Enslaved By The Alpha
Chapter 98

~MAYA~

We are on our way to Gabriella's home. She didn't want Austin and his family to suspect what was happening. The three of us were the only ones that knew Kane was definitely her missing twin. And she wanted to keep it that way until we had Kane next to her parents. She would break the news to everyone during dinner. I couldn't stop my heart from racing against my will. I know that this was a big day for Gabriella and Kane.

It was also a big day for me since I cared deeply for both of them. I knew this would be a blessing for Kane, but he wouldn't see it that way at first. It would take him some time before he finally saw it the way that everyone who cared about him saw it.

"Where are you heading?" Gabriella asks Arthur all of a sudden. "This is not the direction to my home. We will be late, and I don't want Kane to arrive before we do. For all we know, they could already be there. I left the invitation and already spoke to Lucy. The last I heard, they were getting ready to leave home." Arthur keeps one hand on the steering while using the other to scratch his chin.

"I asked some old friends to meet up with us." He explains. "They might be able to give us an idea of what was happening between Kane and her." He tells Gabriella as he looks at me through the mirror.

How could anyone possibly explain what was happening between Kane and me? If we couldn't explain it, how could some random people that didn't even know us be of any help to us?

"Who are these friends, and why didn't you mention it to me earlier?" Gabriella asks suspiciously. It did seem a bit skeptical since Arthur usually never kept anything from her. They discussed everything before going forward with something.

Who exactly were these people that he wanted us to meet? Gabriella narrows her eyes as she waits for him to give a proper explanation. She doesn't look happy that we may be late for the dinner either.

"I wasn't sure that they would show up." He confessed. "I didn't want to get your hopes up. I'm not even sure that they can help. I heard some things about them. If it's true, maybe they will be able to explain certain things that have been happening."

It didn't take long to reach our destination, which was on the side of the road, in some area that I couldn't recognize. We've never taken this route before.

I watch as a jet-black jeep pulls up in front of us. It's bigger than the ones I'm used to seeing. Three men that shared a resemblance exited the vehicle. They all had a dominant look about them. I know it's crazy, but even how they walked was powerful; one would think these men controlled the wind as they moved.

"They're billionaires," Arthur explains to us. "And they attend the Angelites Academy."

It's not the first time that I've heard about that school. Giselle had mentioned it when we were heading for the game that day; the day that she found Kane and me close to each other. I shiver at the memory of being locked in the cold cell. It was one of my worse memories ever. And I wish that I could forget it. The only thing that made it okay was the memory I had of Kane saving me. That was the day I earned the friendship of three beautiful girls. I never got to say goodbye to them because of Giselle and her psycho behavior. I never got to replace out if they had succeeded in their plan to get back at Carter Prince for everything he'd done.

I don't remember seeing these three men at the game. I would remember faces like these. It was those kinds that were hard to forget.

"What's up?" The one dressed in navy blue asks as he shakes hands with Arthur.

"This is Atticus Fawn." Arthur introduces him to us.

"And his brothers Damon and Dante." He continues as he points to the other two.

"Nice to meet you, ladies," Damon says as he shakes our hands.

"It's a pleasure." Atticus nods his head slightly.

"What did you call us here for?" Dante asks. "I think I have an idea, but I want a proper explanation."

"At first, we thought it was your father hoping to do another business deal. There are a few things at home we wanted him to install." Damon notes. "But that's not why we're here. The last I heard, you and your father are no longer allies."

Arthur sighs, "I've heard something that I wasn't sure was true. But if it is, I hope you can help shed some light on a similar situation."

A similar situation? He was referring to mine. But what could these men be going through that would be similar to my predicament?

The three men gave each other a silent look that made me think they understood themselves without speaking.

"What did you hear?" Atticus asks. His eyes are severe and a bit cold. I don't think he's trying to be tough; this is his regular expression.

"I've heard the three of you have the same mate," Arthur explains. His words helped everything he'd said to us in the vehicle make sense. This is what he was referring to. He wants to confirm that it's possible to have more than one mate. Atticus wipes a finger over his bottom lip and quirks a brow, "it's true. But how can that information help you?"

