Chapter 5 — The Twin (Narrative Revision)

Godiva

The night in Moonstone Mansion felt heavier than any darkness I’d ever known. It wasn’t just the unfamiliar silence or the vastness of the bedroom—it was the strange, living pulse beneath my skin, the lingering heat at the mark on my neck, and the unsettling awareness that something inside me had shifted in ways I didn’t yet understand.

I lay awake long after the house had settled. Cold moonlight washed across the room through the tall window, turning the floor silver and the shadows deeper. Every time I closed my eyes, the memory of Castor’s glowing gaze flickered behind my eyelids—the moment he bit me, the way the world spun afterward, the inexplicable pull I felt whenever he came too close. None of it made sense, yet all of it lingered like a whisper I couldn’t quite tune out.

Eventually the restlessness grew unbearable. I slipped out of bed and crossed the room, drawn to the window as though fresh air might calm the storm inside me. Outside, the courtyard stretched wide and quiet, guarded by dark silhouettes of wolves pacing along the perimeter. Their movement was fluid, purposeful—nothing like the chaotic danger I’d escaped earlier. Moonstone was a world of its own, governed by laws I hadn’t learned yet, and I wasn’t sure if I belonged to it or was being swallowed by it.

I pressed my fingers lightly over the bandage on my neck. The skin felt warmer there, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat that wasn’t entirely mine. Castor had called it a mark, something ancient and binding. Something instinctual to his kind.

A soft sound slipped from my mouth, half a groan, half a sigh.

“This is insane. Completely insane.”

I closed the window, letting the curtains fall back into place. The room dimmed, leaving only the moon’s outline brushing the furniture. I climbed into bed again, though I knew sleep would not come easily.

I had barely settled when the door creaked open.

Not loudly—not enough to jolt me—but quietly, the way someone enters a room when they don’t want to be caught wanting to be there.

“Godiva?”

His voice carried through the dark like warm smoke. Not commanding. Just soft enough that my pulse tripped.

I pushed myself up on my elbows, breath held without meaning to. Castor stepped inside, the faint light catching the edges of his hair and broad shoulders. He looked different from earlier—looser somehow, as though the weight of the night had worn him down, softening the hardness in his expression. His white shirt clung to the wetness at his collarbone, suggesting he’d only just showered.

“I thought you were sleeping,” he said quietly as he approached.

“I tried,” I admitted. “Turns out being bitten by a werewolf doesn’t make for the best bedtime routine.”

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips, but it faded quickly. He moved slowly, as if measuring the right distance between us before stopping near the foot of the bed.

“Is it hurting?” he asked, his gaze flickering to my neck.

“Hurting? No. Confusing? Absolutely.”

He exhaled slowly, and for the first time since I’d met him, he seemed unsure of himself. Castor, the Alpha, suddenly looked as if he didn’t know where to place his hands.

“You shouldn’t be awake,” he murmured. “You’ve had too much thrown at you.”

“So have you.”

That caught him off guard. His eyes snapped to mine again—sharp, golden, searching. I felt the same pull I had felt earlier, that invisible string tethering us in ways I didn’t choose yet couldn’t deny.

“Godiva…” His voice was lower now, tinged with a rasp that slid like velvet down my spine. “When I’m near you, everything in me strains. Trying to control it feels like fighting gravity.”

“Then don’t stand so close,” I whispered. “I can’t think properly when you do that.”

That earned a quiet laugh from him—warm, genuine, almost boyish in a way that felt dangerously intimate. “And you think distance will help you think clearly?”

“I’d like to try.”

“Then I’ll give you distance,” he said, but he didn’t move away. “I just needed to see you. After what happened tonight… I needed to know you were safe.”

The sincerity in his voice wrapped around me more tightly than his hands ever could.

My heart thudded once, then again.

“Castor,” I breathed, “why did you really bite me?”

His composure slipped. The mask he always wore cracked open, revealing something rawer, darker.

“Because something in me recognized you the moment I saw you,” he said. “There was no room for hesitation. No room for thought. My wolf surged forward and claimed you before I could stop him.”

