Stirring trouble

"Nothing,” I lied, though the word barely made it past my lips. “He didn’t do anything.”

“Annika.” Jonas’s voice went low enough that only the four of us could hear. “Don’t lie to us.”

“I’m not.” I lowered my eyes to the polished toes of my shoes, unable to meet any of their gazes. “It’s just… It’s complicated. And today is Father’s funeral.” My throat squeezed painfully. “Can we please not do this here?”

“You’re shaking,” Jakob said quietly.

“I’m not,” I argued.

“You are,” Julian replied, watching me with disturbing intensity. His fingers gripped the glass in his hand until I thought it might shatter. “And that bastard keeps looking over here like he owns the place.” His jaw flexed. “He’s acting as if he owns you.”

The way Julian said it made my stomach twist.

It wasn’t an ordinary concern. It wasn’t simply the protective instinct of an older brother. No, there was something else under it. Something that scared me almost as much as it comforted me.

Before I could find the words to answer, someone stepped into our circle.

“Everything alright here?”

It was Felix. Speak of the devil, and he showed up.

He wore the same charming smile he always used for public appearances, but I knew him well enough to see what he was hiding. His blue eyes swept over the triplets before settling on me.

It was almost like he was subtly telling me not to say anything bad to taint his image before the triplets. But I wouldn’t do that. I had a reputation to keep as well.

Without asking, he moved close to me. His hand slowly settled against the small of my back. I could feel it. His touch was possessive, like he was claiming me, and every muscle in my body locked.

My heart jumped against my ribs as panic flowed through me. Instinct screamed at me to step away, to put distance between us, but years of conditioning rooted my feet to the ground.

“We were just talking,” I answered quickly, trying to keep my voice steady even when the fear was crawling beneath my skin.

“Were you?” Felix asked as he looked past me and at the three brothers. “You all seem really tense.” His smile grew just enough to become insulting. “It’s a funeral, gentlemen. Surely, today is about honouring your father, not glaring at another alpha like you’d enjoy burying two people before sunset.”

“Take your hand off her,” Jonas didn’t even raise his voice. He didn’t need to. The words landed with enough force that everything around us seemed to stop.

Nearby conversations faded, and laughter disappeared. Even the musicians seemed to hear it as they trembled where they were and tried to continue their business.

Felix’s smile fell for the smallest moment before returning. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Jonas doubled down like he didn’t care.

Felix chuckled softly. “Annika is my wife.” His fingers pressed more firmly against my waist, pulling me closer to him. “I think I’m entitled to touch my wife.”

“Not here,” Julian said as he stepped forward. He towered over Felix by a few inches, every inch of his body oozing held-back violence. “And definitely not while you’re standing on our land.”

Felix’s expression came off cold, like he knew fighting them would cause more harm than good. “Listen, our marriage has nothing to do with your pack.”

“It has everything to do with our pack,” Jakob answered.

Unlike his brothers, he hadn’t moved. He just stood there calmly. I could feel the aura rolling off his body, like he was ready for a fight. “She is a Hoffman… our sister,” he continued. “You are standing on Hoffman territory while disrespecting one of ours.”

Felix laughed manically, looking around to make sure the brothers weren’t telling a joke. “Sister?” His gaze slid between the three of them with mockery. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”

A cold knot formed in my stomach.

“Because,” Felix continued lazily, “the way all three of you were staring at her when I arrived didn’t look very… brotherly.”

My pulse skipped a beat as I gulped hard.

“Watch your mouth, Webber,” Jonas’s eyes flashed gold. The shift was brief, but everyone saw it.

Felix didn’t back down. He was too stubborn to do that.

“What are you going to do?” he asked. “Start a war over a woman who couldn’t leave your territory fast enough?”

“She didn’t leave.” Julian’s voice was flat, like he was stating a fact. “You manipulated her into marrying you.”

“I married her fair and square,” Felix laughed coldly. “What is with you people and accusing me of all these…”

“You stole her from our pack,” Jonas went on.

But Felix would not let them win. “She chose me.”

“You made sure she thought she had no other choice.”

Felix smirked. “Oh?” His eyes glittered maliciously. “And where exactly were all of you while she made that decision?”

That was enough to bring silence between the brothers. They exchanged looks, then continued in silence.

“You were busy with your fucking mate; you three are married,” Felix continued as the name landed like a blade. “Your precious mate. Funny how fate works, isn’t it? You marry some poor girl, but when I marry your sister, you all lose it. That’s pretty suspicious, if you ask me.”

His gaze then shifted toward me. “Tell me,” he said, looking back at the brothers, “does it hurt to see me care for her better than when she was here?”

None of them answered, but Felix wasn’t going to let this golden opportunity slip from his fingers. He took another step towards them.

“Does it hurt knowing she is with me?”

“Felix,” I whispered desperately, tugging lightly at his sleeve. “Please stop. That’s enough.”

He ignored me like I wasn’t even there and went on with his taunting.

“Stop watering over your “sister”,” he continued in a mocking tone. “Now she is mine.”

Jonas was the first to lose his cool.

One second he was standing beside Julian and the next, he had Felix by the collar. The expensive black jacket ripped as Jonas slammed him hard against a stone pillar, which shook with the impact.

The sound of a body hitting the wall cracked across the funeral grounds with an echo which had me stumbling back instinctively.

Before I could lose my balance, muscular arms caught me. I looked up to see it was Jakob. He pulled me securely against his chest, turning my body so I couldn’t even see Felix anymore.

“Step back,” he murmured near my ear. His voice was calm, but his body betrayed him. Every muscle was as hard as iron. I knew what would come next, and I didn’t want it to happen. I had to stop it before things got out of hand.

“Jonas!” I cried out. “Don’t! Please. Let’s not do this here. I’m begging you.”

But Jonas ignored me. He kept Felix pinned against the pillar with one hand wrapped around his throat.

Around us, shocked guests gasped. They had seen what was going on, and now we had everyone’s attention.

Several Alpha guards immediately rushed toward us, but Julian lifted one hand, and they stopped instantly.

“This is family business,” Julian announced. His voice was loud enough to be heard across the entire courtyard with effortless authority. “No one interferes.”