The mention of them having the same mate has definitely hit a nerve. The tension in the air was hot enough to start a fire. The men now seemed to be uneasy.

What did it even mean for three brothers to have the same mate? How would that work? I found it hard to see Kane with anyone else but me; how did they handle it knowing it was their brother?

I felt sorry for them even though I barely knew them. It couldn't possibly be easy having to love the same woman.

"Are these two women your mates?" Damon asks, searching for an answer.

His question immediately makes me uncomfortable.

My eyes widen, "of course not." I snap. "Only Gabriella is his mate. No one else."

"And it will stay that way for the rest of our lives," Gabriella adds; there is no mistaking the threat in her voice.

I bite my lips to keep from laughing at the look she gave Arthur. It's almost like she wants to ask him why he didn't give a proper introduction so that these men wouldn't have made such a stupid comment. He gives her a nervous smile before returning his attention to the men in front of us. I'm sure he was about to get a lecture tonight about this. I would be happy to be near them when this happens. Arthur knew how to get out of trouble when it came to Gabriella; I'm sure he was already thinking of ways to make it up to her. "It's concerning her." Arthur nods in my direction. "I'm sure you've heard of Kane, Alpha Eric's son. I believe that she could be his mate, but the problem is that he's already bonded with another woman. I wanted to know if this could happen." Once more, Gabriella looks annoyed when Arthur refers to Kane as Eric's son. I don't think it was intentional; I believe Arthur knows it will take longer if he has to explain to these men that Eric was not Kane's father.

Atticus looks at me, and his forest green eyes are a vision to see, "while we all have the same mate. None of us have marked her. We're not sure what will happen if one out of the three of us marks her. It's why we haven't done it. I'm not sure if this means that after marking your mate, it's possible to replace another. All I can confirm is that you can have more than one mate. It's possible. It's not f*****g easy; sharing never is. But it's possible."

I can see the pain in each of their eyes as he tries to answer Arthur's question. They must all really love this girl.

"Atticus," Dante says his name in an alarmed whisper. He's staring at something on his phone, and I can tell that whatever it is, it's something worth stopping this conversation for. "I think you should look at this."

He hands the phone to Atticus, and since I'm standing close, I can see what they're looking at. It seems to be an article; the headline is written in bold letters, 'Atticus Fawn To Wed Autumn Rivera! Since the man in front of me was Atticus Fawn and a billionaire, I'm guessing this article was about him.

"What is this f*****g article about?" Atticus demands from Dante. "Mother and father did not mention anything to me about marrying a woman. And Autumn Rivera? Have they lost their minds?"

Who was Autumn Rivera? From the way he said her name, it would seem like he already knew this woman. It's possible that he wasn't very fond of her either by the tone of his voice. But this reaction could simply be shock after replaceing out about his marriage from an article.

I can't imagine something like that happening to me. It doesn't help that he was already in love with another woman. Does his family not know he already had a love interest? Why would they still plan a wedding without telling him about it?

"Didn't mother tell you that there would be an important business deal with the Riveras tonight? She asked that you come home early for the announcement. I'm guessing this is what she was referring to." Damon explains as he takes another look at the article. He looks like he's reading the entire thing trying to figure out what was happening.

"This can't be f*****g true." Atticus snaps as his hand tightens on the phone. "I need to get home now and stop this. I won't marry another woman other than my mate. Mother should know this! How could she do this without informing me first?" "Let's just stay calm," Damon says. "Maybe this article is false. They're always posting false information about our lives. Let's all take a deep breath and get home to hear what our parents say about this."

"I'm sorry we have to cut this meeting short," Damon says. Atticus is already back in the jeep. I think he's too shocked to talk to us right now.

Arthur says goodbye to his friends and watches them leave. We didn't get time to ask any other questions, but at least now we knew it was indeed possible that I could also be Kane's mate.

"What was that all about?" Gabriella asks as soon as we're back in the vehicle. "What was so shocking about his marriage?"

Arthur turns back onto the road and says, "Autumn is not his mate. As you've heard, the three of them have the same mate. Unfortunately, Autumn Rivera is a billionaire, just like they are. They both have rich families. I assume their families are using their marriage as a way to expand their business. To join forces and become closer than before. It gets worse since Autumn is his mate's best friend. It's not about to end pretty if they get married."

