Rose- Feelin Thorny

by Jewels Arthur

  “Look,” she says, and I glance over to see Landyn clutching his head as if in pain. “You are helping him,” she explains.

  “How?” I ask, feeling sorry about the pain I may be inadvertently causing Landyn.

  “You are weakening the manipulation she has on him. It’s a start,” she says proudly.

  “How do you know all this?” I ask in wonder.

  “My mate was a witch. Sadly, she died years ago,” Lily replies solemnly.

  “I’m sorry,” I say to her, squeezing her hand in mine.

  “It’s okay. I got a long time with her, more than most,” Lily says with a smile.

  A loud crash brings our attention away from the conversation and to the door. Lily and I both jump to our feet and run to the entrance. I can’t stop the gasp that leaves my lips as Pumpkin runs down the steps, then crouches down in front of Landyn and hisses.

  Landyn looks at him in confusion, his hands clenching and unclenching, as if he doesn’t know what to do.

  Pumpkin, don’t attack him, I beg, making eye contact with my cat.

  Okay, Pumpkin agrees, but he still eyes Landyn warily.

  “Landyn,” I yell loudly, staring at him through the glass. “Fight it, Landyn.” I try to concentrate on the fuzzy feeling in my chest. The magic I feel when I speak with Pumpkin. The magic I felt when I drank that pumpkin spice latte four months ago.

  When Dean walks down the stairs, I eye Landyn cautiously, worried that he may attack my mate. Dean approaches Landyn slowly, speaking softly to him. “Landyn, you aren’t yourself. Let them out,” he says, then he points to the door we are held behind. When his eyes connect with mine, I feel my heart clench. The apology in them is enough to kill me. He will blame himself, all four of them will. But it was my unwillingness to accept help from my mates that got me in this disaster. That, and a psychotic bitch with an insane vendetta.

  Suddenly, Landyn’s shoulders sag, and he blinks his eyes slowly. The natural light brown color comes back, erasing the gold shimmer they previously had. “Fuck,” he groans, and rubs his face. “What have I done?” His voice comes out in a crack as the realization of everything that has happened since he was manipulated is relived in his mind.

  “You did nothing. Can you help me get them out?” Dean replies, placing his hand on Landyn’s shoulder comfortingly.

  “Yes, I know the code,” Landyn says, then he walks to the door and inputs the code in the keypad. As both doors open, I feel a weight lifted off my chest, and it is clear that the others in the room feel it as well. Some of Shani’s victims have been in here for weeks, with no hope of escape. Tears fill my eyes as Dean runs into the room and pulls me into his arms, pressing his lips to mine. Sebastian joins us, then Dean and Sebastian hug in the typical bro-dude kind of way with a back slap.

  Reg steps out of the room and lands a hard, swift punch into Landyn’s jaw. “What the fuck, Reg?” I yell out, running over to Landyn, who rubs his jaw.

  “Just making sure he’s all there,” Reg says in frustration before he places his hand on Landyn’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, brother. I’m sorry I got you into this and was unable to help you.” Landyn nods, and there is more bro hugging, making me roll my eyes.

  By the time we get upstairs, there is already a group of officers from the Silver Springs Penitentiary arresting a sobbing Shani, high-tech handcuffs used to secure her. Jessica, the redheaded woman, runs over to Ausar and looks at his shoulder.

  “Let me help you, I’m a doctor,” she explains while looking at the wound in his shoulder, which has mostly healed. “The bullet is still lodged in there. We are going to have to remove it. Is it wooden?” she asks.

  “Yes.” He groans and tries to move his shoulder in circular motions. He looks to the officers, sadness on his face. “What will happen to Shani?”

  An officer steps forward, grabs Ausar’s arm, and helps him up. “I’m Felix. She’ll be tried and found guilty. Then she will be put in maximum for murdering and kidnapping several vampires. She will likely live the rest of her life there.”

  Ausar nods, his face grim. “Losing our parents was really difficult on her. I was too young to really remember it, but she never got over it.” He sighs loudly and looks over at Shani. “I really hope you can get help, sis.”

  Shani doesn’t answer, just looks at him as black mascara tears stream down her face. She looks down as she is ushered from the room.

