She is Mine

Matthew quickly realized that Ronan had been lying to him. He knew his brother too well to believe he would simply leave their enemy's daughter at her house. Ronan wasn't one to spare anyone easily. He either killed those who crossed his path or took them as prisoners. But Matthew was certain he hadn't killed her.

His mate.

Sophia was even more beautiful than he had imagined. Her fiery red curls, sweet freckled face, and deep blue eyes reminded him of the ocean. Matthew was instantly in love, but he could tell she was hesitant, her mistrust evident in the way she looked at him. And who could blame her? He possessed the same face as her captor, his twin brother. Whatever Ronan had done to her had clearly left its mark.

Matthew knew he would have to confront Ronan. This was no way to treat their mate.

When Sophia mentioned that Ronan was her mate too, Matthew wasn't entirely surprised. Deep down, he had always known. No matter how many times Ronan denied their twin bond, it was unbreakable. They had shared everything growing up—their whole world had revolved around each other and their sister Valentina. Only she and Matthew truly loved Ronan, aside from their parents.

Matthew found Ronan laughing with Minerva, seemingly without a care in the world. How could he be so cheerful, enjoying himself with another girl, while keeping their mate imprisoned?

Suppressing his anger, Matthew approached him.

"Ron, I need to speak to you," Matthew said firmly. Ronan looked up and grinned, as if expecting him.

"Can it wait? I'm busy talking to Minerva. We're discussing something extremely important, right, M?" Ronan winked.

Minerva giggled. "Not really. I was just asking Ronan if he'd take me to the spring festival!"

He should be taking his mate, Matthew thought. But then again, it was better that Ronan didn't, so he could have Sophia all to himself.

"This is really important. Would you mind if I talked to him in private, Minerva?" Matthew asked politely.

"You better run along, M. Matty has super important business with me," Ronan said mockingly, clearly trying to irritate Matthew. But Matthew ignored it. He couldn't afford to lose his cool. Sophia needed him to defuse the situation, not make it worse.

"What is it, Matty? What's so important that you had to interrupt our conversation?" Ronan asked after Minerva left, his tone annoyed.

"I know what you did, Ronan," Matthew said, cutting to the chase. He didn't have time for games, not with Sophia suffering in that cold cell.

"What did I do this time?" Ronan asked irritably.

"You seriously have no idea what I'm talking about? You took her, Ronan. You took Sophia," Matthew said, his voice rising with frustration.

Ronan jolted, clearly taken aback. He hadn't realized that Matthew had found her.

"What did you say? How do you know that name?" Ronan roared.

"I know you're keeping Sophia prisoner. I found her in that hideous jail. How could you do that to her?" Matthew demanded.

Ronan scoffed. "So what if I did? I can do whatever the hell I want with her. She's our enemy's daughter. She deserves that fate."

"She's your mate!" Matthew snarled.

Ronan's lips twisted into a grin. "So she told you. I thought she didn't want to accept me."

"She's my mate too," Matthew cried, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. He needed to handle this with Ronan before things escalated.

Ronan's eyes flashed green to red. "What did you just say?" He was clearly shocked by this revelation.

"She's my mate, Ronan. And I won't allow you to treat her like this," Matthew declared. Enough was enough.

"You're confused, Matthew. She's not your mate. She's mine. I felt the bond, which is why I had to take her," Ronan said, his voice laced with irritation.

"I know how fate works. You're the one who didn't believe in it. I felt the bond as soon as I smelled her on you last night. That means we both have the same mate. I knew you were hiding her somewhere, so I followed you, and you led me to her. I saw how you treated her, and I'm ashamed to call you my brother," Matthew said.

He knew he had to get Sophia out of there, but he couldn't do it without explaining everything to Ronan. His brother needed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Ronan straightened, his anger visible in the way his skin sizzled. His eyes burned red, and his hands balled into fists. He wore the same expression he had when he was about to unleash his fire.

"She's mine, Matty. I don't care what the moon goddess decided. I never believed in her in the first place. You can't have her, even if you think she's your mate," Ronan growled.

"Why? Why are you acting so possessive over her when you don't even like her? I saw how you treated her," Matthew said, trying to reason with his brother. But deep down, he knew it was a futile effort. Ronan's temper was too unpredictable.

"Because she's mine. MINE! I'll treat her any way I want. She's my plaything," Ronan hissed.

Matthew felt sick to his stomach. Was this really his brother? How could he talk about Sophia like this? She wasn't an object; she was a person with feelings.

"You're not thinking clearly, Ronan. Let me get her out of the cell, and we can talk about it. Maybe you'll want to be with someone you actually love one day. You shouldn't force her to be with you. This isn't right. Mom and Dad would never approve of your treatment of her," Matthew said, hoping to appeal to Ronan's better nature.

"Fuck Mom and Dad. I don't care what they think," Ronan roared.

"I'm going to get her out. Then we'll talk about it some more," Matthew said, making his decision. He moved forward to pass Ronan, but his brother blocked his path.

"No, you won't," Ronan hissed, his voice low and threatening. He hunched over, glaring at Matthew with a dangerous look in his eyes. "You'll have to fight me, Matty."