Sarah povThank God none of the three troublemakers return after they leave my cabin. I can't believe I was about to offer myself to Lazarus. No, I can't believe I actually did it. Where's my mind? My sanity? The remnants of my self-respect?I came here to see my best friend and run away as soon as I'd get the chance, but instead, I remained in an area full of wolves. Speaking of which, perhaps I should leave this mess and visit Cade. Of all the people I know, he always has good advice and an answer to my questions. Surely, he'll be surprised to see me, but he'll get over it. Running from the monsters is one thing, but technically, I have a pack of more dangerous monsters protecting me from the nightmare that haunts me. Once I've made up my mind, I take a few deep breaths and pick up the phone in the cabin to dial reception. "Main floor," a pleasant female voice booms through the device. "Yes, hello, I just wanted to ask if Alpha Lazarus, Luka and their friend left the building.
Lenox povAnd it's official- I might be an idiot when I don't control my emotions. Not only did I say way too much, but I also blew my cover. More or less. If this cat person is half as smart as I believe she is- she'll put two and two together. In no time, once the twatwaffle leaves, she'll bring up the bits about my brothers. I didn't intend to tell her that all three of us are related; that was a detail I wanted to keep to myself and use as an advantage. Well, shit happens; I'll have to come up with a new plan. The micro dick looks back and forth between me and the pussycat a few times, sends her what I assume is supposed to be a threatening glare, turns around and trudges to his car. "Aye, dickwaffle!" I call out to him. Honestly, I didn't think the moron would react, but he stops in his tracks and turns around. "Yes, Alpha?"First of all, I have no idea how I can hold my face as straight as it is. The fact that he reacted to the insulting nickname and spoke up in that angry
Sarah pov"Why the hell do you have your hands all over her?" That voice... So deep and full of anger. Just hearing those words sends a shiver down my spine. Perhaps I'm selfish, but I don't want anyone near Lenox and me. Not that I'm fond of the guy, but he just saved me and gave me the comfort I didn't know I needed. I've never stood up to my brother like that before, and it was an absolute pleasure to see a man who could bring Angus to his knees. Angus has always had a death wish of sorts- he's known for his unpredictable nature and fearless nature in our pack. That's why father has decided that Angus will take over the cats when his time is up. I let out a deep sigh, mumble a weak thank you and push Lenox away from me. Now that we have company, we can't ignore it. I expect to see fuming Lazarus, but instead of that scary son of a bitch, I'm faced with angry Luka. His hands are clenched into fists; the vein on his neck might pop out if he doesn't lose the damn tension. I tilt
Lazarus povSometimes I feel like there's no bigger cockblocker than my own damn brothers. And at this point, it's not just a feeling. Let's be fair- what could be a bigger turn-off than watching someone drag your man out of the building?Should I punch Luka's gut, rearrange his face or go for the easiest option: murder? I have no idea which I'll choose, but I'm leaning far too close to the latter option. He's blown my chances with an insanely attractive cat shifter. I keep wondering about this bullshit even after my brothers leave, and I'm left alone with the urgent need for a plan. A bet, they said...How could I make a woman fall in love with me? I mean, I could rail her until she can taste the damn stars, but is that enough to reach her on an emotional level? Sarah isn't my everyday quickie or a one-night stand. One look at her was enough for me to want to claim her. I'm taking a big risk here because women like Sarah were created to be worshipped and loved, not used and thrown
Sarah povI wake up wrapped in the most comfortable sheets ever. I'm surrounded by a scent of fresh lavender and heavy musk. Everything about this setting feels foreign and strangely familiar at the same time. As I manage to rub the last remnants of sleep from my eyes and take in the scenery, I remember that I'm not at the cabin anymore. Lazarus caught up with me and took me to his territory, his home.If only I could find the right words to describe how grateful I am for him. Sure Lazarus comes across as an arrogant, possessive asshole, but he has a big, loving heart that he tries to hide. Like others, he has a past and secrets, and I'm sure someone or something has hurt him so deeply that he's afraid to truly enjoy his feelings. I have no intention of starting a relationship with anyone, but I don't want to hurt his feelings either. Later, hopefully, we'll have time to catch up with this situation. I have to tell him that I appreciate his help, but it ends there. Besides, I have
Lenox pov It's not that I enjoy being the bad guy in someone's story.. No, scratch that- I very much enjoy being the bad guy when overly sensitive snowflakes tell the stories. Anyway, once again, I managed to be the bad guy in someone's story; to be more precise- in Luka's story. I didn't do shit, I just stood by and watched him mess up his chances, yet I'm supposed to feel bad? Why should I? All is fair in love and war, and I'm actually eager to win the bet. Unlike someone. "I can't believe she left," Luka repeats for what might be the millionth time. For the past few hours, he's been pacing the cabin and repeating the same crap over and over again. Not that I should tell him it'd be better if he tried to catch up with Sarah, right? I mean, a good brother would do just that, but he already pointed out how bad I am far too many times, so I'll just stick to the role Luka gave me."I can't believe she fucking left!" Luka growls again. Is this guy that stupid, or is this all just
