Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
FINN
M y brothers sit at the table across from me, their faces illuminated by flickering candlelight. Kael's piercing gaze meets mine, his impeccable suit a stark contrast to the rough-hewn wood beneath his folded hands. Torin slouches in his chair, fingers tapping an impatient rhythm on the armrest, the intricate tattoos on his scalp catching the light as he tilts his head.
"Why are we here, Ghost?" Kael asks, his voice low and controlled.
I take a breath, centering myself before calling upon my powers. With a flick of my wrist, a shimmering image appears above the table - Sable, curled up in her bed just a room away, her chest rising and falling in peaceful slumber.
Torin lets out a low whistle. "Well, well. Didn't know you were such a peeping tom, brother," he says with a lascivious grin.
I ignore his jab, keeping my face impassive. "These are my quarters," I reply coolly. "Of course I have ways to monitor them and everyone in them."
My eyes flick to Kael, whose expression remains unreadable. "I would expect nothing less," he says with a slight nod.
As I stare at Sable's sleeping form, a familiar ache blooms in my chest. I push it down, reminding myself of the silver ring I wear, of the vows I've made. But even as I do, I can't help but wonder what dreams might be flickering behind those closed eyelids.
I force my gaze away from Sable's image, focusing instead on my brothers. "I called you here because we have an issue," I say, my voice tight. "And that issue is this girl. I'm concerned she's coming between us."
Torin's eyes narrow, his body tensing as if readying for a fight. "What are you implying, Ghost?" he growls.
Kael remains silent, his piercing gaze fixed on me, waiting.
I press on, steeling myself. "I know what happened yesterday," I say, my words clipped. "With both of you."
A sly grin spreads across Torin's face, his eyes glinting with malicious amusement. "Oh, I see what this is about," he chuckles darkly. "Poor little Ghost is jealous because he hasn't gotten a taste yet. Trust me, brother, she's delicious."
The air in the room suddenly feels charged, crackling with tension. Kael's jaw clenches, his knuckles white as he grips the edge of the table. I can practically feel the anger radiating off him in waves.
I swallow hard, shoving down the jealousy that threatens to consume me. "This is exactly why I called this meeting," I say, my voice strained. "We need to set ground rules. This woman... she's doing something to all of us. It's driving a wedge between us, and that's the last thing we can afford right now."
As I speak, I can't help but wonder what power this human possesses, to have three of the most dangerous warlocks in existence wrapped around her finger. And more troublingly, why I can't seem to stop thinking about her, no matter how hard I try.
Kael leans forward, his cold eyes boring into mine. "What do you propose then, Ghost?" he asks, his voice low and controlled.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. "It's either all or nothing," I say firmly. "We either come to grips with the fact that we can't control ourselves around her and agree to share her equally, dispensing with jealousy..." I pause, letting the weight of my words sink in. "Or we swear off touching her completely. Treat her like the prisoner she's supposed to be and train her properly for the Trials."
The room falls silent as my brothers consider my words. I can see the conflict playing out on their faces, desire warring with duty.
Finally, I break the silence. "My choice is the latter," I declare, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.
Torin scoffs, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Of course it is," he sneers. "Easy for you to say when you haven't tasted her yet. Trust me, brother, if you had, you wouldn't be so quick to give her up."
I clench my fists, fighting the urge to lash out at him. Before I can respond, Kael speaks up.
"I agree with Ghost," he says, his voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of tension. "It was a momentary lapse in judgment, a loss of control. It will not happen again." He meets my gaze, his expression resolute. "I take full responsibility for my actions."
We both turn to Torin, expectant. His eyes gleam with a dangerous light, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. My stomach tightens, knowing whatever he's about to say will only make this situation worse.
"You two can swear her off all you want," Torin drawls, leaning back in his chair. "Just leaves more of her for me." He licks his lips, a predatory look in his eyes. "I'll happily lap at that sweet cunt all day long. My little kitten's got claws, and I want to experience every... single... one of them."
The crude words hang in the air, heavy and provocative. I feel my face flush with anger and something else I don't want to name.
Kael's reaction is immediate. He slams his fist on the table, his usually calm demeanor cracking. "That's enough, Torin," he growls. "She's not some toy for your amusement."
But Torin's just getting started. He leans forward, his grin widening. "Oh, but she is, brother. You should hear the sounds she makes when I?—"
"Shut your mouth!" Kael roars, his voice a thunderclap in the tense room as he shoves back his chair and rises to his full height. His fists clench at his sides, and his normally calm demeanor is nowhere to be found.
Torin, never one to back down from a fight, leans back in his chair, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Why? You don't want to hear what I’d do to her? How I'd spread those pretty legs and?—"
"Enough!" Kael's voice is sharp, his body taut like a predator about to pounce. The flicker of his powers dances around him, the subtle warning that he’s reaching his limit.
But Torin, ever the chaos-bringer, only chuckles low and dark. "Touchy, Alpha. What’s wrong? Afraid I'll make her forget about you? I mean, come on, look at her. She’s fire and claws and everything we crave. The kind of woman you want to break just to see how loud she’ll scream."
I tighten my grip on the table, the wood groaning under the strain as my knuckles whiten. My teeth grind together, the sound almost drowned out by the rising tension in the room. This isn’t just posturing—Torin’s goading Kael deliberately, every word like a match struck against dry tinder, crafted to test the limits of his patience. It’s what Torin does best.
