“Hey, Little Wolf.” The familiar voice sent a shiver down my spine as I grasped the doorknob, hesitating. His usual playful nickname carried a different weight now, layered with the tension from earlier in the evening. Since I skipped dinner, I thought he would assume I was tired and already asleep. “Are you going to let me in?” he asked, his hand resting on the door. He didn’t push it open—just held it, waiting. I took a deep breath, summoning the courage to open the door all the way. He stood on the other side, dressed in a loose shirt and shorts, looking unexpectedly younger in his casual attire. I tried to look but the dim hallway light made it difficult to read his expression. “Lucas, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the slight tremor I could hear. He leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His gaze swept over me before settling on my eyes. "Don't tell me you forgot about our midnight meeting," he sai
“Lucas…” I whispered, my voice a mixture of plea and surrender. I wanted him to stop, but at the same time I wanted him to keep going, faster and harsher. “Shhh… let me take care of you, little wolf,” he murmured, his breath hot against my neck. He pressed closer, his lips grazing the sensitive skin between my neck and collarbone. I grabbed his shoulder as his actions sent shivers down my spine. “You're beautiful when you’re vulnerable like this, love,” he added, his voice low and intimate.Lucas's fingers moved expertly, igniting a fire deep within me that I had tried so hard to suppress. His touch was both familiar and foreign—a dangerous mix of desire and forbidden thrill that left me trembling. My mind raced with the implications, but my body betrayed me, responding to him with a need that was impossible to deny.“Lucas!” I moaned, my voice trembling as he added another finger, quickening his pace. It was exactly what I wanted him to do, and even though it hurt a little at the fi
The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. I woke up feeling a strange mix of emotions—guilt, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of regret. My body was aching and mind was still foggy from the events of the previous night, but as the memories slowly resurfaced, my heart began to race. I pushed myself up from the bed, the sheets tangled around my legs. I went to the bathroom to throw some cold water on my face because it felt like I was burning. The water did little to nothing to make me feel better, but when I saw my reflection in the mirror I let out a scream. Blue and red spots were scattered all aroundy neck and chest, big and small. I threw some water and tried wiping them off with the help of towel thinking they were not real. How could they be? The hickies Camilia had shown me proudly after her first night with Phineas were nothing like those. How had I let things go so far? I had promised myself that I would keep my distance, th
I took a deep breath as I descended the marble staircase, my fingers lightly tracing the smooth glass railing. The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting a warm glow across the marble floor of the entrance hall, but it did little to ease the tension knotting in my stomach. My heart pounded as I kept my head slightly lowered, my hair draped to one side, praying it would be enough to hide the faint marks Lucas had left on my neck. I had watched a tutorial on YouTube about how to hide hickeys using foundation and tried to follow the instructions, but I wasn’t confident in the results. The mere thought of someone noticing—Dev or, worse, Caspian—sent a wave of nausea through me. The house was eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the Salvatore family subdued in the early hours. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I paused. Ian was standing with a plate full of sandwiches in the hallway connecting the entrance hall to the family room. He looked up when he
“Missed you at dinner yesterday.”My breath hitched slightly, and I struggled to maintain my composure under Caspian's scrutinizing gaze. He was standing right across from me, his eyes dark and calculating, and for a moment, I was terrified he might notice something was off.“Good morning, Caspian,” I replied, hoping my voice didn't betray my nerves. I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my voice. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t feeling too well, so I decided to rest early,” I lied, my voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil churning inside me.Caspian’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place—concern, perhaps? But just like the day before, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by his usual stern expression.“I see,” he said, his tone even. “You’re feeling better now, I hope?”“Yes, much better,” I lied, forcing a smile on his way. He didn’t respond, but his gaze lingered on me a moment longer, and I felt like he could see right through me. My heart was racin
When everyone had finally finished eating, I started helping Dev carry plates to the kitchen, while Caspian escorted a still-protesting Leo toward the main door. The youngest Salvatore had been reluctant to go to school after learning I would be visiting the town with Neel.“Please, Caspian, just let me stay home today,” Leo pleaded after wriggling free from Caspian’s grasp. He folded his hands and dramatically dropped to the ground. “I promise I won’t cause any trouble. I just want to hang out with Kat and Neel too, please, big brother. I’ll do all my schoolwork later; my studies won’t be affected.”“Stop being silly, Leo,” Caspian said, picking Leo up like a doll and tossing him over his shoulder. “You’re going to school. I’ll take you to Seattle over the weekend.”“I don’t want to! Please, let me stay home today!” Leo tried to break free again, but Caspian had learned from his earlier mistake and was holding him tighter this time.“And I’ll take you to Disneyland when I’m free. Tha
