Carina pov
With my bag slung over one of my shoulders, I sighed for the nth time this evening, my thoughts mainly about my mates. I had no one to talk to about my predicament and had no one to give me advice on what to do.Rodrigo, Antonio and Miguel had all successfully done well in having me confused. First, they treat me like a slut and now, they help me out. It was surely not the twist I was expecting.
Finally, I arrived In front of the hive building painted in white and gold and with a sigh, I made my way into the compound.
Once inside, their combined scents seemed to have a mind of its own, making its way straight into my nose and causing a part of my senses to tingle.
“Why do they smell so delicious?” I mumbled to myself, dropping my bag to the couch while following the trail of their scent.
Oddly enough, their mixed scents only seemed to be leading me to my room that just happened to be on the other wing of theirs.
“What are they doing in my room?” Was the only question I asked myself before picking up my courage and pushing the door open.
“What took you so long?” With the same blue eyes he had stared down at me at the time I was being bullied, Antonio smiled at me, sitting on the edge of my bed with his back leaning on the headboard.
“This is my room, what are you all doing here?” With a choked breath, I ignored his term of address, my eyes rapidly moving from each one of them to the other.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo had made himself comfortable on the single couch facing the window, making it easier to see what was going on outside. I would have sworn he hadn't heard a thing I had said if it wasn't for the smirk that graces his full pink lips.
His thick black eyebrows were twisted into a position that screamed of mischievousness and for a reason, it had my blood pouring straight into my head, making me lightheaded.
Clenching my fists repeatedly, I held on to the wall for support, mentally praising myself for being cool.
“We were waiting for you,” in an oddly calm voice that made me suspicious, Miguel answered, throwing me a wink.
The only difference between all three of them was the little difference in their sizes and the color of their orbs. Aside from those, they were pretty much difficult to tell apart.
“Come here, won't you thank us for helping you out this morning?” With a quick flex of his muscles, Rodrigo rose to his feet, taking slow but heavy steps towards me.
Every bone in my body screamed for me to run out as fast as I could but it was as if my feet had been magically glued to the floor, rendering me immobile.
The closer he got, the more my nerves got strung up.
“D…. don't come close,” damn it! I was supposed to sound brave but I was sounding more like a chicken that was getting choked.
“How cute.”Was the last word I heard before all three of them took quick steps towards me, trapping me in their middle.
“Wh…what do you want? Why are you here?” I stammered, silently cursing their mouthwatering scent for filtering into my nose. I was beginning to have a hard time getting my head straight.
“Won't you thank us for helping you back in school? Who knows what would have happened if we left you with him,” Antonio’s teasing tone immediately had the little complicated feeLing I was starting to grow to diminish into nothing but dust.
“Hold on, so you helped me in order for you to get something back in return?” As bitter as that question sounded on my tongue, I still asked, even when I knew I didn't want to know the answer to that question.
“Does it really matter? All that matters is for you to pay us back now,” Miguel piped in.
I stared at all three of them, making sure to capture the looks on their faces.The taste of bitterness on my tongue was worse than I imagined it to be.
“Ok. Tell me, what do you want in return?” Forcing a smile on my lips, I asked them, pretending to be unaffected. That was definitely not my forte but I refused to let these assholes have the satisfaction of hurting me.
“Sleep with us,” they all chorused at the same time before I felt one heavy hand on my butt.
“Ah!” Gasping, I tried to move away but all for me to fall into another one's arms who readily caught me with a satisfied smile.
“No! I'm not going to do that!” I readily refused but nothing about the pull I was feeLing towards them agreed with me.
Their combined scents was like an aphrodisiac, drugging me and making my vision blurry.
FeeLing the light squeeze on my butt, an involuntary moan escaped my lips.
I had no time to drown in my embarrassment because that moan became a catalyst of their next actions.
Hands roamed over my body, grabbing and squeezing me on my sensitive parts.“N…no,” I weakly refused but everything got swallowed back when I felt a soft lips on mine.
At first, the kiss was soft but just as soft as it came, it soon involved the clashing of tongues as my lips were sucked heavily. My blood was running hot, unable to stop myself from pressing my body against where it led me.Hot lips fell on my neck, kissing lightly and then getting sucked like there was every intent of leaving a mark.
