"Arianna, sweetheart, it's time to wake up."

"Five more minutes mom."

"You really need to get up honey."

"I promise I will be up in a few minutes. School can wait."

"Get up!"

My body instantly jolted off the bed I was lying on at the sound of the harsh, deep voice. My legs banged against the hardwood floor when I fell to the ground. The cold wood floor felt like ice against my bare legs.

My eyes frantically took in my surroundings. The room I was in barely had any lights on for me to clearly see everything. Dark blue curtains were closed in front of the windows on the far side of the room.

I glanced down at my half naked body. Someone had dressed me in an oversized t-shirt. It barely covered down to my thighs.

A hand reached down onto my shoulders and pulled me up from the floor.

"Are you okay?" asked a familiar voice from behind me.

"Ca- Carla?" my voice choked out. My throat was sore and dry. I could barely speak.

"Yes it's me. Do you feel all right?"

"I'm okay, I think."

"Enough chit chat, stand up!" snarled a harsh voice.

Carla put her arm around my shoulders to keep me standing. My legs were weak from whatever they injected me with in my neck. My body convulsed with shakes from my shoulders down to my toes.

"Good. Now stay that way until our Alpha decides to come up and talk to you," he ordered before walking out the door.

"What is going on? Where is Louis?"

"Louis is downstairs. Here," she handed me a glass of water.

We both fell silent while we waited patiently for the rogue Alpha to come speak with me. I began to wonder where we were and how far away from the territories it was.

"How long have I been out for?" I asked Carla. I sat back down on the bed and ignored the rogue's orders. She watched me carefully as I took couple deep breaths.

"You've been out for three days. They said it took two sedatives to take you down. That's enough sedation to put a normal wolf out for a week."

"Do you know what is going on?"

"Perhaps I should answer that for you."

My head snapped up to the doorway. The rogue Alpha leaned against the frame with his arms crossed and stared intently at me.

His eyes locked with mine. This was the second time it happened. Any doubts left my mind. He was definitely my mate.

"Hello Ari."

I couldn't respond. Instead I bowed my head to him.

"Would you mind giving us a moment?" he asked Carla in a calm voice.

"Yes."

She gave me a small hug before standing up and walking out of the room. I watched her leave, curiosity at her freedom burned inside.

He pushed off the doorframe and took a few steps towards me.

"Stay away."

Hurt flashed in his eyes at my tone, "Is that any way to speak to your mate?"

"You are not my mate. I already have one."

"I am your mate."

"No," I hesitated before continuing, "I have someone or at least I thought I did."

"Really?" he tilted his head to the side. He looked at me with sheer curiosity. He was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth or not.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in.

"Ah, so you do," he paused and took another breath, "It's Tristan. Can I have nothing of my own?"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What was he talking about?

"Please, just let me go home."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that. You are my mate. Don't you want to be with me? Wait, let me guess. You are in love with my selfish prick brother."

"Not it isn't- Wait. What?"

He huffed in frustration, "Tristan is my twin. Can't you see the family resemblance? What? He never told you about his family?"

"No one told me Tristan had a twin."

Hurt flashed in his eyes. He closed them for a few moments to compose himself.

"I ran away when I was sixteen. My father chose to train Tristan to take over for him as Alpha. He never did like me. It's interesting how he can claim my mate."

"I'm not your mate. I'm-"

I was about to say his but I didn't know anymore. After seeing him with her-

I couldn't even bring myself to think about it. I just wanted to forget I saw anything. Right now I had to focus on the mess I was currently in.

"You are my mate. I don't care if my idiot brother wants to claim you. I am going to mark you and you will be my mate."

"No."

"You don't have any other choice."

"Please, you can't do this."

This whole month I had been complaining about how badly I wanted my mate to claim me. Now here I was arguing with my mate who actually wanted to claim me. What was the matter with me?

My mother always told me to be careful what you wish for. I was in deep trouble.

"I'm going to give you some time to rest. I will be back with a doctor. I want to make sure nothing happened with those sedatives. I don't want anything happening to my beautiful mate."

