SWNOVELXO Chapter 1: Monster
"You're a manwhore!" Haelyn scoffed. There was a sharp edge to her voice as she stepped further into the room. She remained composed,although her heart ached at the scene before her.
Archer didn't flinch,his tall intimidating frame remaining stoic in place. Standing by the bed,his shirt hung loosely open, he turned to her with a provoking smirk "Do you wish it was you? It could be you my dear little Luna" his tone teasing and taunting
Haelyn rolled her eye clearly irritated by his indifference,she refused to let him see how much it affected her. "Oh no,Alpha," she shot back at him,her words filled with sarcasm "I'd never let filth like you touch me."
His snicker disappeared,his features stiffened in an instant,The air between them grew dense and palpable,the tension cackled like a fire about to roar into bigger flames. "Why so defiant my little wolf,hmm?" He murmured,his voice dangerously low.
Before she could respond, He moved, one moment he was across the room, the next he was right in front of her,his hand catching her wrist in a tight grip. He spun her around,shoving her against the wall,Haelyn gasped,her breathing hitching hitching as her heart hammered against her ribs
"You're too close, Archer!" She hissed,her voice quivering slightly,though she tried to mask it with defiance. "Does it make you hard Alpha?, knowing you can never have me?"
His lips curled into a smirk,a glint of amusement in his dark eyes "Careful," her growled " you might not like where this kind of talk leads to"
Haelyn lifted her chin,her defiance returning with full force. "Oh,I know exactly where this leads to. It leads to me despising you even more!"
His grip tightened and he leaned in, the warmth of his breath brushing against her ear and she squirmed "Hate me all you want,Love. You're mine. You belong to me,with me…. Every part of you and every last piece of you."
The words sent shivers down her spine, she shuddered and She hated herself for it. She looked up at him with a glare,her voice trembling with fury. "I never wanted any of this,you, I never wanted to be yours."
Something flickered in his expression…something almost vulnerable but it was gone as fast as it came, replaced by the insufferable arrogant smirk she hated "And yet, we are here aren't we?"
Without a warning,He lifted her,his arm firm around her waist as she struggled " put me down!" She screamed,panic swelling in her chest and rising in her voice as he carried her to the bed.
"You don't get to give me order, Haelyn!" he growled, though his voice was calm and almost amused as he threw her onto the soft mattress. She scrambled up to sit up but he was already on top of her, pinning her wrists above her head.
"Get off me!! Archer no!," she yelled, squirming beneath him "I said no Archer,let me go!"
He smirked down at her,his weight pressing her down into the bed "you forget my queen," slurred "That I don't take orders from you
"Don't call me that!" She snapped,her voice breaking with emotion. " I'll never be your queen, you'll never have me."
His eyes darkened, his smirk fading. For a moment,she thought she had gotten to him but then he leaned down, the corner of his lips curled, his lips brushed against her ears "you don't have a choice"
Her breath caught in her throat as his scent enveloped her…. Pinewood and musk,intoxicating, despite her hatred for him. She turned her head away,her voice barely audible, barely above a whisper "you're not my mate Archer. You'll never be my mate"
He froze at her words,his eyes narrowing as he searched her face. "You think that changes anything?" He asked,his voice now quieter but not less intense. "You're mine Haelyn. Mate or not."
She glared up at him, her defiance flickering under his intense gaze. "You don't own me"
"Oh, but I do, you were sold to me, so I do," he said softly,his lips curling into a dangerous smile. "And one day, you'll see you do."
Before she could respond,his lips crashed onto hers. The kiss was rough and demanding,filled with a possessiveness that left no room for argument. Haelyn gasped against him, bet mind racing as her body betrayed her, Heat swirling in her stomach despite the war ranging in her heart.
"Stop it, stop this," she whispered when he pulled back,her voice trembling. "Archer please. Don't."
"He cupped her cheek,his thumb brushing the side of her lips "why fight what's already yours?"
Her resolve faltered,tears prickling the corner of her eyes. She wanted to hate him,to push him away and scream but her body wouldn't bulge,her body wouldn't listen to her. His hands slid her sides,roaming, touching, igniting a fire she didn't want to feel.
"Damn you,Archer." She whimpered,her voice breaking as she turned her head away.
"Say it," he demanded,his tone soft yet commanding. "Say you're mine."
"I'll never be yours." She spat,but her voice lacked the strength it needed.
Archer's lips found her neck,his breath hot against her skin. Haelyn fists clenched,her body trembling as he continued to dominantly claim her,his dominance was overwhelming. She hated the way her body betrayed her,the way her body responded to him,her heart beating wildly in sync with his.
This wasn't love,This wasn't how it was meant to be. Yet trapped under him,she couldn't escape the truth… she was bound to him, she belonged to him whether she liked it or not.
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Archer's Twin Artemis stood just outside the door, his heart heavy in his chest as the muffled sounds coming from behind the door tore at him. He had heart it before, Archer claiming what was his or what he thought was. But this time,it felt different, he tried to be indifferent about it like always but the cries coming from Haelyn made his blood run cold.
From inside the room, he could hear her voice treble with sharp frustrations and pain. " Archer please… stop,it hurts. I don't want this…. You promised me you wouldn't…
Archer's mocking laugh echoed through the room, it chilled Artemis to the core. "I don't remember promising anything love, You're mine, whether you want to be or not. You'll learn that the hard way".
