MIA’S POV
I stood still, my heart pounding as I watched the scene unfold.
The men who had surrounded us weren’t here to attack me. No, they had
come for the brothers. But the moment the leader stepped forward, I
recognized him.
Osper, the Beta of Nashor Pack.
His sharp eyes landed on me, scanning me from head to toe before
nodding in approval. “Princess Mia,” he greeted, his tone respectful.
“We were sent to check on you and escort you safely.”
I blinked, caught off guard. They weren’t here for a fight?
Then I realized-they had no intention of welcoming the Atwood
brothers.
And I didn’t care.
I stepped past the brothers without hesitation, completely ignoring
them. Let them deal with this themselves.
“I appreciate your concern,” I responded smoothly, my expression
unreadable. “Let’s go. I have an errand to run.”
I felt Xavier’s eyes burn into my back, but I didn’t turn around.
I refused to defend them.
Not after everything they’d done to me.
Nathan called after me. “Mia-”
I kept walking.
I could almost feel the tension behind me, but I didn’t stop. I wasn’t their
shield, their protector. If they wanted to survive in enemy territory, that
was their problem.
Osper led me away, his people forming a protective circle around me as if
I was someone precious. It felt strange to be treated this way after
everything I’d been through.
For so long, I was nothing more than a pawn in someone else’s game.
But here… I was a princess.
And the Atwood brothers?
They were nothing.
By the time I finished the errand and returned, I expected them to be
gone.
But no.
They were still there.
I walked back into the clearing, expecting peace. Instead, I was met with
chaos.
Blood stained the ground, injured warriors from both sides groaning in
pain. The air was thick with the scent of battle, and yet, there they stood
-the Atwood brothers, bruised, bloodied… but still standing tall.
They were always like this, weren’t they? Always refusing to show
weakness, always pretending they were fine even when they were falling
apart.
Xavier wiped a trail of blood from his lip, his gaze sharp as he spotted
me. Nathan, covered in scratches and bruises, straightened his posture
like he wasn’t just barely standing. Rolex’s shirt was torn, deep claw
marks lining his arm, but he smirked like it was nothing. Sean’s knuckles
were raw, his breathing heavy, but he still looked as cocky as ever.
My stomach twisted, but I forced my expression to stay neutral.
This wasn’t my problem.
I turned to Osper, raising an eyebrow. “Care to explain?”
Osper dusted his hands off, his stance casual despite the tension in the
air. “Your guests caused trouble,” he said smoothly. “So we handled it.”
I glanced back at the brothers. Despite their injuries, their eyes burned
with defiance. They weren’t defeated. They never would be.
I let out a frustrated sigh. Could they not go one day without causing
trouble?
Osper looked at me. “Do you want us to remove them?”
Tempting. Very tempting.
But I had other plans.
“No,” I said, lifting my chin. “I’ll handle this.”
I walked toward them, my heels clicking against the stone path.
The moment they saw me, Xavier’s jaw clenched. Nathan looked
relieved. Rolex and Sean? They just seemed exhausted.
Nathan took a step forward, wincing slightly but quickly masking it. “We
weren’t the ones who started this.”
Osper scoffed. “You don’t belong here, Atwood. Maybe you should take
the hint.”
“What,” I drawled, crossing my arms, “are you still doing here?”
I didn’t waste time with formalities. The moment I saw the chaos and
bloodshed, I should have been concerned. But instead, I felt nothing but
irritation.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” My voice cut through the tense air
like a whip.
The Atwood brothers, bruised and bleeding, barely flinched. Osper and
his warriors stood smug, clearly feeling victorious over their rivals.
Xavier rolled his shoulders like he wasn’t in pain, his eyes locked onto
mine. “Nice to see you care, Princess.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “I don’t. But I do care about my reputation,
and you’re ruining it.”
Nathan wiped blood from his lip, staring at me with an unreadable
expression. “That’s all you care about?”
“Yes.” I didn’t even hesitate. “I don’t need you making problems for
me.”
Rolex let out a dark chuckle, shaking his head. “Figures.”
Sean exhaled sharply, muttering something under his breath before
looking at me. “We’re not the ones who started this, Mia.”
I should have believed them. I should have known Osper’s pack would
provoke them first.
But I didn’t care.
“You were stupid enough to get baited into a fight,” I shot back. “That’s
on you.”
Xavier clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with frustration. “You’re
seriously just going to leave us like this?”
“Yes.”
I turned on my heel without another word, leaving them behind.
And then-the sky darkened.
A chilling wind swept through the woods, making my hair whip against
my face. The scent of rain filled the air, thick and heavy. Within seconds,
the first drops began to fall.
A storm was coming. A bad one.
Osper cursed under his breath. “We need to find shelter.”
I scanned the area and spotted a small abandoned cottage in the
distance. It wasn’t much, but it would do.
“This way,” I called, leading the way toward it.
The moment I stepped inside, I regretted it.
Because the brothers followed.
I stiffened as they entered, their presence overwhelming in the cramped
space. The room wasn’t big-just a single room with a dusty old
fireplace and a few wooden chairs.
And now I was trapped with them.
The storm outside roared, lightning cracking through the sky,
illuminating the small wooden walls of the cottage. The wind howled,
rattling the old windows, and the air inside was thick with heat from the
bodies around me.
And that was the problem.
I was too close to them.
I folded my arms over my chest, shifting uncomfortably as I stole a
glance at them. Water dripped from their bare torsos, the rain having
soaked them through before they got inside. Their shirts had been
discarded, leaving only rough, muscular bodies in plain sight.
Xavier sat back, arms stretched against the wooden wall, his toned chest
glistening under the dim candlelight. Nathan wiped the blood off his
shoulder, his abs flexing with each movement. Rolex ran a hand through
his wet hair, his back muscles flexing in the dim glow. And Sean? He was
sitting with his legs spread apart, his piercing eyes watching me like a
predator studying its prey.
It was too much.
My breath hitched as heat rose to my cheeks. Get it together, Mia.
I clenched my jaw and looked away, but my body betrayed me, reacting
to their presence in ways I hated. My heart raced, my skin tingling under
their lingering stares.
The past came crashing down all at once.
The way they used to look at me-like I was nothing. The way they used
me for their amusement, how they touched me without consent, how
they tormented me until I broke.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my nails digging into my arms.
I wasn’t that weak, terrified girl anymore.
But right now, trapped with them in a small room, half-naked and
dripping wet from the rain, it felt like I was back there again.
Xavier’s voice broke the silence.
“You’re staring, Princess.”
My eyes snapped to his, and my breath caught. He was so close.
I swallowed hard. “I’m not.”
Nathan smirked, running a hand through his damp hair. “You sure?
Because you’ve been ogling us for the past five minutes.”
I rolled my eyes, forcing myself to ignore the heat coiling in my stomach.
“You wish,” I scoffed, shifting my weight from one foot to the other,
desperate for distance.
Rolex leaned against the wall, his sharp gaze trailing over me like he was
memorizing every inch.
“You look nervous,” he murmured.
I lifted my chin, fighting the urge to shiver under his stare. “I just don’t
like being this close to you all.”
Sean chuckled lowly. “Yet here we are.”
I hated how they looked at me. Like I was theirs.
I forced myself to stand my ground, arms tightening around my chest.
“This doesn’t change anything,” I muttered, more to myself than them.
Xavier’s gaze darkened. “We’ll see about that.”
I turned away from them, pressing my palm against the cool wooden
surface of the door. Just one night. I just have to get through one night.