Mom was talking animatedly to Dev, her laughter light and carefree, while Derek engaged Caspian in a conversation about work. I sat there, feeling like an outsider, as Mom and Dev talked about the places she visited with Derek. It hurt me to see that Dev knew more about her than I did, and the way she talked with him showed how strong their relationship was. However, she read my mind because her eyes lit up all of a sudden as she forced the conversation towards me. It was a hollow try, but I let her, to see what she had for me. Just ten minutes ago, she commented about us making plans for the day, but she already forgot about it and made plans with Leo to check out a local spa and then cook dinner with Dev and Derek. “Kat,” her voice drew attention, her manicured hand on my arm. “Do you need anything, sweetheart? You’ve been awfully quiet.” I shook my head, managing a small smile. “No, I’m fine. Just a little tired, that's all.” Derek glanced over, his brows furrowing. “Y
The moment I stepped back into the house, I felt a sense of relief. The cool air brushed against my heated skin, and I felt the shift in energy. My earlier interaction with Caspian still lingered in my thoughts, but as I walked toward the kitchen, I noticed Ian standing near the counter. He was pouring a glass of water, his shoulders stiff and his movements looked almost robotic. His silver hair was slightly dishevelled, and when he turned briefly to glance at me, I caught the telltale redness in his puffy eyes. My heart tightened. Ian rarely showed any vulnerability, preferring to stay quiet and blend into the background. Seeing him like this sent alarm bells ringing in my head. I forgot about Caspian almost instantly and walked towards him. “Ian,” I called gently, trying to understand what must have happened. He froze, his glass of water clutched tightly in his hand. He didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he turned to stare at the counter as though it might give him an escape. “I
Harry’s eyes looked for answers when he stepped into Ian’s room. His gaze was bouncing between the two of us like he’d stumbled upon something scandalous. “What’s going on here?” he asked his tone light but carrying the curiosity of someone who definitely knew something was brewing between them but wasn't sure. “Is everything alright? Ian?” I glanced at Ian, who had stiffened at the question. His fingers were fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, and the nervous energy radiating off him was almost visible. He didn’t want to talk about what had just happened, and I couldn’t blame him.I knew I couldn't leave it to him to answer because if he was socially awkward, there was also a huge possibility that he had trouble lying. I never had that difficulty, maybe because I was born to two of the biggest liars in the world. “It’s nothing important,” I said quickly, offering Harry a small smile. I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my jeans. “I was just asking him if there was something he
The dining room was alive with chatter, the brothers bouncing between casual banter and stories while Mom and Derek listened with amused smiles. The long table was set with a spread that smelled heavenly—roast chicken, fried rice, creamy mashed potatoes, spicy crabs and grilled vegetables. Normally, the warm, lively atmosphere would have made me feel comfortable, but things were different that night. While I was extra cautious with Ian sitting beside me, nervously scratching his knuckles, I also had to deal with Caspian, who was directly across from me. He wore a dangerous smirk, and every so often, he would run his toes along the length of my legs. On the other hand, since the start Lucas had been quiet. He wasn’t talking like the others. Even Ian made a few comments when Derek addressed him, but Lucas just shrugged whenever someone asked him something. Instead, he’d been watching me. More specifically, he’d been watching Caspian, whose occasional glances my way seemed to int
“You knew he was watching us?” I didn't know what to think anymore. Caspian’s confession hit me like a blow to the chest. My trust in him, the way I defended him against Lucas, suddenly felt like a mistake. That familiar nagging voice, the ‘what if’ in the back of my mind, screamed louder than ever. I couldn't completely let go of the doubts, and Caspian saying he knew Lucas was watching us in the backyard brought back the fear. I took a deep breath and turned toward him. Caspian, who usually carried an air of confidence and control, now looked almost… remorseful. His head was down, and his eyes downcast as if he could already read my thoughts. “Don’t,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he continued. “Please, Kat. Don’t go there.” “W-why?” My voice was barely steady when I questioned, because my emotions were in a chaotic swirl. “Why didn’t you stop when you saw him? Why didn’t you tell me then?” He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair before sitting dow
Caspian was sitting on my bed, leaning back a little with his strong arms at his sides. His legs were spread to give me a good look at his package. His features were sharp and flawless. He was truly God's sexiest creation and the most handsome among all the brothers. His forest-like dark green eyes undoubtedly beckoned me to be drawn into them since the first day I saw him. I couldn't wait to run my hand through his dishevelled, dark-brown hair, but somehow I felt like he was planning something else. I felt butterflies in my stomach seeing the first few buttons on his white shirt undone, revealing his bare chest. Just a glimpse of the muscular chest behind the fabric made me feel hot. I felt the urge to run my tongue down his body. He glanced at his wristwatch and then up at me, causing me to close my eyes in anticipation. He knew what he was doing to me, coming dressed up in his work clothes instead of the jeans and T-shirt he was wearing during dinner. “I-I… I don't know