I swallowed hard as the air thickened around us. The meaning of his confession hit me slowly, like warmth seeping through cold bones.

“That doesn’t make it right,” I whispered.

“No,” he agreed, “but it makes it real.”

His gaze dipped to my lips, lingering there as if he were fighting the urge to close the distance. The atmosphere shifted, tightening with a magnetic pull I couldn’t breathe around.

“Castor…” I said again, though my voice barely carried the word.

Before I could say more, he moved closer—not abruptly, but with a deliberate slowness, as though giving me every chance to pull away. The bed dipped under his weight as he sat beside me, his presence enveloping but not overwhelming.

“I shouldn’t be here,” he admitted, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “But I’ve spent the last hour trying to pretend I can ignore this bond. I can’t.”

He reached for me, hesitation flickering just before his fingers brushed my cheek. His touch was warm, steady, unbearably gentle. I leaned into it before I realized what I was doing.

His breath mingled with mine. Heat coiled low in my stomach. My body moved without my permission, leaning into him like he was the one gravity had been leading me toward all along.

His lips met mine.

Not hurried. Not claiming. Just soft at first—tentative, exploring, as if memorizing the shape of me. I gasped quietly, and something in him snapped. The kiss deepened, his mouth molding against mine in a slow, consuming rhythm that made the world fall away, leaving only warmth and heat and breath.

My hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer, as though my body recognized him even if my mind screamed for space.

“Godiva…” he murmured against my lips, his breath unsteady. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

I was about to ask him a question, but his hand was already covering my mouth.

"I want you to be quiet and not say much.”

I nodded.

Castor had already removed his hand from my mouth, replacing it with a sighing, demanding kiss. His kiss felt different, but I was already lulled by his tongue inside my mouth.

For the first time, I became bold and moved closer to him first. The warmth of his body clinging to my chest.

Castor buried his head in my chest. He played with his mouth until it left a wet spot on my T-shirt.

This is crazy! I almost moaned Castor's name when he slipped his fingers up my skirt past the fabric framing my thighs.

"I..."

"I said don't make a sound!"

I obeyed. My lips pressed together and gripped the sleeve of his T-shirt. I could feel the wetness of my intimate parts.

The sensation was so intense that I was tingling with something that wanted to burst out of me. I held back the sighing sound of my own. It's so hard to do when my brain can't work normally.

Castor move his hand away from mine. I couldn't see his face clearly due to the lack of lighting.

"You like it?"

I nodded, again. After that, Castor intensified his touch on every sensitive spot on my body. I almost went crazy from the sensation.

My underwear moving away from my waist and slowly toward my toes. I didn't feel any barriers anymore. Likewise, my T-shirt had slipped off my body.

The pressure was on my chest, wet and squishy. As I lowered my face, Castor's head with his hair between my fingers, already fully immersed in my breasts.

I savored his every touch and kept going until it was his that broke through my last defense. It hurt, but it also felt good until I lifted my head. My nails dug into his bare back until I heard him groan under his breath.

For the next few minutes, only a thin sigh escaped me and a stifled growl from his mouth that was close to my face. We did it for the first time after a rough day. I lay exhausted on the bed as Castor pulled his body away from mine.

"You got me drunk, Godiva," he said with his breath still coming in.He kissed me again—slower this time, unbearably tender—before pressing his forehead to mine.

And then, just as I began to lose myself again, he stilled.

He drew back slightly, and I noticed the change instantly. The warmth in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a colder awareness. The energy in the room tightened, shifting subtly, but unmistakably.

My heart skipped.

“…Castor?” I whispered.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead he studied me with a look that didn’t feel like Castor at all—not the protective intensity, not the quiet tenderness, none of the jagged emotion he wore so openly.

This look was sharper. Cooler.

Calculating.

When he finally spoke, the tone cut through the haze like a blade.

“My brother said something about your scent, didn’t he?”

The breath left my lungs.

“Y-your brother…?”

He leaned in, and though his lips brushed my skin, the warmth behind the gesture was gone. The voice that followed slid over my ear like silk hiding steel.

“Let me introduce myself properly.”

A chill swept through me, prickling every inch of my skin.

“The name,” he whispered, “is Pollux—the twin.”

