Ronan stared at his brother Kaelen, the question hanging heavy in the air between them. Why did they hate Seraphina? The truth was a sharp blade that had been cutting him from the inside for years.
He opened his mouth to finally speak the truth when Lilith stirred beside them, her eyes fluttering open. The moment shattered like glass.
"Are you three still talking about that Omega bitch?" Lilith's voice was groggy but sharp with annoyance. She stretched languidly, not bothering to cover her naked body. "I thought we were done with that conversation."
Ronan felt his jaw tighten. Every time they came close to discussing Seraphina honestly, something – or someone – interrupted.
"It's nothing, Lilith," Orion said smoothly, his hand sliding up her thigh. The diversion was obvious, but effective.
Lilith pouted, her lips forming a practiced, pretty frown. "You promised me an apology for ignoring me earlier."
"Did we?" Kaelen's voice was distant, his mind clearly still on Seraphina's condition.
"Yes," Lilith insisted, sitting up and pressing her breasts against Orion's chest. "And I know exactly the kind of apology I want."
Ronan recognized the hungry look in her eyes. This was how it always went – Lilith demanding, them complying, the cycle continuing endlessly. It was easier than facing the truth about Seraphina, about themselves.
"Not now, Lilith," Kaelen said, turning away.
Wrong move. Lilith's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Not now?" she repeated, voice rising. "I've been patient while you three obsess over that nothing girl. I've waited while you ran to her side after she collapsed from a punishment she deserved. And now you say 'not now'?"
Ronan caught Orion's eye, a silent communication passing between them. Appeasing Lilith was simpler than dealing with her tantrums. And truthfully, losing himself in physical pleasure was preferable to confronting the guilt gnawing at his insides.
"What kind of apology did you have in mind?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Lilith's anger morphed instantly into a seductive smile. "The kind that makes me forget you ever mentioned her name."
Without waiting for further permission, she slid her hand into Orion's pants, stroking him to hardness. Her other hand reached for Kaelen, who still stood by the window, his back to them.
"Kaelen," she called, her voice a practiced purr. "Come here and apologize properly."
For a moment, Ronan thought his brother might refuse. But then Kaelen turned, his face a mask of resignation. He approached the bed, allowing Lilith to pull him down beside her.
"That's better," she murmured, leaning in to kiss him. "Now show me how sorry you are."
Ronan watched as Kaelen kissed her mechanically. There was no passion in it, just routine. They all knew their roles in this performance.
Lilith pulled back, unsatisfied with Kaelen's effort. "You'll need to do better than that," she scolded, then turned to Ronan. "Show your brother how it's done."
Ronan leaned in, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss. He knew what she liked – the right amount of pressure, the occasional bite, the wandering hands. It meant nothing to him, but it kept her quiet.
Lilith moaned appreciatively as his hand cupped her breast, thumb brushing over her nipple. "That's more like it," she breathed.
Soon, all three brothers were engaged in their familiar dance with Lilith. Orion's mouth on her breasts, Ronan's fingers between her legs, Kaelen's hand in her hair. It was choreographed chaos, a distraction they'd perfected over years.
"Inside me," Lilith demanded, spreading her legs wider. "All of you, one after another."
Orion went first, positioning himself between her thighs and thrusting into her with practiced movements. Lilith cried out in exaggerated pleasure, her nails digging into his back.
Ronan's mind drifted as he waited his turn, the scene before him blurring. Instead of Lilith's dark hair, he saw blonde locks spread across the pillow. Instead of her calculating eyes, he imagined sea-blue ones, honest and true.
Seraphina's eyes.
The memory hit him like a physical blow – Seraphina at fourteen, laughing as she ran through the forest with him. Before everything went wrong. Before the misunderstanding that had hardened his heart against her.
"Ronan, your turn," Orion grunted, pulling out of Lilith.
Snapping back to the present, Ronan took his place between Lilith's legs. As he pushed into her, he closed his eyes, trying to shut out the unwelcome thoughts of Seraphina.
Lilith writhed beneath him, her moans filling the room. "Harder," she demanded. "Make me forget her."
The irony wasn't lost on Ronan. Here they were, trying to erase Seraphina through sex with another woman, when none of them had ever been able to forget her in the first place.
He increased his pace, focusing on the physical sensations rather than the emotional emptiness. When he finished, Kaelen took his place without a word.
The cycle continued, each brother taking turns pleasuring Lilith until she was finally sated, her body glistening with sweat, her lips curved in a satisfied smile.
"Now that's an apology," she purred, stretching like a contented cat. "You're forgiven."
Ronan felt nothing but a hollow emptiness as he lay beside her. The momentary physical release had done nothing to quiet the questions Kaelen had raised earlier. If anything, the contrast between this meaningless encounter and the deep wound that Seraphina represented made everything worse.
Lilith sat up suddenly, reaching for the water glass on the nightstand. Finding it empty, she frowned.
"I'm thirsty," she announced. "And I want ice water."
"The kitchen staff can bring some up," Orion suggested, already reaching for his pants.
Lilith shook her head, a malicious glint in her eye. "No. Send for Seraphina to bring it."
Ronan tensed. "She's recovering, Lilith."
"She can walk down a hallway with a pitcher of water," Lilith snapped. "Besides, I want to see her face when she sees all three of you like this." She gestured to their naked bodies. "Let her know exactly where she stands."
Kaelen and Orion exchanged glances. Ronan felt his stomach twist with something dangerously close to shame.
"Lilith—" Kaelen began.
"Do it," she interrupted, "or I'll tell everyone in the pack that you three are going soft on a thief's daughter."
The threat hung in the air. They all knew the fragile position they were in – struggling to maintain the pack's respect after their father's death, their authority still being tested. A rumor like that could cause problems.
"Fine," Kaelen relented, his voice hard. He mind-linked one of the guards: *Send Omega Seraphina Moon to my quarters with ice water. Immediately.*
Satisfaction spread across Lilith's face. "Perfect. And don't any of you dare cover up."
They waited in tense silence. Ronan couldn't help wondering what Seraphina would look like after her ordeal on the roof. Would she be pale? Weak? The thought made him uncomfortable in a way he refused to examine.
Minutes later, a soft knock sounded at the door. Ronan's heart hammered inexplicably in his chest.
"Come in," Lilith called, her voice sweet with anticipation.
The door opened, and Seraphina stood in the threshold, a tray with a pitcher and glasses in her hands. Her face was still flushed from the sun, her movements slightly unsteady. But her eyes – those sea-blue eyes – were clear and steady as they took in the scene before her.
"Your water," she said simply, her voice betraying nothing as she faced the four naked bodies on the bed.
Lilith smiled, victory written across her face. "Bring it here, Omega."