Page 44 of The Blood Moon Oath

Kael's reaction is immediate. He slams his fist on the table, his usually calm demeanor cracking. "That's enough, Torin," he growls. "She's not some toy for your amusement."

But Torin's just getting started. He leans forward, his grin widening. "Oh, but she is, brother. You should hear the sounds she makes when I?—"

"Shut your mouth!" Kael roars, his voice a thunderclap in the tense room as he shoves back his chair and rises to his full height. His fists clench at his sides, and his normally calm demeanor is nowhere to be found.

Torin, never one to back down from a fight, leans back in his chair, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Why? You don't want to hear what I’d do to her? How I'd spread those pretty legs and?—"

"Enough!" Kael's voice is sharp, his body taut like a predator about to pounce. The flicker of his powers dances around him, the subtle warning that he’s reaching his limit.

But Torin, ever the chaos-bringer, only chuckles low and dark. "Touchy, Alpha. What’s wrong? Afraid I'll make her forget about you? I mean, come on, look at her. She’s fire and claws and everything we crave. The kind of woman you want to break just to see how loud she’ll scream."

I tighten my grip on the table, the wood groaning underthe strain as my knuckles whiten. My teeth grind together, the sound almost drowned out by the rising tension in the room. This isn’t just posturing—Torin’s goading Kael deliberately, every word like a match struck against dry tinder, crafted to test the limits of his patience. It’s what Torin does best.

Torin has always been the one to push us, the sharp edge that cuts through the parts of me and Kael that are too controlled, too restrained. When we bury our emotions under layers of discipline and cold calculation, Torin is the one who drags them out into the light, bloody and raw. He’s the glue that holds us together, the chaotic force that keeps us from becoming so rigid we break.

But glue can be messy, and Torin has never been one to use just the right amount. No, he pours himself on thick, laughing at the cracks he widens in the process, forcing us to face what we’d rather ignore. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

And tonight? Tonight, it’s too much.

Kael steps closer, his eyes blazing. "You’re out of line, Reaper. Keep pushing me, and I’ll remind you exactly why I lead."

Torin tilts his head, feigning innocence even as his smirk grows wider. "Oh, I’m counting on it, Kael. Show me how much you care about her. Show all of us."

The tension in the air is suffocating now, the room brimming with the unspoken truth none of us want to acknowledge. She’s gotten under our skin—each of us in our own way—and it’s throwing everything we’ve built into chaos.

I stand abruptly, my voice cutting through the rising storm like a blade. "That’s enough from both of you!"

Kael’s gaze snaps to me, his jaw tight, but he doesn’t argue. Torin, on the other hand, lets out a low, amused laugh. "Ghost to the rescue. Always the mediator, aren’t you?"

"Because someone has to be," I bite out, turning my glareon him. "Your little games might amuse you, Torin, but they’re going to tear us apart if you don’t rein it in."

Torin shrugs, utterly unbothered. "Tear us apart? Please. She’s just a woman. A dangerous one, sure, but nothing we haven’t handled before."

"Then act like it," I snap, my patience fraying. "Because right now, you're proving her right. That we’re nothing but a pack of monsters tearing at each other over scraps."

Torin’s smirk falters, just for a moment, before he schools his expression back into one of devil-may-care amusement. Kael exhales slowly, his shoulders relaxing slightly as the tension in the room begins to ease.

"Clearly, swearing her off isn't going to work." I look between them, feeling the weight of my next words. "Therefore, we agree to dispense with the jealousy. All of us."

The silence that follows is deafening, and I wonder if I've just made a terrible mistake.

Torin breaks the tense silence with a sardonic laugh. "Well then, Alpha," he says, turning to Kael with a mocking bow. "Which days of the week would you like? I'm partial to Mondays myself. Nothing like starting the week off with a bang."

Kael rolls his eyes, his jaw clenched tight. The barely contained fury radiates off him in waves.

I slump back in my chair, feeling the weight of exhaustion and frustration settle over me. The effort of holding back my own desire for Sable is taking its toll. I run a hand through my hair, my mind racing.

"There's something about her," I say, more to myself than to my brothers. "Something that calls to us. We've shared women before, but never like this. Never with such... intensity."

Kael nods, his anger seeming to subside slightly. "She's different," he agrees, his voice low.

"But why?" I ask, leaning forward. "She's human. A warlock hunter. She's sworn to destroy our kind. How does she wield such power over us?"

Torin shrugs, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Does it matter? Power is power, brother. And I, for one, am enjoying every second of it."

I shake my head, dispelling the conjured image of Sable sleeping. The room feels colder without her presence, even if it was just an illusion.

Kael stands, straightening his impeccable suit. "I'm going to get some sleep," he announces, his voice clipped.

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