“More,” I moaned out in my haze but this voice definitely belonged to me but my wolf who was ready to be with them. I felt fingers land on the button of my shirt, my hair getting tugged, leaving my neck more exposed to their kisses.
“You taste amazing,” one of them groaned sexily in my ear, causing liquid to pool in between my thighs.
Just then, familiar footsteps reached our ears, immediately halting out actions.Before I had the time to collect myself together, all three of them exchanged looks and then I was flung to the bed.
“What the he-,” the door burst open before I could complete my words as my mother sauntered in.
“What is happening here?” Was the first thing she said as her eyes roamed from all three brothers and then to me.
Immediately, the look of disapproval on her face couldn't be mistaken and my heart was about to leap out of my chest.“We found her having a weird dream and touching herself. We thought something bad happened when we heard her screaming but when we came in, we noticed how wrong we were,” with a straight face like he hadn't just been groping me seconds ago, Rodrigo lied smoothly.
And as expected of my mother, the look of disapproval morphed into disappointment and disgust and without another word, she stumped towards me, dragging me out of the bed , given no chance to speak up.
“Mum, no. That wasn't what happened. You have to listen to me first. They are lying!” I managed to say but instead, I was pulled by the ear, watching as all three of my mates feigned looks of pity.
The tears fell from my face not because of the pain on my ear but the pain of their lies.
“How disgusting of you to say all three of your brothers are lying! How can they? You need to be punished!” My mother yelled out, pulLing me by the ear, straight out of the room as my tears continued to fall.
Carina pov"Disgusting little brat!" my mother spat, her fingers still gripping my ear like a vice as she dragged me through the hallway. "I can't believe this—how did I end up with a daughter like you? Such disgrace!""Mum, please, listen to me—" I tried to protest, struggLing to keep up with her angry strides."Shut up!" she snapped, her nails digging into my skin. "Do you even hear yourself? Lying to my face, trying to blame your brothers? Your BROTHERS, for heaven’s sake! How shameless can you be?""They’re not telling the truth!" I cried out, the tears flowing freely now. "I didn’t do anything wrong. You have to believe me, please!""Believe you?" She stopped abruptly and spun to face me, her sharp gaze cutting through me like a knife. "You’ve already humiliated this family enough, and now you expect me to take your word over theirs? You must think I’m a fool!"Her voice echoed in the grand hallway, making the maids and a few passing servants stop and glance at us nervously before
Carina povI walked into school with my hood pulled low over my head, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The makeup I’d hastily smeared over the black bruise beneath my eye wasn’t doing much to hide it. My reflection this morning had been nothing short of a train wreck—swollen eyes from crying, pale skin, and that nasty black-and-blue mark mocking me every time I blinked.Even the thought of stepping through the school gates had been unbearable, but I couldn’t stay locked up in that house anymore. Between my mother’s scathing remarks and my stepbrothers’ taunts, every corner of that place reeked of suffocation.As I slid into my seat in the classroom, my fingers shook slightly. I kept my head down, hoping no one would notice me.“Hey,” whispered a voice next to me. It was Sarah, the closest thing I had to a friend. “What happened to your eye?”“Nothing,” I muttered, avoiding her gaze.“It doesn’t look like ‘nothing.’ Did someone—”“I said it’s nothing!” I snapped, immediately regrettin
Carina povI tossed and turned in my bed, the weight of the day pressing heavily on my chest. Sleep felt like a distant memory, something I might never experience again. Every time I closed my eyes, the sneering faces of my stepbrothers or the whispers from school haunted me. My body ached, not just from exhaustion, but from the bruises, both visible and invisible.A sudden knock on my door shattered the fragile quiet.What now?“Who the hell is it?” I growled, sitting up abruptly.There was no response, just another knock—louder this time.“For crying out loud!” I muttered, dragging myself out of bed. I stomped to the door, the anger bubbling over. Couldn’t they just let me have one moment of peace in this damn house?I yanked the door open, fully prepared to yell at whoever dared disturb me, but my words died in my throat.Standing there, smirking like they owned the place, were my stepbrothers.“Ugh. You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Can you all just leave
