Chapter 7 Claimed Against My Will

Ivy’s POV Silence hung heavy in the air. The triplets watched me with unreadable expressions, their words still echoing in my mind. "You belong with us." "We’re going to earn it." My fingers curled into fists at my sides. I didn’t believe them. I couldn’t believe them. They had spent years tormenting me, making my life unbearable, and now they expected me to stay? To suddenly forget everything they had done? No. I refused to be their plaything. I lifted my chin, meeting Ronan’s intense golden gaze. “You can’t just decide this now. You rejected me. You made it clear I was nothing to you.” Ronan’s jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Kieran chuckled. “And now, you’re everything to us. Funny how things change, huh?” My stomach twisted in anger. “It doesn’t work like that.” “Doesn’t it?” Kieran stepped closer, his icy blue eyes gleaming with amusement. “The mate bond is still there, sweetheart. No matter how much you try to fight it, you feel it.” I did feel it. Every breath I took, every second I spent in their presence, the bond burned inside me, pulling me toward them. But I wouldn’t let it control me. I turned to Elias, the quietest of the three. He had barely spoken, but his piercing blue gaze never left me. “Do you really think you can just claim me now? After everything?” Elias didn’t answer right away. Instead, he studied me, his gaze sharp and calculating. Finally, he spoke, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. “We know we made mistakes, Ivy.” I scoffed. “Mistakes? You bullied me. You humiliated me. You threw me in a cell.” My voice cracked on the last word, but I refused to back down. “And now you suddenly care?” Kieran’s smirk faded. Ronan exhaled heavily. “We do care. We just—” He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking frustrated. “We were stupid, okay?” I crossed my arms, my nails digging into my skin. “That’s not an excuse.” “It’s not,” Elias said quietly. I blinked, surprised by his agreement. Kieran rolled his eyes. “We’re not asking you to forgive us overnight, Ivy.” His smirk returned, but there was something darker beneath it. “But whether you like it or not, you’re ours.” My stomach clenched. “I am not yours.” Ronan’s golden eyes burned into mine. “The bond says otherwise.” Damn the bond. I shook my head, stepping back. “No. I won’t let you do this to me. I won’t let you trap me here.” Elias moved then, too fast for me to react. One second, he was across the room; the next, he was in front of me, his hand wrapping gently around my wrist. I gasped, trying to pull away, but his grip was firm. Not painful, just unmovable. “You don’t understand,” Elias murmured, his eyes locked onto mine. “We’re not keeping you here as a prisoner, Ivy.” I glared at him. “Then let me go.” He didn’t. Ronan stepped closer. “You don’t know the whole truth.” My pulse pounded. “What truth?” Kieran sighed dramatically. “Let’s just say… things aren’t as simple as they seem.” A cold feeling settled in my stomach. “What are you talking about?” Ronan and Elias exchanged a look. Elias hesitated, his grip on my wrist tightening slightly. “Someone tried to have you killed the night you escaped.” The air left my lungs. “What?” Kieran’s smirk vanished completely. “If we hadn’t caught you first, Ivy, you wouldn’t have made it past the border. There were warriors waiting for you.” My head spun. “That’s a lie.” Ronan’s gaze hardened. “It’s the truth. Someone wants you dead.” My knees felt weak. “Who?” Silence. Then, Elias answered, his voice barely above a whisper. “Selene.” My heart stopped. “No,” I breathed. “That doesn’t make sense.” Kieran scoffed. “Doesn’t it? You’re our mate, Ivy. That means Selene isn’t.” The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Selene had spent years preparing to become the future Luna. She had controlled the triplets, wrapped the pack around her finger, all while making sure I stayed at the bottom. If the triplets accepted me, she lost everything. And she would rather see me dead than let that happen. I staggered back, shaking my head. “You’re lying.” Ronan’s expression darkened. “We have proof.” I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting violently. “What proof?” Elias finally released my wrist and stepped back, his gaze unreadable. “That’s not important right now.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Not important? Someone tried to kill me, and you think that’s not important?” Ronan’s fists clenched at his sides. “It’s important, Ivy. But we needed to tell you first—before we decide what to do about it.” I frowned. “Decide what to do?” Kieran smirked again, but this time, it didn’t reach his eyes. “Selene made a mistake, Ivy.” His voice was almost dangerous. “She thought she could get rid of you without consequences.” Chills ran down my spine. “And what? You’re going to punish her?” Ronan’s gaze didn’t waver. “Yes.” I shook my head. “I don’t want revenge.” Kieran tilted his head. “That’s not your decision to make.” My stomach churned. “You can’t just—” Elias cut me off, his voice soft but firm. “She tried to kill our mate.” My chest tightened. The way he said our mate sent a jolt through me. Like I really belonged to them. I hated how my body reacted. How my wolf stirred at their words, at their presence. I would not fall for this. I straightened my spine. “You rejected me. That hasn’t changed.” Ronan’s gaze softened slightly. “Ivy—” “No,” I cut him off. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to change your minds and expect me to fall at your feet.” My voice shook, but I didn’t back down. “I don’t belong to you. I don’t trust you.” Kieran let out a low growl, but I ignored him. Elias, however, nodded slowly. “Then we’ll earn it.” My breath caught. Ronan stepped even closer, his golden eyes locked onto mine. “No more cells. No more isolation. From now on, you stay with us.” My heart pounded. “What?” Kieran’s smirk returned. “You’re not a prisoner, Ivy. But we’re not letting you out of our sight.” Panic flared in my chest. “You can’t—” “We can,” Elias interrupted. “And we will.” I swallowed hard, realizing the truth. I had tried to escape them once. But this time, there would be no running. They weren’t letting me go. And I had no idea what that meant for me.