by Katie May
I’ve never felt so loved or cherished before in my life.
“You’re the bravest person I know, Simone.” Karsyn gives me a cheeky grin, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. I hate that I’m making him sad, but I don’t know what else to do. He’s always been the more sensitive Devil, and I know my emotions affect him more than they do the others. I can see it in his pained eyes, his tight smile, and his clenched jaw.
“Back at you, Alder.” I shove his shoulder lightly with mine.
He hesitates briefly, staring at his own steaming mug of coffee, before meeting my eyes.
“I went to see my doctor yesterday,” he blurts, and my eyebrows raise at his abrupt topic change.
“And?”
“And…” He bites down on his lower lip. “You’re right. At least, they think you’re right. They’re referring me to a specialist, but yeah. There’s a good chance that I’ve been undiagnosed with dyslexia for all this time.”
“Karsyn…” I lean forward to place my hand over his. “This a good thing.”
His answering smile finally reaches his eyes, making the hazel sparkle in hues of greens, browns, and golds. “Maybe I won’t be as stupid anymore.”
“Hey.” My smile fades instantly as I whack him on the shoulder. Hard. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”
“Ow.” He makes a face at me as he rubs absently where my fist connected. “What was that for?”
“For you acting like a dumbass,” I respond automatically. And then, because I’m still pissed at him, I lean forward and pinch his nipples.
“Ow! Fuck! You crazy witch.” He glares at me as he rubs at his nubs.
“Okay fine.” I cross my arms over my chest stubbornly. “If this is a ‘talk bad about yourself’ type of day, then I’ll go first. Let’s see… Did you see the scars on my arms? They’re hideous, aren’t they?” I absently scratch at the most recent one—the one from Emmett’s abuse. Nana believes it’ll heal with time, but for now, I’ll wear it as a badge of honor. “I really am ugly—”
Karsyn growls and reaches forward, pulling up my shirt and bra until he can pinch my bare nipples. Instead of the squeak of dismay that he made, I moan low in my throat, instantly arching towards him like a cat demanding pets.
He pinches my nipples even harder, pulling up my tits and then watching them bounce.
“You’re right,” he growls. “No talking bad about yourself.”
“Tit for tat,” I say in response, shoving my breasts further into his hands.
“Did someone say tit?” Cassian shouts from somewhere down the hall. A moment later, he slides into the kitchen in only a pair of loose sleep shorts. His eyes drop to where Karsyn’s hands pull and pluck at my breasts, and heat flares. “Oh, fuck yes. I love me some tit for tat.” He pushes down his shorts, his cock springing free.
“No more talking bad about ourselves,” I tell Karsyn firmly. “Deal?”
“Deal,” he agrees.
“Now, how about y’all seal that deal with a kiss,” Cassian suggests, and I chuckle.
I don’t even care that we’re an hour late.
...
The school is already decorated for Halloween. Orange and black streamers hang from the ceiling, and cobwebs decorate the top of each classroom door. Paper bats are placed sporadically throughout the hallway, adding to the aesthetic. It feels strange to be back after a week away. In some ways, life has changed drastically. I’ll never be the same Peony Simone I was before Emmett strapped me to that altar. And in others, it has remained the exact same.
My relationships with my mom and the Devils are two of those changes. Some for the worse; some for the better.
And then there are some things that will never change. My friendship with Mariabella being one of them.
She ambushes me when I’m leaving Orchestra.
Felicia, who happens to be standing next to me, raises an eyebrow as the blonde bombshell pulls me into her arms, all but smothering me against her breasts as she rocks us back and forth.
“Karsyn told me you were sick! I’ve been so worried! How are you feeling? Are you contagious? Fuck, I shouldn’t be touching you if you’re contagious, right?” Mariabella pulls away from me to give me an assessing once-over. “You don’t look too shitty,” she concludes with a decisive head nod.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Peony,” Felicia says uneasily. Ever since our last conversation, we fell into a truce of sorts. We’ll smile cordially at each other in the hallways, and once in a while, we’ll even talk.
