Hurt

Celine POV

I feel a pang of sorrow as I look at them. I will miss them in a strange, twisted way. They kept me alive when their father wanted to break me. When he sought to punish me, they intervened. When he denied me food, they disobeyed him to keep me from starving. They were my tormentors, yes, but also my protectors in a world that gave me no safe harbor.

And yet, even in their protection, they never gave me a choice. They took my body as if it belonged to them, as if my resistance didn’t matter. No matter how much I fought, how much I begged, they always took.

Now, as they prepare to take again, I let the tears fall silently. Tomorrow, I might leave. But the scars they’ve left on my soul will stay with me forever.

“Will I see you again?” My voice trembles as the words leave my lips, raw with desperation. Despite everything, a part of me clings to the idea that they protected me from their father and might still shield me if I leave. If someone else tries to hurt me, surely, I can turn to them.

“NO!” Wes growls, his voice sharp and final, cutting through the hope in my chest. I don’t think, I just act. My arms reach up, wrapping around his neck, pulling him close. He stiffens, his eyes widening in shock. I never initiate touch. Not like this. I’m hoping that if I give in—if I show them I accept them—they might let me see them again. At least I’d have somewhere to go, someone to protect me if I ever felt unsafe.

“Celine?” His voice softens as he peers down at me, confusion flickering in his eyes. I reach up and kiss him, silencing the questions lingering on his lips. He groans, his strong arms pulling me tightly against him. My mind floods with images—not visions, but his thoughts. He’s picturing me touching him, undressing him, giving in completely.

My hands slide down his body, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. My fingertips graze his chest, and I feel the frantic rise and fall of his breaths. His wolf surges forward, the raw energy of it palpable. Panic flutters in my chest, but I shove it down, determined to keep going.

“Me!” Alex’s voice cuts through the moment, and I’m abruptly torn from Wes’s grasp. Alex’s hands grip my shoulders, his gaze locked onto mine, pleading. “Touch me,” he whispers. His eyes burn with longing, and my hand moves instinctively, stroking the curve of his neck. His wolf thrums beneath his skin, the sound vibrating in the air between us. My fingers tangle into his hair, and he leans forward, capturing my lips with his. His kiss is fierce, desperate, as though he’s trying to imprint himself on me.

I feel the smooth muscles of his chest beneath my hands as I pull his shirt open, exposing him further. The heat of his body is overwhelming, but before I can process anything more, I’m yanked away again.

Dolton steps forward, his piercing eyes pinning me in place. He doesn’t say a word; he doesn’t have to. His gaze speaks volumes. My hands move on their own, unbuckling his belt and pulling him closer. I kiss him, my lips trembling against his. His growl reverberates through me as I reach into his jeans, my hand brushing against his length.

He groans, his grip tightening as he slams me against the wall. “More,” he demands, his voice rough and commanding. His lips trail along my jaw, then down my neck, his teeth grazing the tender skin near my collarbone.

Before he can go further, his body is ripped away from mine, thrown across the room. I stagger, gasping for air, as Alex and Wes step protectively in front of me.

“No!” they shout in unison, their voices thunderous. “We do not bite and claim her, Dolton. You know that isn’t allowed!” Alex’s anger radiates off him as he glares at his brother. “Why would you even try?”

Dolton’s gaze shifts past them to me, and for a moment, I see pain etched across his features. His head drops, his shoulders slumping in defeat. It dawns on me how deeply he cares. Despite being the first to take me, Dolton was always the one to stay afterward, cradling me as I slept. He would sneak into my room late at night just to watch over me. Sometimes, he’d even join me in the bathroom, washing my hair with a tenderness that made me forget, if only for a moment, what he had taken from me.

He once told me he loved me, while Wes and Alex made it clear that our bond was nothing more than biology to them. Seeing Dolton’s hurt now stirs something deep inside me, a confusing mix of guilt and sorrow.

I push past Wes and Alex, walking toward Dolton. My hands cup his face, tilting his head so I can meet his eyes. “You can’t claim me,” I whisper, my voice soft, “but you can have tonight as a reminder, Dolton.” I lean forward, pressing my lips to his.

He pulls me close, his hands threading through my hair as he deepens the kiss. His lips trail down my neck, lingering as though memorizing the feel of my skin. My breath hitches as I feel someone behind me. Hands grasp the fabric of my dress, tearing it from my body. The sound of the material ripping is deafening, and the cool air against my bare skin makes me shiver.

Tears well in my eyes, not from fear but from the weight of it all. I used to fight, to refuse them at every turn. Now, I wonder if I should have embraced the moments instead of resisting. Tonight might be the last time I have with them. The thought tears at me in ways I don’t fully understand.

Dolton’s lips press against my shoulder, and I close my eyes, trying to hold onto this moment, however twisted it may be. Because tomorrow, everything will change. And I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again.