Page 50 of Owned By Four Alphas

“Selena…” he started, and she looked up again. His face was so open, so vulnerable, it looked like he was fighting some kind of internal battle with himself.

She sucked in a breath, not daring to move. Kaelen’s jaw worked, and he opened and shut his mouth several times, clearly searching for the right words to say.

But whatever battle he was fighting with himself, he lost.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” he said, before walking away.

Selena’s heart cracked a little bit further, and she sniffled into her sleeve.

It was okay. She had been alone before. She could be alone again. She didn’t need her alphas. She didn’t need anyone. If this is how things were meant to be, then so be it.

Ronan returned, his arms laden with firewood, and soon a mighty fire blazed near the tree. Elian returned as well, trailing a fresh deer carcass behind him. Kaelen withdrew a knife and began to skin and gut it. She watched it all with cold detachment.

Before long, the scent of roasted meat and sizzling fat wafted towards her. It turned her stomach. She didn’t want toeat. But, to put her mates at ease, she accepted a small offering of deer, chewing slowly and forcing herself to swallow.

It did make her feel marginally better.

“I’ll take the first watch,” said Kaelen.

“Not a chance,” Ronan replied, his gaze full of mistrust.

“Are you going to stay awake all night, Ronan?”

“If I have to.”

“What if Elian leaves?” Kaelen said, folding his arms.

Ronan merely raised a brow.

“I’m serious. He can disappear to wherever it is he likes going, and then it’s just you and me. You know I won’t risk attacking you one on one. We’d kill each other.”

Ronan’s eyes flickered between them. “How will I know he’s really gone?”

Elian let out a strangled laugh. “After what happened, do you think I’d risk Selena’s safety again?”

“No,” said Ronan, “I suppose you wouldn’t.”

Light footfalls warned of his approach, and she didn’t look over as Elian knelt near her.

“Little dove,” he sighed, his voice mournful, “I can’t even begin to tell you quite how sorry I am. I’ve got to go again, I don’t want to leave you, but I think I know a way to fix all this. I’ll be back soon.”

She nodded mutely, waiting for him to walk away. Eventually he did, transforming into a hawk and shooting off into the night.

“I’m still going to take the first watch,” grumbled Ronan, and from Kaelen’s lack of response, she assumed he agreed.

The fire burnt bright as she curled up by the tree, close to Ronan’s watchful eyes, the huge wolf near enough to touch. Kaelen curled closer to the flames, unable to be hurt by them, his back turned on them.

An hour passed, and then another.

Selena feigned sleep, or at least, feigned attempting sleep. Every twitch had Ronan’s bright yellow eyes fixing on her.

Another hour.

She sucked in a breath,

It was now or never.

Gently, oh so gently, she let her magic creep from her fingers towards her two mates, careful not even to let her fingers tremble.

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