Carina’s POVThe session had just wrapped up, and everyone couldn’t stop talking about one thing: the part my stepbrothers Antonio, Miguel, and Rodrigo hosted. I’d spent the entire evening dodging conversations about them and their "charming antics," as the girls at school loved to gush about. It was infuriating.Tuesday morning was already off to a bad start. I came to school late, thanks to my mom, who had decided that morning was the perfect time to scold me for a situation my stepbrothers had clearly set me up for."You’re irresponsible, Carina! When will you take things seriously?" Mom yelled as I tried to eat my breakfast in peace.I groaned. "Mom, I didn’t even do anything. Antonio borrowed my notes and forgot to return them, and now my teacher thinks I skipped classwork!"But my words fell on deaf ears. "Excuses! You’re too lenient with those boys. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you’ll always get in trouble for their mistakes," she snapped.The irony. How could I stand up
Carina’s POVRING! RING! RING!The bell finally blared, signaling the end of my second-to-last class for the day. Relief flooded through me as I sank back into my chair."Thank God," I muttered under my breath. "Just one more to go. I can survive this."The day had already been a disaster. Between Mr. Willis and Antonio, Miguel, and Rodrigo acting like... whatever they thought they were, I was officially done with everyone."Carina, you okay?" Sofia, my seatmate and probably the only sane person in my life, leaned over with concern."Just tired," I said, forcing a weak smile.Sofia frowned, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "You’ve been off all day. Did something happen?""Where do I even start?" I sighed."Uh-oh, spill." She leaned closer, her brown eyes wide with interest.I hesitated, glancing around the classroom. The other students were either chatting in groups or packing up their things. "It’s a long story.""I’ve got time," Sofia said, her tone teasing but her
Carina’s POV"Nothing," I said quickly."Doesn’t sound like nothing," Rodrigo said, leaning forward."Drop it," I snapped.The car fell silent again, but I could feel their curiosity simmering beneath the surface.*****When we finally pulled up in front of my house, I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough."Thanks for the ride," I said quickly, opening the door."Wait," Antonio said, turning off the engine.I froze, half out of the car. "What now?""Get some rest," he said, his voice unusually serious. "And if you start feeling worse...""I’ll be fine," I interrupted, stepping out.Miguel leaned out his window. "You say that, but you look like you’re about to keel over."I glared at him. "Goodbye, Miguel.""Call us if you need anything!" Rodrigo called as I slammed the door behind me.I didn’t bother looking back as I headed for the front door, their voices fading as I shut the door behind me.As soon as I stepped inside, the exhaustion hit me like a truck. I leaned against the doo
Carina’s POVAntonio’s voice thundered through the bathroom. "What the hell is that?"I froze, my heart racing. The test slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering to the tiled floor. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, snapping out of my shock, I quickly snatched it up and glared at him.“Do you not understand the meaning of privacy?” I yelled, my voice shaking with anger. “Who even told you to come in here?”He raised his hands, his expression torn between concern and frustration. “Your mom said you were vomiting. She told me to check on you.”“And that gives you the right to barge into the bathroom? Are you out of your mind?”“Carina, I was just—”“Just what? Invading my space? God, Antonio! Do you not understand boundaries?” I was shouting so loudly now, my voice echoed in the small room.“I was worried!” he snapped, his voice rising to match mine. “You’ve been acting off all day, and then I hear from Mom that you’re sick. What was I supposed to do? Just ignore it?”“Yes!
