Alicia's POV
If I thought being mated to the three Dome brothers would somehow improve things for me, I couldn't have been more wrong.
In fact, things got worse.
At least when they first saw me, they mocked me to my face. But after discovering we were mates, they began acting like I didn't even exist.
The only one who spoke to me was Rowan—and even that was only to flirt and mess around. He never treated me as anything more than a toy.
How was I supposed to survive being married to all three of them?
I had thought I would be bonded to just one—Zane, the eldest. But everything changed.
They had already contacted my parents, scolding them for letting me escape. My parents promised it wouldn't happen again, and I didn't know what that meant—until the Luna Ceremony.
The ceremony was nothing like I'd imagined.
My parents weren't allowed to attend. There were no guests. No smiles. No celebration.
No music. No joy.
The pack knew their Alphas were taking a mate, but only the inner staff of the mansion even knew it was me.
I was a secret. A forbidden whisper.
Something not to be seen—only spoken of in hushed tones.
It was just me, standing alone in front of the Dome brothers and a priest who refused to meet my gaze. A silver collar sat in a box beside a contract on the table.
The room was large, cold, and silent—just like everything else in this place.
Zane signed the contract first, not sparing me a glance.
Rowan went next. He twirled the pen in his fingers, looking bored, and scribbled his name like it meant nothing.
Asher didn't even bother sitting. He walked up, snatched the pen, signed quickly, and dropped it like it disgusted him.
Then it was my turn.
My hand trembled as I picked up the pen. I stared at the contract.
My name was next to theirs, but it didn't feel real.
I didn't even feel like Alicia anymore.
Still, I signed it.
What choice did I have?
Zane lifted the silver collar from the box. It was thin, sleek, and ice-cold. It looked like jewelry—but it wasn't.
It was a chain.
"A symbol of the deal," Zane said flatly as he fastened it around my neck.
There was a soft click—and I flinched at the sound.
From that moment on, I was the Luna of the Dome Pack.
Not by love.
Not by choice.
But by force.
They sent me to my room immediately after the ceremony.
It was beautiful—elegant and expensive—but it didn't feel like mine.
It didn't feel like home.
I had been terrified they would come to consummate the marriage that night.
But no one came.
And I was relieved.
Still, the thought of mating with the three of them lingered.
They were devastatingly handsome—even their cruelty couldn't hide that—but still…
I could barely sleep.
When I woke the next morning, I discovered the door was locked from the outside.
Zane had meant what he said to my parents—
I would never get the chance to run again.
Days passed.
The Dome brothers continued to avoid me.
I didn't eat with them. The maids brought food to my room instead. Some nights, I cried myself to sleep in silence.
One day, as I passed the library, I overheard them talking.
"She's just a placeholder Luna," Zane said.
My heart sank.
So that's all I was. A placeholder. A name on paper. No wonder everyone treated me with a hollow kind of respect—just enough to follow orders but not enough to see me.
That night, my room felt too small. Too quiet.
I needed air.
I crept to the door and turned the knob.
To my surprise, it wasn't locked.
Barefoot, I stepped into the hallway.
The house was dimly lit. Shadows clung to the walls. Everything was still.
I made my way to the back balcony, hoping to breathe something that wasn't recycled silence. But just as I opened the door, I froze.
Asher was already there.
He turned sharply, eyes narrowing.
"What the hell are you doing out of your room?" he snapped.
"I needed air," I replied softly.
"You don't get to walk around like you own the place," he growled, stepping closer.
He grabbed my arm, his grip rough, and yanked me toward him.
"I could throw you back in and lock the door for good," he hissed. His face was inches from mine.
His breath was warm. His scent filled the space between us.
I looked up at him. I was shaking inside, but I didn't let it show.
"Then do it. You hate me anyway," I said quietly.
His eyes flickered.
He stared at me like he didn't know what to do.
Then, his grip loosened. Slowly, he lifted his hand to my chin and held it firmly.
"You're not brave," he whispered coldly. "You're just stupid."
"Maybe," I whispered back, faking confidence. "But I won't break."
His eyes darkened. For a moment, I thought he might say something else—but then he let go and stepped away.
"Go," he muttered. "Before I change my mind."
I didn't wait.
I turned and walked quickly back to my room, closing the door behind me.
I stood in front of the mirror, breath heavy, hands shaking.
My reflection stared back—tired, pale, but burning with something I hadn't seen before.
Resolve.
I wasn't going to be the weak, spoiled girl they thought they knew.
And right there, in the silence, I made a promise to myself:
"I will never be weak again."
But just as I turned from the mirror, the door burst open.
Zane stood in the doorway—cold, unreadable.
And then he said the last thing I ever expected:
"We've decided. Tonight, we claim you."