Chapter 9:

Aeric

One moment I am looking at this gorgeous-cant-take-your-eyes-off- face, and the next moment I am digging into her life history, geography, and even biology to understand why she affects me so much. 

Or should I rather say us? 

What is more shocking? No. It is utterly astonishing. 

Why did I feel a Deja Vu at the words? 

Whatever?

Is that my goody-two-shoes-of-cold-face-brother is as affected as I am? No woman has affected me in that way. 

Again, no woman was as beautiful as her. 

I dont know what to say or think, but this entire Penny thing is messy. 

Especially, with my father in the picture. Why or rather how is he involved in this?

Maybe she is afraid of him, because he is the owner, and brought her into the club. Or… 

My cellphone vibrates on my desk and I pluck the device from the charger settling it against my ear. 

“Father…”, I say, my voice weirdly jerking at the edges.

“Son, I would be out of town for a certain business I would like you and Lucius to take care of the business. Make sure to look after the club.”

“When will you….”, the call drops. 

What was that? 

Fuck. Is normal a no-more thing in fashion?

I shake my head, my lips curling slightly at the mirth of my words. Stretching off the office chair I look at the wall clock. It's five - almost time to leave. I swirl around in my chair for a moment longer, well aware, that my brother won't be out for another hour. He never is. 

Till the time, he comes I decide to fuck around with my phone. 

A knock vibrates the door to my office at the same time I unlock my phone. A moment later, Lucius' head sticks in, with raised eyebrows and line-pressed lips. 

“Bro…”, I shriek, “What brings you here at this time?” 

I say, my eyes drawing the nearby schedule, finding it empty. No appointments with him. My mind states.

He pushes the door, fitting half his body in the slit, his eyes roaming around the edges of my room. I raise my eyebrows when his eyes bounce to mine. 

“I think we should leave now to the club. You know…”, His hands curl behind his nape, better stretching the surface. 

My lips twitch, an half ass mocking smirk forming on its edges.

I was wrong, soo, wrong. That girl has not just affected him, she has hooked him. 

How? Why? 

Only god can answer that question. 

“Sure, I was about to leave.”, I say getting off the chair. Tucking my hands inside the dress pants, I focus my eyes on his the same ass of a smirk etched on my face. “But, given your record of leaving the office after everything is shut down.”

His body pushes the door ajar, his full form inside. Squared shoulders, tight jaw, and boring eyes. He’s pissed and I should shut the fuck up. 

***

The ride to the club is silent- if I ignore the weird knuckle-cracking Lucius does beside me. He is pondering on something. So am I.

When we turned fifteen and discovered our powers, mine to read feelings and his to sense the past Lucius was adamant about keeping it under covers even from our father. 

I agreed. I always did. 

But what keeps me up and happening is his hate for our father. 

He thinks I dont see the way his muscles twitch when father is around. Hell, forbid, even I have also sensed weird feelings ooze out of my father’s system. The worst part though is, that I have never seen him do anything that could harm others, which makes it difficult for me to hate him. 

Lucius thinks I am on his side. Well, I am. 

I keep my friends close, and enemies closer. It makes it way easier to understand their weakness. And as of now, my father has none. Which is impossible? But true. 

I sift my hands through my hair. The thought of him making my insides twist like a rope. I feel a weird gut-wrenching pain, and my eyes fly to Lucius the instant his finds mine. 

There is a silent agreement, of the pain we received from our father's bond, and my head tells me he is not on a business trip. He is on a business, he always wanted to do. 

Somewhere, far. Somewhere, unknown. 

The car comes to a halt. The sign Delirium bouncing the black matted window in purple neon. Lucius and I slip past, entering the door turning heads along the way. 

Why not? 

Lucius is sporting spread collar black button down, gray slim fit chinos, and low cut leather sneakers. 

While I am in my country style, white polo fitted to the T to the chest, gray cuffed chinos, and brown loafers. 

As we enter the club there is a weird commotion. The one where everyone is scrambling out of a fight, trying to conceal as much as one can to avoid their strict beat-up dad from finding the truth. 

Looks like I was right. 

Groups of men scattered at different angles eye a single spot near the raised stage. Some girls of the club stood clinging to each other and looking down. There is fear in some eyes, but moreover, they shine at the edges a smile peeking beneath the layer of cold hatred.

My nose twitches up, the smell of moonflowers catching me in a daze until I could smell a strong metallic tinge. 

“Aeric.”

My name hits me in a wave of agony. I run. 

No, I fly towards the voice, only to find Penny bruised and wallowing in her own blood. 

