The Alphas & The Heiress

Syble (Magnolia)

I’m rendered speechless. I stumble back towards the bed, my legs buckling under the weight of his intensity. I don’t fully understand what is going on, but for some inexplicable reason I believed Ro when he said they wouldn’t hurt me.

“What does that mean exactly?” I whisper.

“How about a deal, hmm?” Varian cautiously approaches me and takes my hand in his, softly rubbing his thumb in an arc across the back of it, trailing sparks everywhere he makes contact with my skin. “Tell us who you are, no more secrets. Let us in. Maybe we can figure out who was after you today. In exchange, we’ll answer any of your questions.”

If only Varian knew what he was asking of me; to put my blind trust in them with my life, the lives of my family, my entire colony. But then Ro’s words were so resolute, as if simply saying them made them law. They would never hurt me.

I doubt they’ll let this go. Varian can call it a deal but we both know they’re holding the answers I want hostage unless I relent. Their mom somehow knows the truth, she could have told them at any point, but she didn’t. She knew I needed to be the one to tell them when I was ready. This whole week I’ve been feeling like there was something they weren’t telling me, all the while they probably felt the same about me. The truth is I don’t want to hide myself from them anymore, especially not here at home in the safety of the grove.

Slowly he leads me over to the couch to sit with them. I settle in the middle of the couch between Kat and Ro, close enough to him that our thighs brush up against each other’s, sending those same familiar tingles throughout my body. Varian settles on the floor in front of me.

Taking in a deep breath I begin, “My given name is Magnolia Brightscale, firstborn daughter of Queen Ianthe, heiress apparent of Twilight Grove. And Incandis…” I smirk at Kat, “is my older brother.”

Three pairs of eyes go wide, mouths agape, but none of them say anything. They simply nod, lean closer, and wait for me to continue.

“My father, Bastian, is the king of our colony. Strong, compassionate, and fair, he has ruled alongside my mother for centuries.” My voice drops to a whisper, “he’s the one we’re looking for, him and his brother; my uncle, Dex. They’re the ones who went missing.”

For a minute no one speaks. Kat is the one to break the silence. “Why didn’t you tell us this before?” she asks softly, “If there’s anything wolves understand, it’s family.”

“It’s not that simple. Being the heir to the throne already puts my safety at risk, add to that an unidentifiable threat that has already caused two of my family members to go missing. There are also those who would seek to use me for my gift. Outside of the grove I am careful to conceal my identity and escape recognition. To the world I am Syble, some blind assassin, but to my people, I am Queen.”

Their heads cock to the side at the mention of my gift. And when I’m done speaking, there’s a pregnant pause as they take in this new information. Varian and Ro exchange a look, no doubt debating who is going to ask me about my gift. Varian apparently drew the short straw because his lips begin to part as he takes in a quick breath. Before he can ask me about the nature of my gift, I lift a finger to his lips to stop him. I say softly, “it would be easier to show you.”

I reach my hands up behind my head and slowly undo the knot that holds my blindfold in place. With shaky hands I pull down the blindfold and lift my head up to finally look the twins directly in the eye. Kat gasps out something inaudible, Varian’s eyes hold my own for several moments before breaking free from my gaze and closing tightly. Ro’s face remains impassive, his jaw clenching before forcing his eyes closed as well.

A feeling I’ve never felt washes over me - shame. The way their faces contorted when I showed them my true self, looking away and letting their eyes cloud over again. I ball up my fists, blindfold still in my clutches, feeling the heat from my flames beginning to singe my composure. As I lift the blindfold back up to my eyes a hand grips onto my wrist firmly, my skin tingling from the contact.

“Don’t,” Varian almost pleads.

My hands drop back into my lap, releasing the tension they once held. Varian’s hand remains gently wrapped around my wrist, his thumb occasionally caressing the top of my hand. I sit in silence unsure of what to make of his request and his refusal to let go of my hand, as if he’s worried I’ll slip the blindfold back on if he were to let go.

“Magnolia…” Ro purrs out my name and pins me with darkened eyes. I all but moan at the sound of my name on his lips, desire plummeting to my core. He’s never said my name like that before, but then again he’s never known my real name.

“We have more questions, but a deal is a deal. What questions do you have for us?”

My mind is swirling in a sea of confusion. I could conjure up a hundred questions. If they weren’t responsible for the attack then who was? What makes Ro so sure they wouldn’t hurt me? Why would they turn away from my eyes in disgust but stop me from covering myself back up? Why does my body warm when Ro says my true name, why does it tingle with contact, why does it respond at all to them? I am not used to being this deep in the dark. Before they came along I was sure, steady, confident. They’ve made me conflicted, doubtful, and self-conscious. In a moment of clarity, one question stands out.

Watching as Varian’s thumb continues to stroke my hand, I ask quietly, “why do I feel this way around you?”

— — —

Rohanor

I watch as Syble pulls down her blindfold, something my wolf and I have been itching to do since we first saw her. Though my mind is trying to process the onslaught of information she just unloaded on us, I can’t focus on anything but finally looking into her eyes.

