Chapter 1
Salem
Right on time, Peach walks up to her bakery door, pulls out her key, and unlocks it.
She’s wearing a green dress that enticingly wraps around her body, and her red hair is piled high on her head, with a few wisps framing her face.
Every inch of her is temptation sculptured to perfection, and when she bends over to pick up something that she’s dropped, my mouth waters.
I’ve been stalking her for the last week, ever since she left me, learning everything about her.
Her routine.
Her likes and dislikes.
I know that baking makes her happy, and she’s very social.
She’s bubbly.
Bright.
Cheerful.
Everything that I’m not.
I couldn’t have been given a more opposite female if they tried.
The fates always liked to play games with me.
She smiles widely, welcoming customers into her shop, not knowing that I’ve bought one of the apartments across the road and have been watching her every move. She looks a little too fucking happy, considering the circumstances.
How is she not upset about walking away from her fated mate?
Am I that terrible? There’s no one she’d be safer with.
I’d set the world on fire to keep her warm and watch it burn with a smile on my face.
Why hasn’t she gone looking for me to tell me that she made a mistake?
I guess it doesn’t matter either way, because she doesn’t have a choice.
“Salem, where are you?” my brother, Silver, asks in my head.
One of the cons of being a triplet shifter—my mind is never quiet. I’ve learned to push them out when I need to and block them from my thoughts, but we keep the line, so to speak, open in case there’s an emergency, or whenever they are just being nosy fucks.
Busy, I reply.
“Family dinner at Saylor’s in an hour. Don’t fucking forget.”
“I’ll be there.”
My brothers, baby sister and I try to have a family dinner every week, and there’s no way I’m missing out on her cooking. I don’t care about much, but Silver, Sage, Saylor, and Shadow are everything to me. They know exactly who I am, and they accept me anyway.
Shadow’s mate, Laurel, has also joined our fold, along with Saylor’s mate, Bane.
I didn’t think anyone would be good enough for my baby sister, but the Demon King has grown on me, like a fungus. He also takes care of Saylor, which is a full-time fucking job, so there is that.
My eldest brother, Shadow, had been missing for years. After finally getting him back, everything felt settled for once.
Until I met Peach.
And she rejected me.
I don’t know how this is going to play out, but she is mine. The fates gave her to me, and you bet I’m going to keep her. No take-backs. I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. She’ll come around.
I mean, she might not like the fact that I beat the shit out of that merman that hit on her the other day, but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. The fucker shouldn’t have checked out her tits when she bent down to get the cakes he ordered.
Peach needs to stop looking so fucking pretty, though, or she won’t have any male customers left.
Usually, with my invisibility magic, I would be right there next to her, but even though we aren’t bonded yet, I have a feeling she’d be able to sense me.
I didn’t know who her brother was, the one she said I tortured, until my brother Sage reminded me.
I did torture that asshole, but I left him alive.
That has to count for something, right? How was I meant to know that piece of shit would end up being my mate’s little brother?
It’s safe to say, I won’t be getting an invite to her family dinners any time soon, but she can come to mine. I can’t wait to show her off.
With one last lingering look at her through the windows, I zip to Saylor’s house, where everyone is sitting around the table waiting for me.
“There you are.” Saylor beams, coming over to kiss my cheek. Her honey-brown eyes light up when she sees me. No one else reacts that way. Today she’s wearing a bright orange floral dress, and her baby bump looks bigger than the last time I saw her.
My baby is having a baby. I don’t know how I feel about that.
My eyes snap to Bane, and not for the first time, I want to strangle the life out of him. But that would make Saylor sad, and I don’t like it when she’s upset.
She touches my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts.
She’s the only person that I don’t flinch when she touches me.
I hate people touching me. If I initiate the touch, it’s not too bad, but the only time I really do that is if I want to fuck someone.
Even then, I’ll try to keep the physical contact to a minimum.
I’ll happily eat pussy and fuck, but I’m not one to cuddle and spoon afterward.
Hell, I can fuck a female from behind without touching her with anything but my cock.
“I wouldn’t miss this,” I say, lifting my chin to the others as I take my seat next to Silver.
He studies me from the corner of his eye while twirling one of his throwing stars with his fingers.