I crouch down, curling my hands below her nape and settling her on my thigh. 

“Penny”. My words fall out in a labour. Cuts run along her neck, her hands, her face transferring the red on my hands and polo and I see red. I press her flush to my chest, transferring the warmth of my body to her shivering form.

My head snaps up, too sure, littered with incendiaries. The man before me is in the air, his collar pressed between a single palm of Lucius. I could see the tremor in his veins, the purple in them popping and blasting like the hottest part of the flame. 

The man in his grip is gasping. Drawing in three times as much air as needed, when he sends him to the floor. 

Gravity does its work well, and we hear a snap of bones. 

“Sean, I want every person responsible for this to be in the quarters by evening.”, Lucius howls. The terror in his voice too hard to ignore. I curl my other hand, behind Penny’s knees lifting her off the ground.

“Be honest”, I say throwing my gaze at the clinging girls on the stage. “I want every person that did this to her in the quarters. If she gets up and I find an anomaly I swear I will walk up in your house and kill you first before killing that person.”

I spin around dispatching from the crowd and out of the club, Lucius follows suit behind taking charge of the wheels. 

I dont let Penny down. She is in my hands, pressed between my chest and the silent prayers from my mouth. I still see red, but a tremble overpowers me. 

I watch outside, too afraid to look at her and feel helpless. Tress and buildings gush back, their forms disappearing before they could make a clear boundary in my vision. Within no time, we are in the hospital.

I dont let her lay on a stupid gurney. For all I care, I can't risk it. 

Rather I dive into the VIP section of the hospital, as Lucius dials the best doctor available in the town to be in the private room in the next heartbeat. 

                                                                 ***

Hospital staff runs in and out of the room with charts, syringes, and what not hospital equipment. Lucius and I had informed or rather ordered, demanded whatever they find appropriate to run every dam possible test on her to make sure she is fine. 

Cleaned, sutured, and wrapped in something more comfortable than her golden lingerie covered in every type of rhinestone, Penny lies peacefully on the hospital bed. Somewhere, after we brought her here she woke up. Shocked, distressed, and utterly panicky.

Her breaths broke as they came out, her lips wobbly. Her hands flew in every direction until they lay in ours. 

I still remember the calm that washed her features, while her eyes bounced between Lucius and me. The wobble turned into a small smile. Pain a distant memory.

The next moment, it's three hours. She is lying in the same spot our hands clutched in hers. 

My heart swells twice its size, the warmth in my body spreading at the satisfaction of being the person on her mind in worry. I look up, expecting to see the same expression on Lucius- only it is not what I expected.

He is pensive. Brows drawn together, rigid sitting position. 

I try to pry, knowing all well his mind link is open to receive every and any message from the people back at quarters. 

I focus.

Cant I have you both?

The words iterate in his mind in the voice of Penny like a broken radio. And in a single moment every expression of his make sense. 

It's not a far-lore that every werewolf has its mate- somewhere. Either, hidden by nature or circumstance, but it is far-fetched that two wolves have the same mate. 

It has happened. Years - No centuries ago when the moon goddess herself decided to step into this realm. 

Right, now there seems to be not even a wolf in existence let alone the goddess. 

She looks like one, no doubt - but our wolves howled. Angered at the persistence, finally shutting the topic of, “Penny isn't our mate.”

Do our wolves not like her?

That would be far from the truth. They adore her cooing even when her eyelashes ruffle in the systematic flux of air-conditioned air. 

Lucius after the incident with our best friend swore not to love anyone other than his mate. However, I know Penny brings with her the demise of this promise. 

Am I worried about the arrangements we would have if her, “Can I have you both” come true? 

Not really. 

Threesome is far in comparison to all the weird sex rendezvous I have had. 

And to be true - Polyamorous is a thing today no one can deny.

Lucius and I have done this once, long back in high school. Liked the same girl, fucked the same girl… together. Later, he shut that door, claiming it to be our horny perky days. I bet, he would open it again for Penny. 

Mate or not. 

She is connected. Definitely not in a sisterly way.

I look up from our entwined hands, bouncing my eyes to where Lucius is looking. 

“Brother…”, I chime a soft voice. 

He hums an absentminded rhythm of his voice. 

“What if she wants us both like she said the other day?”, I ask knowing all too well his answer. 

Spare me, after all, we are twins. 

His eyes catch mine - squinting, accusing me of reading his mind. 

I raise my eyebrows, a smirk on my lips faying a defense. 

“If she wants us both. She gets us both.”

“At the same time”, I say.

He stares. 

And we burst into a pun-intended monogamous chuckle.