Page 30 of Cursed Love

“Don’t plan on going anywhere,” I reply, nuzzling into him with a contented sigh.

The peace is shattered in an instant when the office door bursts open. I jolt, my head snapping up as an Alpha stumbles in, out of breath and clutching a report like his life depends on it. “Sir,” he gasps, his voice trembling, “this is important—”

Before he can finish, Hunter’s arms tighten around me, his grip like steel as his entire body goes rigid. His growl is low, barely audible, but I can feel the vibrations rumbling through his chest. Moses is out of his chair, the snarl that rips from his throat so vicious it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The room feels like it’s been plunged into a storm, the air thick with tension and dominance and I can’t help but shrink into Hunter’s hold.

My eyes widen as the scene before me unfolds, the memory ofThe Night of Scarletflashing through my mind. The chaos, the blood, the primal violence of a Valla losing control—it all comes rushing back, and for a moment, I wonder if the same thing is about to happen here. My heart races, my breath hitching as I press myself further into Hunter, trying to make myself as small as possible.

The Alpha standing in the doorway looks like he’s about to piss himself, his face pale as he holds up the report like it’s a shield.“I-I’m sorry,” he stammers, his words tumbling over themselves. “I didn’t mean to intrude—”

Moses stalks toward him, each step toward the entrance making the Alpha flinch. The smell in the room shifts, a sharp, acrid note cutting through the air that makes my nose wrinkle. Fear. The Alpha reeks of it and it only seems to make Moses more dangerous.

“Get out,” Amel’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Now.”

The Alpha doesn’t need to be told twice. He scurries out of the room, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to leave. Moses follows, his growl still lingering in the air, and Amel is right behind him, closing the door firmly behind them.

The room is quiet again, but the tension hasn’t completely faded. Hunter’s hold on me hasn’t loosened, his arms still wrapped around me like he’s afraid I’ll slip away. I lift a hand, lightly tapping his forearm as I tilt my head to look up at him. “Hunter,” I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m okay.”

His eyes flick down to me. “You sure? I can’t believe he was stupid enough to step in here.”

I nod, offering him a small smile. “Yeah,” I murmur. “I’m sure.” When the brothers were against me coming to the office, saying that I was too close to my heat, I realize now it wasn’t just because of me. It’s because of how they would react should anyone try to encroach in the space I’ve made my own. My makeshift nest is here, my scent filling the room. Another person, let alone a strange Alpha in this space would no doubt set them off.

“I’m sorry,” I finally say, resting a hand on his arm. “I didn’t know. Maybe I did but I just didn’t want to stay at home by myself.”

“No need to apologize, Koa. But maybe let’s stay at home until your heat, yeah?”

Koa

I shut myself in the room I claimed, preparing to pass out and ignore the annoying, impending doom of my heat. But a few hours later, I’m laying there, wide awake, unable to find rest. It’s too empty, too quiet. The scent lingering on the pillows is faint compared to the real thing and I hate it. I’ve always slept alone, always preferred my space, but now it feels foreign, wrong. Tonight in their office, curled up with them, I felt like I belonged somewhere. Now? Now I feel cold.

I grab Pillow A and Pillow B, hugging them to my chest like they’ll somehow make up for the absence ofthem. But it’s notenough. My feet hit the floor, and before I know it, I’m stalking down the hall, the faint hum of voices pulling me forward like a magnet.

Their scents hit me first, stronger now, mingled together into something that’s undeniably them.Pine, cedarwood, and that earthy musk that feels like home. I find them in the back bedroom, the door slightly ajar. I peek in, clutching my pillows tighter as my cheeks heat.

Amel’s in the middle of the bed, sprawled out. Hunter’s on one side, his broad frame taking up way too much space, while Moses is on the other, his long limbs draped casually over the blanket. They’re all naked, their bare skin catching the soft glow of the bedside lamp and I suddenly feel like I’ve walked in on something I shouldn’t have.

My breath catches and I shift on my feet, debating whether I should just turn around and go back to my empty nest. But before I can decide, Amel’s eyes snap open, his sharp gaze landing on me.

“Sweet girl,” he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep as he props himself up on one elbow. “What are you doing skulking around in the hall?”

I shrink back a little, my face burning as I hug the pillows tighter. “I, uh... I didn’t want to sleep alone,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

A slow, wicked smile spreads across his face as he sits up further, holding out a hand. “Come here.”

I hesitate for half a second before stepping into the room, the warmth of their scents pulling me forward. Amel grabs my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine as he tugs me gently toward the bed.

Hunter groans, his voice muffled as he shifts slightly. “What’s going on?”

“Our Omega came to sleep with us,” Amel replies, a playful edge to his tone as he nudges Hunter with his foot. “Move over, you big lug.”

Hunter cracks one eye open, his gaze landing on me. A slow grin spreads across his face as he shifts to make room, his voice a deep rumble. “Took you long enough.”

Moses doesn’t say anything, but he shifts too, his gaze softening as he watches me climb onto the bed. Amel pulls me into the space between him and Hunter, his arms wrapping around me as I settle in.

“This better?” he murmurs, his voice soft in my ear.

I nod, my body relaxing instantly as their warmth surrounds me. “Yeah,” I whisper. “This is better.” A few seconds later, I realize why my instincts were yelling at me to come in here because now I can’t get comfortable, heat flooding through my body.

My skin feels too tight, too hot, like every nerve is on fire. And they’re all so close, their scents overwhelming me—pine, cedarwood, earth. It’s intoxicating, the perfect cocktail of them that makes me want to crawl out of my own skin and into theirs.

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