Alpha's Regret: Claiming My Stolen Twins

Seraphina’s POV

The front door shut behind me with a heavy thud that seemed to echo through the empty hallway. Past three in the morning, and exhaustion weighed down every muscle in my body like lead. All I wanted was to slip into bed and forget this entire night existed.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I had actually considered Alpha Dorian’s proposition. Even though I never gave him an answer, just showing interest probably made me look terrible.

I had left him standing by the lake hours ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to come home until now.

"Seraphina? Is that you?"

Julian’s voice cut through the silence like a knife, low and gravelly. I stopped dead in my tracks, my fingers still gripping the doorknob. Of course he was awake. He probably had a whole lecture prepared for me.

I didn’t respond, just started moving toward the staircase, my feet barely making a sound against the hardwood. Maybe if I acted like I didn’t hear him, he would drop it.

"Seraphina! Answer me. Where the hell have you been?" His tone sharpened, each word hitting like a slap.

My back stiffened. I kept climbing the stairs, each step feeling like I was dragging weights behind me.

"Seraphina, stop right there! I’m talking to you!" The command in his voice made my skin crawl.

Something inside me finally broke. I whirled around, fury blazing through my veins like fire. "I’m exhausted, Julian! I’m sick to death of you controlling every aspect of my life, dictating my emotions, my actions, where I’m allowed to exist!" I kept my voice low enough not to wake the household, but every word dripped with rage.

He stood framed in the living room doorway, a shadow against the faint light. Those eyes of his felt like they were trying to see straight through to my soul. "I already know where you were, Seraphina. But I want to hear it from your mouth."

My heart sank into my stomach. He knew. Obviously he knew. So why was he putting me through this charade?

"Perfect," I shot back, sarcasm coating every syllable. "Then why waste both our time pretending you need to ask?"

I turned to escape up the stairs again, completely finished with this conversation. All I wanted was to get away from his endless interrogations and accusations. But his hand clamped down on my arm before I could move, his fingers digging in hard enough to leave marks.

I sucked in a sharp breath, fear shooting through me like electricity. "Let me go, Julian!"

He held on tighter. His face had transformed into something cold and suspicious. "Are you sleeping with someone else, Seraphina?" The question came out like a growl, dark and threatening.

The accusation hit me like a physical blow. My jaw dropped open. "What kind of question is that?" I gasped, completely blindsided. My thoughts scattered, trying to process his insane leap in logic.

"Alpha Dorian," he snarled, his grip becoming painful. "For whatever twisted reason, every single time I track you down, there he is! So tell me, Seraphina, what exactly is happening between you two?"

My shock transformed into something colder, more dangerous. Alpha Dorian? That was his smoking gun? My mind flashed back to his own betrayals, his own lies. He had absolutely no ground to stand on.

I wrenched my arm free, ignoring the sting. "Oh, really? Every time you track me down?" I let out a harsh laugh that tasted like poison. "Where was all this moral outrage when you were busy screwing my sister behind my back, Julian? Why didn’t you interrogate yourself about what the hell was going on then?"

The color drained from his face like someone had pulled a plug. His mouth opened, probably ready to launch into another round of his pathetic excuses, another speech about how he could explain everything. But I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. Not anymore.

"No," I snapped, shaking my head violently, hot tears threatening to spill but I refused to let them. "Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it. You’ve had your turn to talk, Julian. Trust me, you’ve said more than enough." My voice cracked but my determination held firm. "I’m beyond exhausted. Exhausted from the never-ending justifications, the empty promises that anything will ever change. Exhausted from constantly offering you second chances, only to have you show me exactly who you really are, every single time."

I studied his face, really seeing him for what he was now, not the man I had foolishly loved, but the man who had systematically destroyed me piece by piece. The pain in my chest felt like a physical weight. "All I want is for you to leave me alone, Julian. Just stop."

I turned away from him without waiting for whatever desperate response he might have. I heard him say my name, pleading and broken, but I didn’t slow down. I wouldn’t slow down. Every step carried me further from him, further from the endless cycle of hurt. I made it to my bedroom, slammed the door with enough force to rattle the frame, and twisted the lock with trembling fingers. The click echoed like a gunshot, absolute and final.

I pressed my back against the door, chest rising and falling rapidly, fighting to catch my breath and control the chaos raging inside me. Everything felt overwhelming. I stumbled toward the bathroom, flipped on the harsh fluorescent light, and cranked the shower handle until steam began billowing up from the scalding water. My clothes hit the floor in a crumpled heap.

Under the burning spray, I closed my eyes and let the water cascade over my face, through my hair, across my skin. It felt like it was washing away his accusations, his touch, his poison. As the bathroom filled with thick steam, my thoughts began to settle into sharp focus.

I reflected on every compromise I had made, every tear I had shed, every time I had convinced myself to stay and fight for something that was already dead. I thought about how I had spent years waiting for his permission to be happy, his permission to feel worthy, his permission to simply walk away from his cruelty.

And then it struck me with crystal clarity, as clear as the water streaming down my body. I didn’t need anyone’s permission. Not his, not anyone’s. I couldn’t continue this destructive pattern. If I stayed, if I kept trying, kept hoping, I would eventually disappear completely. Not a literal death, but the slow, torturous death of everything that made me who I was. The heartbreak would devour me from the inside out until nothing remained.

The water continued its relentless downpour, and with it came an unshakeable resolution. I was leaving this place, leaving him. And this time, it wasn’t an empty threat thrown in anger. This time, I would make sure Julian could never hurt me again.