After the kiss, the air between Dev and me felt heavier, laden with something unsaid, something we were both hesitant to acknowledge. He pulled back slowly, as if unsure of what to say. His eyes, still soft and warm, darted around the kitchen before settling on mine again.“Katherine…” His voice was barely above a whisper, his fingers trailing the side of my face gently as if weighing what he was about to say.I swallowed hard, not sure where to look or how to respond. I crossed the line again. This time with another brother. Guilt surged through me like a wave, followed by something far more unsettling—a longing I couldn’t quite place. However, with Dev, it felt different. It wasn’t like when I was with Lucas. When Dev and I kissed, something sparked between us that neither of us could fully understand, but we both felt it. Something more than just physical desire, something that scared me.“I’m sorry if that—” I began, but Dev shook his head quickly, cutting me off.“You don’t have
I came downstairs when Dev texted me that Neel was back and waiting for me.My heart still felt heavy, a mix of guilt and confusion swirling within me, but I pushed those thoughts aside. I couldn’t dwell on what had happened with Dev, not right now.When I entered the entrance hall, Neel was seated comfortably on a loveseat, flipping through one of his well-worn books. His fingers moved over the yellowed pages with the kind of familiarity that only came from revisiting old favorites.I remembered Leo telling me during breakfast that Neel had read through every single book on the shelves in the entrance hall. I still found that hard to believe because there were hundreds of books in the hall, from various genres and countries.“Hey,” he greeted with his usual soft smile, looking up as I approached. He set the book aside, closing it gently as if saying farewell to an old friend. “Ready for our little adventure?”“Yeah,” I replied, trying to inject some excitement into my voice. In truth
“She wouldn't play with Dad like that, would she?” His question made me uncomfortable because Mom was doing exactly that. She was with Derek because of his money and she claimed he knew that too and was fine with it, but I didn't know if I could pass that information to Leo or not. Whatever agreement they had was between them, and I believed it wasn't my place to share that with his sons. Thus, I hid the truth but didn't tell him lies about Mom either. “I don't know her enough to comment about that. She hasn't been around much and you know she dated a lot of men between my Dad and yours.” “Still, she's your mother,” Leo tried to pull out any information, it was understandable that he was worried about Derek. “You must know something.” “I know that she's not the most responsible person on the planet, and didn't care about her daughter for years,” I said, remembering how I wanted to leave with her when Dad and her divorced. “Apart from that, she's just a stranger to me. I guarant
“Leo likes Kat's friend, and we just had a little disagreement about it,” Derek explained to Mom while she came to stand behind him. He was still sitting on the stool idly tracing a pattern on the marble top while trying to gather his thoughts. He looked older that morning, weighed down by the events that took place the night before. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes were fixed somewhere far beyond the kitchen. “Oh! you didn't tell me about him?” Mom turned to look at Leo with curled lips. “Wait, is he the guy you've been texting recently.” Leo looked away, embarrassed. “And you told me it was someone from the class.”“You knew about it, yet didn't tell me anything?” Derek said suddenly and his voice carried that heavy, parental mix of frustration and concern. Though he didn't sound angry. “You should have told me earlier.”“I wasn't sure about it myself. Besides, I thought he was someone Kat was interested in,” she said, turning to look at me. “I
“Actually, Dad, I like Diego.” “No, you don't!” Derek almost laughed as he said those words. “You are too young to understand love.” “I'm an adult, and I'm talking about liking him and not being in love with him.” Leo walked to give Caspian a side hug and stood by his side instead of looking at Derek while he spoke. “I can do what I want.”“You don't have my permission to date some random guy you picked from the roads.” The kitchen felt like a pressure cooker, the air around us suddenly became too thick for comfort. I could feel it—the tension that hung between everyone, and how each breath sounded heavier than the last.I was standing by the island, pretending to look at the coffee mugs lined up on the shelf, but my mind was a swirl of thoughts. I could feel the shift, the quiet unease. Something was wrong, and it wasn’t just the way Derek responded to Leo, but something else was going on. I didn't know what it was, but I could feel it in my bones. The moment had been creeping u
