Page 4 Novels & Stories

one two three four five one two three four five one two three four fiveone two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four fiveone two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four fiveone two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three four five one two three

My family believed in democracy. Every decision was settled by a family vote. Dad, Mom, my brother Dylan Conley, and my sister Tessa Conley each got one vote. So did I. The problem was, four against one meant I never won. During my junior year of high school, my brother wanted a new computer. The vote was four to one. The money I'd saved for three years of tutoring was gone. In senior year, when it was time to submit college applications, I earned early admission to Northbridge University, but Tessa cried and said she couldn't stand the thought of me moving so far away. So the family held another vote. Dad pinned my application form beneath his hand. "Majority rules. You're going to

there's a mistake between the chap083&084. sorry for the confusion.

“Why are you here? Who told you to come over?!” Lucy hid behind me and whispered, “Mom, I’m sorry. I cannot lie anymore. This is a crime.”

He’d been away from England too long, and it would take a few more weeks before he stepped back onto his home soil. The crowd had diminished to just the curious onlookers, so he was able to sit back and watch the Turkish people walk by while Jeffrey helped those who’d come to make a purchase. As Barry scanned the sparse crowd, he came across a familiar figure that stood back, almost as if she were trying to hide as she crouched in a corner behind a crate. The same servant girl from yesterday.

His world had just tilted as violently as mine. “One?” he asked carefully. I laughed. A harsh, humorless sound. “Four.” The silence that followed was deadly. “Four Alphas?” he whispered, horror threading every syllable. I finally turned to face him. “Yes, four fucking Alphas.” Tavian dragged a hand down his face. “That’s… that’s impossible. Alphas don’t share mates. They don’t share anything.” “I am aware of that,” I snapped. “Then what does this mean?”

Aiden's POV 6:03 a.m. and I’m still reading. The overhead bulb in my dorm room flickers but I ignore it because, like most things, I don't have the money to fix it. My anatomy textbook is open on my lap, page 427, the brachial plexus diagram swimming in front of my eyes because I haven’t slept and the words keep rearranging themselves into dollar signs. My phone buzzes on the floor beside me but I don't pick it up knowing it's Mom checking if I’m awake to know if I sent the $80 for Lily’s field trip yet.

“Would you consider a private arrangement?” She blinked. “A what?” He was already pulling a sleek black card from his inner coat pocket. “Come upstairs. One night. You don’t do anything you don’t want. You walk away with four million dollars.” Her heart stuttered. “I—I’m not a—” “I know.” His tone was bored. “Which is why I’m asking you. Not one of them.” He nodded toward the other women at the party. Some of them had already slithered up beside him earlier and been dismissed with a single look. He wasn’t looking for someone experienced. He was looking for her.

The fourth man had his cock out now, rubbing the head against her slick folds. “You want it?” he asked. She didn’t answer. He squeezed her ass. “Answer me.” “Yes!” she cried. “Please.” He shoved in. Hard. “Fuck, she’s tight,” he groaned. “She’s squeezing me like a vice.” The third man held her steady, still fingering her from the front while the fourth fucked her from behind. “She’s close,” he said. “Feel her clenching.” “Cum, baby,” the fourth said. “Make a mess.”

My blood. A sudden vibration thrummed across the room. We all snapped toward the nightstand. The Codex was glowing again - faint but steady. A pulse of silver sliding across the cover like veins awakening. Rafe stiffened. “It heard us.” Calder stepped in front of me instinctively, shielding my body with his. “What the hell does it want now?” The Codex shifted. A page turned on its own. Another soft hum rippled like breath. And then a single line bled through the page in silver ink: