Alicia's POV
The headache hit me first the moment I opened my eyes. I quickly shut them again and placed my hands against my temples.
It took a while for my body and mind to fully adjust. When I was finally able to keep my eyes open, I realized I was in a strange place.
I bolted upright as the memory of being dragged into a car and drugged hit me.
Oh no! I've been kidnapped!
The realization struck like lightning.
Where was I?
Who had taken me?
I vaguely remembered a pair of glowing blue eyes before I blacked out, but I hadn't seen the person's face.
As I stood and looked around, I was taken aback by the sheer opulence of the room I was in.
It was elegant. Clean. Beautiful.
My brain immediately registered something important—no kidnapper would place their victim in a room like this.
Still, I had to get out of here. I needed to figure out where I was. I hurried to the door and turned the knob.
To my surprise, it opened easily.
Honestly, a part of me had expected it to be locked—just so I could confirm I was, indeed, being held against my will. But that assumption had just been shattered.
I stepped into the corridor and began walking. Morning light streamed in through an open window, making it clear that I'd been out cold all night.
Panic began to rise in my chest.
By now, my parents must have discovered I was gone. They were probably searching for me.
I had to leave quickly—before they dragged me back and handed me over to the Alphas.
I rounded a corner—and stopped in my tracks.
A man stood before me. He looked like a guard, and a particularly fierce one.
"Come with me. The Alphas are waiting, "he commanded.
I stared at him, wide-eyed.
What?
Did he just say Alphas?
Were the people who took me the very ones I was trying to escape from?
If that was the case… I was doomed.
"Wait! What do you mean, Alphas?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"You're in the Dome Family estate," he replied flatly. "And the Alphas don't like to be kept waiting."
Before I could say another word, he grabbed my arm and led me down a long hallway.
I bit my lower lip, forcing back the tears threatening to fall. I wouldn't cry. I refused to look weak.
Never again.
We finally reached a set of grand double doors. The guard pushed them open, and I stepped inside.
I expected a throne room or grand hall—but it was an office.
And there they were.
All three of them.
Looking fierce. Deadly. And undeniably handsome.
My breath caught in my throat as my eyes scanned them one by one.
There were three desks. Each had a nameplate made of gold:
Zane. Asher. Rowan.
The Dome brothers.
They looked even more terrifying in person.
When my parents told me we owed the Dome Family, I'd looked them up online. I knew their reputation. They were ruthless. Powerful. Dangerous.
Why in the world did my parents have to owe them of all people?
Their cold stares made me feel as though I was on trial with every step I took forward.
I stood before them, heart racing, hands trembling.
Zane—the eldest—sat in the middle. He had sharp, intimidating features and icy eyes. He was calm, but there was something deadly beneath his stillness.
"She's the contract," he said with clear disgust. "The spoiled Sandler girl they traded to clear their debts."
Asher, who sat to the left, let out a dry, mocking laugh.
"Seriously? This is what we get?" he said with a sneer. "She looks like she'd cry if the wind blew too hard."
I clenched my fists, refusing to let their words break me.
Rowan, the youngest, sat on the right. He leaned forward with a twisted smile on his lips. His voice was deep and playful—but in a dangerous way.
"Do you always cry this much, princess?" he taunted. "We heard you had a full-on meltdown at your little party."
The three of them burst into laughter.
The sound grated against my nerves.
I took a deep breath.
"I didn't ask for this," I said quietly.
Their laughter stopped instantly.
Good. Now I had their attention.
"And I'm not afraid of you," I added, silently thanking my voice for holding steady.
The brothers stood, one by one, and slowly circled me.
Wolves.
Predators.
I felt small. But I held my ground.
Zane leaned in, close enough for his cold breath to graze my skin.
"You should be," he said. His voice was low and deadly. "You belong to us now."
Then—something strange happened.
The air around us shifted. It became thick and charged with a strange energy.
I felt it hit me first—a pull so strong it made my skin tingle. My heart skipped a beat.
A sweet and dizzying sensation surged through me.
And then I realized… I wasn't the only one feeling it.
Zane froze mid-step.
Asher growled under his breath.
Rowan's smirk vanished completely.
"What is the meaning of this?" Zane said through gritted teeth.
"No way," Asher muttered.
"This must be a joke, "Rowan added, his eyes narrowing.
I knew exactly what it was.
It was the mate bond.
They were angry. Furious even.
But I was the one who was shocked.
Hadn't my life already fallen apart enough?
Why would the Moon Goddess go this far?
The Dome brothers hated me—and now, I was mated to all three of them.
I had barely escaped one nightmare…
Only to walk straight into another.
And then Zane whispered something that made the room go silent.
Something that chilled me to the bone.
"We'll never accept you."