Torin has always been the one to push us, the sharp edge that cuts through the parts of me and Kael that are too controlled, too restrained. When we bury our emotions under layers of discipline and cold calculation, Torin is the one who drags them out into the light, bloody and raw. He’s the glue that holds us together, the chaotic force that keeps us from becoming so rigid we break.
But glue can be messy, and Torin has never been one to use just the right amount. No, he pours himself on thick, laughing at the cracks he widens in the process, forcing us to face what we’d rather ignore. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
And tonight? Tonight, it’s too much.
Kael steps closer, his eyes blazing. "You’re out of line, Reaper. Keep pushing me, and I’ll remind you exactly why I lead."
Torin tilts his head, feigning innocence even as his smirk grows wider. "Oh, I’m counting on it, Kael. Show me how much you care about her. Show all of us."
The tension in the air is suffocating now, the room brimming with the unspoken truth none of us want to acknowledge. She’s gotten under our skin—each of us in our own way—and it’s throwing everything we’ve built into chaos.
I stand abruptly, my voice cutting through the rising storm like a blade. "That’s enough from both of you!"
Kael’s gaze snaps to me, his jaw tight, but he doesn’t argue. Torin, on the other hand, lets out a low, amused laugh. "Ghost to the rescue. Always the mediator, aren’t you?"
"Because someone has to be," I bite out, turning my glare on him. "Your little games might amuse you, Torin, but they’re going to tear us apart if you don’t rein it in."
Torin shrugs, utterly unbothered. "Tear us apart? Please. She’s just a woman. A dangerous one, sure, but nothing we haven’t handled before."
"Then act like it," I snap, my patience fraying. "Because right now, you're proving her right. That we’re nothing but a pack of monsters tearing at each other over scraps."
Torin’s smirk falters, just for a moment, before he schools his expression back into one of devil-may-care amusement. Kael exhales slowly, his shoulders relaxing slightly as the tension in the room begins to ease.
"Clearly, swearing her off isn't going to work." I look between them, feeling the weight of my next words. "Therefore, we agree to dispense with the jealousy. All of us."
The silence that follows is deafening, and I wonder if I've just made a terrible mistake.
Torin breaks the tense silence with a sardonic laugh. "Well then, Alpha," he says, turning to Kael with a mocking bow. "Which days of the week would you like? I'm partial to Mondays myself. Nothing like starting the week off with a bang."
Kael rolls his eyes, his jaw clenched tight. The barely contained fury radiates off him in waves.
I slump back in my chair, feeling the weight of exhaustion and frustration settle over me. The effort of holding back my own desire for Sable is taking its toll. I run a hand through my hair, my mind racing.
"There's something about her," I say, more to myself than to my brothers. "Something that calls to us. We've shared women before, but never like this. Never with such... intensity. "
Kael nods, his anger seeming to subside slightly. "She's different," he agrees, his voice low.
"But why?" I ask, leaning forward. "She's human. A warlock hunter. She's sworn to destroy our kind. How does she wield such power over us?"
Torin shrugs, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Does it matter? Power is power, brother. And I, for one, am enjoying every second of it."
I shake my head, dispelling the conjured image of Sable sleeping. The room feels colder without her presence, even if it was just an illusion.
Kael stands, straightening his impeccable suit. "I'm going to get some sleep," he announces, his voice clipped.
"Me too," Torin says, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he starts heading towards Sable's chambers.
With a flick of my wrist, I use my powers to turn him around. He stumbles, then laughs, planting a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
"Maybe one day you'll let loose a little, Finn," he teases. "See what you're missing."
As they leave, I'm left alone with my thoughts, the echo of Torin's words haunting me more than I care to admit.
The silence of my chambers grows oppressive as the hours tick by. I sit motionless, staring at the wall, but my mind races with thoughts of her. Sable. The fierce huntress who's become our captive, our temptation, our undoing.
I clench my fists, willing the desire away. "This is madness," I mutter, pacing the room. "She's nothing but trouble."
But even as I say the words, images flood my mind - her defiant eyes, the curve of her neck, the way her chest heaves when she's angry. I imagine how it would feel to run my hands through her hair, to taste the salt on her skin, to consume her completely as my brothers have.
My body responds traitorously, and I adjust myself, disgusted by my lack of control. "No," I growl, twisting the silver ring on my finger. "I've sworn off women. This changes nothing."
The ring slides across my knuckles, a familiar gesture of comfort and reminder. I've made my choice. I won't be swayed by-
A soft sound at the far end of the room makes me freeze. I look up, startled, to see Sable standing there, her eyes wide and wary.
"What are you doing here?" I demand, my voice rougher than intended.
She lifts her chin, that familiar spark of defiance in her eyes. "I couldn't sleep," she says simply. "And I... I heard voices earlier."
I narrow my eyes, studying her. "Eavesdropping, were you?"
"Can you blame me?" she shoots back. "I'm surrounded by enemies, held captive by warlocks. Of course I'm going to try to gather information."
Her boldness, even now, stirs something in me. I take a step closer, and she tenses but holds her ground.
"You're playing a dangerous game," I warn her.