03

Orfilia’s eyes scanned the contract that was placed before her, taking note of every word on the paper. She would glance up from time to time to look at the triplets sitting across from her, who all seemed calm and collected.

Her eyes would drift over to the triplets, who were still watching her intently. She felt their eyes on her, which only made her feel more nervous.

As Orfilia clicked the pen on the table, the sound echoed through the room. It was a sharp, staccato sound that seemed to punctuate each sentence of the contract she was reading. The clicking was persistent and rhythmic, almost like a metronome, creating a sense of tension in the room.

Her eyes drifted back to the contract, and she read it again, taking in every detail. She knew that she was making a deal with the devil, but she had no other choice. She couldn’t back out now, even if she wanted to.

Orfilia took a deep breath and placed the contract on the table in front of her, adjusting her grip on the pen. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering over the paper one last time before she finally made the decision to sign. As she brought the pen to the paper, her hand trembled slightly, but she steadied it with a firm grip. The pen scratched audibly against the paper as she signed her name with a flourish, feeling a knot form in her stomach.

With a deep sense of resignation, Orfilia signed her name again on the second line of the contract, her hand moving more steadily this time. She knew that there was no turning back now, and the weight of that decision was heavy on her mind. As she finished signing, she laid the pen down on the table with a soft click.

She slid the signed contract over the table towards the three brothers. Her eyes were fixed on the piece of paper, watching as it made its way towards the triplets. Liam was the first to take it, his signature fluid and confident as he signed his name with ease. He passed it on to Lucien, who signed it just as quickly, his signature almost identical to Liam's. Finally, it was Lucas's turn, and Orfilia held her breath as she watched him sign the contract.

Now the deed was done.

***

The ice cubes clinked against each other as he spoke, creating a soft but distinct sound that echoed in the room. As he took a sip from his glass, the ice cubes rattled against the sides, causing a gentle chime that filled the air. The sound was crisp and clear, like a small symphony of frozen notes.

"I'm glad she signed the contract. I almost thought she wouldn't agree in the first place," Liam said, taking a sip of his whiskey.

Lucien nodded in agreement.

"We should have been more careful. We almost raged out and would have if Orfilia hadn't entered our car by mistake."

Lucas growled, his frustration palpable.

"It was all because of that clown and what he did. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been so busy and forgot that it was a full moon.

Liam spoke up, "Look, we all know that it was urgent and had to be taken care of. We couldn't have predicted the clown's attack. But, we need to focus on the matter at hand. Is it truly the right time to bring Orfilia in? That clown is out for blood."

Lucas grabbed the decanter of whiskey and poured himself a generous amount, the liquid amber filling his glass. He lifted the glass to his nose, inhaling the rich aroma before taking a small sip. A smirk played on his lips as he savored the taste of the whiskey, relishing in the smooth burn it left in his throat.

He placed the glass back on the table, the sound of the ice cubes clinking against the glass echoing in the room. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he observed his brothers with a cold, calculating gaze.

"Don't be sidetracked, Liam. She's at most a plaything, not worthy of being our mate. We gave her a choice and she chose wealth over her safety like any other greedy whore. She should be treated just like she portrayed herself. No one should waste time worrying about her."

Lucien chimed in,

"I'm not totally on board with what Lucas is saying, but he's right. She chose her path and now she must live with the consequences. We can protect her for now, but we must also remember that she's not our priority."

Liam frowned, "But she's our mate. We can't just forget about her."

Lucas scoffed,

"She's only our mate because fate decided so. She's nothing special. And we're not forgetting about her, Liam. We're protecting her until she's no longer of use to us. Once she cures our wolves, she's on her own."

Lucien added,

"We can't risk losing her. If the clown or anyone else comes after her, we need to be prepared to protect her. But, we shouldn't let her distract us from our ultimate goal."

Liam nodded reluctantly, "I see your point. But, at the very least, we should tell her what the doctor said about our condition."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, "Why? What good would it do? She's not a doctor."

