Ember
I was taking a shower before dinner when I suddenly realized I was feeling nervous. This feeling had been with me for the last few hours. I just figured it was due to me having the first dinner with Seth and Carter’s parents, though I was also feeling like it could be due to something else, but what? Why was I so anxious? Also, I was wondering why the smell of berries and fresh bagels was filling my nose. My mind was in overdrive. I knew Carter and Seth were making the dinner, so maybe that could be it, but I was strangely smelling this before they started cooking. Maybe they had someone bring some strong-smelling berries and bagels in or something. I didn’t know. All I knew was that it appealed to my senses. Just as much as Carter and Seths’s honey and citrus smell appealed to me as well. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t realized my alarm was going off. Shit. I was going to be late.
I rushed and dried my hair and body, putting on my clothes after. I decided to let my hair swing around my shoulders. I know Seth preferred my hair down and, for some reason, I was always craving validation from him. I could never understand why I felt that way. My nervousness was sending spikes through my entire nerve system. As I approached the kitchen, the smell of berries and bagels had gotten deeper, and my head snapped at a male with curly dark brown hair, dimples, and green eyes. He was undeniably gorgeous, and my breath hitched. I turned my head to see an equally handsome man, a little taller than the green-eyed male. He had black hair like Seths, and his eyes were gray. Almost silver like. They were eyes I could stare into all day. Before I could realize what was happening, they both said mate, and in a blink of an eye, had me pinned against the wall, each with their noses on the nape of my neck like Carter and Seth do. I wanted to push them away, but my body betrayed me as a small whimper came from me.
I was feeling way too many emotions at once and could barely even think. I looked at Carter and Seth in a plea for help. I was not sure what was going on. Why were their brothers calling me “mate” too? Carter and Seth pulled them off me to the opposite wall. The men started snarling at them until Carter and Seth slapped them. That seemed to break them out of whatever spell they were under.
“Jordan”, Carter growled to the one he had shoved.
“Damien”, Seth growled to the one he shoved.
“Mate”, Jordan whimpered. His whimper to get to me almost made me want to run over and push Carter off of him. Damien, on the other hand, looked pissed as he shoved Seth off him and punched a hole through the wall.
“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?” I asked, after getting myself together, looking at the four men who turned their eyes on me. All of their eyes widened at me. Why were they looking at me like that?
“Ember, your eyes”, Seth said to me. My eyes? I looked in the mirror behind me and saw that my eyes had turned into a brighter blue, almost like they were glowing. I tried rubbing my eyes, but nothing was happening. What the hell?
“Everyone, take a seat”, Jessica said. I looked at her and she was smiling. Clearing my throat, I sat down. I was still rubbing my eyes, but I figured they were still glowing, as Seth, Carter, and Jordan all had their eyes on me as they sat down. Damien, on the other hand, avoided looking at me, which I won’t lie, kind of hurt a bit. and I didn’t know why. I avoided him as well and looked at Jessica.
” Did you know?” I asked her.
” I suspected earlier, but I know now,” she said.
” You knew she was our other son’s fucking mate, and you didn’t think to mention this to me”, Ruby sneered at Jessica. Jessica shrugged. ” I did say I suspected. I was not sure until now”, she shot back at her.
“This is a fucking joke, Selene”, Ruby said, sitting back in her chair, huffing. Franklin growled.
“Do not disrespect Selene”, he said to her. She rolled her eyes and looked at me with as much venom as she could. She suddenly smirked. I was not sure when it happened, but I felt a buzzing inside me. It made me look at Seth and Carter. Something inside of me was telling me something was off. I had not noticed what it was until I stared at their cups. Their drinks looked normal, but the buzzing inside veins would not stop. I stood up quickly, and without thinking, I touched their glasses.
A blue substance that was hidden appeared in their drinks. I had no idea what it was, but it screamed trouble. Thankfully, neither of them had sipped anything yet. My eyes widened and I looked up at them. They looked shocked. Damien’s eyes were on the glass and then he looked at Ruby, who looked shocked more than anything else. That had not gone unnoticed by me. I looked at Ruby with angry eyes and something said to reach out and touch her. I did and I saw her with two vials of blue liquid. I saw her pouring it into their cups before serving them. I pulled away fast.
“How dare you put your filthy fucking fingers on me” she growled standing up, about to attack me.
“She put that blue stuff in your drinks”, I said out loud. ” I don’t know how, but when I touched her, I saw a vision of her pouring it in”, I said.
