Page 110 of The Fallen Ones

Jace placed a gentle kiss atop her head before untangling himself and getting out of bed. I followed, but not before brushing my lips against hers and whispering in her ear.

“I love you, baby sister.”

With a tight throat, I got up and looked as Caleb placed a red envelope on her bedside table. We’d typed it out before we got here so she knew what we wanted.

It took everything I had to back away and follow the guys out of her apartment into the night. With no one out on the streets, we were just shadows, headed into the darkness.

Lily was our light though, and I couldn’t wait to come back to her.

I looked to the guys to see the same looks on their faces as was on mine as we removed our masks and got into Jace’s car.

“She’ll be ours,” I murmured.

No one said a word.

Instead, we drove off, hoping for the best.

Chapter 41

Lily

Iopened my eyes to find myself alone in my room, my body aching in the most delicious way possible. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to make sense of what happened last night. Waking up to a hot masked man buried between my legs while his friends watched turned me on even now.

I felt alive.

I felt whole.

I felt… love.

Never having been in love before, I had no idea if that’s what this was, but it was the only way to explain the feelings bubbling up in my body. I wanted these guys.

My heart deflated when I realized they’d left me again without telling me their names.

Feeling sad, I rolled over to spot a red envelope on my nightstand. Eagerly, I sat up and reached for it, wincing at the ache between my legs but definitely not hating it.

I tore the letter open to stare down at the contents.

Lily,

We are ready to make you ours. We want you. No more masks. No more secrets. We want to show you who we are, but we need to make sure you’re ours just as much as we’re yours.It is why we ask that you consider making this a permanent situation with us. That means you need to get rid of the guy you’re seeing. Once you do, we will come forward and show ourselves. You have until Friday. If you decide to continue with him, you will not see us anymore.

We hope you decide to be ours. We need you more than you know.

Yours,

The Fallen Ones

I licked my lips, my heart pounding in my chest. They really wanted me. Their stipulations weren’t difficult to navigate. But my mind shifted immediately over to Jace, Caleb, and Damien. My heart hurt at the thought of never having them. Embarrassed as I was by that thought, it was there. I couldn’t deny I felt something.

But I wanted this too, and I already knew it could work since it had been working. Getting Caleb, Jace, and Damien to want me together would be a feat I’d never be able to accomplish. Jace and Damien hated each other. Caleb hated both of them. Jace didn’t like Caleb. And Damien would probably give both Jace and Caleb issues. It wasn’t feasible and would never work. Maybe separately, but never together.

The thought made me hurt, but it wasn’t in the stars and even proposing it to them made me think I’d be laughed right out of the room.

I exhaled, knowing the Brandon part of the equation wouldn’t be a problem. I’d thought on it already before the Fallen Ones had come over and realized he wasn’t for me, especially after the way he’d acted on our last date. I couldn’t be with someone who blew so hot and cold like that. Who didn’t want me to have my own dreams. It wouldn’t work long term, and I would be stupid to continue it.

I got out of bed and showered quickly before calling Caleb to tell him everything and hope he could help me with it all. Not that I could tell him I wanted him, but I could tell him about my night and ask him if he thought I was making a bad choice.

“Hello?” His groggy voice came through the phone. I winced. He said he had to work last night, so that meant he didn’t get home until late.