The world lurched—my pulse, my breath, my thoughts stumbling over the truth settling like ice in my chest.

This wasn’t Castor.

His twin was in my bed.

Godiva

"No! What have I done?"

I jolted upright, heart racing as I fumbled for the light switch. The dimness disappeared as the room lit up, revealing a familiar face—Castor, or so I thought. But then I saw it: the piercing on his eyebrow.

It wasn't Castor.

The truth hit me like a sledgehammer. Pollux. His twin. Identical. I covered my mouth, overwhelmed by disbelief, my mind spinning. How could I not have noticed? I stood frozen, naked before him, too shocked to care about my exposed vulnerability.

"What just happened? Why did you do that to me? How could you be so cruel?"

I can't think straight. Everything happened so fast, and I let myself get swept up in it. Now, I feel sick to my core—disgusted with myself for letting it happen.

His eyes lingered on me—unblinking, hungry. The air between us thickened with silent tension.

"One thing I love in a girl is innocence, in all its forms. I’m surprised Castor hasn’t marked you yet. Guess I got lucky first." Pollux smirked, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"Pollux," I seethed, barely able to speak through the rising bile in my throat. "You're disgusting!"

"There are only two types of men in this world: assholes or gay men," he shrugged nonchalantly. "I’m no saint, and I’m definitely not gay."

My hands shook as I scrambled to dress, trying to block out his presence, his words. But his smacking lips, his audacity, made me want to scream. I could feel the tears welling, but I swallowed them down, fighting the storm inside me.

"I hate you!" I spat, my voice cracking as the tears finally fell. I sat on the edge of the bed, trembling, my back to him. I buried my face in my hands, letting the sobs escape.

I felt him move, his hand tilting my chin upwards. He was fully dressed now, wearing that same smug expression. I hated how he made me feel—violated, powerless.

"I'll remember this night forever, sweet pea," he whispered. His words felt like a brand on my skin.

In a surge of anger, I slapped him. The sound echoed in the room, my hand stinging from the impact. He touched his cheek, looking more amused than hurt. The satisfaction was fleeting as he caught my wrist before I could strike again.

"I'd rather those hands touch me with something other than hate. Next time, don't pretend you didn't enjoy it."

"There won't be a next time," I hissed, our faces inches apart. "I swear."

Pollux smirked, but there was an edge to his gaze, a warning. He released my hand and walked out. The weight of what had just happened crushed me. Everything I'd hoped for, everything I'd promised myself—to save that part of me for someone I loved—was gone.

Castor.

The events from earlier keep spiraling in my mind. I’m lost—I don’t know how to face this, let alone explain it to Castor. Pollux’s sudden appearance and his intentions caught me completely off guard, something I never could have imagined.

I had to leave. I couldn’t face him, not after this. But as I zipped my suitcase, his voice stopped me cold.

"Don't even think about leaving, Godiva."

I turned to find him standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

"Castor... I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know."

My voice trembled, guilt flooding every word. I couldn’t even look at him. I squeezed the fabric of my skirt, waiting for him to speak, to condemn me for what I’d done.

Instead, he stepped closer. "Can I touch you?"

His words made my heart ache. He was asking permission—so different from his brother. I nodded, tears streaming down my face as he pulled me into his arms.

"I didn’t tell you the full truth about Pollux," he said softly, stroking my hair. "I should’ve warned you."

"I'm ashamed," I whispered. "I betrayed you."

Castor gently pulled away, wiping the tears from my cheeks. His touch was tender, and it only made me feel worse.

"Rest now," he murmured. "We’ll talk tomorrow. I promise it will be okay."

"But I—"

"Shh," he insisted, his voice soothing. "Sleep. Everything will be fine."

Reluctantly, I obeyed. I crawled back into bed, my heart heavy. Castor pulled the blanket over me, kissed my forehead, and left. I lay there in the dark, trying to push away the horrors of the day. But the guilt, the shame—it wouldn’t leave.

I eventually drifted into restless sleep.

Pollux PoV.

A knock at the door interrupted the stillness in my room. I knew who it was before I even answered.

