Page 37 of Tangled Fates

“Give me something so that I can appease Soren at least for the time being,” he pleaded with me. “I promise nothing is going to happen to you.”

“That’s an easy promise to break,” I countered.

“Not with me, Sunshine.” He squatted before me. “Are you in trouble? Are you being kept here against your will?”

My heart pounded quickly wondering if he knew anything or he was just smart enough to piece things together.

“Are they forcing you to make Oria?”

I stared at his concerned look wanting nothing more than to tell him everything. Gray was still the same man I had captured. He still felt like someone I could trust, but before I could say anything Loki growled in my lap, disrupting my need to tell Gray anything.

It looked like I would keep my secrets for another day.

15

SOREN

My brother chose her over me. Ok, I was being a little dramatic, but he defended her. The woman who captured him, tied him up and god knows what else. Was he smitten with her? He had been acting strangely ever since I rescued him.

I expected him to be mad, livid that he had been taken captive, but Gray was solemn, thoughtful and talked about Blondie like he felt sorry for her or worse, cared. My twin was usually quiet, grumpy and had an endearing hatred towards new people.

Our personalities were day and night. While I was a people person, who loved going out and bringing home a woman or two, Gray was the complete opposite, loathing going out and random hookups. In the almost hundred years we had been alive, I could count how many women he had been with on one hand.

It’s one of the reasons my parents treated us so differently and why they put all of their time and effort grooming me to take over the family business. I was more personable, more outgoing and I was quick witted. I was awful at business though and if they had groomed both of us, we would have dominated the business, but my parents didn’t like that he wasn't like me, like us.

Our family was charismatic, we could schmooze the room if we needed to and we were well liked. My family saw Gray as abnormal especially after our 8th birthday when he vehemently disagreed with an obnoxious party they wanted to throw us. He told my parents he didn’t want to be a show pony and while I agreed with him, I kept my mouth shut like the good, scared son I was.

It wasn’t until I had gotten older that I realized how badly they had treated my twin. The snide comments, the lack of attention they gave him and how they only praised my sister and me. It wasn’t until my marriage that I grew sick and tired of them. I wasn’t allowed to have my brother as my best man.

To say I was furious was an understatement and when they told me Gray was to stay hidden during the festivities, I had had enough. Thankfully, Gray didn’t have to hear about anything since he had left with Ryder to join his band of thievery. They didn’t even care that he wasn’t at the mansion anymore.

I loved Gray and choosing between our family and him was an easy choice, but the ramifications of my actions still haunted me now. Being ostracized from my family hurt more than I let on. Gray constantly told me to go back, that he was fine, but I wasn’t fine without him, and I had always envied his ability to let me go so easily.

Like, right now, he just chose a complete stranger over me. Granted, she was the beautiful stranger I had encountered when I passed through the illusion, and I may or may not have been also enamored by her. I gritted my teeth against the annoyance that threatened to bubble over as he walked away with Blondie. Why would he choose her? Why would he protect her?

Why didn’t she choose me?

She smelled delectable and having her pressed up against me made me feel things that I shouldn't be feeling. Her body was delicious. It made me want to sink my cock into her and have her call out my name. It wasn’t the usual reaction I had to women, but it had also been a while since I had gotten laid.

I was horny, that's why I was having this reaction.

Was Gray pussy-whipped? Did he have Stockholm Syndrome? Did she cast a spell on him? That had to be it.

She was manipulating him. I ran after them hoping to put this nonsense to an end. My strength and speed were slowly coming back, and I was able to climb quickly. I stopped by my bag, and grabbed a few things before heading up the last flight of stairs. A loud growl from that fucking cat was the only indication that I had arrived, and I was grateful to have surprised both of them.

“Remove whatever spell you have on him,” I sneered, coming into the room, seeing Gray squatting in front of her.

“Spell?” Gray looked over his shoulder at me.

“She has you under some spell,” I snapped, pointing at her, not trusting myself if I looked at her.

“What, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Blondie snapped, I could feel her heated gaze on me.

“Soren.” Gray’s tone held a hint of anger.

“Don’t Soren me,” I said, moving toward them.

“Hey, don’t do this,” Gray said, standing in front of the girl.

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