Liam sighed, "It's only fair to keep her informed. She's our mate after all. We are…"

Lucas immediately put his finger over his brother's mouth, causing his voice to trail off and the room to fall silent. The other two brothers look at him, waiting for him to speak. Lucas's expression was serious, and his eyes narrow as he surveyed the room.

Lucas placed his index finger over his lips and made a silent "shh" gesture, indicating to his brothers to remain quiet. He then moved towards the door, trying his best to remain silent by taking light and careful steps. Upon reaching the door, he stood behind it, keeping himself hidden from view.

He pulled the door open with a swift movement, causing Orfilia, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, to stumble forward and nearly lose her balance. Her eyes widened in surprise and as she realized she had been caught. She took a step back.

Her expression soon changed from surprise to disgust having heard the conversation between the triplets, about her. Her eyebrows furrow and her lips form a tight line as she took another step back, distancing herself from them.

Her gaze moved from one brother to the other, searching for a glimmer of remorse or regret in their eyes, but found none.

The disgust on her face only intensified, and she took a deep breath to control her emotions.

Lucas took a step forward, his eyes narrowed as he demanded,

"Why were you eavesdropping on our conversation, Orfilia?"

Orfilia stood tall, her expression defiant as she replied,

"I wasn't eavesdropping.”

Liam interjected, his voice slightly softer than his brothers',

"But why didn't you just knock and ask to come in?"

Orfilia crossed her arms in front of her chest and let out a sarcastic scoff as she faced the brothers. Her expression was one of defiance and contempt, as if daring them to try and intimidate her. She held her ground, despite the tense atmosphere in the room, and seemed unafraid to speak her mind.

"What? You think I'm some kind of spy or something?"

"I came here to get something from my place, but I never knew that I would stumble upon such an interesting conversation," she said with a sarcastic tone.

Liam looked guilty while Lucien looked away, but Lucas walked up to her with a mean glare.

"So what? Are you going to back out now?"

Liam spoke next,

"Orfilia, you can back out now if you want. We won't fault you."

Orfilia wasn't having it.

"Don't pretend to care about my well-being. I'm not backing out no matter what you think of me. Just fulfill your end of the deal."

Lucas interjected, "She's right. She's just a means to an end, nothing more. Let's not waste any more time on her."

Orfilia glared at Lucas, leaning on one leg, her arms crossed as she let out a scoff. Her eyes narrowed in disdain as she glared at the triplets. Her body language exuded confidence and defiance, despite the situation she found herself in.

"I don't care what you think of me. I just want a driver to take me to get my things."

Liam nodded.

"Of course, we'll provide you with one."

Before Orfilia could leave, she turned to face the brothers.

"For what it's worth, I hate you and all supernaturals. I would never want to continue the rest of my life at your sides anyway."

Lucas sneered at her, "Good riddance. We never wanted you here in the first place."

Orfilia directed her next words towards Liam.

"And I don't need your concern. I can take care of myself." With that, she turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

The slamming noise echoed in the room for a few more moments, adding to the tense atmosphere. The brothers stood in silence, staring at the door with furrowed brows, their minds still reeling from the argument.

Liam broke the silence by letting out a low growl

"We need to be careful with her. She's not one to be underestimated."

Lucas took one last gulp of his whiskey, letting the strong liquid burn its way down his throat. With a loud exhale, he slammed the glass down on the table, making a loud clinking noise. The sound echoed in the silent room, causing Liam and Lucien to look up at him.

Lucas scoffed, "Please, she's just a human. We'll handle her if she becomes a problem."

Lucian raised his hands to his head, fingers splayed, and ran them through his tousled hair. It was a quick motion, almost like a nervous tic, and he immediately lowered his hands back down to his knees.

He spoke,

"We should at least monitor her movements. We don't want any surprises."

Liam nodded in agreement, "You're right. Let's keep an eye on her."