Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection

by C. M. Stunich

  “Katerina,” he sighed with pleasure. This was it, I had him under my control.

  “Yes, Jeff?” I smiled sweetly, ready to command him to do my bidding for once.

  As if a switch had been flipped, his eyes turned dark, sinister. “I expected more from you.” He looked away, walking out of my arms and severing the tenuous hold I had on him. “You always were a disappointment—out of control, weak, a slave to your fears.”

  I had whiplash from his sudden change in demeanor, but his words struck a nerve. “And you’re a pathetic excuse for a man who uses others to do your dirty work. If you’re going to steal original art from auction houses and replace it with forgeries, grow a pair and do it yourself.”

  His slow clap echoed in the small space. “My, my, someone’s well informed. Presumably a perk of fucking the FBI.” I didn’t respond to his crude comment. “Guess one man wasn’t enough to replace me.”

  “You know what they say…three heads are better than one.” I smirked when his face darkened. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t, in fact, slept with any of them. Jeff believed I had, and flaunting it was enough to drive him mad.

  “You want me to stop using Zia to do my dirty work? Fine.” His lip curled, and I braced myself for whatever crazy-ass thing he would say next. “When your boyfriend wakes up, you’re going to persuade him to grant me unrestricted access to Ashworth Auctions.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, and water dripped down my body, my jeans sagging low on my hips. “Absolutely not.”

  “I don’t think you appreciate what’s at stake, baby,” he sneered. “There is the matter of Declan and Zia, sure. But if you refuse to cooperate, the authorities will receive a tip-off that the fire in Riverdale a few months back wasn’t an accident. From haute couture to a hot orange jumpsuit.” He laughed darkly.

  I stared at him, mouth agape. How the hell did he know that?

  My mom had been alone in the fitting room when she was consumed by her powers. Fortunately, no one was injured, and no one had witnessed her unnatural abilities, but it had been a close call. We were all relieved when arson was officially ruled out as the cause.

  “You always were just like her.” I wanted to ignore his offhanded comment, but it stuck in my mind, burrowing in and taking root.

  Jeff opened the bathroom door and shoved me through. When we returned to the living room, Zia was nowhere to be seen and Declan was coming to. The screen of his phone lit up with an incoming message, but I was more focused on him. With a hand to his head, Declan sat slowly, and my relief was quickly overshadowed by the look that flashed in his eyes. One that spoke of pain, confusion, betrayal.

  “Hmm, I could do this myself,” Jeff mused, noting Zia’s absence.

  I couldn’t hold back a smug smile—his control over her must have slipped when he was trying to resist my powers in the bathroom. Placing a subject in a state of hypnosis, and maintaining it for an extended period, was no small feat. It required the right conditions and extensive focus, especially as physical distance between the parties increased. At least I’d eliminated her as a threat to Declan and freed her from this monster.

  Jeff rubbed his hands together. “Nah, watching you work your magic will be a hell of a lot more fun, not to mention significantly faster. Well, get on with it.”

  I crouched next to Declan, wanting to comfort him. “Declan,” I said in a calm voice. “Are you okay?”

  “Like you care.” He looked away.

  “I do care,” I said, placing a hand on his cheek, turning him back to me. “More than you’ll ever know.”

  If only I had the power of telepathic communication, I thought as I gazed into Declan’s warm brown eyes. If only he knew how much this was tearing me apart, even though I was trying to protect both him and my mom.

  “Is it hot in here?” Jeff asked from behind me, reminding me of what was at stake. Bastard.

  “What are you doing to me?” Declan asked as his eyes began to glaze, limbs relaxing.

  Impressed by his resistance, I worried that my powers would fail to work on him. Light-headed, and sensing that Jeff’s patience was ready to snap, I rushed to say, “Declan, I need you to tell me the passcodes to Ashworth Auctions.”

  Spots appeared in my vision, and he was on the verge of answering when the front door crashed open. Adrian and a team of FBI agents swarmed the apartment. Unlike our first encounter at the hotel, this time, I was overjoyed to see him.