But as she walks away, hips swaying, it’s not me she stares at.
It’s Mariabella.
Felicia’s eyes drop to my best friend’s breasts before snapping back up, her eyes meeting mine. When I raise an eyebrow at her, she runs away from me in panic.
And that’s when I understand.
She was never truly jealous about Mr. Tucker’s favoritism towards me. She was jealous of my friendship with Mariabella. It’s obvious from the wistful, longing look the violist just threw at Mari that she’s halfway in love with her.
“Peony, answer me!” Mariabella demands, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I’m sorry. What?” I reply dazedly, and Mari looks horrified.
“You must have a fever. I should call the nurse. Are you confused? How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Relax! I’m not dying,” I say gently as we walk to my third hour. She doesn’t have this class with me, but she already made it clear that we’re spending every free moment catching up on “girl talk.”
“Sorry.” She winces slightly. “It’s just…you didn’t answer my texts, and I was worried…” She trails off once more, scratching absently at the inside of her wrist. “It’s still crazy that Emmett moved schools, isn’t it? He didn’t even say goodbye.”
The familiar pinpricks of guilt erupt in my stomach. After a long conversation, Karsyn and I decided that we’ll keep the truth about my powers a secret. Mariabella knowing the truth will only put her in more danger, and we both care too much about her for that. That doesn’t mean that I don’t feel immense, agonizing guilt over my decision. I want to tell Mariabella everything because I trust her more than anyone else in my life, only second to the Devils. She’s my best friend, and her heart is pure. Unblemished.
And I intend to keep it that way.
Besides, the less she knows about Emmett, the better. They were friends once upon a time, and I know the truth of what he did to me would destroy her.
“You texted me before…? About having something you wanted to talk to me about?” I press. I’ve been dying all day ever since I got that cryptic message. I thought she would come out and say it, but she’s been tight-lipped, focusing on me instead. But I can see it eating away at her, clawing at her insides until it tears free of her skin.
“I…” A delicate blush detonates in her face. “I told my parents.”
I stop walking and turn to gape at her. “You what?”
“I told my parents about…me. The truth.” The blush still remains, but this time, she’s smiling. A wide, genuine smile, one that makes every guy in the vicinity do a second glance. I’ve never seen my friend look so radiant.
“And I’m taking it that it went well?” My eyes water with happy tears as she nods her head sheepishly.
“Dad was a little upset about it at first, but only because I kept it a secret for so long. Mom said…” She snorts. “Mom said that she always knew. That she found my collection of Victoria’s Secret catalogues when I was in middle school.”
I pull my best friend into a tight hug and squeeze the life out of her.
“I’m so fucking happy for you,” I whisper sincerely, sniffling.
“Me, too. I mean, I’m happy for myself.” She laughs weakly against my shoulder before pulling away and attempting to collect herself. “Now stop crying. You look like shit,” she admonishes, and I can’t help but snort. “But there was one other thing I wanted to tell you…”
“Don’t leave me in suspense, woman. What is it?” I teasingly shake her shoulders as her blush returns with a vengeance.
“You remember that cheerleader Brittany?”
“Oh my god! Oh my god!” I squeal excitedly, jumping up and down and clapping my hands. She shushes me in embarrassment, looking in both directions to ensure that no one’s in hearing distance.
“Calm down, you big weirdo,” she says. “It was just a date.”
“Just a fucking date?” I cock my hip out to the side and level her with my no-nonsense glare. “You better not be holding out on me—”
“And we kissed,” she blurts, once more glancing around. “And…other stuff. Naked stuff. No offense, Peony, but she has bigger boobs than you. And her nipples taste like candy.”
“You sound as if you’re comparing Peony’s nipples to this Brittany chick’s,” Karsyn says as he moves to stand beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Are you trying to make me jealous?” The smile fades from Mari’s face as she glares up at him.
“Karsyn,” she says stiffly, and I can see that her reaction hurts him. If what they told me is true, they were once best friends. I hate that I drove a wedge between them, especially when they’re two of my favorite people.
