Knotted By The Devilish Alpha Brothers

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: stripped completely of freedom

The maids carried Amelia out of the prison wing, their footsteps echoing through the cold, narrow corridors. Her head rested weakly against one maid’s shoulder as she forced herself to stay awake.

The familiar damp stone walls slowly disappeared behind them. The air changed first. It no longer carried the scent of mold, blood, and rust. Instead, it smelled faintly of polished wood and fresh flowers.

A few turns later and up the stairs, the surroundings changed completely. The rough stone gave way to gleaming marble floors. Golden lanterns replaced flickering prison torches, bathing the hallways in a soft, welcoming glow.

The sudden warmth felt unreal. Almost like a dream.

Why...?

Amelia blinked slowly. Why bring me here? This isn’t mercy. It can’t be.

The maids stopped before an enormous wooden door. One of them pushed it open. A spacious guest room stretched before them. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating elegant furniture, silk curtains, and a roaring fireplace that chased away every trace of cold.

Amelia stared in silence.

After two weeks surrounded by darkness and filth... The room felt almost unreal. Waiting inside was a healer.

Small bowls of crushed herbs rested neatly beside glowing glass vials filled with shimmering liquid. The woman glanced up as the maids entered before calmly washing her hands in a nearby basin. Without asking a single question, she approached Amelia.

”Lay her down.”

The maids carefully settled Amelia onto the bed. The mattress sank beneath her weight.

It was softer than anything she had touched in years. The healer gently peeled back the torn fabric clinging to Amelia’s back. Her brows knitted together.

”So many wounds...”

There was no disgust in her voice. Only quiet sadness. She raised both hands. A soft blue glow bloomed around her palms before slowly settling over Amelia’s torn flesh.

Warmth spread across every lash. It wasn’t hot. It wasn’t painful. It felt like sunlight after endless winter. Amelia gasped quietly. The burning gradually faded.

Torn skin slowly knitted itself together beneath the shimmering light.

The unbearable agony that had consumed her for days melted into nothing more than a lingering ache. The healer worked in silence for several minutes.

Finally, the glow disappeared. She slowly lowered her hands and let out a quiet breath. ”I honestly can’t believe it.” Her eyes remained fixed on Amelia. ”A wolfless woman surviving injuries like these...”

She shook her head slightly.

”It’s incredibly rare.” A faint, sympathetic smile crossed her face. ”Most people would’ve broken long before now.”

Amelia looked at her. Questions crowded her mind.

Why are you helping me? Do you know what’s going to happen next? Her lips parted.

Before she could speak... The healer had already gathered her herbs and bottles.

She paused beside the door for only a moment. There was unmistakable pity in her eyes. Then she quietly left. The room fell silent again. The maids immediately stepped forward.

”This way.”

Before Amelia could protest, they gently lifted her once more and carried her through another doorway. Steam drifted through the spacious bathroom. A large marble bathtub sat in the center, filled with crystal-clear water infused with lavender and fragrant healing oils.

The scent immediately filled Amelia’s lungs. It was soothing.

Comforting. Almost enough to make her forget where she was. Almost.

The maids carefully lowered her into the warm water. She inhaled sharply. The heat wrapped around her aching body, easing muscles she hadn’t realized had been locked tight.

Gentle hands washed away weeks of dried blood. The water slowly turned pink.

Then murky.

Finally...

Clear again. Amelia stared silently at the ripples spreading across the tub. A bitter laugh almost escaped her.

So this is how they do it.

Heal the prisoner... A maid carefully rinsed shampoo through her tangled red hair.

Patch every wound... Another gently cleaned the dried blood from her arms.

Make them feel human again... Warm water flowed across her shoulders.

Then break them all over again. The thought settled heavily inside her chest.

Give them hope...

Only to rip it away.

Her throat tightened.

She finally found enough strength to speak.

”What’s going on?” Her voice came out rough and strained.

She looked from one maid to another. ”Why are you doing this?”

Neither woman answered. Their expressions remained carefully blank. Neither would even meet her eyes. Silence.

That frightened her more than words ever could. Once the bath was finished, they wrapped soft towels around her before carefully drying every strand of her hair. One maid returned carrying a silk gown.

It shimmered beneath the light. Deep midnight blue. The fabric slipped effortlessly across Amelia’s newly healed skin. It felt impossibly soft.

Far too luxurious for a prisoner.

Why...?

The question refused to leave her mind.

After dressing her, the maids lifted her once again. This time, they carried her out into another elegant hallway.

