NovelsAlex Chapter 207: The Days
Chapter 207: The Days
Scarlett’s POV
"I don’t want this bond," I spat, the words cutting through the tense silence of the bedroom.
Deep down, I didn’t even know if I was telling the truth or lying. My soul screamed for them, but my pride and the memory of the pain they had caused made me want to rip the fated connection right out of my chest.
"Don’t say that, Scar," Leonard growled softly, his voice cracking with raw, painful emotion. He took a step toward the bed, his large hands clenching and unclenching. "You can hate us all you want for what happened in the past. You can punish us. But do not reject the bond. It’s killing us. Being away from you for five years nearly broke our wolves."
"And what about me?" I demanded, my voice rising as I glared at the three of them. "You think it didn’t break me? You think it was easy living on the run, wondering if the men who were supposed to protect me were just using me as a pawn? You all kept secrets. You lied to each other, you lied to the pack, and you let your fake wives run around trying to scare me away!"
Leo stepped forward next, looking completely desperate. "We did it to protect the position of the pack until we could find you, Scarlett. We never touched them. I swear to you on my wolf’s life, we have been completely celibate. We have been waiting for you."
"I don’t care!" I lied, standing up from the bed so I could look them in the eye. "You expect me to just jump into bed with three powerful Alphas and pretend everything is fine? Look at you! Just five minutes ago, you were ready to murder each other in the training yard because Leo touched my waist. How are we supposed to stop a bloody prophecy of destruction when you can’t even stand in the same room without baring your fangs?"
Liam closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath to calm his inner wolf. When he opened them, the golden glow had faded, replaced by a dark, intense focus. "We will do whatever it takes. If we have to learn to control our instincts, we will. Just tell us what you want, Scarlett. Don’t push us away."
The three of them stood there, completely at my mercy. They were the most powerful Alphas in the territory, but right now, they looked like men begging for a single scrap of hope.
I looked at them, my mind racing. If I kept pushing them away, they would keep fighting in secret, and Ma’am Olivia’s bloody visions would definitely come true. But if I accepted them... I needed control. I needed to be the one making the rules, not them.
"Fine," I said, putting on a cold, unbothered expression. "If you want this so badly... then you will have to learn how to share me."
The reaction was instant. The three of them froze completely. Their massive shoulders stiffened, and a heavy, suffocating wave of pure Alpha jealousy flooded the room. Liam’s jaw clenched so hard a vein popped out on his neck, Leonard let out a low, involuntary rumble from his chest, and Leo’s eyes flashed with instant disapproval.
They clearly were not happy about it. The very idea of sharing their fated mate—even with their own brothers—went against every single possessive instinct inside their predatory wolves.
"Share you?" Leonard echoed, his voice angrily low.
"Yes, share me," I said, raising my chin, refusing to let their dark auras intimidate me. "Take it or leave it. If you can’t handle it, the door is right behind you and I will pack my bags today. But if you choose to stay, this is how we are going to do it."
I sat back down on the edge of the bed, folding my arms and looking at them like a queen giving orders to her subjects.
"I am dividing your days," I stated firmly. "Each of you will get specific days of the week to spend with me, to talk to me, and to prove to me that you can be trusted. No fighting, no interrupting another brother’s day, and absolutely no Alpha behavior toward each other. If one of you breaks a rule, your time with me is completely canceled for the month."
Liam, Leonard, and Leo exchanged tight, furious looks, their fists clenched at their sides as they tried to swallow the bitter pill of my terms. They hated it, but as they looked back at me, the fear of losing me completely outweighed their stubborn pride.
"Fine," Liam growled out reluctantly, being the first to submit. "We do it your way."
"Good," I said, my voice calm and unbothered, though my heart was hammering against my ribs. "I’m glad we understand each other."
Leonard and Leo still looked incredibly tense, their massive bodies radiating pure heat and irritation, but they slowly nodded their heads after Liam. They didn’t have a choice, and they knew it. I held all the cards now.
"So, here is the schedule," I continued, crossing my legs and leaning back slightly on the bed. "Liam, you get Mondays and Thursdays. Leonard, you have Tuesdays and Fridays. Leo, you get Wednesdays and Saturdays."
"What about Sundays?" Leo asked immediately, his eyes narrowing as he did the quick math in his head.
"Sundays belong completely to me," I shot back, giving him a hard look. "I get a rest day from all three of you. No one comes to my room, no one follows me around, and no one tries to talk to me unless the pack is under a literal attack. Is that clear?"
The three of them exchanged another round of bitter glances. The schedule meant they were completely separated from me for most of the week, forcing them to watch from a distance while another brother spent time with their mate. It was a brutal punishment for an Alpha wolf, but it was exactly what they deserved for the years of lies and the fake marriages.
"And remember," I added, my voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "The very first time I see any of you baring your fangs at each other over me, or if anyone breaks the boundary of another brother’s day... you lose your entire slot for a whole month. I will completely block you out."
"We understand, Scarlett," Leonard rumbled, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to drop to his knees by the bed and bury his face in my lap, but the strict rules kept him rooted to the spot.
"We’ll respect your schedule," Liam stated, his dark eyes boring into mine, full of a fierce promise. "But today is Monday. Which means... today is my day."
My stomach flipped pleasantly at his words, but I forced my expression to stay deadpan. I looked over at Leonard and Leo. "You heard him. It’s Monday. Both of you leave. Right now."
Leo let out a heavy, frustrated breath, while Leonard’s jaw tightened. They clearly hated leaving Liam alone with me, but they didn’t dare break the rule on day one. Slowly, reluctantly, they turned around and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
The moment the click of the lock echoed, the atmosphere in the bedroom shifted completely.
The heavy, chaotic scent of three Alphas vanished, leaving only Liam’s intoxicating, dark woodsy fragrance filling the space. I looked up from the bed, my breath hitching slightly as Liam slowly turned around to face me, a dangerous, possessive gleam returning to his eyes now that his brothers were gone.