Two beers in, the mood of the evening shifts somewhat. There is an ugly cloud hanging overhead, weighing us down with worries about what tomorrow brings. But the alcohol makes it all more bearable. The worry is still there, but it feels like it is separated from us by a fog.Sitting around on the pa
Some argument breaks out about who should go first. It’s a ridiculous argument that I absolutely refuse to participate in, even enough to pay attention. I’m still embarrassed to be taking part in this silly endeavor at all.It must be the alcohol churning through our veins driving all of this forwar
I leave Neil at the base of the stairs. He’s not ready for sleep yet and plans on going into the kitchen for a snack. He invites me, but I’m not hungry. I’d rather go lay down for a while and think about what to do.It’s not that I mind spending the night with Neil. Far from it. But I have a hard ti
He walks past me without touching me, heading into his bedroom. The door closes behind him quietly, though I quickly notice that it is not latched. It’s open about a quarter inch.Enough for me to enter if I want to.This is Steven’s invitation. Much more subtle than the rest.I watch the not-totall
“Nothing happened, I assure you,” Steven says quickly. His eyes are still closed, but I can feel the panic in every line of his body as he holds me.“It’s okay,” I tell him. Honestly, it wouldn’t bother me if something did happen, though I would have liked to be more awake from it. Right now, the mo
“It’s not what it looks like!” I call out as I scramble out of bed.No one says anything.Steven ambles over toward the bathroom.Beau continues laughing.Neil clears his throat and tells me, “We have to get ready now. We are leaving in one hour.”“Okay,” I say. There’s more I want to say but no one
We all piled into two cars. I entered the car with Neil and Archer. Steven, Beau, and Isaac followed along in a second car behind us.We should be discussing strategy. Instead, we are just riding along in silence.It feels like we’re riding along on our final death march. It is far too morbid. I hat
Archer’s first punch is quickly followed by many, many more, delivered from both sides. The guards outnumber the brothers five to one, but each brother, even Steven, fights with a determined ferocity I haven’t even seen before.Anyone that so much as comes close to the opening where Isaac and I are
I’m happy because I have four hearts beating alongside mine.“Do you feel it, too?” I ask. “My connection to each of you?”I blink my eyes open once more. I want to see their faces, their reactions.Neil has his hand over his own heart. “It’s strange. It’s like part of you is inside of me.”“Me, too
In the darkness of my mind, I floated, surrounded by the comforting embrace of love. Distantly, I could feel another presence, one that grew stronger and stronger, the more I focused on it: my wolf.As I thought of her, she appeared before me as if I willed her into being. Maybe I did. We are in my
Damn alpha wolves and their heightened senses.“I’ve already made my choice,” I say. “Honestly, I think I made it a long, long time ago.”Archer relaxes marginally. Steven starts to smile.Neil turns to me, worry still on his face. “You say that now, Chloe. But the pull could be strong…”“I don’t ca
The eve of my birthday, I rest in bed and stare at my ceiling. It’s late, near midnight, but I still have my bedside light on.With my feelings shared and grown with Neil, Archer, and Steven, I didn’t expect to spend any night alone, especially the one right before the day that could change everythi
I awake to a sharp knock on my bedroom door. Neil’s arm is still draped over me but some distance had inched between our hot bodies in the night. I’m able to slink out from under his arm without him waking.Naked, I quickly stop by the bathroom to throw on my fluffy bathrobe. Then, after glancing ba
They.Beau glances at me and see my incredulous look. “What do I need to go out every night? Can’t a man just enjoy staying home for a change?”“You can do whatever the hell you want,” I say.“Good, then.” Beau slumps down on the couch. He stretches out, lifting his feet up and into my lap. “Now tel
For the rest of the morning, I desperately try not to think about Neil. Whoever he’s in love with, I won’t be offended by it. The hurt I feel has nothing to do with this new person. She must be great for her to have won Neil’s affections.The hurt is my own loss, my own problem. I let my feelings fo
After Steven and I have cleaned ourselves up with a quick shower, we fall back into bed together, giggling and laughing all the way. My now, Steven has discovered a few of my tickle zones, which he is exploiting. As revenge, I touch the places I now know make him shiver.For a while, nothing seems l
His hands fumbled with the buttons of his own shirt. Such usually steady hands are rendered useless by his nervousness.“Allow me,” I tell him. I lightly bat his hands out of the way before replacing them with mine on his shirt buttons. My times with Neil have served me well. I’m able to undo all th