Owned By The Alpha Brothers

Ciara.

I had barely slept a wink all night, as I couldn't stop tossing and turning. Every now and then, Blake's last words to me would replay in my head and I would start feeling like a really terrible person.

How was I to approach him now? We had shared such a blissful moment together, and right after, I had kissed another guy. Technically, his brother had kissed me, but I wasn't entirely innocent. I had allowed him to. As a matter of fact, I had enjoyed it and I hated myself even more for enjoying it.

There was a light knock on the door, and then, Joan came in.

"Greetings, Lady Ciara," she said, with a small bow.

"Good morning, Joan," I said, sitting up as I yawned tiredly.

"Were you not able to get any sleep last night?" she asked, concerned.

"Sort of. What brings you here this morning?" I asked, getting out of bed and opening the wardrobe, fishing for something to wear.

"I came to inform you of the annual Masquerade Ball event that will be held next week Friday," she announced.

"Isn't it just for people of high ranking in the society?" I inquired, uninterested.

"How did you know that? Have you gotten back your memory?" Joan asked.

I chuckled nervously. "No. Absolutely not. I overheard some maids whispering about it and saying how they'd love to attend," I lied.

"Oh, I see. Isn't that the dream of every maid? To go to a Royal Ball and meet a young man who would change her life and status forever?"

"I suppose it is."

"Anyway, the Luna has instructed me to accompany you to see the tailor who would make your dress. She wants it to be splendid, majestic and adorned with precious stones," Joan explained.

"The Luna, really? I thought she didn't like me."

Joan shrugged. "Since it was found out that the rogues were sent by Alpha Seaman, she has been in a good mood as all doubts about her have been cleared. Perhaps, she has forgiven you." "That's great news," I said, wearing a big smile.

A knock sounded on the door and Joan went to see who it was.

"Is Ciara in?" I heard what was undeniably Liam's voice ask.

"I'm not in," I mouthed and signaled to Joan, but she ended up telling him I was in the bathroom, perhaps afraid that he might see through her lies.

"Well, tell her I came to check up on her. I'll return soon enough though, when I am sure she's out of the bathroom," he said, before walking away.

With drooping shoulders, I slipped into the bathroom, then brushed my teeth and took a long, long bath.

Liam had engaged in a battle just for my sake, and although he had kissed me without my permission, I couldn't avoid him forever, especially when we lived in the same palace.

Joan was still in the room when I walked back in with a towel tied firmly around my chest. She had tidied up the room and was changing the bedsheets.

"Can we go to the tailor's shop as soon as I dress up?" I asked.

"I am sorry, Lady Ciara, but that will not be possible. Today is my day off and I must pay a visit to my family. I'll be back by tomorrow and we'll be able to go together then," she said.

I heaved a sigh. "I just need an excuse to leave the palace," I confided in her.

She thought about it for a while, then seemed to find a solution. "Why don't you speak to Murray then? He's a very helpful servant. You'll find him in the library and he'll be able to take you to see the tailor," Joan suggested. "Oh, Joan. You're so helpful, thank you," I said.

"You're welcome, my lady. I must take my leave now," she said, and with a bow, she walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.

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I hastily applied lotion to my skin before Liam could have a chance to return, after which I wore a mini black skirt, a brown animal print top, which I paired with black boots. I then wore my hair in a ponytail and applied some lip gloss, completing the look.

I opened the door as quietly as a mouse, then peered into the hallway. After making sure no one was close, I stepped out of the bedroom and began to make my way to the library.

So far, so good, I hadn't seen the one person I was desperately trying to avoid- Liam, and I was beginning to think he had gotten the message when I suddenly heard his voice.

Immediately, I crouched next to the fireplace, trying to control my heavy breathing. I peeked from my hiding place and saw he was having a conversation with a guard.

"Fine. Let me know when they get back to you," he said, dismissing the guard after what seemed like ages.

"I will do as you have said, Prince Liam," the guard stated, before turning around and leaving.

"Why do I feel like Ciara is avoiding me? She must be out of the bathroom by now. I'll go see," I heard him say.

Just then, I felt someone behind me, startling me. I opened my mouth to scream when a strong hand covered my mouth forcefully, and when I looked behind me, I saw to my relief that it was Alden.

He waited till Liam was out of sight before letting go of my mouth and I could now breathe freely.

"I'm sorry for startling you. I didn't realize you were hiding from Liam," Alden said, standing up and helping me to my feet.

"Trust me, it's not what you think," I said, dusting my skirt.

"What is it then?" Alden asked, with a knowing smirk.

"I messed up. You saw what happened with Blake and Liam all in one night. It's like I don't know where my loyalty lies and I'm just playing games with them, but that's actually not the case," I tried to explain, but the smirk didn't leave his face. "Really?"

"Come on, I'm serious."

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He chuckled. "Fine, I believe you."

"No, you don't."

"I actually do. I know it's not your fault. You can't control how you feel towards them. It's the work of the mate bond, and only a fool will be angry at you for something that isn't your fault," he said. "I guess Blake's a fool then," I told him.

"Your words, not mine," he said with another chuckle, and I ended up laughing.

"Hey, I'm sorry about treating you like a murderer yesterday. I thought that you had a hand in what happened and it had absolutely nothing to do with your mother's former status," I apologized.

He gave me a small smile. "That's okay. I forgive you, and I pray your forgiveness for blaming you for what happened at dinner the other day. I should never have done that," he said.

I smiled back at him. "I forgive you, too."

He didn't respond immediately and his attention seemed to be focused on something else.

"Alden, is everything okay?" I asked.

I had barely finished speaking when he pulled me to his chest. I was still wondering what was going on when I heard a loud bang, and then, the chandelier came crumbling down.

We both fell to the floor, but no injury was inflicted upon me, and when I raised my head, I saw the full picture of what had happened: Alden had used his body as a shield to protect me so that the chandelier crashed onto his back. "Oh no," I screamed frightfully, as I noticed his eyes were closed and I feared the worst might have happened to him.

"Stop shouting," he said moments later, lifting up his head and managing to open his eyes.

"I thought I was so scared that something terrible..." I choked on my words as tears began to trickle down my eyes.

He offered me a weak smile and wiped my tears with his thumb. "Hey, nothing terrible happened so stop crying," he said.

My eyes met his warm gaze and my heart seemed to explode into a million different pieces. At that moment, I realized he had never looked sexier.