Chapter 1

ChapterOne

Ella (Three Months Later)

The ambiance of the house has shifted. The peace ordaining the walls has distorted into something else, something ominous. The joy I possessed is gone—destroyed and void of happiness.

My father is dead. His virile body now composts in the dirt with vermin while strangers surround me in the space that held his love.

Three months ago, my dad arrived with a strange woman and three men, introducing me to my new family. I worried about what those changes meant before chalking it up to my anxiety at sharing my refuge with virtual strangers. I did it for my father’s happiness.

Now my father is gone, and I’m alone.

I enter the formal dining room and see my new family seated around the dinner table that only held my father and me three months ago. If he were still here, it wouldn’t feel like a vise was clamping my throat, obstructing my words.

My stepmother sits at the head of the table. His place. She appears regal and aloof, a statue to be revered with darkness lurking beneath the surface. Her three sons surround her—a queen with her royal advisors and generals.

For the past three months, I’ve remained in the shadows, making myself small and unseen to ensure I don’t disturb the balance of my new family. My father deserved to be happy, and his new wife had achieved that if the way he’d gazed at her was to be believed.

“So nice for you to join us, dear. We were getting worried about you,” Celeste coos.

My father’s body is barely in the ground, yet there she sits, wearing a bright red shirt with her face perfectly made up. Her eyes are like lasers as she looks at me over the rim of her wine glass and tips the merlot to her lips. To a casual observer, she would seem uncomfortably giddy about the death of a man she declared her undying love for not a month ago.

“Sorry I’m late,” I whisper.

Cool hands drape over mine as I pull back my chair, sending a shock wave through my body. I turn to my left and fall into Alaric’s steel-blue eyes.

My heart is in my throat as he seats me. He bends forward, his warm breath prickling my neck and sending chills through my body. “Ladies don’t pull out their own chairs.”

His large hands rest on my shoulders, and I turn my head to see the tattoos etched on his fingers. One in particular catches my eye: a black raven flying over a river of blood. He got it a month ago, after a night we swore never to mention again. We’ve never spoken of it, but that night replays in my mind repeatedly. A perfect memory etched in sorrow.

Alaric smiles. “Can’t have my little sis not believing she’s the belle of the ball, now, can I?” His words are charming, but his eyes lurk, gliding from my face to my breasts and telling me that night is also present in his mind.

The staff rush out and place the various courses of the meal before us. My stomach becomes a brick, repulsed at the idea of consuming food when my heart is in a million tattered pieces.

I push my food around on the porcelain plate in silence, creating an illusion of enjoying the feast before me. I nod at statements made, not processing the words that reach my ears. Words resonate like white noise. I can’t focus on anything other than losing my anchor. The man who wrapped me in safety is gone, and the treachery of the turbulent ocean is no longer held at bay.

“Ella.” Alaric’s deep voice breaks through my musings.

I look up to see my three stepbrothers leering at me. I feel like a little rabbit surrounded by a pack of rabid wolves.

“I asked what your plans are now,” my stepmother says. “It’s been a month since your father’s passing. I’m sure you have plans in mind.”

A month? I’ve lost my only family, and this woman talks about my father’s death like he was a pet goldfish. “My father died, Celeste. Grief isn’t something you process quickly.”

I’m about to say more and lay it on the line for this woman, but I freeze in shock as River’s hand lands on my knee. When did he move his chair? I swallow audibly, trying to ignore his touch, unsure if it’s wanted. A part of me wants to jump up and blast him for being so bold, but that night flashes in my mind, and shame floods me at the longing I harbor for the heat of his hand on my skin.

I stare Celeste down. “I’m surprised you’ve moved on so quickly.”

Celeste gasps, her hand flying to her chest as if I’ve mortally wounded her with an invisible sword. “I’m in a lot of pain, Ella. Charles was the love of my life. I don’t know if I can go on without him.”

I roll my eyes at her dramatic response. Her indignation is as fake as the non-existent tears she shed at my father’s burial. “Maybe you should have jumped into his grave with him. It would’ve been a poetic ending to your love story.”

River chuckles beside me, throwing me off. Ignoring him, I return my attention to Celeste. “I’m not planning to go anywhere. This is my house. This is where my father raised me. Right now, my only plan is to grieve.”

River laughs again and squeezes my thigh before removing his uninvited touch from my person. “I like the idea of you being around, Ella. It gives me more time to get to know my little sister.”

My body reacts when River says, “little sister.” Two words that should be innocent yet sound blasphemous on his lips.

Celeste clears her throat. “That’s understandable, dear.

Sure it is, you black widow.

I busy myself with my food and copious amounts of liquor for the rest of dinner, hoping I can leave the meal unscathed if I don’t make eye contact with anyone.

“Maybe we can go for a drive tomorrow,” Alaric suggests, his blue eyes searching mine.