But all I can do is be here for them. They’ll come back to each other in time. It might not be today. It might not even be tomorrow. But I have no doubt that Mariabella will forgive him, just as I have.
Hoping to lighten the mood, I jab my elbow into Karsyn’s stomach. “Thinking kinky thoughts again, Alder?”
“About your nipples?” He nips at my ear with a playfulness I usually only see in Cassian. “Always.”
“Ewww. Don’t be talking about my bestie’s nipples,” Mariabella groans, and Karsyn makes a face at her.
“Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that you loved her nipples?”
“Things change. People change.” She turns towards me with a wink. “Unless you want to try it out…”
Karsyn stiffens, tugging me closer to him in a possessive move. I laugh lightly.
“No, thanks. I think four dicks might be enough.”
“But zero pussy,” she jokes, shaking her head dismay. “That’s a sad life to live, Peony.”
I twist my head to smile up at the handsome boy beside me. “Yeah. But it’s my life.”
...
“What the fuck are you doing?” Elias’s entire face twists with disgust as he stares at Lucas at the other end of the dinner table.
Lucas glances up from where he’s daintily cutting up his hot dog into small bites. As usual, he sits perfectly straight in his chair, the epitome of good posture, with his dark red hair swept away from his face. His icy eyes narrow as he gingerly brings the hot dog bite to his mouth.
“Unlike you Neanderthals, I actually have good manners,” he huffs, just as Cassian comes back inside from the back porch, carrying a second tray of grilled hot dogs. One thing’s for certain—my guys eat a lot. Honestly, we might need to raid a Costco if they keep this up.
“Good table manners, you say?” With a shit-eating grin, Cassian shovels an entire hot dog into his mouth and then chews in Lucas’s face.
I swear Lucas looks one second away from dying of a brain aneurysm.
“Cass, knock it off,” I scold with an eye roll, but my amusement quickly transforms into lust when he brings a second hot dog to his mouth and begins to lick at the tip. Maintaining eye contact, he pushes it into his mouth, his teeth grazing the edge, before pulling it back out.
Fucking hell.
We talked just the other night about other…things. We mutually agreed that while the other guys might be comfortable with each other’s bodies, none of them would be willing to fuck one another. At least, not with a “perfectly good pussy available.” Cassian’s words, not mine. But the thought of pegging Cassian…
Molten liquid burns down below, and I rub my thighs in a futile attempt to alleviate the ache.
From his glazed expression, he’s thinking about the conversation as well.
“Peony!” Karsyn’s bellow has me jumping a solid foot in the air. It’s not as if I’m actually scared of him—none of the Devils could scare me anymore, not when they look at me like I hold the moon in one hand and the sun in the other—but the reaction is ingrained within me. Ever since Emmett, I’ve been jumpy. Fearful. Trembling when I’m alone too long in the dark.
I know this reaction is completely normal, that I went through a horrendous trauma and it’s only been a week, but I still fear I’ll never go back to normal.
But, then again, what exactly is normal? I’m a crazy witch with a voodoo doll, who is in love with four very different and equally psychotic men. Normal is overrated.
“Peony!” Karsyn screams again, barreling into the kitchen. He pauses when he catches sight of Lucas, eyebrows furrowing. “Dude, why are you cutting up your hot dog?”
“Oh for the love of…” Angrily, Lucas pushes his plate away and folds his arms over his chest.
I can’t help but tease my stoic lover. “I know for a fact you like some finger foods.”
“Ohhhh.” Cassian waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Is this a sex joke? Please tell met this is a sex joke involving his fingers and your food.”
“It involves a hamburger,” I quip cheerfully, and I swear his dark eyes turn molten.
“And are you the meat in this burger?” he asks huskily.
“I sure hope not,” I answer seriously. “Because if I was, then that means he ate me.”
Cassian looks less than a second away from pinning me over the table and fucking me senseless.
