Juliet
It felt good having three men waiting for me when I walked out in Washington. I needed moral support. Louis was pacing. Michael and Marcus were having a discussion. I knew Louis was going to worry. I was in his arms before he knew I was there. I wanted to be where I knew I'd be safe. I couldn't really confide in Marcus… I couldn't run to Michael because it would hurt Marcus.
"I slept with Chris," I whispered and laughed lightly, pulling myself closer. My hands were around his waist.
"It's okay. Nobody would have been able to fight that kind of build-up." I smiled as his lips kissed mine. "I'm so glad she didn't hurt you baby."
"Did you know?"
"No. First time I didn't lie to you... I thought my mother had died. That she was branded."
"I have so much to tell you."
"Let's go." Louis kissed me again… His eyes lingered on my lips. "Baby, we need a schedule… I can smell it…." I nodded.
I had never thought Louis would want that. It wasn't in our nature to be like that. I didn't know he would be the one putting fuel to the fire. But I could see that he wouldn't fight for it, and I wasn't going to beg. We turned, and Michael and Marcus were watching us. My eyes moved from one to the other. Louis prodded them, and we got into the next teleporter to the compound.
Jessy wanted to take us to the house in the car... "Can we walk? I need to walk for a bit." I didn't really have to ask. The three guys followed me. I took a moment. It had taken me ten minutes to make it from Zoreah to there. That fact alone… Made me want to beg… Take her up on her offer.
"Brylee's first comment was that she and your father didn't get around to it."
Louis nodded... "Which means… Interspecies brandings are possible." He suggested.
"Her second comment… Was asking if I was really in love with Michael and if we were sure." My eyes were cast to the road. I couldn't look at anyone.
"Her third was that I shouldn't let Soren brand me…." They stopped walking for a moment. It was too much that everyone in the galaxy knew about everything going on in our lives. "Then she said… I should be sure… who should receive the honor of the third spot." My eyes darted to Michael. I wanted to see what he was feeling. His eyes were cast down, his thumb rubbing between his two eyebrows, thinking.
"She as much as told me… I wasn't sure about Chris and what he had been up to… It was then that they dropped me off, and Ira drugged him and left a girl next to him… I was… just in time."
"So either Brylee sent you to witness it… so you wouldn't ask Chris. Or she sent you to stop it so that… it won't be Michael and the connection won't be broken between you and Chris?" Marcus commented, shaking his head.
"I'm inclined to think that she doubled crossed Ira… She doesn't want it to be Michael. She said that Ira would do anything to keep me and Chris apart. It's going to be more years…." I started walking again.
We were all quiet, waiting to hear Michaels's thoughts… I wasn't going to ask him. It's only been a few months.
I took out my phone. "Jessy, get me, Rodrigo, and Samuel. If they will. Tell them I am asking nicely for afternoon tea. Don't tell them that they are all meeting me… At Agatha… Yeah… See you now."
We quickly walked up the stairs and knocked on the door when we entered the estate. She was happy to see us. Marcus hugged her for a long time.
"Do you mind if we come in?" She opened the door even more.
She led us to a sitting room. It was beautifully decorated. Someone brought us tea. There was a knock on the front door, and I rushed out to get it. It was my uncle. When we turned from the door, Rodrigo was in the foyer. "How did you get here?" He shook his head and walked into the lounge. I took my uncle's hand and pulled him towards the meeting.
Agatha stood and went over to him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her cheeks. They sat down, and she poured tea, and the three sipped their cups like we weren't there to discuss life-altering decisions.
"Come on out with it. I'm fighting him in a few months. Have some sympathy… Will Marcus and Louis really die if I die?"
All three nodded.
"What happened when Marcus was five?"
We waited, and Louis started speaking on Agatha's behalf.