  “Hands up,” he shouted, and Jeff complied, while I remained at Declan’s side. “You too, Katerina.”

  Stunned, I turned and raised my hands in the air as Elias and Adrian conducted a silent battle of wills. Adrian ordered them to handcuff Jeff and me, while a medic rushed by to assess Declan.

  “Katerina.” Jeff inclined his head as he was escorted from the room, but he didn’t need to reiterate his threat. I understood perfectly: his silence for mine.

  After being permitted a change of clothes, I was placed in the back seat of a car with an agent I’d never met. As she drove me to the FBI office, Jeff’s words replayed on a loop. Was I destined to become like my mother—a danger to myself and those around me? Stronger than any physical threat, my powers stripped a person of their free will, the very essence of being human. I wanted to believe I’d been helping people the past few weeks, but that didn’t negate the fact that I’d eliminated their ability to make decisions, even if only temporarily.

  Upon arriving at the FBI office, I was escorted to a room for questioning, and when the door opened again, I wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. Instead of sexy Special Agent Stone seating himself across from me, it was Agent Elliot from the car—a thin woman with a red ponytail and an austere expression.

  Throughout her questioning, I sensed someone watching me, and I debated who was behind the mirrored glass—Adrian, Elias, Declan, or all three? With every evasive answer I gave, my heart cracked a little more. While I wasn’t incriminating myself, I hadn’t made much of a case for my innocence either. I sensed that Special Agent Elliot felt as frustrated as I did powerless.

  Jeff had nearly destroyed my life once, and I wouldn’t allow him to do so again. He could threaten me, abuse me, but I would never let him hurt my family.

  I lost track of how many questions I’d answered when she finally excused herself. Left alone in the sterile room once more, I waited and waited, a million thoughts rushing through my mind. Finally, after I wasn’t sure how long, she returned and released me with a warning to remain in the area for further questioning.

  Without a backward glance, I sped down the hall toward the elevator. A strong arm wrapped around me, while another clamped over my mouth to stifle a scream.

  “Shh,” Adrian said and pulled me into a darkened office where Elias and Declan were waiting.

  “Katerina,” he growled with a fiery look in his eyes. “Care to explain what happened? What really happened? Because it looks like you were using the three of us to steal artwork.

  “And while I don’t believe that’s the case, my boss will expect more than a gut instinct to go on.”

  As much as I hated to admit it, Jeff was right—I was out of control, dangerous. Sure, I’d been lucky so far, but I couldn’t continue to jeopardize Declan, Adrian, and Elias, especially not now that the necklace had been destroyed.

  So, I smothered my emotions and feigned indifference. “Special Agent Elliott already questioned me, so I suggest you speak to her.”

  He completely invaded my space, and his familiar scent was nearly my undoing. “This isn’t like you. What’s going on?”

  “Not like me?” My voice cracked. “We barely know each other.” I didn’t want to push him away, not really. And yet, I’d said the words, intent on doing just that.

  A muscle in his jaw clenched. “Bullshit. I know that you like your coffee with almond milk, and you can’t stand cilantro.

  “You smile easily, but it wasn’t until the past few weeks that it reached your eyes. Your s
ister is your best friend, and you’d do anything to protect the people you care about. You’re my beautiful mystery, and as infuriating as you can be, I love you.”

  My heart beat furiously. “That woman, the woman you claim to love, doesn’t exist. I’m manipulative and dangerous.” I was reckless, spinning out of control. “I have the ability to control minds,” I blurted, finally speaking the truth. “I’m not a good person, and if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from me, all of you.”

  Their expressions ranged from shocked to disbelieving and even contemplative. I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down. I’d managed to keep my powers at bay this entire time, but without the necklace’s enchantment, I was terrified I’d unleash them at any moment.

  When I turned for the door, a hand reached out and grabbed my arm. I looked up to find Elias’s jade eyes filled with questions and a silent plea.

  “Please, let me go.” Just as I’d feared, my powers took effect, and he immediately released my arm, staggering backward as if drunk.