  Rose

  Two Weeks Later

  “Stop that!” I say through laughter as Finn tickles my feet again. I sit on the couch with my back against Sebastian and my feet in Finn’s lap. A book that was suggested by Violet at the library, Introduction to Magical Theory, sits in my lap. “I’m trying to concentrate, Finn,” I scold him, trying to hold back laughter.

  “You’ve been reading all day, let’s play,” he whines like a child.

  Sebastian puts his arm around me, resting his hand on my stomach. “You know that he has no patience when it comes to you.”

  I roll my eyes, still struggling to keep a smile from my lips. “Oh yes, I know. He truly is a child.” I look over at Finn, who has the decency to look a little regretful. “I’m trying to better myself. I need to get a handle on this magic stuff. It’s important that I get stronger.”

  Finn makes a sound of derision, pulling at my legs so that I am closer to him. Dean closes his book and looks at us from his chair. “Finn, will you leave her alone?”

  “Ugh, you guys are no fun. Why are we all reading?” Finn whines. Sam jumps on his lap, and he rubs her face lovingly. “Why doesn’t anyone want to play with me, Sammi? You understand me, don’t you? You don’t even know how to read.” She purrs loudly, rubbing against him and encouraging him to give her more affection.

  “I thought you didn’t want another cat?” Sebastian asks Finn, quirking a brow.

  “Well, Sammi here is the only one that has any sense. I think we traded up. Now we just gotta get rid of Pumpkin,” Finn teases. Pumpkin, hearing his name, walks into the room and jumps on my lap.

  Let’s get rid of Finn. Sebastian and Dean are much more agreeable, Pumpkin says inside my head, then smacks Finn’s hand away from Sammi. Tell him that Sammi is mine.

  “What did the orange freeloader say?” Finn asks, squinting his eyes threateningly at Pumpkin.

  “He said that we should get rid of you and that Sammi is his,” I reply with a laugh.

  At that, Finn pulls Sammi closer into his arms and kisses her head while winking at me. I laugh and shake my head at his antics, then watch as Pumpkin swats at him again.

  “Have you heard from Ausar?” I ask, looking to Dean.

  “Yes, he said that Shani was given a life sentence at Silver Springs Penitentiary. He has visited her a couple times, said she is getting a lot of therapy,” Dean explains, eyeing me closely.

  I nod my head and feel sorry for the little girl that witnessed her parents’ murder and decided to spend her life killing innocents. That her brother now has to live his life knowing that he was unable to save her from herself. “Will he stay in Silver Springs, do you think?”

  Dean shrugs and sets his book on the table next to him. “Probably. He may want to stay close to his sister. I believe that he will have a great deal of importance to her recovery.”

  Dean senses my mood shift with the talk of Shani and Ausar and motions me over to him. I oblige, pulling my feet from Finn’s grasp and walking over to Dean. I cuddle into his chest and nuzzle my face into his neck.

  “There is nothing we could have done to stop what happened. Shani has been doing this as her and her brother moved from town to town. Ausar has called the police stations they worked at previously, explaining what Shani did to cause the vampire disappearances. He wasn’t able to save them all, but he will be providing closure to a lot of families. I hate that you were involved in all this. If anything had happened to Seb or you, it would have killed us. But her kidnapping you guys was the end of her reign. Please try to see that as a positive
outcome in a horrible situation,” Dean soothes, squeezing me into his chest. “Now cheer up, darling. We have a surprise for you tonight. We are closing the bar and having a nice private dinner downstairs.”

  “That does sound nice,” I agree, then I kiss his lips, sparking a passion inside me that only my men can create.

  “Landyn is even coming to work tonight. He and Reg are going to run security detail during our dinner,” Sebastian adds.

  “Landyn is coming back? Is he doing better?” I asked hurriedly.

  “Yes, he is. Reg said he has made a full recovery. Shani really messed with his brain, but he is doing a lot better now,” Finn explains as he finally lets Sammi jump from his lap and rub against Pumpkin.

  Dean nods in agreement. “Reg has also hired another new guy to help him with his bouncer duties. His name is Oakley, and from what I’ve heard, he is huge.”