Carina’s POVI woke up feeling groggy and nauseous. My head throbbed slightly, and my stomach churned like I was on a boat in the middle of a storm. I sat up slowly, groaning."Ugh, what is wrong with me?" I muttered, rubbing my temples.Was it the stress? The endless thoughts? Probably. But a small voice in my head whispered otherwise."No, no," I said aloud, shaking my head. "Get yourself together, Carina. You’re fine. You’re totally fine."Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled to the bathroom, hoping a shower would snap me out of this fog. As I glanced at myself in the mirror, my reflection stared back with tired eyes and a pale complexion.“Not what I think,” I whispered to my reflection. “It better not be what I think.”I brushed my teeth, trying to focus on anything other than the appointment waiting for me. I kept glancing at the pregnancy test I’d discarded last night, half-tempted to fish it out of the trash just to double-check.“Nope. Not doing that.” I spat out toothpaste
PROLOGUESkyla’s sister, Brianna who was in love with Antonio arrived. They had Lisa locked up while they both dragged Carina to the edge of a rocky cliff even as Carina struggled against the hands gripping her arms. The rocky cliff’s edge looked so dangerous, even as thorns shone from below."Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing against the cruel grip of the Skylar and her sister Brianna.The first woman, Skylar, laughed darkly. "Oh, sweet little Carina. Did you really think we’d let you ruin everything?"The second woman, Brianna, leaned in closer, her breath warm against Carina’s cheek. "You took everything from us. And now, we’re making sure you never come back."Carina’s heart pounded so hard she thought it might explode. "I don’t even know you! What the hell are you talking about?"Skylar’s grip tightened, nails digging into Carina’s skin. "Oh, but you do. You just don’t remember. You stole them. You made them look at you like we never existed. You turned them against us!"Briann
CHAPTER 126Carina’s POV"What's the noise all about?" Skylar's voice cut through the air, smooth and sharp, as she stepped out of the shadows. Two men flanked her, their eyes cold and unreadable.Lisa, who had been running her mouth nonstop, suddenly shut up. Her whole body went stiff as she sized up the situation. And from what we saw? Skylar wasn’t here to talk. She was here to make sure we didn’t leave in one piece."Shit," Lisa whispered under her breath, barely moving her lips. Her hand brushed against mine, fingers trembling slightly. "What do we do?"I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my ears. "I have no fucking idea."Skylar took a slow step forward, her smirk widening. "You know, Carina, I expected you to come alone. But I see you brought a little… insurance. How sweet."Lisa scoffed, but there was tension in her voice. "Yeah? And I see you brought muscle. Real fair fight, huh?"The man on Skylar’s left—a tall guy with a scar running down his cheek—cracked his knuckles.
CHAPTER 125Carina’s POV“Shit..." I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut as Lisa pressed another cotton pad against my wound. The sting burned straight to my bones. "I just remembered... Deven!" I winced, gripping the edge of the table. "I’m supposed to meet Skylar today! We have an appointment."Lisa froze. Her hand, still holding the antiseptic, hovered over my skin. Her face darkened, brows pulling together in a deep frown. "Carina..." she called my name, slow and serious, like she was afraid of what I’d say next.I blinked. It had been a long time since she used my name like that. Not 'girl' or 'dumbass'—but my actual name. My chest tightened.Lisa placed the antiseptic bottle on the table, leaning forward, eyes locked onto mine. "Skylar is pure doom. You know that, right?"I swallowed. "Lisa, she said she can help me sever the bond... If I do that, I’ll finally know the whole truth."Lisa, who had been quiet in the corner, suddenly scoffed. Her voice was sharp, almost bitter. "It’s
CHAPTER 124Carina’s POVI had to leave this restaurant. The air felt thick, and something in my gut told me I shouldn’t stay here too long. I glanced toward the entrance just as a group of rogue wolves came in. They were rough-looking—like they’d been on the road since morning. Clothes dusty, eyes hollow, their energy was off.Weird set of people.I lowered my gaze, pretending not to notice them as I reached for my watch and jewelry, slipping them into my bag. I didn’t want any trouble. If they saw anything shiny, they might think I had something worth taking. Best to play it safe.But as I was tucking the last ring into my bag, I heard a voice behind me. Low. Rough. Dripping with arrogance.“Pretty girl, come closer.”I stiffened. My grip on my bag tightened. I didn’t turn around. Maybe if I ignored them, they’d leave me alone.“I said, come here.” His voice was louder now. More demanding.Lisa tensed beside me. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Let’s just go.”I swallowed hard, still refusi
