Page 11 of Hell Storm

Swallowing hard, I did my best to quench these wayward nerves of mine.

“Julian says the Claiming was a success last night?” Silas stared with an inquisitive look, as a plate was placed before me—eggs, bacon, a croissant, fresh fruit. As if to ask what I was waiting for, my stomach growled. It was a ferocious, ugly sound that made me regret that these four had such good hearing.

Embarrassed, I cleared my throat. “Um … I suppose you could say that.”

Silas seemed pleased enough with that answer. “And was it everything I said it would be? Do you feel a deeper connection with him?”

I blinked and couldn’t help but to glance at Julian, remembering the silly longing I had mere seconds after he left my room the night before. That feeling only intensified as the hours wore on, fueling me to dress more quickly than usual, and then rush to get down to breakfast. It had all been because I was undeniably anxious to see him.

Holding all those words and emotions inside, I simply nodded.

“If I’m being honest,” Julian spoke up, “the connection is far more intense than I thought it would be.”

I was shocked he’d been so forthcoming.

“How so?” Silas questioned.

Julian faltered for a second, as if he wished he hadn’t said so much, but the lapse was only fleeting. “I’d go as far as to say I … nearly went to her room in the middle of the night.”

My face heated upon hearing his confession. I imagined it turning red as a beet while they all sat observing me.

Silas chuckled a bit. “What stopped you?” As he bit into a croissant, it was clear he enjoyed how the question made Julian uncomfortable, causing him to squirm a bit.

There was a look exchanged between them that reminded me of my closeness with Liv, the sibling bond that existed despite not being actual family.

“What stopped me was that it would have been highly inappropriate, and not to mention, very presumptuous to assume I would have been welcomed inside,” Julian answered.

“Oh, please,“ Levi scoffed with an air of laughter laced within the sound. “Youdoknow this is forever, don’t you?” he asked, directing his question toward Julian. “From what Silas explained, it’s more binding than even a marriage, for Pete’s sake. ‘Highly inappropriate,’” he repeated, grumbling the phrase mockingly.

Julian reared back in his seat, getting comfortable as a smile touched his lips. “Are you suggesting I should have just barged in there like some Neanderthal? Demanding she share her bed with me?”

“Yes!” Levi’s voice boomed before realizing he’d gotten ahead of himself. “I mean … well, no. Not exactly. Of course, you give a lady the opportunity to tell you to screw off and pitch your tent elsewhere, but I suppose you’ll never knowwhatsort of answer you would have gotten. Seeing as how you were too afraid to even knock on her door.”

Heat crept up my neck, and then my face when I became aware of Levi’s heavy stare.

“So, let’s say shedidallow you to enter her suite. If you managed to give a pleasant performance,” he continued, a teasing gleam dancing in his eyes, “she might have even invited you for an encore.”

I was certain the redness in my cheeks had deepened even more.

“Did you seriously just refer to physical intimacy as a ‘performance’?” Julian asked with somewhat contrasting expressions. He was smiling, but also couldn’t hide his disgust for his Dynasty Brother’s verbiage.

Levi immediately scowled at Julian’s phrase in return. “I’m not sure what’s worse—hearing you disagree with what I’ve said, or using the term‘physical intimacy’,” he mocked, making the statement with air quotes.

I was mildly offended, having been discussed like an inanimate object, but what was harder to suppress than offense, was laughter.

“Well, you all seem to have forgotten, I’m still in the room,” I reminded them coyly. “And for what it’s worth, I actually appreciate that you respected my privacy, Julian. Thank you.”

I wasn’t sure where they got the idea that I’d be lettinganyof them into my bed—now or ever—but I knew for certain that I’d double check the lock on my door before I went to sleep.

“Come on,” Levi laughed. “I can’t be the only one who’s thought about it. We’re linking ourselves to her, one woman, for the rest of our lives. Are we going to pretend there won’t be sex involved? Ever?”

The only response he got was silence.

It was clear I’d have to find a way out of here sooner than I already intended. If this was the plan these four had for me.

“Well, I suppose that answers it,” Levi sighed, rearing back in his seat, “We’ll all be eunuchs, I suppose.”

Silas glanced at me, maybe noting how uncomfortable I’d become with the conversation.

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