He spun and stormed out of the room before I could say anything else.

I sat frozen on the bed. It was all too much to comprehend. Tristan had a twin brother? Why didn't he tell me? Was this the reason they both looked shocked last week at seeing each other?

Suddenly things started making sense again. Tristan knew it was his brother. The reaction he had to him showing up and the way he avoided talking about it; he knew his brother was my mate.

They were twins. Was that why I could have two mates?

"Is everything okay?" Carla whispered from the doorway.

"I should never have run from the hall. I wouldn't be in this mess if I had just stayed put instead of snooping around the meeting hall."

"What happened?"

"I caught Tristan and Astrid in the archives making out."

"So?"

"He's my mate," I grumbled and flopped backwards onto the bed.

I really didn't want to admit that right now. I was ashamed to be considered his mate. How could he do this to me? He promised to claim me. Instead he broke me again. What if this mate did the same thing? They were twins after all.

"Really? But Dante said he was your mate. Is he lying?"

"Dante?"

"The Alpha, Tristan's brother."

Dante. My heart fluttered just thinking his name. No. I wouldn't allow myself to get caught up in him. I had enough problems with one mate. I didn't need or want another.

"He's not lying. He is my mate as well."

I sank deeper into the pillows on the back of the bed. I turned my back away from her. My face fell forward into the pillow and I let out a scream.

It was a long shot but I had to try and reach out to someone, anyone in my pack. The thought of being marked without my consent was more than my heart could tolerate today. I needed to talk to someone.

'Hello?'

I close my eyes and waited.

Nothing.

It was useless. No one was close enough. No one was going to answer.

I was stuck here.

'Arianna?'

'Teague?'

'Are you okay? Did they hurt you?'

'I'm fine. I'm at the rogues' pack house. Carla and Louis are here as well.'

'We have been searching for you nonstop for days.'

'What did I miss?'

'Bruce has been on a wild rampage since you were taken. He put the vote in for a fight. He told the other Alphas that if they didn't agree to give up their land by this weekend then he was going to go to war with the other Alphas that voted for it.'

'What did the Alphas say?'

'The idiots are still deliberating. They have been locked up in the hall since you left. Theo has been filling me in every so often. I'm leading the search for you.'

'What else?'

Even though it was in my mind, I could sense his hesitation. He was trying to figure out what he should and shouldn't tell me.

'Tristan told me what happened. He's been a mess. He went crazy when he didn't reach you in time. He should be feeling guilty. It's his fault you got kidnapped to being with. If he wasn't such a tool you never would have left.'

I didn't know what to say in response. I didn't want to hear about Tristan to begin with. It was his fault for making out with Astrid. But it was still my own fault I ran away.

'He tried to trail your scent but it ended about four miles out of our territory. Why didn't you tell me Tristan was your mate?'

He was upset. He thought I didn't trust him enough to tell him about Tristan. The truth was I was embarrassed to have a mate that would rather fool around with Astrid than claim me. Teague wouldn't get to be Beta if Tristan claimed me. I really wanted him to be Beta but he couldn't with Theo around.

'I'm sorry. I was ashamed when I found out he knew for seven years but never claimed me. I just couldn't talk about it to anyone.'

'It's okay Arianna. If anyone understands it's me.'

Teague had his own mate problems when he was younger. His mate rejected him. It goes against nature to reject your mate. But on occasion it takes too long find them. She already had a husband and a little boy by the time he found her. It tore him apart but he understood.

'Did you hear anything about the vote?'

I had to change the subject. I didn't want to talk about it anymore.

'Tristan and Daniel are on Bruce's side for giving up the land. They want you guys returned safely. Christian, Regan, and Terrence are holding the vote back. They want to fight now. None of them are willing to give up any land. Walter is trying to keep the peace.'

'Where are you now?'

'I'm out of the boundaries of our territory. Bruce and Tristan have half the men guarding the edges of our territories. The other half are searching for you. I already sent Scott to inform Theo we made contact. He will tell Bruce once they take a break.'