My eyes fluttered open slowly, and I saw the sunlight streaming through the balcony in my bedroom. I groaned tiredly, my whole body was heavy with exhaustion from the previous night. For a brief, disoriented moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream—the party, the argument, the fight, the tension hanging so thick in the air it almost made me feel suffocation. My heart lurched as a thought shot through my mind. Caspian. ‘Is he still here?’ I questioned myself and turned my head quickly, scanning the room for any sign of him. The bed beside me was empty. No lingering warmth, no trace of his presence anywhere. I once again melted under the covers as a wave of relief washed over me. Though it mingled with a strange, inexplicable disappointment. I wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger; the relief of not being caught with him or the disappointment of not waking up in his arms. I touched my lips, remembering the way he kissed me in the tree house. His hands tenderly played with my
Caspian’s hand was warm as he took mine in his own and led me through the creeping shadows of the forest. The branches of the trees above us whispered secrets to each other. And our only companion in that dark night was the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the branches that swayed under the spell of the wind. The sounds of the birthday party faded behind us; the hum of voices and the music became a distant murmur that we couldn't hear anymore. I felt a strange sense of anticipation, like we were sneaking away to a place that existed just for the two of us. He stopped in front of a large oak that stood tall near their house. Its branches stretched in all directions, and the trunk was so wide that it would require at least seven people standing hand in hand to fully encircle it. The bark of the tree was rough and weathered, telling stories of countless seasons that had passed. A ladder was nailed into it, and it disappeared into the darkness above. Caspian’s lips curled
The music from the sound system thumped gently in the background, blending with the laughter and chatter that floated through the cool, soothing air of Lake Willow.The fairy lights strung along the trees cast a warm, golden glow across the boathouse and the surrounding clearing. Everything was perfect, in a way I hadn’t expected it to be. But then again, it wasn’t the beautiful decorations or the tasty cake that made the night special. It was the people—my brothers, my family—finally feeling like they had a place to just be.I watched Harry moving through the dance floor, surrounded by his friends, with joy in his eyes. He was laughing; his arms were flailing in a carefree rhythm that made me smile despite the fear of what Dad might do tomorrow, eating away my brain cells. If he decided to throw us out, I had to take care of my brothers and provide them with necessities. To most of their cards, Dad still had access, and he could freeze their account whenever he wanted; thankfully,
I already knew about the surprise party; Harry did too. The way Kat, Dev and others had tried to be subtle, sneaking around and exchanging knowing glances, was almost comical. Leo couldn't be sneaky, even if it cost him his life. I heard him speaking about the surprise on the phone more than once, while Harry guessed it seeing the way others interacted with each other. Both me and Harry figured it out days ago, but neither of us said a word to anyone. Pretending not to know felt easier than watching their faces fall, realizing all their hard work would go to waste. They wanted the day to be special—for us. Despite everything—the strained dinner conversations and the silences that cut sharper than words—we didn’t want to ruin it for them. We didn’t want to ruin their mood and take away the one thing they thought would make our day special. They were already going against Dad by planning the surprise. As we walked toward the boathouse, the air was still dense due to the argument
“A surprise?” I nodded my head, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, a surprise for you and Harry. Come with us and I promise you, it will be better than this.” He laughed, “Anything in this world is going to be better than this.” Dev looked down to lock eyes with Ian and, in a soft, love-filled voice, said, “I am sorry for not doing anything and letting you go through all of this; let me and the others show how much we love you.” “Y-you don't have to show me anything, I know,” Ian took a shaky breath and nodded before wrapping his arms around Dev. Just then, Caspian and Lucas appeared with Harry in tow. They were laughing about something, but when they noticed Dev and Ian, they stopped. A veil of confusion covered their faces as they tried to figure out what happened. “What’s going on?” Harry’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flickered between us. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, it was Alaric, forget about him,” Ian said, pulling away from Dev and then turned towards the others. “Did they
I saw Diego standing near the entrance with a small bag in his hand as I tried not to look at the people checking me out. He had a tense smile on his lips and looked lost, I almost laughed seeing him looking for me. He pulled his phone out and stepped to the side, hiding away from the stolen glances he received from ladies near him. He looked sharp in the blue suit he was wearing and had his hair slicked back. My phone started to ring and I realised he was calling me. I was about to pick up the call when he looked in my direction, and our eyes met, I waved my hand, and with a faint smile, he walked towards me. He had a little jump in his steps that he was trying to hide, but when he looked at me completely, his jaw was on the grass. All the nervousness due to being in an event like that and the unease from before was gone. His eyes sparkled and I felt Caspian turning towards him. “Wow,” he said, mesmerized as he looked up and down. Weirdly, with Diego, I didn't feel creeped out li