Chapter 9 Alpha's Regret, My Prison

Ronan’s POV Ivy’s disobedience wasn’t surprising. It was expected. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating. She didn’t trust us. And honestly, she had every right not to. We had hurt her. We had broken her. And now, we were trying to fix it. But she wasn’t making it easy. “Fine,” I finally said, my voice even. “You don’t trust us. I get it. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re staying here.” She scoffed. “And if I try to leave?” Elias, who had been silent for most of the conversation, leaned forward slightly, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. “Then we’ll stop you.” Her lips parted slightly, her breath hitching for just a second before she quickly masked it with anger. “So I am a prisoner.” Kieran let out a short laugh. “You really don’t listen, do you?” I shot him a look before turning my attention back to Ivy. “You’re not a prisoner, Ivy. But we will keep you here.” Her hazel eyes flashed with anger. “That sounds like the same thing to me.” I exhaled slowly. “Look, you can hate us all you want. You can fight, you can scream, you can curse us to the Moon Goddess herself. But you will stay here.” She clenched her jaw, her fingers digging into the fabric of the couch. “Why? Give me one good reason.” I didn’t hesitate. “Because you’re our mate.” Her breath caught, her entire body going still. For a moment, none of us spoke. The air between us was heavy, filled with something thick and unspoken. Then, finally, she shook her head. “That doesn’t mean anything.” Elias’s voice was quiet but firm. “It means everything.” Ivy swallowed hard, her throat working as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. But I saw it. The slight tremble in her hands. The way her heartbeat stuttered just a little too fast. She felt the bond. She just didn’t want to accept it. And I couldn’t blame her for that. But I also wasn’t going to let her go. She was ours. And we were going to prove it to her—whether she liked it or not. Ivy’s POV I needed to get out of here. That thought had been circling in my mind since the moment they took me from the cell. But it wasn’t going to be easy. The triplets were always watching me, their presence suffocating, inescapable. Even now, as I sat in the room with them, I could feel their eyes on me, their wolves restless beneath the surface. They weren’t going to let me go. But I wasn’t going to stay. I just needed a plan. And I needed time. For now, I would wait. For now, I would let them believe they had won. But when the moment came—when they least expected it—I would run. Days passed, and I was still here. The triplets didn’t lock me away like before, but I wasn’t free either. Wherever I went, one of them was always close, watching me, making sure I didn’t try to escape. I was trapped in a different kind of cage. The worst part was my body’s betrayal. The mate bond was cruel, making me too aware of their presence, of the way their scents wrapped around me, comforting and suffocating at the same time. I hated them for it. I was standing by the window in the triplets’ shared quarters, staring out at the packhouse courtyard. Wolves moved around below, living their normal lives while mine had been ripped away. A heavy presence approached behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know it was Ronan. “You’re quiet today,” he said. I crossed my arms, not looking at him. “Nothing to say.” Ronan exhaled through his nose. “You can keep pretending all you want, Ivy. But things have changed.” I clenched my jaw. “Not for me.” “For all of us,” he corrected. “You may not want to admit it, but you feel it too.” I turned sharply, glaring at him. “All I feel is resentment.” His golden eyes darkened. “That’s a lie.” I hated the way he looked at me, like he could see past my walls, past my anger. “I don’t belong here,” I said firmly. Ronan’s gaze flickered with something unreadable. “You do.” Frustration bubbled in my chest. “You rejected me.” His jaw tightened. “That was before we knew the truth.” I scoffed. “And what truth is that? That I’m your mate? That’s not news, Ronan.” “No,” he admitted. “But the bond isn’t something we can ignore.” “I can,” I shot back. A shadow passed over his expression. “Can you?” I refused to answer. Why should I answer to him? Silence stretched between us before the door swung open, and Kieran strolled in, his usual smirk in place. “Well, isn’t this cozy?” He glanced between us before settling his sharp blue eyes on me. “You still pouting, sweetheart?” I ignored him. Kieran chuckled, walking past me to collapse onto the couch. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Elias entered next, quieter, as always. He barely acknowledged the tension in the room, his piercing gaze locking onto me instead. “You haven’t eaten.” I stiffened. “Not hungry.” Kieran let out a dramatic sigh. “Come on, Ivy. We finally start treating you better, and you starve yourself?” I shot him a glare. “I’d rather starve than sit at a table with you.” Elias’s eyes darkened. “That’s not an option.” I narrowed my eyes. “Are you going to force me?” Silence. Ronan’s jaw clenched. “No. But you will eat.” Kieran smirked. “Even if I have to feed you myself.” I turned away, my heart pounding in anger. They weren’t letting me go. They weren’t letting me have even a shred of control. Fine. If I couldn’t leave yet, I would make them regret keeping me. I would fight them in every way I could. Because no matter what they said, I would get out of here. And when I did, I was never coming back.