The blind fold drops, her head lifts, and we’re frozen in place. “Holy fuck” I hear Kat breathe out barely below a whisper. Syble looks towards Varian and the two of them are lost in each other’s eyes before he breaks away, attempting to calm his wolf who is desperately clawing for control so he can claim and mark our mate.

She finally flits her eyes to me, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Where a colorful iris should be, her eyes are ablaze with a lively, bright green flame. Like a moth to a literal flame, I feel pulled into her orbital hearths. My wolf is howling in joy, also trying to take control to reach out and claim her. I fight him back, closing my eyes to regain my composure.

Magnolia’s name tastes delicious on my tongue. Thoughts of how her sweet center would taste enter my mind unbidden. The smell of her arousal after hearing me say her name hits me like a wall and it takes everything within me not to pin her down and finally claim her.

“We have more questions, but a deal is a deal. What questions do you have for us?”

Magnolia reflects for a moment, as if filtering through a list of questions. I watch as she looks from me, down to where Varian is holding onto her wrist, when she finally asks quietly, “why do I feel this way around you.”

Her arousal is swirling around the room, her blazing, green eyes spreading warmth as her eyes trail across my body. My cock twitches in my pants and I shift hoping it goes unnoticed.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts when Kat stands up and announces, “yeah, I think I’m just gonna go find the kitchen. You three have fun.”

Magnolia’s face goes crimson with embarrassment. I take it she’s not the only one who forgot Kat was still in the room.

“She didn’t have to leave,” Magnolia mutters out, though I can tell she knows it’s a lie.

Varian chuckles softly, “yes she did.” He shifts on the floor so he’s leaning sideways against the couch facing me. His head is propped up on his left hand as he traces imaginary shapes on her knee with his right. “Do you remember what she said about mates?”

She blinks, eyes darting back and forth between Varian and me. “She said something about a soulmate, called it your other half.”

Varian nods solemnly, “Mates are a blessing from the moon goddess. She splits every wolf soul into two equal halves, two complimentary pieces, that when brought back together form a powerful bond between the two mates.”

“There are many wolves in the world, and many more creatures that wolves have sometimes been destined to. In order to help wolves recognize their counterpart, there are certain… physical signs. Pleasurable sparks from physical contact are the most tangible indication. A mate’s scent is also distinct and irresistible to their other half.”

He stops briefly to inhale her scent, his eyes no doubt darkening. I watch Magnolia intently as she listens to Varian. Her brows furrow as she wrestles a thought.

“Ro called me his mate before.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why do I feel this way with both of you? Last I checked, three halves do not make a whole.”

Varian smirks, “Twins are sometimes an exception to the rule.”

“Being twins, Varian’s and my soul are indistinguishable. You’re fated to both of us. You’re our mate.” I reply as neutrally as I can, but I can hear my wolf’s possessiveness coming through.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

It’s a fair question. We’ve had so many opportunities to tell her the truth, so many times we willed her to give herself to us before she knew anything about being mates.

“You had no intention of telling me did you?” She asks lowly through gritted teeth. The sting of her sense of rejection bites at us through the bond.

She tries to dash away from us, but Varian is just as fast and anchors her to her spot on the couch.

“Not so fast, love. You’re done hiding from us.” Varian growls softly to her. She is so good at masking her emotions, but she can’t disguise her feelings from the ever strengthening bond between us.

“The truth, spitfire, is we didn’t want a mate. We didn’t want the burden of protecting them from enemies that would use them to hurt us.” I begin to try to explain our perspective. “Never in a hundred years could we have expected the Moon Goddess to bless us with you; a fearless, fiery dragoness with a smart mouth and personality to match.”

Varian takes one of her hands in his and lifts it to his lips, brushing his lips softly against her skin before placing a featherlight kiss on the back of her hand.

Magnolia bites her lip and squeezes her eyes shut, she clenches her thighs together but it does nothing to dampen the smell of her mounting arousal. Sitting next to her, I cup her cheek and turn her head to face me, tracing my thumb across her bottom lip. When her eyes flutter open and lock with mine, she bites her lip and I lose my self control.

Fuck it.

I crash my lips onto hers, my hands tangling into her hair, pressing our bodies together. Her taste is even more intoxicating than her scent. She hesitates for the briefest of seconds before leaning into me and kissing back with equal fervor. I nip and suck on her bottom lip, my tongue demanding entrance. Finally she acquiesces, her mouth opening to mine, our tongues sweeping across each other with need.

Varian shifts so he’s kneeling between her legs, his hands massaging up and down her thighs. Magnolia breaks free from our kiss and looks down to Varian as I plant open mouth kisses from behind her ear down to her shoulder and back up again. Her chest heaves as her breath quickens. I breathe against her neck, “you taste so fucking good.”

Varian slides his hand up her thighs once more, this time hooking his hands in the waistband of her leggings. Magnolia’s eyes go wide. I smirk against her jaw, “it seems my brother wants a taste for himself.”