Reign
Sage would not shut up.
He had been howling inside my head from the exact moment Candace's broken body hit the marble floor of the main hall while Beta Nathan drove his boot into her ribs like she was nothing more than trash beneath his feet.
Even now, the image of her body curling helplessly would not leave me alone.
A knot twisted painfully in my chest, but I forced my expression to remain cold and unreadable while we walked away from the hall.
I could not defend her. None of us could, not after the oath we swore three years ago, not after that night.
My wolf paced furiously inside me like a trapped animal, slamming himself violently against the walls of my mind until my skull throbbed from the pressure.
I pressed two fingers against my temple, trying to soothe the ache spreading behind my eyes, but it barely helped.
How could you stand there and let him do that to our mate? Sage snarled viciously. How could you watch her scream and do nothing?
"She's not our mate anymore," I muttered beneath my breath while rolling tension from my jaw. "Drop it."
Sage's growl rumbled through me harder.
You know that's bullshit.
I ignored him. Candace lied to us before. It would not be the first time she manipulated a situation to save herself.
That was what I told myself anyway, even while something restless clawed harder inside my chest every time I remembered the terror in her voice.
What if she wasn't lying?
The thought came suddenly but I shoved it away immediately. My brothers and I walked silently through the hallway leading toward our private lounge inside the Alpha quarters.
The packhouse had gone mostly quiet for the night, though distant whispers still echoed from downstairs after the chaos in the hall.
Mom and Dad would have turned in for the night, especially with mom's weak health lately. She had barely been herself for three years.
Beside me, Ryker looked ready to explode.
His fists kept clenching and unclenching violently at his sides, his knuckles pale from the force of it while tension radiated off him in suffocating waves. Every muscle in his body looked drawn tight enough to snap.
"That stupid fucking runt," he bit out furiously.
"What if she had actually killed him? Does everyone she touches have to end up dead?"
"Dylan's alive," I pointed out quietly.
Ryker shot me a glare sharp enough to cut skin. "No shit, Sherlock."
I hesitated but the question clawed out before I could stop it.
"What if she wasn't lying?"
The room went silent immediately. Ryker's expression darkened while Ragnor went completely still with his hand on the lounge door.
"She's still a liar," he growled finally. A vein pulsed visibly in his forehead before he shoved the door open hard enough for it to slam against the wall.
"Her panties weren't torn. The door wasn't broken. Nothing about that scene supported what she claimed." His voice turned colder. "I wouldn't put it past her to lie about this too."
His grey eyes flicked toward me briefly before he walked into the room.
We were all betrayed by Candace that night.
That night destroyed all of us. But Ragnor?
It shattered something inside him. Even now, three years later, he refused to speak about exactly what Candace's lie had done to him.
The moment Ryker entered, he slammed his fist into the wall with enough force to crack the wood paneling.
"Fuck!"
Ragnor ignored him completely and headed straight for the liquor cabinet instead. He poured whiskey into a glass before swallowing half of it immediately.
We had all sworn an oath together after that night. No matter what happened, we would never let Candace Sinclair back into our hearts again.
The Pendragons and Candace Sinclair could never have feelings for each other anymore. Heck, we weren't to even defend her. Still, Sage would not stop pacing inside my head.
You saw her face, he snarled. You smelled her fear. She wasn't lying. Are you getting blind too?
"She lied before," I argued.
Then why was she terrified before they even touched her? Why did she fight him? Why would she accuse Dylan knowing nobody would believe her? Sage continued bugging me.
I clenched my jaw harder.
"She's a liar, Sage. End of story."
But the words no longer sounded convincing even to me. My thoughts drifted unwillingly back toward the pig sty.
This was getting too much. Something twisted uncomfortably in my chest. I needed to take the edge off. Ragnor tipped another full glass of whiskey down his throat and my fingers curled.
I didn't need a drink. I needed a cigarette and something warm to bury myself in — anything to drown out my raging thoughts—anything except the unbearable urge crawling beneath my skin telling me to go check on her.
Then the lounge door creaked open and Deidre stepped inside. The soft scent of vanilla drifted into the room immediately, but instead of calming Sage, my wolf snarled violently.
That alone unsettled me. Deidre stood in the doorway wearing pale pink lingerie so sheer it left almost nothing to the imagination. Her honey-brown hair spilled loosely over her shoulders while her wide eyes moved over the three of us carefully.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," she murmured softly, the tension in my muscles loosened slightly.
"Not even close, baby," I said with a grin while holding my hand out toward her. "Especially not looking like that."
Ryker's pacing finally stopped while Ragnor slowly lowered his glass onto the counter with a soft click while both of them moved instinctively closer toward her.
Deidre crossed the room with slow swaying steps, the thin fabric shifting against her curves while the warm light caught against her skin. Normally, the sight would have immediately burned desire through me.
