LOGINMelina's POV She woke up in her old room.Not Alaric's room. Not Aiden's. Not Archer's.Her old room on the third floor. The one she'd occupied when she first arrived as "Sera Daniels."They'd moved her things back overnight. All of them. From three different rooms back into one space.Her space.There was a note on the nightstand.Good morning. Breakfast is at nine if you'd like to join us. If not, we'll have something sent up. Your choice. - AYour choice.She looked at the clock. Eight-fifteen.She had forty-five minutes to decide if she wanted to have breakfast with them or not.The old Melina, the one from a week ago, would have refused out of spite. Would have stayed in her room just to prove she could.But she got up. Showered. Dressed in her own clothes from her own closet.Looked at herself in the mirror.She looked tired. The events of the full moon still visible in the faint bruises on her skin. The bite mark on her shoulder from Archer already fading but still there.Evid
"This is a test," she said. "You're testing whether I'll stay.""No." Alaric's voice was firm. "This is us giving you real power. Real choice. What you do with it is up to you."She stood up. Walked to the window. Looked out at the grounds.She could leave. Could walk out the door. Could go back to her mother. Could rebuild her life.The contract would be dissolved. The obligation would be gone. She'd be free.But the bond...The bond would hurt. Would pull at her. Would make every day away from them feel wrong.And next month, when the full moon came, they'd suffer without her. She'd feel it. Would know they were in pain. Would know she could help but chose not to.Could she live with that?"This is cruel," she said quietly. "Giving me this choice. Making me decide between my freedom and your suffering.""This is fair," Alaric corrected. "This is you getting to choose what your life looks like. Not us choosing for you."She turned to look at them."If I stay," she said slowly. "If I
"I'm not forgiving.""You're still here." Aiden's voice was quiet. "Still in this bed. Still touching us. Still checking to make sure we're okay. That looks like forgiveness to me.""That's not forgiveness. That's exhaustion. I'm too tired to fight.""Then rest." Alaric stood up. "I'll have food brought up. You need to eat. Recover. Take care of yourself.""I can take care of myself...""Let us take care of you." His voice was firm. "You took care of us all night. Now it's our turn."He left before she could argue.***An Hour LaterThey'd showered. Separately. Melina had insisted.Now she was in clean clothes...her clothes from Alaric's closet....sitting on the couch in his sitting room. Food laid out on the coffee table.All three brothers were there. Dressed. Looking normal. Like last night had never happened.She picked at her food. Not hungry. Too much in her head."We need to talk," she said finally."About?" Alaric asked."About what happens now. About what last night means. Ab
Melina's POVShe woke up slowly.Body aching. Sore everywhere. Between her legs. Her hips. Her shoulders where Archer had bitten her.The memories crashed back.The collapse. The desperation. The way she'd helped all three of them through the night. The positions. The intensity. The absolute necessity of it all.She opened her eyes.Morning light streaming through the windows. She was still in the center of the bed. Still surrounded.Alaric was awake. Sitting up against the headboard. Watching her."Good morning," he said quietly.She looked at him. Really looked at him.He looked better. Completely better. No fever. No pain lines. No exhaustion. Like the curse had never happened."How do you feel?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse."Better than I have in nine years." His hand touched her hair gently. "Thanks to you."She looked at the other side of the bed. Aiden was still asleep. So was Archer at the foot of the bed."What time is it?" she asked."Almost nine. You slept for about sev
Archer groaned from the floor.He was the worst. Still on the floor. Barely conscious.She went to him. Dropped to her knees beside him."Archer. Archer look at me."He couldn't. His eyes were closed. His breathing shallow.Terror shot through her. "Archer please...."She stripped him. Pulled off his clothes with shaking hands.Then she positioned herself over him. On the floor. Carpet rough under her knees.Took him inside her even though he wasn't fully hard. Wasn't responding."Come on," she whispered. "Come on Archer please...."She moved. Desperate now. The bond screaming at her. He needed more. Needed all of her.She leaned down. Pressed her body against his completely. Skin to skin everywhere she could manage.Her lips found his neck. His pulse was racing. Erratic."Please," she whispered against his skin. "Please don't do this. Please don't...."His arms came around her suddenly. Held her tight.His hips thrust up. Once. Twice.He was responding. Finally responding."That's it
Melina's POVThey collapsed.All three of them. Simultaneously.Melina screamed.Ran to Alaric first. He was closest. Slumped in his chair. Head back. Eyes closed. Breathing shallow."Alaric....Alaric please...."She touched his face. He was burning up. Fever so high she could feel the heat radiating off him.His eyes opened. Barely. Silver eyes glazed with pain."Melina..." His voice was broken. Hoarse."What do I do? Please tell me what to do...""Close...need you close...."She looked at Aiden. He was on the couch. Curled on his side. Shaking.Archer on the floor. Not moving.Panic clawed at her throat. This was worse than she'd imagined. So much worse.And the ache in her chest...the pull....was unbearable now. Screaming at her to help them. To fix this. To do something."I don't know what to do!" Her voice was breaking. "Please someone tell me what to do!""Touch..." Aiden's voice from the couch. Barely audible. "Touch helps...proximity..."She went to him. Knelt beside the couch
Edmund's POVEdmund Howlington stood in the greenhouse at dawn with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the Lunasol.Silver leaves. Delicate stems. The faint luminescence that marked it as something not quite of this world. Beautiful. Rare. Powerful enough to cure fey contamination in its adva
Melina's POVThe kitchen was warm when she arrived at six AM.Aiden was already there. Shirtless as always. Two mugs of coffee on the counter. Eggs in the pan.He looked up when she came in. His dark eyes tracked over her face. Lingered."You're leaving today," he said. Not a question.She stopped
"About what.""About the fact that you're running yourself into exhaustion and it needs to stop."She stiffened. "I'm fine.""You're not." His voice was gentle but firm. "You barely sleep. You barely eat. You work twelve hour days and then go back to your room and do... whatever it is you do in ther
"I don't...." She couldn't finish the sentence."You do." His hand moved to the button of her pants. Didn't open it yet. Just rested there. "You're going to tell me what you want. And then you're going to ask for it. And then you're going to beg for it."Her breathing was unsteady now. Completely u







