Alpha's Regret: Claiming My Stolen Twins

Seraphina’s POV

Consciousness returned like a cruel awakening from hell itself. Every nerve in my body screamed in agony, flames licking at my skin while sweat poured from every pore. I attempted to cry out, but my voice remained locked within my constricted throat.

My eyelids felt weighted with lead, refusing to cooperate as I struggled to see through the suffocating darkness. When they finally cracked open, the world appeared as nothing more than shadowy blurs. The air reeked of moisture and metallic decay, filling my nostrils with its nauseating stench.

The torment radiated from my skin in waves of unbearable heat. Restraints held me captive against the rough surface behind me. Heavy, frigid metal encircled my wrists and throat, the familiar scent and searing sensation revealing their true nature immediately. Ironridge. The cursed metal ate at my flesh like liquid fire, dissolving my skin wherever it made contact. A pathetic whimper escaped my lips, barely audible in the confined space.

This prison appeared to be some sort of underground chamber. Crude concrete surrounded me on all sides, while the ground beneath felt ice-cold and filthy against my body. I forced my aching limbs to respond, attempting to straighten my posture despite the sensation of my flesh blistering beneath the burning chains.

That was when my eyes found him.

He occupied a simple wooden seat directly across from me, motionless and patient. His posture suggested complete relaxation, almost tedium, as he observed my pitiful struggles with detached interest.

Dorian.

His presence struck me with more devastating force than the silver bonds ever could. Tears erupted from my eyes without warning, turning the already dim cell into a watery maze of shadows. The fear of being trapped here was nothing compared to the horrific revelation that still haunted me. He was my brother. My own flesh and blood. The shock of facing him while knowing this terrible truth created a hollow ache deep within my chest.

He noticed my tears and responded with a smile devoid of any warmth. He must have interpreted my emotional breakdown incorrectly.

"Look at yourself, Seraphina," he spoke in measured tones. "Already weeping. I attempted to treat you kindly. I genuinely did. But you refused to grant me even the smallest opportunity. Instead, you selected Julian."

His words triggered a surge of pure revulsion that crashed through my entire being. My own brother. The reality that he was discussing romantic intentions toward me, seeking a relationship with me, while fully aware of our blood connection made bile rise in my throat.

"Why?" The question emerged as barely a whisper, the silver collar making my voice sound harsh and broken. "What was your purpose in bringing me to this place?"

Dorian lifted his shoulders in an indifferent gesture, his gaze drifting away momentarily. "To be completely honest? Perhaps you would have shown more gratitude if I had simply ended your life, like all the others. That approach would have been far simpler."

My breathing stopped. Despite the burning metal against my skin, my entire body felt frozen. He delivered those words with such casual ease, as though discussing something as mundane as the daily weather. Innocent lives. The careless manner in which he referenced murder made my heart feel as though it were being crushed by an invisible weight.

"Why?" I demanded again, raising my voice despite the pain.

"Why what?" he responded, returning those hollow eyes to meet mine.

"What drives you to commit these acts? Those people you murdered—"

"You understand the reason perfectly, Seraphina," he interrupted sharply. "You comprehend this situation completely. Every person I have eliminated was indeed innocent. This is true. However, sometimes the blameless must suffer consequences for the crimes of the guilty."

He shifted forward in his chair, his tone becoming quieter yet somehow more menacing and sorrowful simultaneously.

"Regarding your situation specifically, I made genuine efforts to overlook the fact that your father bore responsibility for my own torment. I harbored real affection for you. Truly. But you simply could not release your attachment to Julian. You made the conscious decision to align yourself with their side."

His reasoning was fractured, horrific, and agonizing, yet contained fragments of truth. I had chosen their side because I desired his destruction as much as they did. But now, seeing the pain reflected in his eyes while experiencing this physical agony, I felt overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.

"Dorian, what have you allowed yourself to become?" The question escaped with my voice breaking.

He released a laugh, brief and cutting. "This represents the inevitable outcome, Seraphina. This is what happens when you mature without paternal guidance, when you lose your mother as well. You transform into this." His words caused something deep within my soul to shatter, because I should have been present in his life. Perhaps everything would have unfolded differently if I had been there as his sister.

"I feel tremendous remorse," I whispered, my sympathy genuine despite my hatred for his actions. "I am deeply sorry for everything you endured."

He shook his head with violent emphasis. "Your apologies hold no value for me. You were not the one who caused this destruction. But they will all face judgment soon. Every single one of them. Because I now possess their most treasured asset. I have you."

My shock intensified exponentially. My body seized completely, momentarily forgetting even the silver’s burning torture. "Do you intend to harm me?" The words barely formed a whisper.

His eyes became emotionless stones. "Yes. You represent nothing more than bait to me now."

That declaration tore through my very essence. He meant nothing to me now, yet I remained his sister. The pain felt unbearable. I longed to scream the truth at him, to reveal our shared bloodline, but fear and shock paralyzed my ability to form the words.

At that moment, the door scraped open, admitting two massive men dressed in dark clothing with threatening appearances. I glanced toward Dorian questioningly, but his expression remained rigid and unreadable. His eyes appeared haunted, deep and shadowy, and for one fleeting instant, I glimpsed something resembling regret across his features.

He silently mouthed a single word: Sorry.

Before I could process that cruel apology, the men moved with swift efficiency. They seized the chains around my throat and wrists. I experienced one final, explosive burst of fiery agony as they tore the silver away from my ravaged skin.

Relief flooded through me as cool air touched my wounded flesh. It felt like the most beautiful sensation imaginable, lasting perhaps two precious heartbeats.

Then new pain commenced, different and infinitely worse.

One man brought a heavy wooden club down brutally across my ribs. The sickening crack resonated throughout the small chamber, and I screamed with every fiber of my being.

Another club struck my legs, then my spine. They beat me relentlessly, rapidly and mercilessly, targeting every part of my body. I cried out desperately, writhing helplessly, unable to protect myself as tears streamed down my face from pure torment.

Above the nauseating sounds of wood connecting with flesh, Dorian’s voice rang out clearly and terribly.

"Scream with greater volume, Seraphina!" he shouted with dark enthusiasm. "I want your mate to hear every single sound! I want Julian to experience this pain alongside you!"