"She was talking about it… to Marcus… Qadir overheard her. He made her tell him everything. He thought he had a sure way of challenging his father, getting people who could fight into a harem for Agatha. She didn't tell him that it wouldn't work if it wasn't… true love…." Agatha drew in a breath. "He did it to me. I have an ugly scar on my butt… Qadir was livid. I had never seen him like that. I don't know if he was angrier because I didn't love him or that his plans were no longer secure anymore… To stop me from telling anyone… well, he made sure. He never touched me again, not like that. He started with his own harem… It was never his intention…."
"So that is all that happens if it's not… true or… pure… everlasting… You get a scar on your ass?" The three looked at each other. There was more…
My uncle spoke next. "Julie… We can't tell you. The next step is crucial. You have five guys… Does it really matter?"
I shook my head. "If I had my way, I would let all of them do it…."
I sat with my hands under my thighs. Eyes to the ground. "But Chris won't, and if it does mean something for the third person…."
They all shook their heads. My eyes went from Rodrigo to my uncle to Agatha.
"It doesn't really matter when… but if… a human does it… at all. The branding process is really something that brings the species together. What the three of them had fought tirelessly to separate… The problem you have, Juliet, is that it maxes out at three and ends the night of your twenty-second birthday. After that…" Rodrigo said. "Where did you hear all of this?" He asked.
My eyes darted to Louis and to Marcus's. Michael was still quiet and staring at the wall across the room… It was Louis's choice. If he wanted to say… So we waited…
"We met Brylee… She took Juliet to Palmyra and dropped her in Zoreah for an evening of… Yeah…"
Everyone followed my gaze towards Louis except Agatha. They all did come to Earth around the same time…
"Brylee is… my mother…." Louis said at last.
Samuel sat forward to the tip of his seat. "I saw her dying… Did we not see her dying, Louis?"
"I don't know? Her skin is exactly like Juliet's. She is a werewolf, and her face and voice… It's her. The pictures in her mind. Stuff that no one could make up. It's been so long."
Louis was reading Agatha… He nodded. "She says Qadir helped Noya for alliance in the future. Get her back to Palmyra."
"Rodrigo, I thought you had started all the experiments. Louis's father was long gone when you came."
"Samuel got me when Marcus dropped me off. Took me in… Saw that I had a gift. I loved science. I was bored, and he had all Louis's father's books and little black tubes when he worked on a… woman… I didn't know it was his partner…" Rodrigo took a long breath. "I had all the time in the world. At some point, I left… I went a little crazy… again… I was hell-bent on punishing the compound with a mutation… Almost succeeded if it wasn't for a little girl."
We sat in silence for a while. There wasn't really anything else they would tell us… Everyone was letting Providence figure it out. It was rather stupid trying to push it anyway… If it all was about "love." If no one else did it… It didn't matter.
I changed the subject… My gaze traveled to Michael. "Are you going to tell us what happened that night? Why you were so late. Where were you hiding?"
Michael smiled briefly. It bothered me that he was so quiet… That he couldn't look at me… He sat forward with his elbows on his knees. Was he reluctant? We waited…
"Jack and I met up that day… Watched Louis ask you fifteen times if he could kiss you…." Michael laughed a little.
We all laughed.
"Then see him completely muck it up by calling you a "child." If he only knew what he was getting into. Jack and I were fighting… about who's complaint was more stupid…."
We all kept laughing.
"It was funny until you disappeared. Until we heard the cub and until we had trouble tracing the car… We waited… I was about to… intervene… But Jack was clever enough to tell me to rather catch the guy… We were too late anyway when you reappeared after the weed… So we stood outside and…." Michael glanced up at Rodrigo, who couldn't look at anyone. "That was it… I don't think I have ever seen four people more scared for you, Juliet, than that night…." Michael stood up and walked away.
When we passed him to move to the dining room, he was outside smoking, gazing out over the compound. One hand clutched under an armpit. For as much as Michael knew me… I didn't know him that well. Since he had been back, we had been busy. We had a few Sundays. But we never talked about anything, really. And lately, we didn't even have Sundays. He never invited me again or went out riding. I knew it had to be about his outburst in the pub. What I didn't know was if he blamed me for it. I also realized that he was in a room with Rodrigo, and I had stupidly asked a question about the guy.
