AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 23
Antoine
Leaving Piper in thebedroom by herself was one of the hardest things I had ever done. With Darren’s binding, I had stayed by his side until he awoke, but it was different with her. It wasn't just me who wanted her affection, so I couldn't be selfish with her.
"Where's Piper?" Drake asked as he stood from his chair, looking around as if I was hiding her behind me. "Is she alright?"
I glanced down at the cuffs of my suit jacket and adjusted them. "She's alive and well. She's sleeping now."
"And you just left her there by herself?" Rayne snarled at me, jumping out of his chair to bound down the aisle.
I released an impatient breath and tucked my hands into my pockets as I stared the redhead down. "She will be fine. Darren is in there with her."
This didn't satisfy Rayne. His eyes flashed red, and he moved dangerously close to me. "But you're the one who is bound to her. You just fucked her, and now, you're going to pretend like nothing happened?"
"Yes, I am," I spoke firmly without giving anything away to the rest of them.
"You're an ass," Rayne snapped and flashed his fangs at me.
I let out a weary sigh. "If you're so worried about her, why don't you go wait for her to wake up? I have business to attend to."
Rayne's mouth clamped shut, and he mustered up a glare. "Maybe I will, since you don't give two licks about her." He shoved past me and stalked into the bedroom.
A few seconds later, Darren left the room and came to me, his eyes watching me curiously. Not wanting my longtime companion to see what I hid from my brothers, I slipped back into my seat and pulled open my laptop.
In most situations, had Rayne defied me in such a way, I would have put him in his place, reminded him who was in charge, and who exactly he owed his life to... but not this time. Not when I knew that the only reason he was acting this way was because of her.
Piper had wiggled her way not just into our home, but into each and every one of our hearts, whether she knew it or not. While our attraction to her was permeable, how each of us felt about her individually was another matter. It made each of us do things we wouldn't normally do, and one of those was putting her best interest in the place of our own.
I was no good for her. I might be the one she chose to bind her, but I also knew there was a reason for it that was not love. No, Piper chose me because I was safe. Sure, we teased and flirted with one another, but I was her boss. In her mind, I was the only boss regardless of what part my brothers played in it all.
There was a moment while I was in her mind, our bodies joined physically, mentally, and biologically, that I knew in perfect clarity the reason she chose me. She couldn't see herself falling for me... ever.
So, I had to give her what she wanted, regardless of how much it pained me to do so. I could feel her in my chest even now, a heat that was so much more than what I had ever felt Darren. Even in her sleep, she was a light in the darkness, causing turmoil in my long-deadened heart.
While I pretended to check my emails, I could feel eyes on me. I tried to shake them off, but they were persistent in their glare. As I sighed with much annoyance, I glanced up from my laptop to meet Wynn's gaze.
"What is it now?"
Wynn moved from his seat to the empty one next to me. "Tell me, did you know you would have to have sex with her when she announced that she'd chose you?"
"I knew it was a possibility," I retorted truthfully before looking back at my computer. A second later, the screen slapped shut with a snap. I looked up and found Wynn a foot away with more emotion in his eyes than I'd seen in a long time.
"Did you enjoy it? Or was it just another necessary evil?" Wynn hissed and leaned forward so that the hand on my laptop creaked.
I leaned back in my seat and stared at him. As I laced my hands in my lap, I chose my words carefully, a hint of a smirk on my lips. "Oh, I enjoyed her... thoroughly."
Wynn growled, and my laptop creaked more.
Narrowing my eyes on him, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Break my laptop, and I'll make sure she never so much as sniffs in your direction again."
"You don't have the power to do that," Wynn countered, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. He wasn't a hundred percent sure about that.
Good.
I threw his hand away and leaned forward to meet his gaze. "You don't know what all I'm capable of, brother, but I hope you remember before we arrive at our sire's home. While Valentine might be a pest, our sire is no puppy. We'll need every ounce of strength we can get, and if that means I have to fuck our lovely Piper again right in front of everyone, I will do so."
The twins, who had been quiet during this altercation, made resounding sounds of disapproval, but I ignored them, focusing on Wynn.
