Free Web NovelChapter 48: Chapter 48 Seduction and Manipulation
Linda’s POV
I knew I had won the moment they closed the door behind.
It was not slammed.
It was not rushed.
It was closed softly, like a choice.
They followed me.
All three of them.
Renzo. Ryder. Ronan.
My men. My husbands.
I guess not mine but Jade’s husbands, technically. But that was just ink and ritual and the foolish whims of a Goddess who clearly didn’t understand how things truly worked. Bonds could be twisted. Hearts could be trained.
But desire, desire was far more loyal than fate or any bond ever was. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
I walked ahead of them down the corridor, barefoot against the polished marble, my steps slow, hesitant, as though every movement required effort. I made sure my shoulders were slightly hunched, my hands clasped together in front of me like a frightened child’s.
“I’m really sorry,” I murmured softly, not turning around. “I didn’t want to cause any trouble tonight.”
Ronan immediately responded, of course he did.
“You didn’t,” he said quickly. “You were scared. That’s all. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
I bit my lip, allowing just enough silence to pass before glancing back at them over my shoulder. My eyes shimmered, glossy with unshed tears. “You’re very kind.”
The guest room door that I was spending the night at was already open.
Warm light spilled out, soft and golden, casting the room in intimacy. I had instructed the servants to turn off the bright lights, light up the candle and set the room up in a romantic and seductive atmosphere.
I stepped inside the room.
And they followed.
The door closed behind them.
The sound echoed in my chest like a victory bell.
I hesitated near the bed, fingers curling into the fabric of my night dress. “I.... I don’t want to be a burden,” I whispered. “If you think it’s inappropriate, I can try to sleep alone.”
Ryder shifted uncomfortably. Renzo didn’t speak, but his jaw tightened. Ronan stepped closer, his voice low. “Linda.... it’s fine. We wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t.”
There it was.
Permission.
I let out a small, shaky breath and nodded, as if relieved beyond words.
The bed was large, wide enough for all of us. I sat first, carefully, then lay back slowly, watching them from beneath my lashes.
“I just....” My voice cracked perfectly. “I miss you guys.”
That did it.
Ronan sat beside me almost immediately. Ryder followed after a moment, more hesitant. Renzo lingered, always the hardest, but even he didn’t leave.
I curled toward them instinctively, my body seeking warmth, my head resting lightly against Ronan’s chest. I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt, fast, uncertain.
My fingers trembled as I clutched the fabric near his shoulder.
“I’ve been trying so hard to be selfless,” I whispered. “To let you go. To step aside. I keep telling me I should be happy for Jade, she is my friend and I actually care about her, and its any girl’s dream to be mated to you guys. So I am happy for her, that is why I wore myself out tonight tending to her as her chief bridesmaid and making sure its the perfect night for her cause I care so much about her and how she feels.”
I sniffed softly.
“But no one has asked me how it feels to lose you guys, no one cares about how I feel.”
Ryder exhaled slowly. “Linda...”
“I know,” I said quickly. “I know I shouldn’t feel this way. Tonight was supposed to be about her. I hate myself for needing you like this.”
That was the key.
Guilt.
Guilt made men stay when desire alone might not.
I shifted slightly, my knee brushing against Ronan’s thigh. An accident. Always an accident. My fingers tightened reflexively in his shirt as another sob escaped me. ƒrēewebnovel.com
“I don’t want to come between you and your marriage,” I said. “I swear. I just.... tonight is hard.”
Ronan’s arm lifted, hovering for a moment before settling around my shoulders.
I melted instantly.
There it was again. The warmth. The familiarity. The safety they associated with me, not her.
I relaxed into them fully now, my body pressed against theirs, my legs tucked comfortably between Ronan and Ryder. My hand slipped from Ronan’s chest to his arm, my thumb tracing slow, unconscious circles.
I felt him tense.
Good.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, as though embarrassed by my own touch, but I didn’t move my hand away. “I don’t mean to....”
“It’s okay,” he said quietly.
Renzo sat on the other side, close enough that I could feel his heat. I leaned just enough that my shoulder brushed his arm.
“I don’t expect anything,” I continued softly. “I just don’t want to feel alone tonight.”
The truth, twisted just enough to sound noble.
Ryder cleared his throat. “You’re not alone.”
I smiled against Ronan’s chest.
Slowly, subtly, I adjusted myself so I was lying across them more fully, my head resting between Ronan and Ryder now, my hair spilling across their laps. I felt Ryder stiffen slightly when my fingers brushed his thigh.
I pretended not to notice.
“I keep thinking,” I murmured, “how different everything feels now. Like something precious was taken from me.”
My fingers drifted, almost absentmindedly, tracing the seam of Ryder’s sleeve. My hand brushed Renzo’s knee once, light, fleeting.
They didn’t push me away.
That was all I needed.
“I’ll try to sleep,” I whispered. “I promise.”
But sleep was never the point.
I closed my eyes, breathing slowly, evenly, letting my body relax completely into theirs. Every few moments, I shifted just enough to remind them I was there. Soft touches. Lingering warmth. Silent need.
Their reluctance was there, I could feel it. The stiffness in their bodies. The hesitation in their breathing.
But guilt outweighed resolve.
Always did.
This is only the beginning, Jade, I thought smugly.
You may have the bond.
You may have the title.
But I had their weakness.
They would never fully be yours, Jade.
Not while I was still breathing.
And maybe not tonight cause things are a little but awkward currently, but I am going to get them to fuck me so hard you’ll hear my moans of esctacy from across the mansion, and I will be the one to bear the grandkids that Alpha Ashford so dearly wants while you get discarded to the gutters like the dirt you are.