Everything around her looked beautiful.

Expensive. Peaceful.None of it eased the dread twisting inside her chest. Every step they took only deepened the feeling that something far worse awaited her.

Meanwhile...

Inside the grand meeting room overlooking the sprawling estate grounds, the three Ellington brothers sat around a heavy oak table.

Silence lingered between them. Outside, the morning breeze stirred the trees beyond the towering windows. Inside, the atmosphere remained tense.

Reid leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. His fingers drummed lazily against the armrest before he finally broke the silence.

”This sounds like the perfect punishment.”

His lips curled into a faint smile. ”But it’s also a terrible idea.”

He looked directly at Enzo.

”Since when do we let spies live this long?”

No one answered. Reid continued anyway.

”We already know exactly who she is.” He began counting on his fingers.

”Amelia Kroff. A Wolfless orphan.Raised in the Blacksmith Territory. And engaged to the newly crowned Alpha King.”

His expression hardened.

”The same Alpha who’s spent the last few months trying to destroy several of our businesses.” He leaned forward. ”We don’t have to guess why she came.”

His voice dropped. ”She was spying for him.”

Enzo remained standing near the tall windows. His hands rested behind his back as he stared across the estate. He had reached that same conclusion days ago.

Yet...

Something refused to fit.

If Amelia truly was nothing more than an ordinary spy...

Enzo finally turned away from the towering windows. The morning light faded from his face as he walked back toward the table. His expression remained composed, but there was a dangerous sharpness in his grey eyes that neither of his brothers missed.

”If that spell hadn’t been broken...”

His voice was calm.

”...the three of us would’ve died.”

He rested both hands against the back of his chair. ”We couldn’t move. We couldn’t fight.”

A brief silence settled over the room. ”We couldn’t even control our own bodies.”

The memory still lingered.

That helplessness. That invisible force wrapping around every muscle no matter how much Alpha power they unleashed against it.

It had been infuriating. No. It had been humiliating. His eyes darkened.

”I refuse to believe that was a coincidence.”

His gaze shifted toward the closed door.

”She has something to do with it.”

Reid studied him quietly.

”You really believe that?”

”I do.”

Enzo answered without hesitation.

”There is something in this world capable of rendering us completely immobile.”

His voice grew colder.

”I intend to find out what it is.”

He slowly straightened. ”And I won’t let it go until I have my answer.”

Reid released a slow breath before leaning back into his chair. The wood creaked beneath his weight. He turned his attention toward the youngest brother.

”What about you, Dean?”

Dean’s expression remained unreadable.

His fingers continued their slow, rhythmic tapping against the armrest.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Finally, they stopped.

”I’ll follow whatever decision you make.”

His pale blue eyes lifted to meet Enzo’s. ”As long as I get to break the truth out of her.”

There wasn’t even the slightest hint of emotion in his voice. Only certainty.

”I hated losing control of my own body.”

The words hung heavily in the room. None of them disagreed. A sharp knock echoed through the silence.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

”Enter.”

The doors swung open. Several maids stepped inside carrying Amelia between them.

Her body hung limply in their grasp. The silk gown they had dressed her in flowed around her like dark water, making the bruises still visible along her arms stand out even more starkly. Without ceremony, they lowered her onto the polished floor.

The impact wasn’t hard, but it was enough to draw a quiet gasp from her lips. The maids immediately stepped back.

None of them spoke. Moments later, they slipped out of the room.

Click.

The doors closed once again.

Silence followed.

Amelia remained where she had fallen, one trembling hand pressed against the smooth floor as she fought to steady her breathing. The healer had closed her wounds.

She had washed away the blood.

But healing magic couldn’t erase exhaustion. Every muscle in her body still felt unbearably heavy.

Slowly...

She pushed herself upright.

Her arms trembled under her own weight. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly she could barely hear anything else.

This is it.

Her gaze moved from one brother to the next. Not one trace of mercy.

They’re finally going to kill me.

Oddly... She didn’t feel panic anymore.

Only resignation. If this was the end...

She refused to spend her final moments begging. Taking a slow, shaky breath, Amelia lifted her chin. Her voice came out rough from days of screaming and dehydration, but it never wavered.

”Before you kill me...”

All three brothers watched her without interrupting.

”I have something I want to say.”

She swallowed against the dryness in her throat.

”My last words.”

Despite the fear threatening to consume her, she forced herself to meet their eyes.

If death was waiting for her...

She would face it standing on what little pride she still had.