***
After the talk, we stayed for dinner. Louis talked with Agatha, conveying all her thoughts to the rest of the table and helping Marcus speak to her.
I sat with Michael, but he was still withdrawn. "So… we have to make a schedule, and I have no idea where to start." I was fishing to see where his thoughts were. It seemed like they all had issues with our time management. The corner of his mouth lifted quickly. Strangely, since we had been in the midst of things. Michael didn't smile as much. He wiped his mouth, and a girl from the guards took his plate.
"Thank You." We both said at the same time.
"Well, you can start by giving me Sunday mornings."
So he had been standing back. Same as Louis. I pulled his lips onto mine. I didn't really know what else to do; kissing seemed a better option than bugging him… And I wanted him to look at me, but he pulled away. It irritated me. "Where were you that night that Jerry wanted to hit me?"
He ran his hand over his beard, making it into a pointy tail… "I don't want to talk anymore, Juliet."
I felt bad… I was pushing him, being a child… It had been a long day. I stood up and left without saying anything to anyone. I couldn't really make him do anything. He at least followed me. Outside, we walked under the trees on our way home. His phone was in his hand like always. Michael was on one side of the road. Quiet. Me… on the other side, dragging my feet through the dirt, kicking at stones.
He stopped abruptly, turned to me, meeting my eyes, and turned back to walking. I didn't know what to do. Did I do something wrong… He stopped again and turned to me. I couldn't look at him.
He slowly walked over to me, putting his phone in his back pocket. He turned me towards him and picked me up like Kubra always picked up Charlene. His face was flush with mine. We retreated into the shadows, and he took my one leg and hooked it over his waist, pushing me against the wall, his lips hovering over mine… "That night, two watchers had to push me down to the ground… My face stuck on the screen with him screaming at you… Pushing you! In the end, lifting his hand to slap you, stopping just before I would have killed him… They let me go when Jerry was in his car, driving away."
"Who was the other…." His lips locked with mine, keeping me quiet. When he finally stopped and lifted his lips. I took the gap. "Why can't you talk to me?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're always just in the background…."
He laughed lightly, "Do you hear yourself?" I smiled as he kissed me again.
"That night with Chris and him in the garden… I was so scared you would put your hand in Jerry's. I was actually happy to see Chris… I followed close behind… I had stepped out of the van when you guys got in the car… I was a little lost… I heard your panicked voice, and I only saw Jerry scratching at you and ripping you out of the car. I tried to get there. It all happened so fast. Everyone was there by that time. And Jerry was dead."
Michael grinded against me, his one hand coming up under my shirt. Lips on mine. "Honey, it's time… Put your legs around my waist and hold on. I want to know how it feels…."
I knew there were tiny little things that separated them. Small things I did with them all to make them feel special… I didn't want to make them all the same. Do everything with everyone. I had already done it with Marcus… My one leg was still on the ground. Michael grabbed the ass cheek of that offending leg. I hesitated but jumped, gripping him with my thighs.
Michael breathed out a raspy breath when he had me in his hands. "I F-ing love you, Juliet. I don't need anything from you."
He was so close to me, and we were staring at each other. Michaels's eyes were dark. If you saw him from far off, it was almost black. So close they bore into me. We didn't even hear the others coming out of Agatha's door.
"I will do it… I know that's what's going on… I don't want to hurt you… But if you ask me…." He kissed me again.
Louis and Marcus must have heard him… They stopped, watching us. My eyes flickered over his shoulder to Louis… Remembering how I begged him and how much we all had to go through because I didn't want to go back home with Marcus… I pushed off Michael and walked into the road.
Marcus did it without thinking or knowing…, which meant that there was no fear. Me begging Louis… I had no fear. He smiled at my thoughts. My eyes darted to Michaels's… There was no doubt in my mind about him… But what it meant… The consequences. Every time it happened, it became more and more complicated… Giving up on Chris… Soren, making the three men in front of me more special… My hands clasped the chains around my neck… At that moment, fear took root… I wanted to be in control, but I wanted someone to make choices for me. And again, that person was somewhere in another f-desert. Ten years away. It would be easy for them to keep Chris there for the next two years.