  The door closed behind me with a sense of finality, and as the tears began to fall, I told myself it was the right decision. I loved Declan, Adrian, and Elias, and I would do whatever it took to ensure their happiness, even if that meant walking away.

  11

  “I brought ice cream,” Ana called from the hallway outside my room. “Mint chocolate chip.”

  Reminded of Adrian and our day in the park, I groaned and buried my head beneath the pillow. After fleeing the FBI office, I’d called Ana in tears and begged her to meet me at our parents’ house. The timing for their anniversary cruise couldn’t have been better.

  She rubbed my back, silently comforting me. It wasn’t until after my sobs dissipated into hiccups that she spoke again. “I thought it was going well with Adrian, Elias, and Declan. What happened?”

  “It was,” I sighed, “but it was all a lie. And now it looks like I conspired with Jeff to steal artwork from major auction houses including Ashworth. Oh, and I told them about my powers.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Whoa, whoa. Jeff, as in Jeff, your evil ex-boyfriend, Jeff?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Spill,” she said in a stern voice.

  It took a while, but I told her everything, Jeff’s threats against our mom, that he’d been watching me, all of us, for months just waiting to make his move as he padded his bank account. How the necklace had been ruined, but its demise had been my salvation.

  “Oh, Kati,” she said when I finally finished. She wrapped her arms around me. “I’m sorry.”

  I shrugged. “It was inevitable, but thanks.” When she scoffed, I asked, “What? I had fun while it lasted, but without the enchanted necklace, the risk of engaging my powers is too great.”

  “You don’t need the necklace.”

  “Yes, I do,” I said through gritted teeth. How did she still not understand?

  Judging from the guilty expression on her face, I wouldn’t like what she was going to say next. “I appreciate that you think so highly of my abilities as an enchantress, but I don’t have the power to limit your ability to control minds any more than you have the power to pause time or shapeshift. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “But it got hot, and…and, it weighed me down.”

  “As it was supposed to, but beyond that…” She shrugged. “Nothing.”

  “So, all this time…” I held my breath, still in disbelief.

  “It was all you. You controlled your powers.”

  I searched her eyes a moment longer, finally accepting her words as the truth. Hadn’t I even proved to myself that I could control my powers to some extent—stepping in at the park that day, helping the woman at the bar, standing up to Jeff? Maybe I should’ve been mad at Ana, but I was overwhelmed with gratitude. She’d shown me what I was capable of.

  “You tricked me!” I laughed, but it sounded more like a snort. I pulled her in for a hug, squeezing tight. “Thank you, Ana.”

  “Anytime. Now, what are we going to do about Declan, Adrian, and Elias?” she asked after I’d released her.

  “Nothing. I’m going to sell the perfume bottle and use the money for an apartment, and they’re going to forget about me.” When she glared, I asked, “What? You can’t honestly tell me you think they’ll believe, let alone accept, my powers.”

  “I think you underestimate them.”

  “Trust me, it’s better this way. I’m too…unpredictable.”

  “That bastard,” she said through clenched teeth. “What did Jeff say to you?”

  I hesitated before grudgingly admitting, “That I’m just like Mom,” knowing she’d understand his hidden meaning, despite the fact that I felt terrible for even repeating it.

  “He’s right.” I cocked my head to the side, assessing her as she spoke. “You appreciate good food, you have her beautiful hair, her caring heart.

  “And Elias, Adrian, and Declan look at you the way our dads look at Mom. It wasn’t easy for her to tell them about her powers, but they embraced them.”

  My mom, our dads—the three of them belonged together. Is that what I had with Adrian, Elias, and Declan? I wanted to believe so.

  She covered my hand with hers. “If they don’t accept you for who you are, they don’t deserve you.”

  My head dropped. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “Let me ask you something. Do any of the guys have any birthmarks?”

  I nodded. “Elias has an extensive firemark that runs from his shoulder to his elbow. It’s dark red, almost the color of port wine.”

