I couldn’t believe my eyes. The girl in front of me... she looked like me. No, not just similar, her face carried lines, shapes, and shadows that felt like my own. It was like staring into a broken mirror.
I gasped before I could stop myself. "Who... who are you?"
Her wide eyes darted to mine. Her lips trembled as she whispered at the exact same time, "Who are you?"
Our voices collided, echoing off the walls. We both froze.
I took a cautious step forward. "Answer me," I demanded, though my voice was softer than usual. "Tell me your name."
She shook her head, pressing her back to the wall. "No. You tell me first. Who are you? Why are you here?"
Before I could speak again, footsteps pounded down the corridor. A guard rounded the corner, his eyes widening when he saw her. His voice boomed, shattering the fragile moment.
"Lisa! Lisa has been found!"
Her body flinched at the sound of her name, like the word itself was a whip.
More guards came running, and soon, the hallway filled with noise. Then I saw them, two men who carried the weight of Alphas in their stride. Strong, tall, and commanding. Rowan and Kael.
Rowan’s eyes landed on Lisa first. His face broke, raw emotion flooding him. He rushed forward, ignoring everyone else, and pulled her into his arms.
"Lisa," he breathed, voice shaking. "Oh, Lisa, I’m so sorry. I should have believed you. I should have protected you."
Her hands pressed weakly against his chest, pushing him back. "Don’t," she said, her voice hoarse. "Don’t touch me. Not now."
Rowan’s face fell as if she had stabbed him straight through his heart.
I stood frozen, the name pounding in my head. Lisa. That was her name.
I repeated it softly to myself. "Lisa..."
She turned her head at the sound of my voice, eyes narrowing like she remembered I was still there.
Rowan finally noticed me then. His sharp eyes locked onto me, and his wolf practically surged forward. "Why are you with her, Alpha Thorne?" he demanded, shielding Lisa behind him. "And why are you here? And why couldn’t you wait for us in the meeting room like you were told?"
I straightened, meeting his gaze. "Because...."
Before I could answer, Kael’s expression shifted suddenly. His eyes darted from me to Lisa, then back again. His mouth parted, shock spreading across his face. "Wait. What the hell is this? The resemblance..." He stepped closer, almost circling me like he was comparing every feature. "You two...why do you look alike? Like blood?"
Rowan’s jaw clenched, his eyes hard on me. "Explain this, Thorne. Now."
I opened my mouth, but before a word could leave, Lisa moved. Slowly, shakily, she turned her back on all of us. Her steps were unsteady, but her will was clear, she wanted nothing to do with this.
"Lisa, wait!" I reached forward instinctively, my legs moving before my mind could stop them.
But before I could take more than a step, Rowan’s voice snapped like a whip. "Stop!" Dıscover more novels at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝘯𝘦𝘵
I froze. His wolf growled beneath his tone. Kael stepped forward too, blocking me.
"You don’t get to chase after her," Kael said firmly, his hand up like a warning. "You need to stop running behind her shadow and have a real conversation with us."
Rowan’s eyes burned with restrained fury. "Lisa has been through enough. Whatever is going on here, whatever strange connection you think you have, it doesn’t give you the right to drag her further into chaos."
I clenched my fists, my chest tight. "You think I don’t see her pain? You think I want to hurt her? No. But I can’t pretend this means nothing. Look at us. You can see it too."
Kael’s expression softened for only a second, then hardened again. "That’s exactly why we need to talk. Not out here. Not in front of her. In the meeting room."
Lisa didn’t stop walking. She disappeared into the shadows of the hall, her figure small, her back trembling. Every part of me wanted to run after her, to demand answers from her, to beg her to look me in the eye. But Rowan’s glare held me in place.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my wolf back down. "...Fine."
Rowan gave a curt nod, his jaw still tight. "Good. Because if you want answers, you’ll get them from us. Not by chasing her when she’s at her breaking point."
Kael gestured toward the hall. "Let’s go. The meeting room. Now."
The meeting room was silent when we entered, heavy with unspoken tension. Rowan sat first, his body stiff, eyes hard as steel. Kael followed, arms crossed tightly over his chest. I stayed standing for a moment, gathering my thoughts, before bowing my head.
"I owe you both an apology," I said quietly. "For intruding into your palace without permission. I... I followed a call I couldn’t explain, and I know that might seem reckless."
Rowan’s sharp gaze never softened. "Yes, it was reckless. You don’t walk into another Alpha’s territory like that, Thorne. But..." He paused, letting out a slow breath. "We’ll forgive you this once. Because we can see you mean no harm."
Kael’s voice was colder. "But forgiveness doesn’t mean we’ll overlook everything. You should know your place."
I bowed my head again, forcing my pride down. "I understand. And I’m grateful. Truly."
For a moment, silence filled the room again, but I couldn’t leave without asking what was burning inside me.
"I need to know something," I said, looking from one brother to the other. "What is your relationship with the girl? With Lisa?"
Rowan’s eyes hardened instantly. His voice dropped low, almost dangerous. "That’s none of your business."
Kael leaned forward, his eyes sharp as blades. "You don’t get to walk in here, ask about her, and expect us to just answer. What’s your relationship with her? Why did you even go after her in the first place?"
I swallowed, my throat dry. The truth tangled in my chest. "She’s... someone close to me," I said slowly. "I don’t know how to explain it yet. Not until I see her properly, not until I can..."
Rowan cut me off, slamming his palm on the table. "That won’t be possible. Lisa doesn’t need more chaos. She doesn’t need strangers claiming they have ties to her."
I clenched my fists, my voice rising before I could stop it. "She isn’t a stranger to me! I can’t explain it yet, but there’s something...."
"Enough," Kael snapped, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You think we don’t see it? The way you look like her? The resemblance? You think that gives you some right over her?" He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "It doesn’t."
I stood there, speechless, my chest tight with frustration. They saw it too. They knew. Yet they were shutting me out.
Rowan stood, his tone final. "You’ve said enough, Thorne. And so have we. Right now, we have more urgent matters to attend to. Lisa is not yours to question. Not now, not ever. If you want to speak of this again, you’ll do so when we allow it."
Kael rose to his feet as well. "Leave. Return to your pack. Come back another time if you must. But for now... we have nothing more to say to you."
I froze, staring at them as they turned and walked away, their footsteps echoing against the stone floor.