Her succulent nipples poked against the lingerie, jiggling along with her breasts.
"I wanted to check on you guys," Deidre said softly after slipping her hand into mine. "Tonight was horrible."
"What Candy did…" Deidre sighed sadly. "I'm sure she didn't mean it."
"Don't defend that slave," Ryker snapped immediately while wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him possessively. "She doesn't deserve your pity."
Deidre rested a hand against his chest gently.
"I just understand why she snapped," she murmured.
"You three were supposed to be her mates once." Her lashes lowered sadly. "Seeing the proposal tonight must've broken something inside her."
Ragnor moved behind her slowly before lowering his lips to press a kiss against the curve of her neck.
"That's her problem," he muttered darkly.
A strange feeling twisted inside me again.
A memory surfaced so suddenly it almost stole the breath from my lungs. I shoved it away viciously.
I licked my fangs hungrily, eyeing the rest of her.
Soon Deidre would officially become our Luna. That was the future now. Even if something inside me still felt strangely unsettled by it.
Ryker, eager as always, was pressed against her from behind, reaching around to grab her tits.
"How's your brother?" I asked, flicking her stiff nipples.
"The Pack doctor's with him," She panted, arching her back in pleasure. "He'll be fine. I came for you guys, you know?"
"Mhmm," I hummed, plucking those eager nipples while Ryker fondled her tits. My eyes drifted lower. I could see the outline of her pussy through the fabric.
"You defended our family tonight. Seeing you defend your brother-in-law was just so romantic. I needed you to know what that means to me. I can't wait to be your mate."
Her fingers moved to the edge of lingerie. "And I thought maybe I could help you guys forget just for tonight before tomorrow." Her voice softened.
The third of February.
The date landed in my head like a heavy stone dropped into still water. The ripples of guilt and anger surging through me. Three years since the Pendragon's happiness fell apart.
Deidre let the silk lingerie drop to the ground with a soft thump.
She was beautiful. Her body was all soft curves in the light, those lovely perky tits winking up at me.
Ryker didn't wait. He pulled her down immediately, forcing her onto her knees. His hand tangled in her hair while his other hand was already undoing his belt.
"Damn, slow down, she's not running away," I teased, chuckling when he gave me the middle finger.
He pushed his cock eagerly against her lips.
"Open up,"
Her lips parted and he slid in with a groan as he forced her mouth around him, thrusting into her mouth roughly.
Ragnor stayed standing behind her for a moment, his eyes clouding over as she choked and gagged around Ryker's dick.
I took off my pants quickly, palming my dick, fisting the hard shaft against my palm. Our greedy girl raised her hand, glancing at me from the corner of her eyes.
With a smirk, I stepped closer and a low growl left my lips when she wrapped her dainty fingers around my cock, stroking me while Ryker fucked her mouth nastily.
Ragnor stripped completely, his muscular frame, bigger than mine and Ryker's, flexed as he moved to the couch, his thighs flexing as he leaned back watching us.
He rolled on a condom and tossed one each at both of us. Ryker caught him with his teeth while I snatched mine out of the air with two fingers.
"Fuck! I'm gonna cum!" Ryker bellowed, pumping his dick into her mouth, his grip still tight in her hair as he finished. A low sound tore out of him before he released her mouth.
"Come here," Ragnor leaned back further into the couch, crooking a finger at her.
Deidre purred, giggling as she crawled over to him. He picked her up, making her straddle him. She screamed as he impaled her cunt on his massive cock.
"Oh god, Ragnor!"
"Just like that, Angel," He rasped, rearing his hips up and making her take every single inch of his cock. My shaft throbbed painfully and I marched to the couch, grabbing her brown hair.
"My turn, sweet,"
"Oh yes, yes, fuck me in both holes," She purred, wrapping her lips around my dick. She blinked up at me,her eyes watering as I slammed into the back of her throat. Then they shifted, suddenly a pair of glowing golden eyes stared back at me, and my cock throbbed, impossibly harder.
The image hit me so violently it felt like someone punched the air straight from my lungs.
"Fuck," I cursed under my breath.
Desire slammed through me harder than before, sharp and immediate enough to make guilt follow right behind it.
Shit! I cursed, feeling my balls tighten.
No.No, what the fuck was wrong with me?
I should not still want her after everything that happened. My parents would be disgusted if they knew these thoughts still existed inside me. Worse, my brothers would see it as betrayal.
Shame twisted viciously inside me.
My brothers would call me a betrayer if they knew. My days of wanting Candace, aching for her, pining for her attention — those should have ended that night three years ago. I finished with a groan, hating myself completely.
Little did I know, the Moon Goddess already had something planned for us. One that would shatter the fragile bond holding the three of us together. Something none of us were prepared for.