"Oh no," I stuttered in awe as the information became clearer while I searched them all on my cellphone.
Dafwem Godlike owns SRT… and his sons are the Forbidden Six. Among them is Flame. My tormentor.
Goodness.
The phone slipped from my palm, and my shoulders sagged in confusion and helplessness.
How will I survive? Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to move to Grand City. What kind of fate is this?
I was lost in thought until a soft knock jerked me back to reality. I whirled toward the door, heart pounding.
Are they here again? With eyes like…
"The dinner is ready. Please come out. You are needed in the dining hall," came the butler's calm voice.
I swallowed hard and nodded, but no words came out. A few seconds later, I heard him walk away just like he does earlier after delivering a message.
I sighed deeply.
Maybe I should run away. No. That's not the solution. I should go… I should tell my mom.
I walked over to the mirror and stared at myself. The dirty talk back in the countryside had made me believe I wasn't beautiful. I lowered my gaze to the dress I wore. One
of the beautiful ones from the wardrobe.
I swallowed again, bracing myself, and reached for the door. I stepped into the quiet hallway, grateful for the silence, and made my way to the staircase I had taken earlier with the butler.
When I arrived at the living room, I followed the soft sounds of cutlery to the dining hall. It looked… ancient, eerie, and grand. Dimly lit. And they were all there.
I froze.
My breath caught. I was ready to flee again but then I saw her. My mother's gaze met mine, and she smiled.
It did something to me. She looked so happy and comfortable beside Dafwem. Maybe… for her sake, I should endure.
I took the first step toward the long table but paused when I realized the only empty chair was right between my mother and Lucifer.
My heart twisted.
I prayed for strength and slowly lowered myself into the seat.
"You must be cold," my mother's soft voice reached me as her hand came to rest on mine, giving warmth I didn't need.
Somehow, I still felt warm after Flame's kiss.
"Azura?" Dafwem called gently, addressing my mother and earning her attention and a smile. "These are my sons. You know them, don't you?"
"The Forbidden Six," she said softly with a nod. "I wouldn't have thought you're the owner of SRT."
Dafwem smiled at her words, then turned to the silent young men who sat with eyes on their meals.
"You all should introduce yourselves. Azura, you go first. Please," he urged politely.
"Hello… uh… I'm Azura. I'm happy to meet you all."
Silence. No response. No movement. Their eyes stayed fixed on their dinner. They didn't even try to hide the fact that they hated us being here.
"We are not happy to see you. I'm sorry, but I can't lie," one of them finally said.
His voice was soft and gentle. The one with green eyes and long white hair. He looked so beautiful, I swear I could stare at him forever.
"That's Dream," Dafwem introduced, brushing past the bluntness. "He's a fae. He heals. Has other abilities too."
"Oh… that's beautiful. He looks so alluring," my mother complimented, and I nearly smiled.
She had learned it. The ability to ignore the negativity and focus on the positive.
I looked down at my dinner, suddenly ashamed of the hunger curling in my belly. I reached for my spoon but paused when I felt a heated gaze on me.
I looked up.
Flame was glaring at me with naked contempt. His jaw clenched as he slowly turned to my mother.
"I am Flame."
"Oh, Dafwem, isn't this the son you mentioned? The one you visited in the countryside? The reason we met?" my mother asked with curiosity.
Dafwem smiled before nodding.
"Yes. He's troublesome, so I banished him there to live apart from his brothers."
"Ah, I see."
"I am Blackmoon. A werewolf," the one with commanding presence said. I met his gaze. He appears steady, strong, capable. He radiated quiet authority.
"I'm Crimson. A vampire," said the pale one.
"Ocean. A merman," said the loveliest of them all. Still barefoot, his presence somehow filled me with calm.
My mother smiled at them all, then her gaze landed on the one beside me.
Lucifer.
Everyone already knew who he was. The fallen angel.
"Lucifer," he muttered under his breath, causing Goosebumps to rose on my skin. His presence was nothing like Ocean's soothing aura. Lucifer's nearness filled me with dread.
Why?
"My lord, the time has been fixed," the butler announced, stepping into the dining hall and cutting through the tension. "Tomorrow afternoon. The wedding will be held, and all the children will take the oaths."
"Wedding?!" my mother gasped in stunned whispers.
I froze.
So soon? Why so fast? Why so…
"That's good. Fix the honeymoon location too," Dafwem said casually. "Somewhere far from Grand City. I'll need a moment alone with my wife."
"Dafwem, we…"
"Azura," he cut her off softly, taking her hand. "You'll marry me… won't you?"
His eyes were locked on hers and just like that, the room went still.
I shifted in my seat, but nothing stopped the answer from coming or the happy smile that bloomed on my mother's face seconds later.
"Yes, but.."
"It's fixed then," Dafwem said, cutting her off once more. Then he turned to his sons, all still and silent, and lastly, to me.
"You'll all be step-siblings and bonded by law tomorrow. Get ready."