CHAPTER 123Carina’s POVI didn’t even know what to think at this point. My mind was a fucking mess. My head was spinning. My heart was pounding so damn hard I thought it might burst.Rodrigo. My stepbrother. Skylar. His ex-wife. And now this? What did it even mean?Lisa’s voice snapped me out of it. “Carina,” she said, her tone sharp. “What if—” She hesitated. “What if he was actually working with Henry?”I stared at her. My throat felt dry. “No,” I said, but it was weak. It wasn’t convincing. Because deep down, I knew—It was possible.Lisa slammed a hand on the table. “Think about it! Henry kidnapped your son. Henry works for someone. And now we find out Rodrigo’s past is tangled up in some shady-ass shit? What if it’s all connected?”I shook my head, standing up and pacing. “No, no, no. Rodrigo might be a lot of things, but would he really do this?”Lisa’s eyes darkened. “Do you really wanna bet your son’s life on that?”That hit me hard. My stomach twisted. I swallowed down the f
CHAPTER 122Carina’s POVI didn’t answer. My heart pounded as I stared at the words written in thick, dark ink. Words I never thought I’d see.Rodrigo was behind your son’s kidnap.I swallowed hard. Looked up at Skylar.She nodded. “Now do you believe me?”I read the words again. My hands shook. My breath caught in my throat. My head was spinning like I was about to pass out. What the actual fuck?Rodrigo was behind your son’s kidnap.My stepbrother?No. No way. That was impossible. Rodrigo may have been an asshole, but this? Kidnapping? My son?I looked up at Skylar, my voice barely above a whisper. “What the fuck do you mean?”She crossed her legs, completely unfazed by my reaction. “Exactly what it says.”Lisa snatched the paper from my hand, her eyes scanning over the words. Then, like a bomb exploding, she lost it.“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lisa threw the paper onto the table, glaring at Skylar like she was ready to rip her apart. “You come in here with this bullshit, expecti
CHAPTER121Carina’s POVLisa strolled in just as the investors walked out, her hands clapping softly, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Damn, Carina. That was close. We almost lost that deal."I leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms out. "Nah. I had it under control."Lisa scoffed, dropping into the chair beside me. "Oh, please. You were sweating bullets. I thought for a second Benson was gonna eat you alive."I smirked. "And yet, here we are. Deal signed. Money in the bank."She laughed, shaking her head. "You and that big mouth of yours. You stress me out.""It’s part of my charm," I said, winking at her.Lisa rolled her eyes before standing up and walking over to the coffee machine in the corner of the room. She grabbed two mugs, pouring the steaming liquid into them. "Here. You need this more than me."I took the cup gratefully, inhaling the rich scent. "You’re a lifesaver."Lisa plopped back into her seat, crossing one leg over the other. "Alright, now spill. Why the
CHAPTER 120Carina’s POVGetting to the office, I barely parked the car before jumping out, my heels clicking hard against the pavement. My heart was pounding. My hands were sweaty. I was so late.Lisa was already outside, standing near the glass doors, her arms crossed tight over her chest. Her eyes locked on me the second I got out. She didn’t even wait for me to say a word."You’re late, Carina," she snapped, marching towards me.I tossed my keys to her, nearly dropping them in the process. "Help me repark. No time for that now," I rushed, already heading towards the doors.Lisa caught the keys but didn’t move. "You can’t just run in there without knowing what’s going on!" she hissed, grabbing my arm.I stopped, breathing hard. "What? What do I need to know?" I asked quickly, looking around like the investors could pop up at any second.She let out a sharp sigh, glancing towards the meeting room. "They’re pissed. Been waiting too long. Mr. Harrington already checked his watch three
CHAPTER 119Carina’s POVInstead, I just kept my eyes on the road. “I just want to keep you both safe,” I said softly.Liam had his head down. “Safe from what?”I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.More silence.Then, a small voice.“Are you mad at us?” Leo asked, his voice though was kinda shaky.My heart squeezed. “No, baby,” I said immediately. “I could never be mad at you.”“Then why do you always sound so angry?” Liam asked, his voice cracking.I let out a shaky breath. I felt somehow but I just pushed the feeling away. I couldn’t cry. Not now. Not in front of them.“I’m not angry,” I whispered. “I’m just… tired.”They didn’t say anything after that. They just sat there, the silence wrapping around us again.I sighed and focused on the road, my chest heavy.I needed to fix this. But I didn’t know how.It was a really long ride home. The roads were quiet. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind heavy with thoughts.Thinking so deep, the conversation with my mother, the way Li