Castor walked in, his gaze icy. He didn't sit, just stood there, the dominant force between us even though we were equals in every other way. I leaned back, waiting for his reprimand.

"Mark her soon," he said coldly. "She’s not one of the girls you toy with, Pollux. I’m angry, but I’m holding back. If you hurt her again, I won’t."

His jaw tightened, and I knew he meant every word. He would fight me if it came to that. Not that I blamed him. Godiva was different, but I wasn’t ready to admit it yet. My past with Benedetta—my mistrust of women—it held me back.

"I’ll try," I muttered. "But you know why I’m hesitant."

"That doesn’t excuse hurting her. She’s your second chance, Pollux." I saw some anger on his face.

He was right. As much as I hated to admit it.

"We'll talk about the vampire problem tomorrow. For now, get some sleep," he said, his voice laced with exhaustion.

But sleep was the last thing on my mind.

As I lay there, Godiva’s scent still clung to me—sweet, intoxicating. It drove me wild, made me lose control. And then, something else caught my attention.

A scent. Faint but unmistakable. I shot out of bed, moving toward the window, pulling the curtains aside to peer into the darkness.

"Vampire," I muttered, a shiver running down my spine.

Castor PoV.

“The scent is disappearing fast,” Pollux said to me from his room’s balcony.

I thought that the vampire was probably just passing by, but that would not catch me off guard. I rushed out of the room after giving Pollux the code with my index and middle fingers. I stepped quickly to find Alvise to check on the situation, and I met him at the stairs.

Alvise was my confidant, a Beta Moonstone pack who was also a friend during our time at the academy. The vampire’s unfamiliar scent must have also caught his attention, prompting him to rush and meet me. I could always count on him because of his constant alertness.

“Alpha Castor, is there anything I should do because of what just happened?”

“Check the territory 5 miles away from the mansion. Report to me tomorrow morning.”

“Can I ask you a question, Alpha?”

“Just ask and change your tone. I hate hearing you talk to me formally like that.”

“Sorry, your face looks tense. Is Luna okay? I saw Cian come out of her room earlier.”

“She’s fine.”

I was already exhausted for Alvise to talk to me like that. I watched her descend back to the first floor on two flights of stairs at once. I turned back up the stairs and briefly glanced towards Godiva’s room before I actually went inside my room.

I left the lights on in my room because I liked the bright atmosphere. I made an exception for this morning. I chuckled to myself, remembering my ridiculous act.

I took off Pippo’s coat that was still attached to my body and put it in the square box inside the walk-in closet. I chose a black shorts to wear to bed since it was quite hot tonight. I kept the window open to get the summer breeze that was enough to wash away the heat on my body.

I retrieved a book on human personality types from the nightstand drawer as I settled into bed. I opened the page I had marked and started reading the lines. It took no time for me to become sleepy.

I read the book for only half an hour and inserted a bookmark on the last page I read. I closed my eyes and imagined Godiva beside me. I hoped that Godiva would begin to accept her situation with me and Pollux.

I felt that I had just fallen asleep, and I was woken up by the alarm sound from my cell phone. I saw that the digital clock on the screen was already showing nine in the morning. I immediately sat up and stretched my arms above my head.

“Castor?”

Godiva’s voice was the first thing I heard this morning, which was unexpected. I almost tripped over my own sandals as I tried to put them on to get to the door. I opened the door and saw Godiva with her light brown hair hanging neatly over her shoulders.

“Thank to Moon Goddess, I can see you with a beautiful face this morning.”

Just one sentence from me, and I immediately saw the color change in her cheeks. I was indeed complimenting her, and I was also stunned that she looked like a goddess. I waited for her to speak, but she was still touching her cheeks.

“Is there anything you need, my precious?”

“I came downstairs for breakfast, and I didn’t see you. I thought you had gone out, but one of the servants said you were still in your room, so I wanted to take you to breakfast.”

“I don’t eat breakfast.”

Godiva widened her eyes upon hearing my answer. Her hazel-colored eyes held me transfixed for a few seconds. I never had breakfast in the dining room because the omegas always brought breakfast to my room.

“Are you on a diet?”