  “Yes, lots of ladies find him very attractive,” Finn adds with a wink, eyeing me with humor.

  “He’s an incubus, so he will definitely find the nightclub life very…appetizing,” Dean goes on, and I don’t ask for further clarification even though I have no idea what that means.

  “I really hope that life settles down now. These last five months have been a little too exciting for me,” I say with a huge sigh. “I would like to just spend some time relaxing with you guys. Maybe spend a month or so not leaving the bedroom.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Dean says against my neck, causing chills to course through my body.

  “I definitely like the sound of that,” Sebastian agrees.

  “Why don’t we start that now?” Finn adds, giving me another wink.

  “Maybe after our dinner,” Dean says, eyeing Finn with a scowl.

  Finn smiles widely. “Yes, of course. A little Rose for dessert sounds delicious.”

  “What are you guys up to?” I ask them suspiciously.

  “Oh, nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about,” Finn teases.

  Finn, Seb, and Dean insist that I start getting dressed a few hours later. I argued that for a dinner in our own home, I should be able to wear leggings and a t-shirt. Seb insisted that it would fun for all of us to dress up in our nicest clothes and have a nice, private fancy dinner. I agreed when they explained that they were having a chef in town cater a meal for us, and decided that if they were going through all that trouble, I could at least put on a dress.

  “Don’t forget our deal. No underwear in the house,” Finn growls when he sees me standing in my underwear and bra as I try to decide on a dress.

  “We aren’t going to be in the loft; we are going to be in the club,” I argue, picking out the black lace dress I wore the night before my whole life changed. It’s a gorgeous dress that frames my curves perfectly.

  “But there will be no one else with us, so that means no underwear,” Finn contends.

  “Oh, fine. Now get outta here so I can get dressed. You’re a distraction.” I put my hand on his chest and push him from the room.

  “A good distraction, though, right?” he says with his trademark flirty grin.

  I keep pushing him out of the room as I smile back at him. “Not at this moment,” I say before shutting the door. Soon it will be harder to shut him out, as Sebastian said that they are going to start renovations on the loft to combine Finn and Dean’s room and make one large master bedroom for the four of us. Sebastian even said he wants to turn his old room into a room for the cats, which I love. I’ve found myself spending quite a bit of time at Beastie Besties, soaking up all of Calluna’s cat knowledge and buying out the store. She is sarcastic, loud, and hilarious. She is quickly becoming a good friend and confidante. Amber and her men are great, and business is booming at Jewels Cafe. Then I heard that Bob might have something up his sleeve to surprise Saph, and I can’t wait to find out all about it.

  A knock at the door pulls me back to my task at hand—getting ready. “Rosalie, how’s it going?” Seb yells through the door.

  “Getting there!” I reply back, pulling the black dress on and running over to the mirror to get some makeup on. I slip my panties off, per Finn’s orders, rolling my eyes and smiling as I do it. After a quick application of some foundation, eyeshadow, and mascara, I am ready to go. I slip on some flats and open the door.

  The sight that greets me makes my jaw drop to the floor. All three of my men stand side-by-side in front of me, wearing suits. They look hot as fuuuuuuuuuck, and I’m practically drooling.

  Finn walks up to me first, lifts his hand, and closes my mouth, which had dropped open. “Do we look that good?” he asks cockily, smiling at my reaction. He takes his hand and slides it down my back to cup my ass. “Followed my directions, I see. I too am going commando.” Finn winks at me, then walks back to stand next to Seb.

  Dean walks up to me next, his hair pulled back in a ponytail and looking fine as fuck. He grabs my hand and pulls me to his chest, then looks down at me with his gorgeous brown eyes. “You are the most remarkable creature I have ever laid eyes upon,” he croons, making butterflies take flight in my tummy. After a long and suggestive kiss, he releases me and walks back to stand next to Finn.

  Sebastian comes up to me next, a dangerous smile on his lips. “We will never truly deserve you,” he says before pressing his lips to mine. His tongue explores my mouth, and he bites my bottom lip as he pulls away. “But I promise to spend the entirety of my life trying.”