  “Does it make him less attractive to you?”

  “No,” I said with conviction. “It’s part of him, and it’s beautiful, like a watercolor tattoo.”

  She gave me a knowing grin. “And your powers are a beautiful part of you. They are a piece of the puzzle that makes up Katerina Marea, not the entire picture.”

  The ability to control someone’s mind wasn’t comparable to a mark on the skin, but I appreciated her analogy nevertheless. Because when you loved someone, loved them to the depths of their soul like I did Elias, Declan, and Adrian, it didn’t matter if they had a birthmark or three heads. They were unique and irreplaceable, and I adored every part of them.

  If I was blinded by love, I could only hope their vision was just as impaired as my own.

  12

  I clutched the handle of my empty suitcase, avoiding my reflection in the elevator doors as it ascended to Declan’s floor. Eyes red from exhaustion and crying, I’d barely had the strength to put on jeans and a sweater before throwing my hair into a sloppy bun.

  It had been three days since I’d seen or talked to Adrian, Declan, or Elias. Three long days filled with silence broken only by a text message from Declan informing me that he was moving. Thanks to a few words on a stupid screen, I knew it really was over.

  They didn’t want to be with me, and I couldn’t blame them. Lies, betrayal, the supernatural ability to control minds—it came as no great surprise. At best, they believed I was insane. At worst, they were afraid of me and my powers.

  Hadn’t I known that my relationship with Declan, Adrian, and Elias could never last? Yet, somehow along the way, I’d fooled myself into believing that maybe it could.

  The three of them completed me. Declan reminded me what it was like to live life; Elias challenged me to enjoy the moment; and Adrian’s take-control attitude freed me to let go. I’d allowed myself to rely on them, trust them, love them. And for the past few months, I’d been happy. But I’d been living a lie, and now that the truth had come out, well…my heart, like the spell on my enchanted necklace, was broken.

  I let myself into the apartment, having chosen a time when I knew Declan wouldn’t be home. Suffocated by the weight of memories both good and bad, I tossed my belongings into my oversized suitcase before returning to the living room. I slid the key from my ring, drawing out my goodbye to the place that had become my home.

  I would miss sneaking up to
the rooftop with Declan, waking up to him cooking breakfast shirtless, gathering around the dinner table with Adrian and Elias. More than anything, though, I’d miss the chance to be normal, to be loved.

  At the sound of the lock unlatching, I froze, debating my options. Just when I was on the verge of darting to my old room, Declan strode through the door and immediately spotted me.

  “Declan…I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d be home. I was just going.”

  “Kati.” He stepped closer and took my hands in his. “I know what you did, and I’m sorry for ever doubting you. Please, don’t leave.” His brown eyes pleaded with me, the pained tone of his voice ripping my heart to shreds.

  “How?” I whispered.

  Elias and Adrian entered the apartment, sucking what little oxygen remained from the room. I hadn’t seen or talked to them since that night at the FBI office. Now, I couldn’t escape them.

  “Zia,” Adrian said. “Jeff’s unwilling accomplice. Though I believe you already knew of her involvement. She came forward and explained everything—told us how emotionally abusive he could be, how he blackmailed her to cooperate. We worked out a deal for her to testify in exchange for protection from him.”

  After Zia disappeared, I’d never expected to see her again. Not only to return, but to speak out against Jeff took strength, courage. Scarcely able to believe it, I sagged with relief.

  “Jeff is your ex, isn’t he? The one who burned you?” Declan asked, and I nodded, thankful he didn’t press me further.

  Bolstered by Zia’s confession, I said, “I’m sorry for giving you reason to doubt me. I wish I’d been brave enough to tell you the truth.”

  “You are incredibly brave,” Elias said, rubbing circles on my back. “You know we’d never hurt you, right?”

  “I know,” I said with conviction. “I trust you, all of you,” I said, meeting each of their gazes. “And I love you.” Regardless of what happened, I needed them to know.

  “Then why make up some crazy excuse for breaking up with us?” Declan asked.