were they blind or stupid? Anybody could see that my father was not himself. Were we the only ones who seemed to have any common sense in this pack?

The guards shot each other a glance, their lips flattening in denial. Xander's voice rose from behind me, also sounding panicked. "Qur father is not himself, His mate and Isabelle have him under a spell. Surely you should be able to tell the difference?" he demanded

hoarsely.

Another glance between the two guards at our comments. Their eyes went cloudy. They were mind-linking with each other and silently communicating. We stared at them, willing them to believe us. But their eyes returned to normal and the first guard, a man called Sampson if I recall correctly, raised a brow and scoffed at us.

"Oh please, you'll try anything in order to gain your freedom. You both should be ashamed of yourselves, for trying to kill your own flesh and blood. I never took you for the bloodthirsty type" he snarled, curling his lip back.

I blanched even though it wasn't true, I would never betray my father like that. Nor would Xander. These men didn't know us as well as they thought they did. They had misjudged us without hearing our side of the story.

The other man, Jerome, nudged Sampson with his elbow, his eyes glittering with mirth. "You have to hand it to them though," he said with laughter in his voice. "The story they just came up with about the Alpha being under a spell? What lunacy" he mocked as I glared at him. "Everybody knows the witches wouldn't just help anybody. The price they demand is too high for most shifters to even contemplate such a thing. You're merely lying to try and gain sympathy" he said darkly "and it's not going to work. We are and always will be loyal to Alpha Jackson and therefore his mate."

His tone was filled with resolve. At any other time, a man like this would be highly valued as a warrior and appreciated. Now, however, I felt nothing but exasperation and annoyance towards the man and his colleague."

"I admire your loyalty" I protested thickly, feeling a lump in my throat, knowing I didn't even have to turn to know that my twin Xander was nodding his head in agreement, "but surely, you've noticed the change in my father's behavior the last few days? The strange look in his eyes? The suddenness with which Heather has taken over while my father remains in the background?" I pressed.

A host of small things that when put together should have raised alarms and produced red flags. Sampson pressed his lips together. "So what?" he asked nonchalantly. "Stuff like this tends to happen when you have a new mate like the Alpha. He's merely showing his mate how much trust he has in her. You can't deny that he found proof in your room. You had vials of

poison" he said darkly.

"They weren't ours" Xander roared back irritably, "and who happened to coincidentally find them in our room?" he snarled. "Heather or was it, Isabelle? Doesn't that seem just a tiny bit suspicious to you or convenient?"

The guards looked mutinous. No amount of protesting, pleading, or begging was about to make these two men change their minds. They had already condemned us to our fate. They only trusted our father and nothing we said would change their views or make them inclined to help us. We were screwed unless we were able to come up with a plan. I gritted my teeth,

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13

glancing back towards the staircase where Regan had vanished along with Isabelle and her men. We had only a small amount of time. I didn't know what Isabelle wanted Regan for, but the crazed look in her eyes as she had Regan dragged behind her spoke volumes.

She was going to harm our mate, and we weren't there to stop her. We had to get out of this blasted cell. I slammed my hand against the door, cursing under my breath as I pulled it away, my skin blistered and burned. It was nothing in comparison to the pain I was feeling on the inside for failing to protect my mate like I had promised to do.

of it. I

I tried once more to reach my wolf, but my mind was like a blank canvas that was missing the most important aspect was so used to having my wolf with me, to guide me and advise me on what to do, that the loss of him was overwhelming. I ran a hand through my hair frustrated, watching the guards out of the corner of my eyes as they stepped back into the shadows, silently murmuring to one another, so quiet that we were unable to hear what was being discussed.

"One of them has a key" Xander muttered with a tinge of hope in his voice. "Maybe if they get close enough..." he trailed off, glancing at me as I thought it over and then realized the folly of such a plan.

It was impossible for such a plan to work. Too many things could go wrong. The odds of it working were laughable. I hated to crush Xander's hopes but I had to be realistic. It wasn't going to work.

