I walked slowly through the hall, trying to fix my hair with one hand and hold the bottle of wine with the other. My shoulder throbbed. My neck was burning where one of the maids scratched me. I could feel something sticky running down my arm, but I didn’t stop.
I just wanted to hand them their stupid wine and disappear.
When I entered the room where the triplets were lounging lazily on the velvet chairs, laughing and throwing small grapes at each other, they turned to me in unison. Their eyes trailed over my body, the ripped dress, the tangled hair, the red mark on my cheek.
I stood there silently and held the bottle forward.
Rowan raised a brow and smirked.
"Wow," he said with a laugh. "Looks like someone got dragged through the floor."
"Lisa, darling," said Kael, slowly rising to his feet. "Did you get in a fight with a lion?"
My hands tightened around the bottle. I said nothing.
"Oh no, maybe the wine beat her up," Damon added mockingly. "Is this what it takes to get one bottle these days?"
I stood there, heart pounding. I didn’t want to cry. Not here. Not in front of them.
"Here’s your wine," I finally said, my voice calm. "I went through a lot to get it."
Rowan stood and walked up to me, moving slowly, like he had all the time in the world. I could see his dark eyes watching me closely, as if he was studying my every move. He reached out and took the wine bottle from my hand, too gently. His fingers brushed against mine and stayed there a moment longer than necessary. My skin crawled. I took a small step back.
He didn’t say anything at first. He tilted the wine bottle under the soft golden light of the chandelier, turning it slightly, as if the label mattered more than the bruises on my skin.
"Hmm," he finally said, his voice calm and smooth, "good year."
Then his eyes shifted back to me, slowly trailing from my face to the scratch on my neck, down to the torn part of my sleeve.
"Shame," he continued, lips curving into a cold smirk, "you look like you wrestled this out of someone’s grave."
Damon, who had been lying carelessly on the couch with a glass in hand, burst into laughter. "She probably did!" he said between laughs. "You should’ve seen yourself when you walked in. Honestly, Lisa, did the wine fight back?"
I stood there without saying a word, fists clenched tightly by my side. The room suddenly felt hotter, heavier, like the walls were closing in. The sting on my shoulder was worse now, but I didn’t show it.
Kael rose next. His movements were quiet, smooth, but I could feel him behind me before he even spoke. A warm breath brushed against the back of my neck, making every hair on my body rise. I froze.
"You know, Lisa," he murmured, his voice low and slow, "this look... it kind of suits you."
"Wild. Angry. A little unhinged." I could hear the smile in his voice.
I spun around quickly, my eyes sharp. "Don’t touch me," I said, my voice firmer than I thought it could be.
He blinked, clearly surprised.
"Oh?" Kael said, a small mocking smile spreading across his face. "What’s this? Fire?"
"I said don’t," I repeated, taking a step back. "I’m not in the mood."
Rowan stepped closer. Too close. His presence was thick, heavy, like he enjoyed the fear he caused. He tilted his head slightly, a slow grin spreading on his face. Then, as if I wasn’t even a person, he licked his lips slowly, deliberately.
"But you’ve never looked more... delicious," he whispered.
"I’m serious," I said, my voice shaking but not weak. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides. "Don’t."
Damon laughed from his seat, lazily tossing a grape into his mouth. "She’s playing hard to get again."
I didn’t even look his way. My focus was on Kael, who had stepped so close I could smell the faint scent of his cologne, rich and dark like spices soaked in trouble.
Kael leaned in suddenly, faster than I expected. His lips brushed the side of my face, aiming for my mouth. But I turned my head just in time.
"No," I said sharply, pushing against his chest with both hands. "I said no."
He froze. For a second, his face stayed unreadable, but I saw the flicker in his eyes. Displeasure.
"Why not?" His voice was low, almost a growl.
"Because I don’t want to," I snapped, heart racing now. "I’m not something you pick up when you’re bored, Kael."
He took a small step back, blinking slowly like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. His gaze dropped to the side of my neck, where Bianca had scratched me before. The wound still burned.
Kael’s lips curled slightly. "You talk big now. Is that scratch on your neck giving you courage?"
I stared at him, not flinching. "I almost died," I said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "And all you care about is whether I’ll let you kiss me?"
Even Damon stopped chewing for a moment. The air around us was tight, like the room itself was holding its breath.
Kael’s jaw tensed, just a little. His eyes dropped from mine, but only for a second. When he looked back up, something was different. Less playful, more dangerous. But I didn’t step back.
Rowan stood and raised his hands like I’d just accused them all of murder, which, honestly, didn’t feel far off. "Alright, alright," he said with a fake smile. "No kisses. She’s angry. Let the lioness roar."
Damon snorted. "Maybe someone should cage her before she bites."
I turned to him. "Maybe someone should teach you how to shut your mouth."
He gave a low whistle and leaned back in his chair, clearly amused. "She’s got fire now."
I looked back at Kael, my voice dropping just a little. "I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am, but I’m not here for your amusement. I’m not here to be played with or touched whenever you feel like it."
Kael was still watching me, eyes narrowed. But he didn’t speak.
"I don’t want you guys to touch me anyhow!" I said quietly, turning away. "I’m just tired. Tired of being treated like trash."
As I walked toward the door, I heard Kael speak softly behind me. "Maybe we like you better broken."
I stopped but didn’t turn.
"Too bad," I replied. "I’m not broken anymore."