novelraw Chapter 96: Sharing
Chapter 96: Sharing
Third person’s POV
After the last of Scarlett’s damp clothes were discarded, she lay pale and flushed against the sheets, her body vibrating with the force of the fever.
Leon growled inwardly, a low, guttural sound that vibrated in his chest. His eyes traveled over her—the curve of her waist, the flush across her ribs, and her nipples, hardened from the cold sweat and the intensity of the fever. It was a sight that should have been sacred, but seeing his brothers gawking at her—at his mate—made his blood boil. He felt a sharp spike of irritation, his wolf snapping at the boundary of his self-control.
Leo didn’t wait for permission. He moved onto the mattress, his naked skin coming into full contact with hers. The moment their bodies met, Scarlett let out a broken, needy moan that echoed through the silent room.
Liam and Leon stood frozen, naked. Each of them felt a violent urge to tear Leo away, the word Mine screaming in their minds. To them, Leo was an intruder, a brother overstepping a boundary he didn’t even know existed.
Suddenly, Scarlett’s eyes snapped open.
They weren’t the eyes of the girl they knew. They were glazed, glowing with a feverish, golden light that spoke of an ancient power—and a desperate, mating hunger. Before Leo could speak, she surged upward, her hands tangling in his hair as she crashed her lips against his.
Liam and Leon moved instinctively, their hands reaching out to separate them, their faces twisted in a possessive fury. But as they pulled Leo back, Scarlett let out a frustrated cry. Her hand shot out, grabbing the front of Liam’s neck and pulling him down into the space Leo had just vacated. She kissed him with a frantic, starving intensity that left Liam breathless, his wolf purring in a way that felt like a victory.
But she wasn’t done. She rolled toward Leon, her fingers digging into his arms as she claimed his mouth next. The kiss was slow, deep, and tasted of the salt on her skin.
The brothers finally managed to pull back, standing in a tense, panting circle around the bed. Scarlett immediately began to thrash on the silk sheets, her body arching as a whimper of pure distress left her lips.
"She wants to be touched," Liam rasped, his voice sounding worried. "She’s looking for a touch... for a male."
Leo’s eyes flashed with a panicked, territorial light. She is my mate, he thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. Only I should be the one to settle her. Only I have the right.
"I know we aren’t her mates," Leon lied, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. He looked at his brothers, his expression hiding his pain. "But we are here. We have to help her survive this peak."
Leon hated the words even as he said them. He wanted to scream the truth—to announce to the world that she was his—but he couldn’t. Not this way.
"Leon is right," Liam added, though his jaw was so tight it looked like it might break. "This means nothing. It’s a medical necessity. After tonight, we never talk about this again."
It means everything, Leo told himself, his wolf howling in agony at the thought of his brothers laying hands on his woman. She is mine.
"She isn’t herself," Leon warned. "Make sure you don’t go further than helping her cool down. If I see anyone cross a line..."
"I’ll go first," Leo growled, unable to stand the distance any longer.
He climbed back onto the bed, reaching for her. The second his arms wrapped around her waist, Scarlett turned into him, her lips finding his again. A synchronized moan escaped both of them—a sound of relief and recognition.
On the other side of the bed, Liam and Leon watched, their hands clenched into fists. To them, it was torture. They were forced to stand by and watch another man hold their mate, trapped in a silent agreement that was built on a foundation of lies.
Leo’s turn ended with a panting breath. He pulled away from her, his sea-blue eyes dark with a mix of satisfaction and agony. He moved to the foot of the bed, his body vibrating as he watched Leon take his place. Leon was methodical, pressing his warm skin against her cold side, his hands trembling as he held her. Scarlett sought him out, her lips grazing his shoulder, murmuring words that were lost to the fever.
They kissed passionately, and Leon could feel his cock hardening, but he didn’t care that his brothers could see it.
"Time’s up!" Liam spat, pulling Leon away.
He climbed onto the bed, his presence larger and more aggressive than the other two. The moment his chest met her back, Scarlett let out a high, broken sound. The mate bond in his blood was no longer a hum; it was a deafening roar. He didn’t just want to cool her down; he wanted to claim her. He wanted to leave a mark that his brothers could never erase.
As Scarlett arched her back, seeking friction, Liam lost his grip on reality. His head dipped, his mouth finding the flushed, aching peak of her breast. He took her nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling against the hardened bud with a possessive hunger that was far beyond "medical necessity."
Scarlett’s moan was louder this time—sharp, primal, and full of a pleasure that shouldn’t have belonged to a brother.
Leon’s control snapped like a dry twig.
"I said don’t cross the line!" Leon’s voice wasn’t a growl; it was a roar of pure, unadulterated rage.
Before Liam could even swallow the sound Scarlett made, Leon surged across the bed. He grabbed Liam by the shoulder, his fingers digging into the muscle like claws, and ripped him away from her body. As Liam tumbled back onto the floor, Leon didn’t wait for him to find his footing.
His fist connected with Liam’s jaw. The force of the blow sent Liam’s head snapping to the side, blood spraying across his own naked chest.
"Stay away from her!" Leon hissed, his eyes glowing with anger. He stood over his brother, his chest heaving, his naked form trembling. "You touch her like that again, and I’ll kill you myself. Brother or not."
Liam wiped the blood from his lip, a dark, challenging smile spreading across his face as he looked up. "You’re awfully protective of someone who ’isn’t your mate,’ Leon. What’s the matter? Jealous that she screamed louder for me than she did for you?"