"Why do so many parents try to control their child's life?" Gabriella demands. "If he's in love with another woman, why ruin their lives by forcing them to marry each other?"

"While I do agree," Arthur says. "Sometimes, it works in our favor. I would not have been here with you if my father didn't kidnap you. I would have married someone else. I'm not saying it will be the same outcome for Atticus, but I'm glad I ended up having you in the end. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else but you."

Gabriella blushes, and I love to see her this happy. Arthur was a good man. He knew how to make her happy. And maybe this was his way of making up after what had happened earlier.

"Hopefully, the article was a lie," I say. "Maybe it's a mistake. I don't see why his parents established his marriage without informing him first."

"We have our own troubles," Gabriella says as we pull up to her home. "I'm nervous about telling Kane. But I know that it has to be done. I can't continue to keep this from him. He deserves to know. So do my parents. At first, I wanted to tell them, but I refrained from doing it; I knew that they would want to run to his side. I couldn't let that happen. It needed to be done at the right time."

"It looks like they're already here," I say as we spot their vehicles in the parking lot.

"Let's get inside and hope my parents haven't already noticed how much he looks like them and like me. I know they will feel an instant connection when they see him." Gabriella says. "Just like I did. I didn't need anyone to tell me that he was my brother. I knew it from the first day I met him. I wish it were the same for him. Maybe it would have been if he knew he had a long-lost twin. It was easier for me because I was already searching for him."

"You are in luck," Arthur says. "I can still see them. They must have just arrived. See, sweetheart, I didn't make you reach late. We're just in time."

As soon as his words hit me, I spot Kane. My feet feel shaky as we walk toward him and Maya. Austin and Lucy, as well as everyone else, are near.

I can't stop staring at Kane. I love this man with all my heart. I would do anything for him. Now that I knew he might be my mate, I loved him even more. It all made sense, why I always felt like I knew him, why he made my heart beat the way it did whenever I was around him.

He's dressed in a suit, and as always, it takes my breath away. I know that he senses my presence, but he doesn't look at me. I'm accustomed to seeing him looking my way, staring with longing, but he isn't doing that today. It feels like he's trying to avoid me. And I'm scared. Actually scared that he was finally ready to let me go.

I knew it had to happen eventually, but if he did it abruptly, my weak heart wouldn't be able to handle it.

It doesn't help that I know we are about to break his heart. Like Gabriella, I'm scared to tell him that his father was not Alpha Eric. That he was stolen from his real family as a baby.

"Thank you all for showing up," Gabriella thanks them. "I'm sorry for being late. Let's get inside and start the dinner. I'm sure my family is waiting impatiently for us. This is their way to thank you for always being by my side and Arthur's. We are grateful for all of you." Lucy hugs Gabriella; while this dinner was mainly about Kane, I knew she meant those words. She did appreciate each of them.

Gabriella's parents are waiting for us in the dining room. They greet us there. I wait patiently for the moment that they spot Kane.

And when they do, I see the moment as recognition hits his mother's eyes. She walks up to him and gently places her hand on his cheek. Everyone gets quiet as they watch the exchange. "It can't be," she whispers. "This isn't happening again. Gabriella? Did you replace him? Did you replace our son? Did you replace your brother?"

I can see the confused look on everyone's faces as they wait for Gabriella to answer. No one knew what we did. But they were about to replace out. In a few minutes, the secret would be out. Everyone would know Kane's true identity.

"You are him." His father says. "You are our son."

Kane removes his mother's hand from his face and steps back, "what are you talking about?" He asks his parents. "My father was Alpha Eric. I'm not your son."

Gabriella has tears as she walks toward him, "you wanted to know why I was always so protective of you. Why I was so nice to you when everyone else wanted to harm you, it's because you are my brother. Eric was never your real father, Kane. It's the truth. My parents are yours. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I felt the connection instantly.

We share a close resemblance; my twin brother was kidnapped along with me, and that twin is none other than you. They separated us when we were children, when we wouldn't know what was happening around us. Before we even knew our names. They took us from our parents, from our siblings. You are my brother. You can't run from this truth."