“I mean, I always eat breakfast in my room, and I woke up late this morning, so the omega hasn’t brought it to my room yet.”

“I see.”

I was curious about the woman in front of me. I watched her closely and savored every movement of her body that was so natural. I pulled her hand into my room and closed the door.

For every second that passed, I inhaled the scent of her body, which smelled like chamomile. I pulled her body closer to me and sniffed the scent that made me drunk a week ago. Now not only her cheeks were flushed, but her ears were the same color as her cheeks.

“Are you nervous?”

“I don’t know. Why are you doing this to me? You’re not even clothed yet.”

I almost forgot to put on a T-shirt. Looking at Godiva, who had already lowered her face, I retreated to the walk-in closet to grab one of the T-shirts at random. I saw that she was standing and biting her finger.

I cleared my throat softly and sat down on the sofa. She followed me after I gently patted the empty sofa next to me. I thought she certainly did what I say after last night, and it made me have a fantasy of dominating her in bed.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked to start the conversation.

“Yes. From now on, I’ll obey you, and I won’t ask for any more conditions. Uhm, Castor, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“I saw red bean soup; can I have that for breakfast?”

I immediately picked up the cell phone on the pillow and called Iride to deliver the red bean soup to my room. That Omega head immediately texted me back. Five minutes later, she and one of the omegas delivered breakfast to this room.

As soon as I handed Godiva the bowl, she smiled with her gaze fixed on the bowl I was holding. Instead of finishing my breakfast, I enjoyed watching Godiva eat the soup with gusto.

“If you’re already hungry, there’s no need to wait for me to have breakfast.”

“This is your house; I would be rude to do that.”

“I told you this is our home. You have the same rights as me in this house.”

“I haven’t had red bean soup in a long time. It’s really delicious.”

I lowered my shoulders. Godiva was focused on finishing her breakfast rather than hearing me talk. I have never seen a human, especially a woman, eat so heartily.

“Red beans are very expensive at the market near my house, so we rarely eat them.”

Godiva continued talking every time she finished chewing. If we werewolves are always quiet and calm while eating, it is different with Godiva, who is rather noisy while eating. I even saw the corners of her lips that were left red from the tomato sauce.

For me, that’s the unique thing I find about Godiva. I put a spoon in my mouth. Without blinking to watch Godiva’s every move, I then continued to eat my breakfast.

We both finished eating our breakfast. Afterwards, we talked about the bond that had formed between myself and Godiva. She listened to my every word with a changing facial expression, sometimes frowning and sometimes opening half her mouth.

“Is there something you want to ask?”

“Is Pollux also the mate destined for me by your goddess?”

“Yes. I’ve asked him to bite you and not make you cry anymore. I felt so angry last night seeing you cry.”

“You were not angry that we both did ‘it’?” Godiva let out a very low voice.

I have no right to be angry. Castor and I are destined to have the same mate. For Pollux, Godiva was his second chance, but for me, Godiva is the perfect mate. Godiva is precious to me.

“No. Our destiny is like that, and we have to share it. Look, Godiva, Pollux is not evil; he is just trying to come to terms with his past. His ways are over the top; I hope you can understand. None of us would ever hurt you.”

I heard a knock on the door. Once the door opened, Alvise, Bice, and Iride were already standing side by side. They stepped inside after I nodded my head.

“Alpha Castor, I have something important to tell you,” Alvise said with firmly.

“Hold on, Beta Alvise. Bice, I want you to prepare our wedding rituals and Iride to help Luna with everything,” I said as I took turns looking at the three.

The two she-wolves of different generations nodded obediently. I asked Godiva to follow Iride. Once Alvise and I were left in the room, I pulled one of the closet door handles.

I entered the closet door that was twice the size of my body, and Alvise followed behind me. We passed through the hallway that led to my study. I sat in one of the chairs, and Alvise pulled out a chair for himself.

“Did you get anything?”

“I managed to capture a new vampire that crossed the northern edge 3 miles from the border, and now he is in the basement. I managed to get some information out of him. I hope you are not surprised to hear it, Castor.”

“Tell me, Al.”

“Sanguine Shadows sent him to come to Burze.”