He knows what happened with Peach, but I haven’t told my siblings outside of the ones who shared a womb with me.
So Silver and Sage know I found my mate and have a plan to make her mine, but Saylor and Shadow have no idea.
“Where have you been?” Shadow asks, taking his mate Laurel’s hand in his.
She smiles up at him, her brown eyes filled with an emotion I can’t describe.
My gaze drops to the golden mating bands around their wrists.
After years apart, they finally got their happy ending.
I’m pleased for my brother, and having a seer in the family only makes us even more powerful.
Shadow can see the past, and Laurel can see the future.
The two of them are untouchable, and no one will keep them apart again.
“Didn’t know I had to report to you,” I reply, leaning back in my chair and cracking my knuckles one by one.
“Have you spoken to her yet?” Sage’s deep voice asks in my head.
“No, but soon,” I reply.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Silver warns, a muscle working in his jaw. His silver hair is braided like Sage’s, but instead of one big braid like his, he has small, tiny braids throughout. I’m the only one with short hair. I’m not as vain as they are, nor do I give the same amount of fucks.
What if Peach likes long hair? I frown as the thought hits me.
“Stop talking to each other telepathically,” Saylor grumbles, pouting. “You know it gives me FOMO. Now, why don’t all of you tell me what you’ve been up to? I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long. What’s new? Shadow?” She looks to our eldest brother.
He clears his throat, then smiles widely. “Lolly and I are having a baby.”
Saylor all but jumps up in the air, and Bane stands to make sure she doesn’t fall. “Careful, Sunshine.”
She ignores him, doing a happy dance that makes my lip twitch. “Are you serious? Oh my fates! I’m going to be an aunty! This is the best day… ever!” Saylor hugs Laurel, then Shadow. “You’re going to be the best father in the world, you know that, right?” she tells him, her voice catching.
Shadow’s throat works as he swallows. He raised all of us, including me. Even when he didn’t know what to do with me, he never walked away or gave up on me. And when he went missing, we never gave up on him, either.
“Thanks, Saylor,” he manages to get out, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.
“Time to celebrate.” My sister beams, tucking her dark hair back behind her ear. She turns to me. “How about you, Salem. Do you have any news to share?”
Sage’s lip twitches while Silver runs his fingers down the magical runes on his neck. My gaze then goes to Laurel, who arches her brow at me.
Yeah, maybe having a seer in the family is more of a curse than a blessing.
“Depends, what do you know?”
“What are you hiding?” Saylor asks, narrowing her eyes before glancing around the table. “What am I missing here?”
“Nothing,” I say in a chorus with Silver and Sage.
Laurel’s brown eyes are dancing with amusement. She knows, but she hasn’t told anyone.
Interesting. It’s nice to know my sister-in-law isn’t a snitch.
“What are you going to name the baby?” Sage asks Saylor, changing the subject away from me.
“Thank you, brother.”
“I don’t know why you don’t just tell them,” Silver mutters.
“Because Saylor will be at that fucking bakery before I can convince her to be mine,” I admit.
“I don’t know yet, but something with an S. Have to keep the tradition alive.” Saylor smiles, sharing a look with Bane, who leans forward and presses a kiss against her lips. The Demon King can control the weather, but it’s clearly my sister who controls him.
“I hope it’s a girl who looks just like you,” Bane says in a low tone.
“Do you two need a room?” Laurel jokes, ignoring all the scowls sent in her direction from us.
Saylor rolls her eyes and pulls the lids off the serving trays on the table. “Okay, let’s eat before the food gets cold. Salem, I made the roast beef that you loved last time.”
“Thank you,” I say, and she smiles widely at me.
“Shadow, I made your favourite honey cake for dessert. I must have known today was going to be special for you.”
“Thank you, baby sister,” Shadow replies, his eyes gentling.
We all have a soft spot for Saylor.
But it’s not the time for her to know about Peach, especially if I have to go along with the plan in my mind. Because I just know she’s not going to approve of me kidnapping my mate.
“I don’t know why the fates gave you a sweet pastry chef.” Sage smirks, his light green eyes lighting up with humor. “Although you do like to eat.”
Oh, I’m going to eat her all right.
That sweet cunt is going to be all… fucking… mine.
“Stop mind linking in front of me!”