Funny how she fled as a free woman but now returned as a prisoner.
The pack's convoy had stopped for it was almost dawn, and everyone watched in eerie silence as the triplets dragged Blue's chained body forward like a prize they'd hunted down. Her feet were blistered, wrists bruised from the steel shackles. A small cage had already been set up near the largest tent, their tent. Kael didn't hesitate. He shoved her inside like she was nothing more than a stray beast.
The cage creaked shut behind her. Click.
She was on display now. Like some captured creature for the pack to gawk at.
Blue scanned the faces surrounding her. Some sneered. Some whispered. Most just stared, like they were witnessing some twisted justice. But one face stood still, Dasia. The brunette stood beneath a tree, her eyes soft with pity.
Blue couldn't bear it. She looked away, the shame burning through her more than the sun overhead.
Dasia had tried. She'd been a true friend. And now all her efforts were wasted. No one would want to associate with the girl who ran from her mates and almost got raped in the woods.
"How does it feel now?" Draven's voice cut through her thoughts, cold and sharp. "Hope this teaches you what's waiting when you defy orders and act on your stupid impulse."
He didn't wait for a reply. He stormed off, leaving behind a silence that felt louder than any scolding.
"And no one speaks to the prisoner!" he barked.
Just like that, Blue was cut off from everyone.
She sat curled in the corner of the cage, weak from the long ride and aching all over. Her only comfort came from the small dragon curled inside her gown, its tiny body warm against her ribs. She held onto it like a child with a doll, hiding it beneath the folds of fabric.
She didn't know when she drifted off, but it was a voice that pulled her back.
"Blue. Blue…"
Her lashes fluttered open to Dasia's whisper. Blue sat up fast, eyes darting around.
"You can't be here… if they see you—"
"I don't care," Dasia snapped. "You acted foolishly, and it almost cost your life."
Blue's throat tightened. "I'm sorry."
Dasia sighed, then slid a small bundle through the bars—stale bread and a leather flask of water.
"Hide it. Quickly."
Before Blue could say thank you, the girl was gone.
Blue stared at the food, tears brimming in her eyes. The Goddess hadn't abandoned her completely. She broke the bread in half and shared it with the little dragon, who devoured it hungrily, its tiny tail thumping against her thigh.
As the sun blazed overhead, Blue leaned against the bars and stared at the sky. Her skin burned, her mouth was dry, her bones ached—but she stayed still. There was no use fighting anymore. This was her punishment.
This was her fate.
---
Inside the largest tent just a few feet away, chaos erupted.
A maid had run out sobbing, barely dodging a shattered wine jug hurled at her head. The flap slammed shut again, muffling the argument inside.
"Calm down, brother," Laziel muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Calm down?" Draven's voice thundered. "She was almost fucking raped, Laziel! Someone else nearly claimed what's ours!"
He kicked a bench across the tent, rage seething from his body.
Kael folded his arms. "We arrived in time. She's alive. That's what matters."
"No, what matters is she ran," Draven snapped. "She ran without thinking. Without fear. What if we'd been late? What if her blood was on that forest floor right now? You two would still be sitting there playing diplomats."
None of them wanted to admit it—but Blue mattered. And that thought alone drove Draven mad.
When Gillian died, something in him snapped. He buried his grief under duties, strategy, and blood. But the second he laid eyes on Blue, his enemy, his mate—every buried emotion tore itself out. She was the reminder of everything they lost. And worse, she made them feel things they weren't ready to feel again.
Now she was caged like an animal. Cold. Starving. Shivering. Her body still recovering from the fever she caught in the rain.
And yet… they all hurt inside for her.
---
Then came Lucia.
All three heads snapped up.
Lucia moved slowly, hips swaying, breasts full and glistening.
Steam still clung to her skin from a fresh bath, her curves glistening under the low candlelight. Her robe hung loose, barely covering her chest. The scent of jasmine followed her as she walked, slow and seductive.
"I heard the commotion," she purred, lips curling into a smirk. "You need release, my lords…"
Without hesitation, she let the robe drop.
Completely bare.
Three pairs of hungry eyes drank her in.
Lucia walked straight to Draven, her fingers trailing down his bare chest. "Let me ease your minds…"
And that was all it took.
The moment the fabric hit the floor, they pounced.
Kael caught her first, spinning her and shoving her against the furs. His mouth claimed hers as his fingers slid between her thighs, testing her slick folds.
"Already wet for us?" he growled.
She moaned in reply, writhing against his hand.
Laziel dropped to his knees behind her, his mouth already on her ass, tongue trailing down between her cheeks to taste her. She cried out, jerking, but Kael held her still.
Draven stood back for a moment, stroking his thick length as he watched his brothers tease their toy. His eyes were wild, darkened with fury and need.
"I want her throat," he growled.
Kael yanked her down and guided her to Draven, who pushed her head down and filled her mouth in one thrust. She gagged and moaned at once, sucking greedily as he thrust in harder, his fists tight in her hair.
Lucia took it all, every inch.
Kael entered her from behind next, slow and punishing, gripping her hips and ramming into her again and again until her screams echoed into the night.
Laziel took her next, flipping her over and burying his face between her legs, lapping up every drop. Then he slid into her, while Draven took her mouth again.
They used her. Took their pleasure. Fucked her like a toy made just for them.
Outside, Blue heard everything.
Her cage had been wheeled just close enough.
Lucia's cries of pleasure, raw, animalistic—echoed in the night air. The wet slap of skin against skin. The growls of her mates. Their harsh breaths. The way they said Lucia's name.
Not hers, will never be hers.
Blue pressed her palms to her ears but it was no use. The sound still seeped through. Her heart clenched and her stomach turned.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
This hurt more than Draven's slap. More than the chains on her wrists. More than the ache in her swollen ankle.
They didn't want her. They only wanted her to suffer.
She turned away and curled into herself again, holding the dragon tight to her chest. It nuzzled into her neck, warm and soft.
The only one who wanted her… was a creature that wasn't even human.