I can’t bear to look at him, so I focus on his hands. Bad idea because my mind floods with images of those calloused fingers gliding over my skin. As illogical as it is, I can’t help thinking that night was forged in sin, and my father’s death was the punishment I received.

“Alaric, don’t forget, we have a meeting with the lawyers tomorrow,” Celeste interjects.

“Lawyers?” I ask.

Stepmother dearest turns her beady eyes on me with contention. “Yes, lawyers, dear,” she says smoothly, placing one hand on top of the other. “Now that everything’s settled, we need to find out what will happen with the estate. We need to ensure that you’re all taken care of. It’s what Charles would have wanted after all.”

I wave a hand around the table. “As far as I can tell, we’re all adults here, so I don’t understand what needs to be taken care of.”

Celeste narrows her eyes on me and smiles. “You never know, dear. Better to be safe than sorry.”

I turn to Alaric. I know what I’m about to suggest is a bad idea, but the need to get under Celeste’s skin overrides all logic. “Perhaps we can do something after your appointment.”

“Absolutely, Princess,” Alaric replies.

“We’ll make it a family affair,” River interjects.

My face immediately grows hot as I gaze at him, regretting my suggestion when he wags his eyebrows. River is the joker of the three. Sometimes, I wonder if he has any moral compass or shame, but I like him because he doesn’t care what people think. River lives his life the way he wants. Does what feels good. Says what he believes is right and walks his own path without worrying about where it might lead.

“I’m sure Asher would like to join too,” River whispers so only I can hear. “If I remember correctly, you enjoyed his idea of fun the last time all three of us hung out together.”

Asher is the most unnerving of the three men. He doesn’t talk much; his words cut into short answers. When he peers at me, I can’t help but think he’s pondering innovative ways to hurt me—ways I want to fall into, like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. Out of the three, Asher has the key that unlocks all my inhibitions. It was he who lulled me toward them. It was he who coaxed me to believe that every act of debauchery was acceptable. Asher is the serpent who convinced Eve to take a bite of the apple.

I lock eyes with him. The back of my neck prickles, and I have an urge to run—not out of fear but the necessity of having him chase me until I’m caught. Asher smiles and winks as if he senses my thoughts, and I quickly avert my eyes.

“Don’t worry, Sis,” Alaric chimes in. “I’m sure we can keep you busy.”

Alaric is the subdued one but also the most charming. I found myself tangled in his web before the other two were added to the mix. Alaric makes me comfortable and frightened at the same time. He emits a sense of safety while living on the edge of fear. Alaric is the calm before the raging storm of River and Asher.

The air is thick. My lungs are balloons begging for their heated breath to fill me. My skin crawls, not from discomfort, but from becoming entrapped in a situation that could turn at any moment.

Celeste jumps at the clatter of my fork hitting the china plate.  All eyes turn to me.

“I’m sorry,” I stammer. “I’m not feeling too good. Please excuse me. I need to rest for a bit.”

Without waiting for a response, I push back my chair and run for the sanctuary of my room. I rush up the stairs and down the long corridor until I reach my haven. My bed shifts as I fall back on it, hoping to recall my father. Almost a month has passed since he died, and I’m scared that if I don’t keep my memories of him in the forefront, I’ll lose him all over again. But it’s not images of my father flooding my mind. It’s visions of that night and the three men seated at the oak dining table downstairs.

Why haven’t they attempted to be with me since then? Sure, they’ve been kind to me. We’ve exchanged light touches and had deep conversations, but nothing like that night.

“Charles must have some sort of power over Celeste,” River said as he plopped on the sofa beside me and shoved his hand into the popcorn bowl on my thighs.

“It is weird,” Asher agreed as he sat on my other side. He put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “Looks like it’s just us kids, all alone.”

Alaric’s eyes were fixed on the paused TV screen. “You gonna start the movie or yak all night?”

Asher rolled his eyes and hit play on Scream, one of my favorite movies. When the guys asked me what I wanted to watch, the title rolled off my tongue, but I was rethinking my choice as I clung to River or Asher every time there was a jump scare.

“Sorry,” I whispered, readjusting myself between them.

“No need to apologize. I like it,” River said with a wink.

My body heated, making me grateful that the lights were out because I was sure my face was an embarrassing shade of red.

I desperately tried to focus on the film, but River’s hand gripped my thigh while Asher’s fingers played mindlessly with my hair. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but them and the realization that my panties were damp with lust.

“I’ve gotta get some air,” Alaric announced, storming from the room.

“What’s his problem?” I asked, frustrated at how he always pushed me away and made everything so uncomfortable.

River chuckled. “You.”

“Me? I’ve only ever been kind to him. He’s the one who kisses and touches and follows me. How is it my fault?”

Asher tightened his arm around me, pulling me closer. “We’re not used to being gentle with someone we care about. Alaric cares more about being good than the two of us, so he’s fighting it.”

