148|Determined.

Lilith pov

I was hearing things.

Yes—I had to be.

There was no way Silas had said that.

No way he had said he loved me.

And there was absolutely no way he had spoken those words with that glint in his eyes, as if he meant every single one of them.

“Let me mark you… Let me make you mine, Lilith.”

My chest tightened. What was this feeling spreading through me, consuming me whole? The way my heart raced, the way my thoughts scattered, the way breathing suddenly felt impossible.

I knew what it was.

I had felt something similar toward Kael before.

No—I was wrong.

This was different.

Sharper. Deeper. More intense.

This was the first time I felt it so clearly. Something real. Something raw. Something I could no longer deny.

Now, I understood.

The kind of love I felt toward the Alphas—the feeling I had always tried to deny, always brushed off as nothing more than lust. But the truth was simple. I was in love.

Not just with Silas. Not just with Claude. But with Lucien too.

All three men who were paying for my body.

And it had only taken Silas saying he loved me for me to realize it.

I stared at the ceiling with wide eyes, frozen, my mind blank, as Silas’s lips brushed my ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down my spine, setting every nerve on fire.

But more than that—

I saw her.

Dravena.

Her amused smirk was gone, her eyes cold now, a faint frown settling on her face as she watched. Her head was still propped on her hand, but she no longer looked entertained.

This time, when she spoke, her voice carried a deadly warning.

“Don’t let him mark you, Lilith.”

But I couldn’t move.

Not when the corner of his lips curved into that predatory grin.

Not when he took my silence as permission—to mark me, to claim me.

My heart thundered wildly against my chest as his grip on my neck tightened just slightly, possessive yet deliberate. The world seemed to come to a halt as he moved toward my neck, inching closer, his breathing a little eager, a little excited.

The air around us shifted, and his aura sharpened, pressing in, as his lips parted and his razor‑sharp fangs emerged, trailing lightly across my skin.

Then he stopped.

He hummed softly, his voice a low drawl as he repeated,

“I love you so much, Lilith.”

And the next second, he was about to mark me.

I was about to feel the sting of his fangs when I heard Dravena growl at the back of my mind. I felt it—her attempt to take control, to stop this.

But before she could.

Before Silas could sink his fangs into my flesh…

My hands moved.

I pressed them firmly against his chest, stopping him just in time. My eyes sharpened, colder than ever, and my voice cut through the air, different this time. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t shaky. It was sharp, commanding.

“Stop, Alpha Silas.”

I ordered, and almost immediately, he obeyed.

He froze, his fangs halting mid-motion as he jerked his head toward me. His eyes widened at the sight of my expression.

Why?

Because I was glaring at him, lips pressed into a thin line, eyes sharp.

And for a moment, my expression could have been mistaken for hatred, an emotion he, or any of his brothers, had never seen from me.

“Alpha Silas, would you get off me, please?”

I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Lilith…”

He whispered, clearly taken aback. Even Dravena looked shocked, her eyes widening as she stared at me from the throne, perched at the edge of her seat as she watched me, as she felt what I felt.

Anger.

I was angry at Silas for saying those words. But more than that, I was angry at myself for feeling what I felt toward him—toward them.

All my life, I had been hurt. Betrayed by the people around me. And each time, I learned the same terrible lesson, always ending up the one who suffered.

But the betrayal that had cut the deepest was Kael’s.

After he cheated, I had learned my lesson, never to give my heart completely to someone again.

That was why I built those walls. Why I gave myself up to the very men people feared.

Giving my body in a contract meant I didn’t have to care. Didn’t have to feel anything beyond physical desire.

And I didn’t. Goddess, I truly tried not to.

Because when I became their property, I shoved every emotion aside. It was easier that way. Safer. There were no feelings involved.

The Alphas didn’t love me. And I didn’t love them either.

But now… now everything was becoming complicated.

Because, not only had one of them confessed to me but I had also realized the truth.

I loved him. And his brothers too.

But I couldn’t let whatever this was grow.

I couldn’t love them. I couldn’t trust anyone with my heart again.

Because if I did…

I already knew the outcome.

They had to find their mates or they would die. I wasn’t their mate. And I couldn’t let what happened with Kael happen again.

As Silas continued to stare at me, with a mix of surprise and confusion on his face, I spoke again, repeating my words, barely keeping my voice steady.

“Alpha Silas, would you get off me, please?”

My voice came out sharper this time. He blinked, his expression twisting as something flashed in his eyes, something dangerously close to hurt. His lips pulled into a slight pout, almost like a puppy denied what it wanted.

But he obeyed.

Again.

He got off me, and I didn’t hesitate to slide off the bed as well. I felt his gaze on my back as I stood, adjusted my dress, and took in a sharp breath. My hands clenched, then slowly unclenched.

Then I turned to face him.

Under his watchful gaze, I lowered my head and spoke, my voice echoing through the room.

“Alpha Silas, forgive me… but I will act as if I hadn’t heard what you just said.”

I lifted my head, my eyes meeting his, and this time, I saw it clearly—the hurt etched across his face.

A face that had always held nothing, that had never shown emotion, now looked wounded. Sad. All because of a woman’s words.

It was ironic, when I thought about it.

Out of the three brothers, he was the last person I ever expected to feel anything for me.

“Lilith, wait. I—”

He tried to speak, but the corners of my lips curled into a bitter smile as I cut him off.

“If you need me, please call for me. I will always be at your service.”

I lowered my head, the meaning behind my words clear.

If he wanted my body, he could call for me.

That was the contract.

Without hesitation, I lifted my head and turned toward the door, walking away. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw him reach out—wanting to stop me, to pull me back.

But he didn’t.

And I didn’t look back either.

However, the moment my hand reached for the door and I opened it, I froze. My head lifted, and there they were—at the doorway.

The other brothers.

Lucien and Claude.

Lucien leaned against the frame, a cigar dangling from his lips, eyes sharp, cold, and unreadable. Claude stood beside him, his usual amused smirk replaced by a tense line, his gaze steady, serious.

Their eyes flicked to me, then to the room behind me, and the tension in the air thickened instantly.

Something told me, they had heard everything that had happened inside.

But before they could speak or do anything, I lowered my head once more and didn’t wait for them.

Instead, I walked past, my steps steady, feeling their piercing gazes burning into my back but I was determined not to look back.

I was determined not to cross that line with any of them.

No matter what.