Lazarus pov Since yesterday, I can't get rid of the thoughts about my brother. Being the youngest of three, Lenox immediately earned the title of a favourite child, even though we're triplets. Usually, parents choose their favourites based on age differences, but that wasn't the case in our family. As a result, he got away with a lot more crap than Luka, and I would've thought we could do together. No, screw that; Luka and I couldn't have done half the things Lenox did in his first ten years in our entire lives together. To explain my youngest brother as briefly as possible- he's a maniac, and our parents think his behaviour is cute. The morning came earlier than expected, possibly because I couldn't fall asleep due to the lack of the promised text message from Lenox. I wonder what that psychopath ended up doing. The most likely scenario involves a lot of blood, a manic laugh and body parts added to his stupid collection. "For fuck's sake!" I hiss under my breath as I kick of
Lenox povIf my dear brothers think I'd be one to drop an issue, they're so bloody wrong; it's hilarious. See what I did there? Bloody, that's a pun for what I intend to enjoy. A childish giggle escapes my lips as I approach the forest line. Every time I plan some fun, I can't help but get overly excited at the thoughts running through my mind. And the closer I get to the action, the more my body trembles.I tighten my grip around the axe and take a deep breath in preparation for the weekend trip to the happy land. For the record- I never asked him to get in my way or test my patience. I'm but a consequence rather than the problem. A possibly far too friendly smile spreads across my lips as I walk into the forest. Now, this is where the real fun begins.I watch my surroundings and the ground, ensuring I don't step on any branches as I approach my target. It'd be a waste of time if I gave away my location to someone who's not supposed to see me coming.As I predicted, he's too stupi
Sarah pov I gulp as I scan the faces of the men in my room. A part of me wants to have Seth by my side, but she’s too good to stick around now. The thing I mentioned earlier, the possibility of terminating the pregnancy- it was my idea. I spoke about it and Seth just held my hand and said she would support me regardless of what I do. I saw the tears and pain in her eyes, I saw how much against the idea she was, but being the amazing woman she is, Seth stood by my side. And she would now too, but this time, I need to listen to the men who love me and make the decision with them. Only them. My mind races, thousands of thoughts run through the deepest parts, and each scream something new. Should we know what’s hiding inside our baby? Sure, the possibility of it being evil is small, but even a good being wouldn’t take over a body that isn’t born yet without a reason. Than said it himself, the holy beings come here to stop the evil deeds and this situation is too grand for him t
Sarah pov It’s not so much that Than makes me nervous, because he sure as hell does, it’s more his words that leave me speechless. He’s implying that whatever is living inside my body must be someone who’s sent for a greater good. There’s no saying if he could be right or if he’s tricking me, but the look on his face doesn’t resemble someone who’s coming here to play games. Besides, technically, he has no reason to fool me. His daughter lives inside Lenox, he has an obvious attraction toward Seth, and so far, he has proven himself to be worthy. Maybe he’s the one person I should listen to? “Okay, so what do we do next?” I ask, probably sounding a bit too uneasy. Not that he could blame me given that the past events keep piling up and the entire family seems to lack time to deal with the issues. “Nothing. We wait,” Than leans back in his seat as the tension finally leaves his features. At this point, as confused as I am, maybe he is right. Perhaps sitting back and waiti
Luka pov Lazarus stares at dad with the same confused, shocked, and wide-eyed expression as I do, but as it seems, it’ll take a while for my brother to come back to his senses. Possibly even too long, so this time, I have to step up and give him a break. Turning my full attention to dad, I clear my throat and slightly tilt my head as I speak, “Whatever is your idea about this situation, you can’t blame us. The last time we were with Lenox, he promised to follow us in a bit. We talked to Sarah and just left the room, and as you might have noticed, both of us kept glancing around. We were looking out for Lenox and decided to wait for him here.” Now, dad’s facial expression mimics ours, and all of us look like a bunch of very confused idiots. “That means you didn’t give Lenox a damn blessing to go there?” Dad turns his attention back to Lazarus. My brother shakes his head, still somewhat shocked, yet slowly regaining his senses. I have no idea what dad is thinking right now, but no