Haelyn's breath hitched,but there was a stubbornness in her voice, despite the clear panic and distress "I'm not your property,Archer! I was forced into this. You can't just take what isn't yours."
" Who will stop me?" Archer's voice dropped low to a growl,the power in it unmistakeable. "You're here, under me, aren't you? And no matter how much you struggle,you won't change the fact that you're mine,you were sold to me and that's something you can never escape."
Artemis clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, his heart clenching at the sound of Haelyn's choked and muffled sobs. He wanted the burst through the door. He wanted to stop Archer… wanted to rescue her away from him. But he knew he couldn't interfere. He was strong but Archer was stronger and he was the Alpha king,the eldest, the one who held the power and respect of everyone in the pack. And Artemis as much as he hated to stand down, he had to.
Haelyn's voice came through again,filled with raw pain. "I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be yours! You're a beast, a monster…"
"Don't pretend like you don't like it when I touch you,like you don't want me," Archer tainted,his voice thick with arrogance. "You want this, your body craves it. You crave me and your body betrays you every time you're close to me."
Artemis forced his eyes to squeeze shut,the sounds of Haelyn's struggle and resistance churning the insides of his stomach and digging deeper into his heart. Why couldn't he protect her? He felt helpless
Tears sting the corner of his eyes and he blinked it back, his forehead placed against the huge wooden oak door. The bitter taste of helplessness choking him. He should have done something but he couldn't… he could have but didn't..
The tear of fabric interrupted his thoughts then he heard Haelyn gasp,her voice trembling. "Archer! No,no please… I don't… I really don't want this. Don't do this."
Then silence settled in for a moment piercing Artemis's thoughts,broken only by the sound of breathing,then Archer's voice came again, quieter this time,but filled with raw,sultry desire and mockery. "It doesn't matter. I've claimed you now, you're mine and you have no choice but to accept it. No one else will ever touch you the way I do."
Haelyn's sobs and whimpering replaced the quietness and each one shattered Artemis's heart. He looked down at his trembling hands that gently held the door knob. Why can't I stop this? Why can't I protect her?
As the Agonizing sound of the mating continued, intensifying with each passing minute, Artemis turned and began to walk away,stumbling down the hallway, away from the sounds that slowly suffocated him. He couldn't listen any longer, he couldn't beat to stay there any more.
He didn't even know how he ended up at the bar. His mind was clouded with guilt, his body moved like he was being controlled without his consciousness. He pushed through the bar's glass doors. The dim lighting welcomed him with relief from the suffocating guilt that clogged his mind.
Artemis sat at the bar with a heavy sigh and this,his fingers trembling slightly as he waved the bartender over. "Whiskey, tequila. Anything strong, just make it neat."
The bartender didn't ask any questions, She just poured his drink and slid it toward him with a gentle push. Artemis grabbed the glass, emptying it in one go, the burn of the alcohol did nothing to numb the ache in his chest.
A familiar presence hovered beside him, and Artemis didn't have to look up to know who it was. Ravi's voice was calm but filled with concern as he sat down beside him. "Is everything Alright Alpha? You've been gone for a while now."
Artemis downed another drink, staring into his glass as if it held the answers to the questions he desperately needed answers to. He shook his head with a sad smile "she deserves better. Everything's far from being alright,Ravi, everything."
Ravi's flashed with understanding as he glanced at Artemis beside him, his head low as he drank on glass after another.
The clink of boots and slow music that played from the speakers above surrounded them with a calm atmosphere, almost too quiet but Artemis's slouched shoulders made it sound miserable.
"It's not on you.. you couldn't help, it's not your fault Alpha." Ravi signaled the bar tender and she poured him a shot he took in one go.
Artemis's jaw clenched,his fingers gripped tightly around the glass,so much that it was a miracle it didn't shatter. "I tried. But .. Archer's the alpha, the strongest and the leader. He's also my brother and I can't just oppose him."
Ravi nodded in silence.
"I stood there, listening but I couldn't save her, I did nothing!" Artemis added.
"It's not your fault Alpha. Whatever happens, I'm sure she understands" Ravi said after a moment of silence.
"She's the one person apart from Archer I've ever felt the need and urge to protect. I should have done something," Artemis's voice cracked with guilt. "I failed, like I always do."
Ravi's gaze softenf as he stood to his feet, placing a hand of comfort on Artemis's shoulder, his voice low and steady. "You did what you could. Archer's the Alphaz there's nothing you could have done in that moment. It would only cause problems."
Artemis sighed,shaking his head, pushing the glass in front of him away " I should be protecting her, not watching Archer hurt her."
"But why? Why should it be you? She's not yours to protect" Ravi signed staring at the empty glass in front of them before he turned to lean against the bar, arms crossed against his chest.
Artemis closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his mind still reeling from the sounds he had heard earlier on. "Because I love her. There's no chance for me, there might be no chance for me but I love her"
"Then it's up to you, to choose if you want to become your brother's enemy or love his Luna from afar." Ravi's voice was firm, his gaze unwavering.
The words hung in the air like a stale stench. Archer slowly nodding,stood to his feet. His heart felt somewhat lighter and he wondered if it was the alcohol. He didn't need all the answers. He didn't know what the future held for all of them but one thing was clear, he was going to try, he would one day have to face his feelings for her.
He downed the last of the glass's content in silence, the guilt lighter now but still lingering. With a small ember of resilience lighting the way to their future.