Chapter 25

Idon’t know what it is about this female that has captured the attention of all my brothers, even my asinine twin. They’re positively enthralled by her, those dumb shits, even my asinine brother.

Sure, she’s beautiful, but I’ve seen my fair share of beautiful women.

And she has a smile that can lighten up any day…

And she has this cute dimple on her cheek…

And she has this addictive little giggle…

And she seems to actually care…

Fuck me. No, fuck her.

Scowling, I cross my arms over my chest and watch her from a distance. She’s sitting in the cafeteria beside Tessa, her fellow female inmate. The other girl is showing Nina a few dresses that no longer fit her.

“This will look great with your skin tone,” Tessa says, holding up a little red number. I’m pretty sure Bronson and Kai would blow a nut if she ever wore that. For one, it’s entirely too revealing, with a dipping neckline and slit up the side. For two, I’m pretty sure some random fuckboy originally bought it for Tessa. The last thing the shifters want is another guy buying clothes for their girl, even if it is indirectly.

I’ll admit, spiders crawl up my spine at the prospect.

Nina touches the skirt, her hands trailing reverently across the silk. A beatific smile erupts on her stupidly pretty face.

I don’t trust Nina. Not completely.

No, I don’t believe she has malevolent intentions. The girl captures flies and sets them free. It’s almost sickening how sweet she is. Vomit-inducing.

What I don’t trust is her apparent “blindness.” I’m not a complete asshole. I know she is, technically, blind, but I also know she can see things an average person cannot. I don’t know exactly what that entails, but I do know it’s not something she’s sharing with the class. Why is she keeping it a secret?

When Tessa whispers something that makes Nina laugh, my chest tightens almost painfully. It shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. It really, really fucking shouldn’t.

I become aware of the female stepping up behind me only a second later. My body freezes as if it has been encased in ice.

“I haven’t seen you and the others around,” Haley purrs in what she probably thinks is a seductive voice. Haley was one of the girls the inner circle used to share, many months ago. I haven’t ever touched the wench, but I know the others have.

“Jealousy isn’t attractive on you,” I say breezily.

“What is so special about her?” Haley continues, ignoring the warning in my tone. “Does she have a magical cunt or something?”

She reaches out and places her fingers on my bicep. It’s an innocent touch, chaste in comparison to what it could be, but it seems to slam into me with the force of a wrecking ball. My vision blurs as fire erupts on my palms. Haley gasps, backing away, but I’m too far lost in my own mind to notice.

“Get up.”A kick to the ribs accompanies the order. Abel is already up, knees pulled up to his chest and eyes staring despondently ahead.

“Both of us?” he whispers, and my heart breaks at the pensive expression on his face. The broken spirit. He was once joyful and lively, but that has long since been sucked out. He’s nothing but a carcass of what he once was.

“Just the sex demon,” Boris sneers. The collar around my throat gives a threatening tingle, warning me of what is to come if I refuse. Abel’s eyes flash to mine, full of fear and pain and loathing. I can’t tell if the loathing is directed at himself, me, or the monster who claimed us.

I’m led down the hall to a chorus of hoots and hollers. It’s as undignified as anything can be. The fishnets I’m wearing leave very little to the imagination, and my chest is bare.

I know Boris—the sick fuck—has a second female club a few towns over. Exotique or something stupid like that. This one is exclusively for males.

Boris pushes me inside one of the plush red rooms that have starred in more than one of my nightmares. It’s like Valentine’s Day exploded in this room. Heart-shaped bed, velvet red carpeting, and red-painted walls. It’s so disgustingly cliché that, in any other circumstance, it’d be almost comical.

Lionel Green sits on the bed, already naked. His hairy chest, hardened nipples, and half-erect cock are on display for all to see.

Boris gives my back a shove, and I stumble forward, vomit churning in my stomach. To Lionel, Boris says, “One hour.”

The door closes with a deafening click.

“Get on all fours on the bed for me,” Lionel purrs, cupping my cock. “Be a good doggy.”

I’m shaking, shivering, but I know refusal will hurt not only me, but my brother.

I need to protect him.

I need to.

“Cain,look at me. Look. At. Me.” Gentle hands rest on both of my cheeks, holding my head steady.

I’m trembling as if I’ve just been electrocuted numerous times in a row. Lead the size of a watermelon takes residence in my stomach, mingling with the ball of nerves already present.

“I can’t,” I sob. Weak. So weak. Pathetic. “I can’t.”

“You can,” she whispers. “Just follow my voice. Come back to me.”

God, I want to. I want to so fucking bad. She calls to me, her song melodic, and I want nothing more than to answer.

She takes deep, exaggerated breaths, and I work to match my breathing with hers. In and out. In and out. In and out.

I focus on her hands on my face, the only real thing in this world, and her sweet breath fanning across my lips. Slowly, the panic begins to recede like water being tossed into a strainer. I’m left with nothing but sharp, jagged pieces of glass.

That’s all I am. Broken glass.

When I finally have myself under control enough to speak, I open my eyes.

Nina stands directly in front of me, a vision of ethereal beauty. Her black hair cascades around her delicate, heart-shaped face. And her eyes…

Her fucking eyes…

Those glassy orbs peer up at me, seeing me with a clarity no one else has ever possessed.

One flick of my eyes in both directions shows the cafeteria to be empty. I don’t know how she was able to manage it, but somehow, she cleared everyone out. Thank fuck. I don’t know if I would’ve survived if everyone had borne witness to my meltdown.

Seeing that I’m okay, Nina slowly begins to extract her hands from my face, but I capture them before they can leave. Leaning into her palm, I press a kiss against first one wrist and then another. My heart flutters like the damn wings of a bird.

At that moment, I’m entirely under her spell.

Everything around us freezes. All that exists is her. She’s all I see, all I smell, all I hear.

Like a puppet on strings, I lean towards her, my lips hovering over hers. How will she taste? Will she moan my name?

“Cain!” I squeeze my eyelids shut, suddenly hating my brother’s piss poor timing. “Cain!” Abel runs towards us, and Nina immediately steps back, cheeks flaming. My brother grips me in a bone-crushing hug. “Shit, man. I heard rumors that you completely demoned-out. What happened?”

I hug my brother back just as tightly, remaining silent. The memories are too raw, too brutal, pulling back my skin and revealing the blood and guts underneath.

“Thank you,” Abel whispers hoarsely, but he isn’t talking to me. He’s staring at the slowly retreating girl over my shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of my brother.”

I reluctantly step out of my twin’s embrace to face her fully. For the first time in my life, there isn’t a gaping chasm where my heart once was. That’s not to say that I’m completely or even marginally healed—far from it—but it doesn’t hurt as badly. It’s a survivable pain, a pain that reminds me that I can emerge victorious.

“Thank you,” I choke out, hoping she can hear the sincerity in my words.

She smiles softly.

And I think…

I think that’s the moment I fall for her.