Sarah pov“You have to be kidding me,” I groan as I close my eyes and try to grab control over my emotions and senses. In all honesty, I’m a bit over everyone telling me what I’m supposed to do. No, perhaps not even just a bit- a lot, damn it. One person comes in here to tell me it’s better to do this, and the other arrives to tell me the complete opposite. How am I to make the right decision if everyone seems so indulged in my life that they need to make the decisions for me, or even try to shift my judgement?Isn’t this the one matter that I should discuss with my partners and come up with the best thing to do for our future? Yes, I already made the mistake of thinking that I had all the right to make this choice on my own, but thank God, Lazarus opened my eyes and reminded me it’s as much my decision as it is his brother’s. But now, there’s a demon sitting next to my bed and claiming I can’t even think about the termination. Does he have any idea who resides in my baby? What if
Lenox pov“Holy fucking sticks and bricks, let me shit myself while you’re acting all mysterious and dangerous, why don’t you? Come on, tell me and I promise I won’t steal shit here,” I grin at the blob and hide my hand behind my back to cross my fingers. For as long as I keep them crossed, no one can claim I lied. Alright, I’m lying, I still fully intend to steal something, but the creature doesn’t need to know. “Follow me, but for those answers, keep in mind that everyone pays a price,” she whispers as if she’s trying to make a fucking deal with me now. What the hell is even happening? I promised mom I wouldn’t make a deal with the devil and this thing before me looks like I imagine a devil would. I want the heart, but the price? Yeah, for as long as I don’t know what it is, I’m not that keen to exchange my left nut for the heart. I need my left nut. Panic seizes me as images of this, whatever it really is, ehem, woman, grabbing my nut, runs through my mind. I quickly lift the
Sarah pov “He’s right,” I let out a long, shaky breath as I admit the one thing I wish I wouldn’t have to admit out loud. Lazarus might have reacted to my words in a way I didn’t expect him to, but at least, he didn’t shy away from telling me everything he thinks of the decision I’m trying to make. Regardless of the circumstances and setting, I can’t make the choice on my own because Lenox is present. Often, women have to carry the burden of life-changing choices on their own simply because they are alone. But I’m not. And I know that I won’t be even if I pressure the matter and the choice, I thought was the right one. But what if it’s not? What if Lazarus is right in more ways than I can think of? What if the next time Lenox and I try for a baby, we have to face the same situation as now? I know, we don’t have much time to make the decision, but we also don’t know how dangerous the thing is that’s taking over my baby. “What do you mean?” Seth asks, concern crossing her fea
Lenox pov~If you do this, I will never forgive you,~ As snarls at me as I hop through the shadowy, eerie-looking forest. Shit, this place feels like home. I could totally see myself living here, building a small cabin and all that nonsense. While As keeps fuming, I stop to take in the scenery and enjoy the silence surrounding me. The tree branches look like they’re ready to grab my body and gut me on the spot. How hot is that? I can almost imagine how I could take one of those fucking vile-looking branches and make myself a new, exclusive spoon. Maybe that thing could have a mind of its own and attack people on my commands?Once I’m done with my task, I might grab a souvenir on my way out of here. While my mind wanders to beautiful possibilities, As can’t seem to shut the fuck up, so I snap at her. “Because I should forgive you for nearly killing my brother, huh? Real smooth, Miss As, real fucking fantastic ants farm smooth.” She scoffs. ~You forgot who keeps you alive.~ Yeah,
Lazarus pov“Kill the baby?” The question leaves my lips before I can stop it. I didn’t intend to be so straightforward or come across as a complete asshole, but sometimes, even if I try my darndest, I can’t stop myself from saying some things. All eyes in the room focus on me. I guess saying something in the lines as Sarah did, the fancy wording of termination and all, seems more humane than the actual truth. All things aside, that’s exactly what she’s saying. She is planning to kill the baby. I raise my hands and shake my head. “We need to discuss this. All of us. Just think of the possible consequences and the reaction Lenox will have to these news. Like it or not, he’s the biological father of that child, and he has a say too. Yes, it’s your body and your choice, but thus far, I haven’t heard anything from you that implied that you didn’t want this baby. In fact, you appear to be rather happy about the possibility of becoming a mother.”Everyone in the room sits silent. Sarah
Luka povWhen Laz and I step into Sarah’s hospital room, she’s already wide awake, grinning at our mom. My heart skips a beat at the sight before us. Not only the adoration in the eyes of the women I love the most but I’m taken aback by how much at ease Sarah appears. Her cheeks are slightly flushed, so I assume they were sharing some secrets or spent the time laughing at their weird jokes. However, despite the cheerful energy that surrounds them, I can’t help but feel a little suspicious. As they smile at us, I notice how the smiles don’t reach their eyes and it’s all the confirmation I need to accept that something’s wrong. Not only wrong but they’re also trying to hide it from us. Whatever it is, I’ll figure it out sooner or later, because just like Sarah said- if we want this to work, we must remember how important communication is. Sucking in a deep breath, I brace myself for the possible backlash but still go with the initial plan and dive right in, “What’s wrong?”Sarah a