I shook my head. "How? They aren't stupid. There is nothing that is going to lure them close enough to the cell in order to surprise them with a sneak attack or get the upper hand. Even if we did, they would only call more men" I pointed out wearily.

If only I had my strength back or my wolf. This blasted silver, I thought, staring at the cuffs and wishing I could simply yank them off myself.

Xander frowned. "We have to do something, Regan's out there," he said, his voice rising. "Don't you think I know that?" I shouted, staring at him in disbelief. "How could I forget about our mate? It's my own stupidity and recklessness that has caused her to become a target and put us in this stupid position" I added, daring him to contradict me.

All of this, it was my fault. Regan deserved better mates than us. We should never have forced her to accept us as her mates. We should have accepted her rejection the first time. I was thinking irrationally but my guilt was practically crushing me by

now.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself' Xander sneered, staring at me and looking like he'd like to throttle me with his bare hands. "Our mate is trusting in us to help her and you're busy wallowing in self-pity," he said in disgust, curling his lip and raking his gaze over me. I opened my mouth to answer him when both of our faces contorted into an expression of pain. We bent over doubled, panting and grasping at the ground, startled as what felt like a fire swept through our bodies. Our bodies shook and shuddered. I flinched. Xander let out a small moan. Our eyes rose and met each other's. Comprehension began to dawn. Neither of us had been injured just now. We hadn't touched the bars; we hadn't swung our fists at each other. That meant the pain had come from another source. That meant that somebody else was experiencing the pain alongside us. I could feel my body beginning to shake but it wasn't with fear but rage. Regan. She was being hurt. This was her pain that we could feel. Somebody was hurting her. Isabelle, I thought, letting out a ferocious eyes darkening. That bitch was laying her. hands on our mate and we were stuck here unable to do a damn thing to stop her. I could feel myself becoming almost berserk with the urge to become vicious, seeing another but red as my thoughts began to whirl inside my

my

mind. I had to save my mate. I had to get to her. I had to.

"Regan" Xander rasped, horrified, as the pain faded and then started again, a burning, heating pain that caused us to wince and grit our teeth.

The pain we were feeling was all hers. Xander looked as though he was on the verge of losing control. I saw his eyes as he glanced towards the guards who had stepped towards us, eyeing us with interest.

growl,

darken

"They are hurting our mate" Xander snarled, while the guards remained still."Do you think that you will be spared if we get out of here? Do you think we will grant you leeway for what you have done?" he roared.

Both of us were staring at the guards with bloodlust. Reason had gone out the window now. Our hands were itching to land a

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hit on one or both of the guards.

"You don't scare us," Jerome said with a laugh but Sampson was quiet, tilting his head and studying us closely, an indecipherable expression on his face.

"If she dies, I don't care what it takes, I will personally rip you limb from limb" Xander threatened, while I stood there thinking hard. It was time to act. We couldn't stand here forever throwing threats towards the guards. Regan needed us. The pain continued to come in waves, fading and then hitting hard, my stomach clenching as the worst of it hit. I could almost picture Regan screaming in my mind

and it almost caused me to become undone. My mate. My mate could be dying for all I knew. There had to be a way to get the guards to come closer. A way to make them take notice and let down their guard or cause them to make a mistake. Something that would make them take action without considering the ramifications. I had the inkling of an idea, but I

needed Xander to go along with me. He had to understand my motives. Would he be able to read my mind? I couldn't risk mind-linking him. The guards would instantly get suspicious. No, he would have to interpret and adjust to my plan. We were twins and this wasn't the follow my lead. I had complete faith that he would instantly recognize what I needed him to do. Otherwise, we were toast.

first time he'd had to

I took a deep breath and then turned towards Xander, narrowing my eyes and spitting at his feet, causing him to jolt back in shock. "This is your fucking fault", I growled, hatred simmering in my eyes. "If it wasn't for you and your damn incompetence none of this would have happened. You call yourself an Alpha?" I mocked, my tone becoming dark, "You are nothing but a weakling. No wonder Regan

prefers me to you" I added arrogantly as Xander began to tense, his eyes beginning to blaze with anger.

It was time to dance. I threw the first punch. Xander didn't see it coming.