'You guys shouldn't be looking for me. I don't want anyone getting hurt.'

'Shut up Arianna. Don't be a martyr. We all know you are not that innocent.'

I smiled. He always knew how to cheer me up.

'You have to tell me what is going on Arianna.'

'The rogue Alpha wants to mark me. I don't know what to do. I can't stop him.'

'What?'

'He's going to mark me.'

'But Tristan is your mate.'

'Teague, the rogue Alpha says he's Tristan's twin.'

'Shit. Dante is the rogue Alpha?'

'Yes.'

'I have to go but I promise we will find you.'

'No Teague wait!'

'I have to go. I'm sorry.'

His mind link cut off. There was nothing more I could say to change what would happen. It was up to him whether or not our pack would be taken over by rogues.

I abruptly stood up. I scared Carla by my sudden movement. I began pacing around the room. I had to figure a way out of this.

Nothing even remotely realistic came to mind. My heart raced as I began to freak out.

I glanced out the window. There were men stationed outside all around the house. An escape plan was hopeless. I needed to come up with a plan to keep him away from marking me.

Tristan had put me through the ringer this month. But I wasn't sure I was ready to lose out on the chance of being with him. There had to be something I could do to stop this.

Then it hit me. I had to shift. He couldn't mark me if I stayed in wolf form. I quickly shifted. I didn't care that I had just ripped his shirt.

Carla looked at me in understanding. She knew I had to protect myself.

"Shift back right now."

I turned to see Dante standing in the doorway. He didn't look too happy to see my white wolf sitting on his floor. I shook my head no at him.

He smiled and shook his head at me. He didn't make a move. He was trying to figure out what to do with me now.

He took a step into the room. He kept walking until he stood right in front of me. He reached his hand out to touch me.

A low growl sounded in the back of my throat. It was a warning to back off.

"Shift back," he spoke. His voice rose with impatience.

His hand got closer. I snapped at him. I clipped a few of his fingertips with the front of my teeth by accident. I hadn't meant to hurt him. I just wanted to scare him off.

Before I had time to step back his uninjured hand struck me across my cheek. I let out a small whimper and lay down on the floor.

Regret instantly shone in his eyes, "I'm so sorry Ari. It was a reflex to pain. I didn't mean it. Please shift back."

He spoke in a soft voice while nursing his hand to his chest. There were a few droplets of dark red blood staining his orange shirt.

"I'll be back princess but don't test my patience. You will shift for me. Carla, could you please come wrap my hand up?" he commanded at me before walking back out.

I sighed in relief once he was out of sight. Carla looked at me with sympathy before following him.

'Arianna, are you okay?'

'I'm fine. What is going on uncle?'

'Teague informed me about what is going on. Dante is the rogue Alpha?'

'Yes. How come I never heard about him?'

'Alpha Eric had twin sons. It's a rare occurrence for Alphas to have twins. He only trained Tristan to take over as Alpha. He never paid Dante any attention. Dante was hurt by his choice and was tired of being ignored. He ran away. No one ever spoke of him again. You met him once when you were younger when his mother died. You were probably too young to remember. '

'How is it even possible to have two mates?'

'It must be because they're twins. He hasn't marked you yet?'

'No. I shifted into my wolf.'

'Good, stay like that.'

'Are you any closer to finding us?'

'I'm sorry sweetheart. We really are trying. Pretty soon I'm going to have to pull the men. It's too risky for the pack to have them out here.'

'I don't know how long I can hold out uncle. He's a powerful Alpha. If they hit me with another sedative I'm going to be forced into a shift.'

'I know.'

'What is going on with Tristan?'

'I don't know Arianna. This has never happened before. If he claims you then he can have control over two territories. The others don't like that.'

'If he doesn't then the rogue will control our territory.'

'I know but I don't know if I can convince them. Ari even if Tristan claims you there is still a chance he can claim the Hollows.'

'Uncle I have to go.'

'Arianna wait!'

'Goodbye.'

I cut him out of the mind link. I didn't want to think about this anymore.

I jumped up on the bed and lay down. This was all too much to handle.