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“Okay, night,” I say quietly, defeated as I take a small step backward.
Something flashes in his eyes at the defeated tone of my voice, but that doesn’t stop him from shutting the door in my face, the sound of the lock clicking into place far louder than it should be.
As soon as the door shuts, my face crumples, the weight of the world returns to my shoulders, and my insecurities push forward until I can no longer ignore them. Breath hitching, I look up at Atlas with damp eyes. “Have I broken him too?”
I know it’s a stupid thing to say, but I was already feeling a little vulnerable after today, and for Nicolai to act so out of character, it only adds to my insecurities. Trying to balance my three dominant mates here, all of whom are in different, complicated circumstances, is starting to become too much.
“Don’t be daft,” Atlas growls, pulling me against his chest and holding me tight, sensing how much I need comfort and knowing I need him to ground me. “This isn’t about you. He probably just needs a bit of space, and if he’s not snapped out of it tomorrow, I’ll beat it out of him.”
I chuckle quietly as I know he intended and roll my eyes, pushing out of his hold. Raising my brows, I take in his small smirk and realise that perhaps he wasn’t joking as much as I thought he was. “You’ll do no such thing,” I warn, raising a finger to emphasise my point. I glance back at the closed door and sigh, my shoulders dropping. “I have no idea what I’m doing, and it feels like with every success, I’m making two more mistakes.”
In a move very unlike him, he takes my hand in his and squeezes in a supportive gesture, waiting until I turn my attention to him to speak. He’s frowning, and I know he’s battling with his own anger at how Nicolai spoke to me, but he knows how much I need him to be calm right now. Using our joined hands to pull me up against him, he shifts us around until my back is pressed against Nicolai’s door. He leans in and presses a possessive kiss against my lips. It doesn’t last long and is enough to distract me from the weight on my heart.
“Laelia,” he whispers, pulling back just enough so he can look into my eyes. “This is new to all of us, and there are going to be some bumps in the road, especially when two of your mates are being kept here against their will. You’re doing the best you can in an impossible situation.” His eyes bore into mine, and before I can think to reply, he presses another kiss to my lips. This one is much more intense and steals my breath away, my libido firing up again. When he releases me from his kiss and takes a step back, he’s wearing a smug expression, knowing exactly what he’s done to me. He pulls on our clasped hands and begins to walk away, shooting me a wink over his shoulder. “Come, let’s go to bed.”
ChapterEleven
Pounding on my door wakes me up, and before I can even fully open my bleary eyes, Kano is striding into the room. He looks ready for battle, wearing a smart, military style jacket with golden detailing, as he walks straight to my closet. That in itself should be enough to concern me, but it’s his expression that has me sitting up, clutching the sheets to cover my naked body.
Atlas groans and throws an arm over his face, attempting to pull me back against him with his other arm. While I want nothing more than to snuggle with my mate, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. My mind is still sluggish with sleep, so I try to pull my thoughts together but get distracted as clothing is thrown towards me, landing at the foot of the bed in a pile.
“Get up,” Kano orders, striding over to the window and practically ripping open the curtains. Sunlight streams into the room, and Atlas groans and buries his head under the pillow, ignoring his friend.
I can’t however. The sharp tone of his voice is that of a general, not the half-brother I’m coming to know, and there’s no room for argument in his order. Frowning, I rub the heels of my hands against my eyes to help me wake up, trying to organise my thoughts. I open my eyes again and find Kano pacing the length of the room, his expression severe.
With the sheet clutched to my breasts, I lean forward enough to grab the clothes at the edge of the bed while trying not to expose myself, my brain still taking a moment to catch up. Kano wouldn’t have come storming in here unless something was wrong. “What’s happening?” I ask, my question finally rousing Atlas.
“This better be good,” Atlas grumbles, sitting up. He looks rumpled from sleep but still manages to look gorgeous.
“The queen has called an emergency meeting. Everyone is to attend. It’s mandatory.” Kano shares a look with Atlas, and I feel my mate stiffen beside me, now completely awake and paying full attention.
Apprehension lines my stomach as I look between them. They both know something I don’t, and it’s only making me more anxious, the dark presence in me rising with my fear. “What’s it about?” I ask, hoping for as much detail as possible but getting the feeling I’m actually going to receive very little. Shifting through the clothes, I gesture for Kano to turn around so I can pull on my underwear. Flashing my half-brother is not how I want to start my day.
Atlas stands in all his naked glory, reaching for his clothes that he folded and left in a neat pile on the chair in the corner of the room, not seeming to worry about the fact everything is on show in front of his friend. I momentarily get distracted, my eyes locking on his ass.I really need to complete our mate bond, I tell myself with a shake of my head, the draw to him getting stronger and harder to deny by the day.
“You think it’s about the prophecy.”
Atlas’s words snap me right out of my lust. The prophecy. Everything seems to keep coming back to this. First, there was the one predicted long before I arrived here, and now there’s the new one, making it seem more and more likely that I’m the subject of one, if not both. I feel sick, wishing I had all of my mates around me.
“Iknowit’s about the prophecy,” Kano replies, still facing the wall to give me privacy while changing, but his stance shows me how upset he is. “I’ve been bound, so I can’t say much, but Laelia, you have to be prepared for what’s about to happen.”
“Did you hear what’s…” Luna barges in, trailing off as she sees us hurriedly getting dressed and Kano pacing the length of the room. “Oh. I guess you know already.” Deflating since she’s not the first to share the gossip, she pouts and leans against the doorframe.
Grabbing the clothes Kano selected for me, I wrap the bedsheet around myself in a makeshift toga and hurry to the bathroom. I throw a glance at Luna over my shoulder, and I’m sure my confusion shows on my face. “All I know is that there’s a meeting. What’s going on, and why are you all stressing about it?”
Sure, nothing has gone well each time I’ve been invited to a meeting with the queen, especially in front of an audience, yesterday being a prime example. However, the level of anxiety coming off the three of them is putting me on edge. Whatever is about to happen is out of the ordinary.
“The rumour mill is flying this morning,” Luna calls out as I step into the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar so I can still hear her. “I’ll tell you on the way.”
She doesn’t tell me to be quick, but I can feel it radiating off them, the atmosphere tense, so I dress as quickly as possible. I don’t even bother to run a brush through my scarlet hair, instead pulling it up into a ponytail. Ready for whatever is about to hit us, I step into the bedroom and find Atlas dressed and prepared to go. He strides over to me and slides his hand into mine, locking our fingers together as he leads me from the room.
The four of us quickly exit and make our way through the corridors, spotting several other witches hurrying towards the meeting hall. Kano meant it when he said thateveryonewas to attend, because I see the witches who work around the castle in their clean, practical clothing along with the finely dressed nobility. Those who notice us shoot me funny looks, but they are nothing like the disgust and anger I experienced when I first arrived here. No, these expressions are more like… awe. It makes me uncomfortable, and I remember what Luna said.
“What have people been saying?” I ask quietly, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. My chest aches, and I long for the steady calming presence of my other alpha mate, Joel. We’ve been separated for too long.
“They all think the prophecy is about you, and that the queen is going to address it today and announce you as the chosen one.” Luna’s tone is grim as she looks ahead, ignoring everyone we pass.
I shake my head. “That can’t be it.” It’s not that I don’t believe the prophecy is about me, because it’s becoming more and more evident that I’m involved in all of this somehow. What’s throwing me is how their attitudes seem to have shifted so dramatically. Remembering the sect of werewolf hating witches that Atlas grew up in, I wince as I consider how they’ll react to this. They tried to kill me only days ago, and if the majority of Haven continues to look at me this way, it’s only going to provoke them into acting again.