But…
“Why were you screaming Peony’s name?” Elias interjects, leaning casually back in his chair. He’s not wearing his leather jacket today, and instead, the muscles of his biceps are on clear display. A tattoo curls around his upper arm, one that I only noticed a few days ago in bed. It’s a simple design—a vine interspersed with blooming red roses. I’m a little salty that they’re not peonies, but when I told Elias that, he chuckled indulgently.
“You scared I’m going to run off with a girl named Rose?” he teased, hand drifting over the splash of color on his tan skin.
I actually fucking growled at the thought. “If you do, I’m hexing you both,” I warned. Completely reasonable reaction, in my opinion.
He simply laughed again, leaned forward, and kissed me senseless.
“Peony, was this you?” Karsyn asks now, yanking me back to the present. At my confused expression, Karsyn waves his phone in the air erratically. “Was. This. You?”
“He called you?” I ask, as understanding finally dawns. I sit up straighter in my chair, a wide smile blossoming on my face.
“He fucking called me, princess!” Karsyn lunges forward, practically shoving me off the chair in an attempt to stick his tongue as far down my throat as humanly possible. I swear I see stars behind my eyelids as he fucks my mouth with that filthy tongue of his.
“Not that I mind the scene,” Lucas drawls lazily, still glaring indignantly at the hot dog pieces. “But what are you two going on about?”
“In English, dude,” Cassian adds, dropping into the chair beside mine and draping his arm over the back of it.
“State called.” Karsyn’s too breathless to speak coherently, his words sounding airy and jumbled. He takes a deep breath before trying again, that same infectious smile lighting up his face. “The recruiter from State. He called. Apparently, someone delivered footage of me from the first few games of the season and demanded he watch them.”
All eyes are suddenly on me, staring at me with varying degrees of awe.
I shrug sheepishly, nervously brushing at my white hair. “It’s the least I could do.” I glance down at the tabletop, then to the tiles, before finally settling my gaze on the eggshell-colored wall. Anything to avoid the probing gazes I can feel on my scalp. “After what I did…”
Karsyn leans forward to kiss me senseless once more, his t
ongue tangling with mine before he finally allows me to breathe.
“I haven’t told you guys yet,” Cassian begins with a faux nonchalance, “but I just received my acceptance letter into State too.”
“What?” I screech, whirling on him. His arm drops from around my shoulders as I cup his cheeks in my palms. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Am I mistaken, or does he actually blush?
“There was a lot going on,” he mumbles, embarrassed. “It didn’t seem important.”
“Cassian, you are important,” I stress, squishing his face until his lips protrude like a duck.
“Youimpotant.”
“What?” I ask with a teasing grin, squeezing his face even more. “Can’t understand you.”
“Youapaninmyass,” he tries again.
“Still can’t hear you.”
“Yeah, man, you need to speak up,” Elias adds with a wicked smirk.
When I press down once more, Cassian lunges towards my unprotected stomach and begins to tickle me senseless. I would’ve fallen off the chair if Karsyn wasn’t suddenly there, repositioning me so I’m sitting on his lap.
“Mercy! Mercy!” I squeal, laughing.
“You’re such an ass!” Cassian bellows at me, and Elias growls.
“Hey, watch it,” he warns.
“Nah. My girl knows she’s an ass, doesn’t she?” Cassian turns towards me with a wink.
“Is this where you want me to shake my booty in front of your face and have you throw pennies at it?” I ask seriously. “Because I’ll have you know, my ass is primed and ready for things to be shoved up there.”
At my crude comment, all four of the men groan. Karsyn attempts to reposition me on his lap, eyes closed as if he’s in pain.
“I was going to say—before you interrupted me with thoughts of my cock in your beautiful white ass—that State has an amazing music program. And since I can’t get into Juilliard because of my grades…” He trails off with a shrug. A pang reverberates through me like cymbals clashing together, but I refuse to feel guilty for what I did. I got a pedophile off the streets and hopefully put in prison. The world will be a much better place without her darkness tainting it.