“One...” I was able to speak it out, raising my ass due to the sting that I felt afterwards. It hurt! It really did hurt! “Good! You remembered the rules.” He sounded almost impressed, and for some reason, that brought a smile to my face. “Not many remember the rules on their first time. I guess the internet articles did teach you a few things.” I was about to respond when without warning he spanked my other butt with the same force, if not more. I felt the vibration of the impact travelling up to my heart, and down to my crotch. I moaned. “Ah… two!” I remembered to count, clenching my jaw to hold back the cry. I wanted to turn back and finger myself because the sexual tension in my core was rising to a new height. “I thought you would forget about the rule, and I will get to hit you double the amount,” he said mockingly, and I braced myself for the next impact. “Not my day, I guess. Well, in that case, I've to make these forty spanks worthwhile.” The next hit didn't come
“Kat? What’s wrong?”I stared at him without saying anything. He looked hot without his glasses and perfectly combed hair. He was in a T-shirt and a pair of joggers. His hair was ruffled and I almost felt sorry for waking him up just because I was feeling hot. I wasn't even sure if he would fuck me, but I had no other option. I couldn't go to Lucas or Harry in that condition; Dev was the only one I felt would understand the condition I was in and wouldn't judge me for it. “Can I come inside?” I questioned and he nodded his head, pulling the door all the way. “Come in...” He stopped when he noticed I was only wearing the top, and nothing else. It was one of those oversized tops, so he didn't notice much when I was in the darkness of the hallway, but in his room, under the bright lights, he saw it, and his cheeks turned red. He looked at me in confusion, like a deer caught in the headlight. “Thank you,” I said, biting my lips seductively. “And sorry for waking you up.” “What is go
I didn’t want to talk about the Salvatore family with Cami. It was too depressing to have that conversation with her. I didn't want to talk to her about Alaric, or about my mother, not about Derek lying in the hospital while his sons tried to salvage the mess he unknowingly helped create.For once, I just wanted to talk about myself.And—more specifically—I wanted to talk about Caspian.“So, let me get this straight.” Cami’s voice was clear through the speaker, cutting through the quiet of my dimly lit bedroom. “You like Caspian?”I groaned, rolling onto my stomach and burying my face in my pillow for a second before lifting it again. “God, don’t say it like that. I didn't mean it like that. I meant there are things that have happened, and he has done things that made me feel weird.”“Like what? The true feeling you've been hiding for months?” She let out a breathless laugh. “Kat, this is huge. You’ve been dodging relationships for years, and now you’re telling me you have actual fee
Alaric knew something.That much was clear the moment he stepped into the dining room, his presence wrapped around the air like a noose, slowly tightening around all of us. His sharp, assessing gaze skimmed over the table, taking in our frozen postures and the lingering tension that none of us could shake off.Then, as if he hadn’t just walked into a room full of people on the brink of plotting his downfall, he smiled. A slow, knowing, chilling smile appeared to scare us. “Why does it look like someone just died?” he mused, his voice was light and easy, but there was something underneath it—something taunting, something dangerous.Nobody answered.I could feel the tension radiating from Caspian beside me, the way Lucas’s fingers tightened around his fork, and the barely restrained scoff from Dev.Alaric didn’t seem to mind the silence. He strolled forward with unhurried confidence, like a predator stepping into a den of prey. Pulling out the chair next to Leo, he sat down, completely
Dinner had never been that quiet. Not in the Salvatore house. The long dining table was filled with plates of steaming food—pasta, grilled chicken, and fresh bread—but no one seemed interested in eating. They were thinking about something, and while their hands moved mechanically I knew they wanted to know what was the important thing Caspian wanted to talk about. He told them that he had something important he wanted to share with them after the dinner. And I guess he shouldn't have shared that much information with the others before because the others were still thinking about it, trying to figure out what it might be. Ian already had a small idea, yet he could feel the tension in the room. As a result, he was very uncomfortable. I could see it in his eyes. The room was dimly lit, with the chandelier above us casting soft, golden light over the strained faces. Unlike other days, even Leo didn't fuss about the food or ask for dessert with the meal. And that's when I realise