"I can't… not again… I don't want to hurt you either…. Any of you. I won't ask." I walked off towards the house.
***
I wanted to sleep in Charlene's room and headed there when we came home. The three men behind me came in at the gate. My ass started searing… The sparkly lights danced off me. My head flicked around, and both men were forcing me back.
But not to the room… to the study. They were on their way there.
"We are sorting out the schedule tonight, Julie. Putting down rules and boundaries. Even if we don't go to sleep… Forget about everything else… First, let's take over En-gannim and then worry about your twenty-second birthday…." Marcus said, who let go first.
Louis followed, and he took my hand and pulled me down into my chair. Louis was edgy. Michael was… confusing me… And Marcus was irritated. Probably because Michaels was all over me. I didn't like any of it.
***
It wasn't five minutes, or they were fighting. I sat there staring at them. They were trying, giving ideas, and not coming to any conclusion. I didn't really have a solution myself. I just slept with whoever pushed the most. Michael wasn't at all. And Marcus had been home for months. Louis had done what he did in France. He stood back because he loved me. Gave me space with Marcus. Freedom to connect with Michael. It had taken Michael so long, and we did, but it was slow. Louis was horny. Marcus was jealous, and Michael… All of the above and getting over a trauma… The fighting wasn't helping my fear... I didn't like conflict. I thought about keeping them quiet. Use the branding rights when needed, like at that moment. But no, I couldn't.
I knew how to get Louis's attention. I started thinking about that night. Our first night.
Me [ I was over your shoulder. You put me down in front of you. "Are you sure, baby?" You asked.
The moonlight streamed into the room, over the bed. You had closed the door.
"I've been begging for weeks… You seem to be the slowest guy I've ever met."
You reached down and slipped your hands underneath my dress, hooking it with your thumbs. Slowly sliding it up. Every caress burned my skin… I lifted my arms. ]
Louis stopped talking. Stopped fighting the other two going at it… He bit his bottom lip nervously, hanging his head down. His eyes darted to me.
Me [ We were so close to each other already... I could feel your eyes on me, waiting for me. I reached for your shirt and undid your pants. While you kicked them away, I let my panties fall and undid my bra.
I love how you caught me up in your arms and how I felt against your skin. Flesh against flesh… I closed my eyes… I felt every inch of you as you… thrusted me into oblivion. ]
He chuckled, playing with his tongue on his teeth, smirking.
I indulged him with some more thoughts I had about that night.
The other two stopped fighting as well regarding us. I knew it would irritate them even more… But anything was better than us fighting.
Me [ I think it's time we run ]
He contemplated it. I knew he was scared it would send Marcus back… Offend Michael. There had to be a reason he stood back.
Me [ Oh, baby… No. That's not how this works ]
Louis was thinking. "It's scary when you can start reading my thoughts." He whispered.
I shrugged.
Louis stood up. "Okay!"
He held out his hand, and we walked out.
I heard Marcus throw Louis's favorite glass ashtray against the wall. I glanced back when we were at the gate. They were in the doorway of the study.
"Marcus, you had me for months. You're not going to stand aside for anyone… Michael, I don't really know what you're thinking."
Michael looked peeved, actually, not like him at all. He flicked the cigarette into the grass, stomping off to his room. His dark eyes had become daggers.
Louis pulled me out the gate. Jessy was already there, waiting in a running car. Louis pushed me in, and I sat down. The fear was growing…
"He will be okay. They can spend some time together."
I missed Louis. And I actually felt guilty… spending time with him… "Can we go to the yacht?" I asked, staring aimlessly out the window.
"Sure… You heard her, Jessy. To the yacht."
Louis's hand slid onto my cheek and pulled my face towards his.
"It's the first and only time, Louis," I whispered.
He kissed me. "Thank you, baby."