Page 48 of Velka Manor

She does?

Her laughter is cold, reminding me so much of Dorian’s, it’s eerie. “At first, you wouldn’t have told me because it was leverage on Father. Then, as you grew to care for me, I was yours, your little sister. No one was going to take the big brother role from you, and you would not want me to search for anybody else, or for me to care for anybody else.”

Dorian cocks his head to the side, smirking at her, tipping his chin up. “And after our feelings changed?”

She tilts her head right back, raising an eyebrow. “That one is easy. You both liked the fucked up, twisted darkness of me wanting my full-blooded brothers and caving in.” She laughs that cold laugh again and I swear, my dick is already hardening.

“I even get why you told Grandfather the way you did. It’s one of your compulsions to do a damn villain monologue when you crush your target,” she says, and Dorian scoffs, affronted. “Don’t act like you don’t. You’ve been doing it since we were kids. Bastian being the main recipient most of the time. You like to make everyone a puppet to your strings.”

Dorian’s mouth opens a couple times until he scowls, crossing his arms. “Well, how else are they supposed to know my genius? They don’t work it out beforehand, so I have to tell them, it would take them years, if ever.”

Rude.

Octavia’s eyes soften, and she cups his cheek, rubbing her thumb over it. “I know, Rian. I know.” She pushes her thumb inuntil he grunts, pinching his chin. “But never again to me,” she says with malice in her tone.

Fuck. Yep, totally hard again.

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her onto my chest, laying back against the headboard. “Never again, pretty girl. I promise.”

I raise my eyebrow at Dorian until he huffs, nodding in agreement. “You’re right. I’m sorry, angel. I won’t keep anything from you again.”

“Good,” she sighs, closing her eyes and relaxing in my hold. “Now that that’s settled, can you please treat my wound? It is throbbing so freaking much.”

Dorian gazes down at it, running his finger over the cut, tracing his name out before getting up and grabbing our medical kit from the closet.

“I’m going to need special treatment for my wound as well,Rian.”

I squeeze Octavia tight, kissing her hair, taking a deep breath. “Just think: now, we can knock you up without you worrying something would be wrong with the baby. We’re still related by blood, but it is so distant, it won’t make a difference.”

“No,” Dorian bellows at the same time as she does.

“I don’t want kids,” she says, leaving no room for argument, looking up at me and Dorian. “I won’t bring kids into this bloodline. Ever.”

Dorian comes over with the kit, sitting down and placing the items he needs out. “Good, because I will never share you with another person apart from our brother. I can’t.”

The pained expression on his face shows that what he says is true. He will never be able to let her give a part of herself to another, never be able to handle her loving anyone but us. It’s toxic and poisonous, but we’ve never tried to pretend we are anything but, and she loves us anyway.

“Bas?” she whispers, and I realise they are both waiting for me to say something, to acknowledge if I can live without children.

I shrug my shoulders, not caring either way. “I’m happy with whatever you want, pretty girl. Kid or no kid, it doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re getting what you want.”

“This is what I want. Just us.” She nods, closing her eyes, exhaustion taking over. Dorian cleans up her wound gently, and I close my eyes, content with my everything in my arms.

25

Octavia

Ilay in between Dorian and Bastian with my eyes closed, faking being asleep, waiting until they finally drift off. They would never let me do what I want to do alone, and I don’t want them with me for this. This, I need to do by myself.

Bastian falls asleep first, snoring loudly, and Dorian follows closely behind, pulling me to him so tightly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was absorbed into his skin. I lay still for another few minutes, waiting until they’re fully under, and then shuffle down the bed out of their grasp.

I stand at the edge of the bed, watching them for a moment, laughing silently as they frown, scooting forward in their sleep until they embrace and snuggle each other. They’re so clingy in their sleep.

My hand brushes over the bandage on my leg, and I run my fingers across it, smiling. He carved Rian into my skin instead of Dorian. I guess he doesn’t hate the nickname as much as I thought, or maybe he started to like it because I called him it. Either way, it feels even more special. He carved the shape of hisdick onto Bastian’s thigh and then sulked because Bas loved it. Twisted bastards.

I grab Dorian’s discarded black shirt, slipping it on for something to wear, and slip out of the room, tiptoeing so as not to wake them. The halls are empty, everything quiet. There are no staff lurking in the shadows, no beady eyes watching to report back to someone. The castle is finally silent.

I trace my fingers along the walls as I go, in no rush to get to my destination. Grandfather will leave tomorrow but will be back in a week’s time to discuss the wedding. I wonder if my wedding will come before the one he arranged that some other poor soul will end up being stuck in. I know of the Carter family; they’re almost as brutal as us, bloody and vicious, and I’m glad I will not be ending up there.

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