  I am speechless. They are truly amazing, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have them. To have escaped death not once, but twice, because of these men. Sure, my life changed drastically when they became a part of my life, but I would never change a thing. If we were to go back, knowing everything I know now, and I asked myself if I’d do it again? I would, in a heartbeat. Because even if I lived a life with no danger, everything would feel like nothing without them.

  “Let’s go to dinner, baby,” Sebastian says, locking his arm with mine to escort me down to the nightclub.

  The room is dark except for a table set for four in the middle of the room with candles burning. A soft glow is emitted in the room, creating a romantic atmosphere I’ve never witnessed in Vee. Normally, the atmosphere is hot, sweaty, and sexual. Though, it may be like that later tonight.

  I move to the table, still escorted by Sebastian, and Dean hurriedly pulls out my chair, motioning for me to sit down. I sit down and look around, but I don’t see any food. “Will there be a human on the menu tonight?” I ask, half-joking.

  Dean, Seb, and Finn sit down, chuckling at me. “No, that is not in the plans,” Dean says with a smile. “Though I’m sure you could talk Landyn, or possibly Oakley, into feeding you if that is what you desire.”

  If I were human, I would be blushing. “I am not going to ask our employees to feed me. It’s bad enough that I have fed on Randal from time to time,” I reply, shaking my head. “No, whatever you have planned will be perfect.”

  At that moment, Reg, Landyn, and Oakley walk into the room with plates of food, placing them in front of us. They are all dressed up as well, and I smile widely at Reg, who I have never seen in a suit. “You all look very nice,” I tell them, smiling at them all.

  “I don’t know how I feel about having attractive men serve our mate, now that I think about it,” Finn says, eyeing me in a teasing manner.

  “I appreciate that you find me attractive, Finn,” Reg says with a laugh. “Though, I feel we have known each other far too long. I’d hate to ruin our friendship.”

  I bust up laughing, joined by Seb and Dean, as Finn glares at Reg. “If I wanted to fuck you, you wouldn’t say no,” Finn growls, the side of his mouth quirking in a smile.

  Landyn and Oakley leave after placing our plates on the table, whereas Reg stays back and looks at me. “You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, Rosie,” he says with a wink.

  Seb laughs but points at him threateningly. “Okay, enough of that.” Reg raises his hands in innocence and walks away.

  We
dig into our meal, enjoying our very rare steaks and garlic mashed potatoes. When I notice they have garlic in them, Dean smiles and winks at me conspiratorially. Finishing my last bite, I look at them in confusion when I notice how tense they seem.

  “This has been so wonderful. I appreciate all this more than you know, especially with everything that has been going on. It’s nice to spend time with just the four of us,” I say, then take a big drink of something our bartender Logan brought out. Red wine mixed with blood, which is delicious and quite bubbly.

  “Rosalie, you mean everything to us. Literally everything. We were nothing before you, just going through the motions, and we would have continued that way forever. Never really knowing true happiness, or what it feels like to love someone so deeply,” Dean says, and I feel the breath whoosh out of me as I let them soak in.

  “We had never experienced true love before you, never experienced lust like we have with you. Everything you have changed in our lives has only made them better. Knowing that we get to keep you as ours forever? It doesn’t seem fair. It doesn’t feel like we have ever done enough to deserve something like this,” Sebastian adds, staring into my eyes with such intensity, I feel like I could never look away.

  “I wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you, Rosalie. I wanted to rip your panties from your body with my teeth and bite every inch of you. Then I realized that you were more than the most beautiful woman in the world. I realized that you are funny and smart. That you know how to take my shit and give it right back to me. I realized that I found in you my perfect match. I will never be like these fuckers, spinning pretty words that will make you swoon. I can’t be The Notebook for you. I’m crass and dirty and probably shouldn’t be taken out in public, but you have always treated me like I don’t need to be those things. That you love me as I am. There is no greater gift that a person can give another than acceptance. I will spend my life worshipping the ground you walk on, and your pussy. You are it for me,” Finn finishes, and I see the toll they take on him as he spills his guts to me. Something I truly doubt he has ever done. Tears fill my eyes as I take in all the words they have said to me, that they have laid their hearts out on the table for me, and I sit here speechless.