Anger bubbled within me. I was so sick and tired of Alaric’s hot and cold temperament. “He thinks being decent is a contrast to being good? Is this a sick joke the three of you are playing? Spinning me like a record or bouncing me like a yo-yo?”

The bowl of popcorn crashed to the floor as I jumped off the sofa and strode from the room after Alaric. I was done with him treating me like a toy he played with and discarded like garbage.

I barged out the back door and spied Alaric sitting on a deckchair by the pool. One hand held a whiskey bottle to his mouth while a cigarette dangled from the fingers of the other.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I demanded.

Alaric turned to me, his eyes eating me up silently as he slowly took a haul of his cigarette.

Apparently, the jerk thought he was too cool to answer me, which made me angrier. “Are you deaf? I asked you a question. What’s your problem?”

He cast his eyes to the shimmering water. “Isn’t it obvious? My problem is you, Princess.” He threw the bottle, and I watched in horror as it shattered into tiny pieces on the deck. Alaric stood and stepped forward until he was directly in my face. “I don’t know what to do with the way you make me feel.”

“How do I make you feel?” I demanded, holding my breath. I never knew if Alaric’s words would be a balm to my soul or a knife wedged deep in my heart.

“I’m stuck between suffocating when you’re around and wishing I was dead when you aren’t. I want you so bad I can’t see straight, and that’s a dangerous path. A path there’s no coming back from. We can’t give you what you need. Not regular shit like roses or chocolates, only three fucked up men with no moral compass and homicidal tendencies.”

I frowned. “We weren’t talking marriage and babies and happily ever after, Alaric. We were watching a movie, and you stormed out like a toddler who couldn’t get his way.”

Alaric smirked and stepped closer. “Trust me, Ella. I can get my way. I’m just not sure you can handle it.”

I didn’t retreat from his advance. I closed the small space between us and pressed my body flush to his. “I can handle it. I can handle all three of you.” I was unsure why I’d made that claim because the truth was, there was no way I could contend with them. But I wanted to. I had to if I wanted to discover what this was between the three of us. It could be a perverse attraction driven by curiosity, or it could be something tangible and mind-blowing. Either way, I wanted to find out.

“I need you to pick a word,” Alaric said. “We don’t acknowledge words like ‘no,’ ‘please,’ or ‘stop.’ We like those words and will only stop for one of your choosing. So pick.”

My gumption suddenly vanished, and I was wary of the pandora’s box I was attempting to open.

“That’s what I thought, Princess,” Alaric scoffed. “You can’t handle shit, so why don’t you scurry off?”

“Prick.”

Alaric snickered. “Been told I’m a prick by my mother my whole life, Ella. Your paltry attempt at name-calling isn’t gonna do much.”

I didn’t understand why, but his admission was like acid thrown in my face. The sheer horror of his mother demeaning him hurt me more than anything he could have called me. A mother’s love was supposed to be pure and unconditional. Words from a mother should fuel you and help you flourish, not cut you down like an annoying weed in her garden.

I smiled. “No, Alaric. That’s my safe word. Prick.”

Alaric blinked. “I’m giving you a head start, Princess. Gonna count to ten, and you’ll run.” I opened my mouth to speak, but Alaric placed a finger on my lips. “Princess, all three of us have our little proclivities. Asher likes leashes. River likes pain. And me?” He leaned in close. “I like to chase. So start running.”

I saw Asher and River from my peripheral vision.I was a deer caught in the headlights, frozen in place, unable to think or move.

“One. Two,” Alaric counted. “This won’t be fun or challenging if you stand there, Ella.” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Run.”

The message finally reached my feet, and I dashed toward the forest surrounding the house. Alaric raised his voice, counting slowly, giving me the fuel to quicken my steps.

The trees beckoned me like old friends welcoming me home. I’d spent many days running beneath their shelter and climbing their sturdy limbs in my youth. I placed my foot on the bark and hoisted myself onto a hanging branch. I now had a bird’s eye view of the three men circling below like a pack of wolves. Alaric, the alpha, with River and Asher flanking him. They were a terrifying sight to anyone who gazed upon them.

River surveyed the surrounding trees. “She can’t have gone far. You only gave her a count of ten.”

I was confident I’d bested them, but then I noticed Alaric had disappeared. I scanned the area, but he was nowhere in sight. I squeaked as strong arms enveloped me like a vise.

“Miss me?” Alaric’s deep voice attacked the shell of my ear.

“How did you know I was up here?” I asked breathlessly.

“You had ten seconds, Ella. Didn’t give you time to get far. I must admit, I’m impressed by your climbing skills. Now you’ve had your fun, it’s time for me to have mine.”

Alaric moved in to capture my lips, but I ducked under his arm and scampered down the tree, laughing as I ran deeper into the forest.

I didn’t make it far before Asher wrapped his giant arms around me and pushed me to the ground. “Where are you running off to, Pup?”

River smirked. “Well, well, well. Looks like the rabbit has been caught by the big bad wolves.”