“You fucking bitch”, she said and raced to me to attack me, but Damien and Seth were quicker. They were the closest to me, and were in front of me, preventing her from reaching me. In this, Damien backed into me by mistake and the same vision came through. I saw a vision of him standing in the kitchen, watching him watch his mother pour the substance into cups. I gasped, but my main concern was the wolf that was trying to get her claws into me.
” STOP”, Franklin commanded, and she did on the spot. Franklin’s eyes were black, and his wolf was in charge as he grabbed Ruby and pulled her away from the living room.
” I am sorry for that. I will deal with her. You all finish enjoying dinner”, he said, nodding at me with a sad look in his eye before taking Ruby away. If Damien and Seth had not caught her, I am pretty sure my blood would be painted all over the table.
“Thank you”, I said to Seth and Damien. Carter was already behind me with his arm around me and I leaned into him, calming down.
” I didn’t do it for you, human. Don’t fucking talk to me”, Damien said before glaring at me. He stormed outside after. Hurt flashed through me in an intense way. I was not prepared for it. Carter, sensing my stress, rubbed my back.
“It’s okay. Little red”, he said, kissing the top of my head. Seth hugged me from the front after checking my face and arms, making sure I was okay.
“I am sorry, Babygirl. I am so sorry”, he said to me. I stood, sandwiched between my loves, but my eyes went to Jordan. He looked torn in between wanting to come to me and go after Damien.
“Go”, I mouthed to him. He smiled and nodded to me, in understanding. I will get to know him later. I felt horrible. I had just ruined their family dinner.
” I am sorry, Jessica and Ben, for ruining your dinner”. I told them, pushing my mates away.
“Nonsense, child. This is the best family dinner we have had in years”, Jessica said, smiling and looking at Ben, who was nodding in agreement. I knew she was trying to cheer me up, but I was not in a cheerful mood. I was feeling sleepy.
” Accompany her to her room. We will bring her up a plate”, Ben said to Carter and Seth. I smiled a bit and allowed them to accompany me to my room. Seth left and came back with my food, but I could barely eat it. I really just didn’t want to do anything but sleep.
“Your eyes are back to normal “, Carter said, breaking the silence. I was lying down , laid between both of them. I didn’t mind it. It was a comfort.
” Well, that’s good, I guess. Any idea why they lit up?” I asked them.
“Dad is looking into it,” Carter said. I nodded.
” Why am I mated to your brothers?” I asked them. I could see them give each other a look.
“Our brothers were born sort of in the same way we were, just a year apart. Instead of the blue moon, they were born on the red moon. I am guessing it could deal with something in relation to that. It does not matter though. Just as we are entwined with you, so are they. We would do anything to protect you. That includes our own family,” Seth said.
“Damien looked about ready to kill me though”, I told them, remembering the hateful remarks he said to me.
“That is my mother’s influence. She raised us to hate humans, and her influence worked more on Damien than it did on me. You will have to give him time, and let the mate bond work itself out”, Seth explained.
“On the bright side, when Ruby attacked you, he put himself right in front of you”, Carter said, trying to make me feel better.
” He did that for Ruby”, I said in annoyance.
” Don’t be so sure,” Carter said. I stayed quiet. They would try to convince me, and I just didn’t want them to. The vision of what I saw of Damien came into my mind. I would stay silent until I could figure out what the substance was.
” What was that stuff in the glass I revealed?” I asked. I knew they were all thinking about my strange power.
” Dad took it to Agatha. He said Agatha gave her blue lilac essence that was supposed to help her with headaches she said she was having, but Ruby twisted it. Added their hair from a brush they each used and mixed it with wolfsbane. Mixed together, it is a potion that will cut off the mate bond one way. With enough abandonment from the other side, the bond can be rejected and will wither and die out.” Carter said. I sat up quickly. My breathing suddenly became a panic.
“She tried to force our mate-bond away”, I nearly growled out. I could feel something inside of me. A feeling of pure rage. Suddenly, the windows shattered, and I was startled. I stood up.
” I’m sorry.” I told them. ” I don’t know what is happening to me”, I said. Seth pulled me in close.
” Come on. You will sleep with us tonight, ” he said. Feeling the breeze from the room, I decided I would. I was feeling extremely tired now and I knew I was going to pass out. I felt myself sway into Seth, and suddenly, I was out like a light.