AMARIS

I did not deserve any sort of sympathy from anyone.

That thought settled in my chest heavy and true as I lay there on Rowan’s bed with my dress bunched around my waist and my breasts exposed and Ryker standing in the doorway looking like he was contemplating murder.

I was the root cause of all my problems, the common denominator in every disaster that had befallen me since arriving at Gravemoon. Maybe even before that if I was being truly honest with myself.

I had told Alpha Corvin he would have to sleep with me traditionally to spite Ryker for walking out on me after taking my virginity and leaving me crying on a bathroom floor. And I had come to Rowan’s room tonight knowing exactly how it would end, a part of me wanting to have a taste of him too before I got shipped back to Stormshadow where I would never see either of them again.

I knew it would end with Rowan breaking every restraint he had managed to hold onto since I got her, knowing I was actively destroying his carefully constructed control.

But I had wanted to have him just as badly as I had wanted Ryker last night.

And in less than twenty-four hours I had managed to fuck my life up to the point of absolute no return.

Now here was Rowan shirtless before his glaring brother who looked ready to unleash whatever beast lived inside him. And here was me lying on the bed with my breasts still exposed, the space between my legs where Ryker had been inside just hours ago still wet from Rowan’s fingers that had been working me toward something I would never get to finish now.

My underwear was somewhere on the floor and my dress was a disaster and I looked exactly like what I was - a girl who had just been caught about to sleep with one twin less than a day after sleeping with the other.

Maybe I was the wench that Lila called me. You know what? Scratch that, I wasn’t a wench, I am whore. A dirty thirsty whore getting exactly what she deserves.

"What do you mean by your mate?" Rowan demanded, his voice wasn’t the usual calm but still shallow and breathless from the activity we were just cut short from.

Ryker did not respond, just kept glaring at me like I had committed the worst kind of treason imaginable.

I sat up quickly and pulled my dress up to cover my breasts, my hands shaking as I tried to make myself presentable even though there was no recovering from this level of mortification.

Rowan was on his feet now, standing between me and his brother like a shield.

Ryker’s eyes locked on me and his voice came out in a commanding tone that made my wolf want to submit immediately. "Go to your room."

I scrambled to my feet ready to flee for dear life because staying in this room while they fought over me seemed like the worst possible option.

But Rowan grabbed my hand possessively and yanked me back to him.

"She is not going anywhere," Rowan stated firmly. "She is our mate, not just yours."

Ryker scoffed and the sound was ugly and mocking. "You are such a hypocrite. Were you not the one all keen on rejecting her? Now that you have fucked her you suddenly want to keep her?" He paused. "What happened to rejecting the bond? Let’s do it right now. I, Ryker Grave, reject—"

"Stop," Rowan interrupted, his hand tightening on mine.

Ryker looked at him with a knowing expression that made my stomach drop. "You are so full of shit, always acting all high and mighty when you are just as messed up as I am. Maybe you are better at covering it up but you are not actually better than me."

"It is not that simple," Rowan defended weakly.

"It is simple," Ryker countered. "You fucked her and conveniently forgot that you practically moved up your wedding date and will soon be married to Lila." He turned his attention to me. "Or did he not tell you that he moved up his wedding because of you?"

The words hurt more than the sincerity of it. The truth in his voice, the evident guilt on Rowan’s eyes. He had moved up his wedding.

"That is not true," Rowan said, directing the statement more to me than to his brother.

Ryker chuckled darkly. "That means he is just fucking you Amaris so he can have a taste before he gets married. He is not better than me at all."

I started pulling my hand from Rowan’s grip and he tried to hold tighter.

"Amaris I promise that is not it," Rowan pleaded, his voice cracking slightly.

I looked at him and felt something inside me break completely. "Please let go of me. I need to go pack my things."

My voice came out quieter than I intended, all the fight draining out of me.

Because I could not comprehend having fallen prey to the same kind of man twice in a row in different bodies. They were indeed twins in every way that mattered - both of them willing to use me and discard me when it became inconvenient.

Both of them just wanting to have me and move on when they were done with me.

Rowan slowly released my hand like it physically pained him to do so.

I walked toward the door on legs that felt unsteady, my vision blurring slightly from unshed tears I refused to let fall in front of them.

When I passed Ryker he reached out to grab my arm. "Amaris—"

I jerked away and shot him a glare that I hoped conveyed every ounce of hurt and fury coursing through me. "Don’t. You have done enough today."

I walked away quickly before either of them could say anything else, before I completely broke down in front of them and gave them the satisfaction of seeing how thoroughly they had destroyed me.

Because Ryker and Rowan just destroyed me.