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dried and felt like sandpaper when I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t sure about my own emotions, about what to feel—relief, panic, guilt? Maybe all of them at once, or maybe none. Mom had looked at me when I was coming downstairs to help Dev with the dinner, her expression was unreadable. Yet, I knew what was going on inside her head. She must have been afraid of what kind of person wouldn't be in this situation. I asked her what happened or if she needed help with something, and she simply said, “I don’t care what happens to me. As long as you’re safe, I'm willing to do anything in the world. You might not trust me right now, but believe me, my words are true. And I'm going to show it tomorrow.” I hadn’t known how to respond when she was being that open with her thoughts. I should have said something, anything, but I didn't. I couldn't find the right words to say, and thinking about it now, I guess it wouldn't have ma
“So, when are we going to tell the other about what is going on in the family?” I asked the two brothers who still looked conflicted. “If mom confesses tomorrow, their life will be in danger too. If Alaric finds out, he will take it out on whoever he finds.” Caspian and Lucas shared a secret look but told us nothing about it. I was sitting at the kitchen island, my fingers were wrapped around the cool ceramic of my untouched water glass. While, my mind was elsewhere—spinning, twisting, trying to make sense of everything we were about to do. But worse were the fears associated with our every move. That was the reason I wasn't speaking much because I was afraid my fears and what-ifs would slip out mistakenly in normal conversations. And I knew it would only damper their mood, so I heard them instead and tried to be positive about our little mission. “She's right. At this point I think we need to tell the others,” Dev said, stirring a simmering pot of pasta sauce. “This morning t
The room was much quieter after my mom had left. It had been more than an hour since she was gone. Yet, the heavy air of her decision lingered in the room that surrounded us, entering my brain through my nostrils. I couldn't stop thinking about it because it felt like an invisible force that had a huge surprise for everyone in the house. I still wasn’t sure if I believed her—if I could afford to believe her. I didn't know where I stood with her; sometimes, I had been acting like the best daughter in the world, while other times I felt as if she was my biggest enemy. I couldn't figure out how to act around her. Even though she had agreed to confess and that was ‘something not to look over’ according to Caspian, I couldn't bring myself to trust her completely. I knew I could have trusted her more when she told Derek the truth, but I couldn't help but think it was one of her other elaborate plans. “A woman can get anything if she wants it enough... anything.” Her words from years
“My brothers are crazy,” Caspian followed after when my eyes found his. “They have done some of the wildest things on the planet, and don't even let me start with Leo. He's the definition of cringe and intrusive thoughts.” “Yeah, that I know,” I agreed with him about Leo, because he had done some of the wildest things. However, after Ian disappeared on his birthday, Leo got a little serious about the things around him. “There's a lot more.” The way he said that made me think about what he meant by it. There was an undertone of some sort that I couldn't place, but it wasn't anything positive. The way he said that, it felt darker and chilling. “Well, I'd love to know more about you brothers than,” I said, hoping he would get the hint and will talk about himself then. ‘What are you trying to do?’ My brain questioned and I stopped myself from continuing, realizing that I was flirting with him. “You got time,” he said taking a seat on my bed and looked at the famed picture of me with
The air outside was cold and comforting, just walking outside through the entrance made me feel much at loose than I had been the whole day. A soft breeze carried the faint scent of the forest that surrounded the Salvatores’ estate, and moisture that brought me relief. The sky was covered with dark clouds and looked like it was going to rain soon. I was almost waiting for the rain, hoping to see the forest come to live. I was walking beside Caspian. I could feel the tension from the meeting still sitting heavily on Caspian's shoulders. Lucas was following closely behind us, his brows were still furrowed in deep thought, while Dev walked a few steps in front of us with Matthew. As we reached the driveway, Matthew paused. His shiny black Mercedes was waiting for him, the driver was inside. Matthew turned to face us, his demeanour was as calm and professional as ever. He had the same aura around him that at the beginning, I saw around Caspian. “I’ll wait for your call,” he said, his
Caspian’s office had turned into the Salvatore family's war room over the past few weeks. It was a room that once felt intimidating—lined with tall bookshelves, mahogany furniture, dark leather chairs, and the history it contained of me and Caspian. Now, it was a place where heavy discussions were taking place, to reach decisions that could alter the family’s fate. I was sitting in the corner of the room, feeling like an intruder in their world of business and law. Yet, as I watched Lucas and Caspian argue over the papers spread across the desk, I realized I wasn’t exactly an outsider anymore. I was part of the mess, whether I liked it or not.Matthew, the Salvatores’ lawyer, sat across from me. He was calm and collected despite the storm brewing in the room, trying to hear both sides. His neatly pressed suit and calm demeanour gave him an air of professionalism that felt out of place amidst the storm of words. Dev was pacing near the window, his hands were shoved deep into his po