SHANNON’S POV As Mom’s question rang in my head and caught my breath, I thought first about the rejection with Eric at school, which was humiliating, and I had still not told her about that. Then I thought about the mating with the brothers yesterday, which was as embarrassing to me now as Eric’s rejection. There was no way I could tell Mom that I had been mated to the brothers, it would be really awkward, and Robin would be pissed I knew. Ricky had warned me not to say a word about it to my Mom or Robin anyway, threatening to kill me if I did. I felt terrible lying to my Mom. In the past, it was so easy for me to tell her anything, but now I found myself not able to tell her some things, like the mate bond with the brothers, and it ate at me. I tried to search my head for a lie tell her, but her voice pierced through my thoughts again. “Have you found your mate?” Mom repeated her question. “Uhh, no. Not yet Mom.” I said, playing with the Pad Thai in my plate. “Are you sure, Shan
SHANNON’S POV The car ride to school happened with a strange silence. Surprisingly, none of the brothers mentioned the subject of the mate bond, or the sex scenes, or the rain of insults that had come after that in the events that transpired between us yesterday. It left me confused and scared, unsure if their silence was a preparation to more complications. Seated in the back next to Jules, who seemed more engrossed in his phone than acknowledging my presence, I stole a glance at Ricky in the front seat through the rearview mirror again. His eyes met mine briefly, but he looked away, the connection between us hanging unspoken in the air. Cole, who had insisted on driving, not able to stand me, exuded an air of indifference, focused on the road ahead. It surprised me a bit, as his attitude was different to the intensity he had shown during our steamy encounter yesterday. A nagging thought of our shared moment hung in my mind, but I pushed it aside, unwilling to dwell on the strange
Shannon’s POV The weight of the students’ judgment weighed down on me as I stood there in the aftermath of my stepbrothers’ intervention. But unable to withstand the scrutiny any longer, I clutched my burger and fries still wrapped in fast-food packaging, abandoning the untouched milkshake on the table. Bowing my head in shame, I walked across the cafeteria, feeling like a lone wanderer in a hostile territory. Their eyes burned into my back as I walked out. The interference of the brothers to claim me as their own and publicly, had only widened the gap between my status as a low life and them. Out in the corridors, I walked on ignoring whispers and judgmental glances. The lingering trace of humiliation clung to me like an invisible cloth. A peasant among wolves, a freak in their eyes – the names seemed endless, and I couldn’t escape the suffocating awareness of their hate towards me. As I reached the field outside, a quiet spot away from the prying eyes, I found solace on an isolat
Shannon’s POVHearing the words “please us” come out from Cole’s mouth, immediately understood what he meant by that. From looking at them, they all wanted the same thing, and that felt disgusting from a minute.But I was desperate to get my medicine back, as it was the only one I had with me and explaining to mom that I’d lost it would bring too much questioning from her. I wasn’t ready for that, considering I was already hiding a lot from her.“Fine then.” I finally answered, feeling nervous.“Good. Let’s head to the bathroom then.” Ricky let out, his first words since appearing in the scene between Cole and I.Part of me was surprised he waited until now to say something, but then I remembered how perverted the brothers all were, and Ricky had shown he was no different from his brothers, so I should expect that.I led the way to the bathroom, and walking towards there, I could feel their eyes on my body as they trailed behind me. It was obvious they were trying to turn me to their
Shannon’s POVAs I walked toward where I could get a cab, the sound of tires squealed behind me. The brothers’ SUV pulled up, and this time, Ricky was at the wheel. His voice sliced through the air as the car slowed up beside me. “Shannon, you’re supposed to be riding home with us, get in.”I turned my face away, increasing my pace, determined to distance myself from their oppressive presence.Cole’s mocking laughter resonated from inside the SUV. “Look at her, ignoring us. What a stubborn little wolf.”Jules chimed in, “You’d think she’d be grateful we’re even offering her a ride.”Ignoring their attempts to bait me, I muttered to myself, “I’d rather take a cab.”Ricky, who had slowed the car to match my steps, sighed with evident frustration. “Shannon, Dad instructed us to take you home. Just get in.”I shook my head, refusing to acknowledge their control over me. “I’m not interested. I’ll get a cab.”Cole’s voice turned taunting, “Oh, come on, Shannon. We won’t bite… much.”Jules
Shannon’s POVI retreated to my room when the brothers were finished with me once again, then locked myself in there until I heard the sound of my mother’s voice reach me, signaling their return.“Shannon?” She called out from downstairs.With cautious steps, I emerged out of the room, knowing the boys’ torment would not go on in the presence of my mom and Robin. I knew they would not dare, no matter how they appear hostile towards me.Welcoming mom with a forced smile, I tried to hide the emotional trouble beneath me. Her warm embrace offered a huge sense of comfort, but it couldn’t erase the scars of what I endured.As we gathered in the living room, mom and Robin’s eyes widened at the sight of a bruise on my chin, a reminder of the recent encounter with the brothers.Concern appearing across mom’s face, she couldn’t help but ask, “Shannon, what happened? Did someone hurt you in school again?”The truth hung at the tip of my tongue, the desire to confide in her struggling with the f
Shannon’s POVDays passed in a tense silence since Robin’s promise to find me a protector. The anticipation weighed heavily on my mind as I eagerly waited for a trace of hope to materialize in the form of someone to defend me. Meanwhile, the brothers would continue in their relentless torment.My days remained a dreaded routine. On our way to school, they seized the opportunity to get at me. Today was no exception as we stopped at a quiet park.As the car halted near a large tree, my heart sank. I knew what awaited me — motivated by Robin’s lashing at them and their resentment for me, they meant to unleash another wave of humiliation.“Look who we got here without Mommy or her protector to save her now, our favorite plaything,” Cole sneered, the anticipation of their cruel intentions clear in his eyes as they all stepped out of the car.My heart thudded at the sound of Cole’s voice. The park had tall trees lined at the edges beside the familiar path we took to school. In the breezy fi
Shannon’s POVAs the evening progressed, the sun falling below the horizon, Robin approached me with a serious yet determined expression.“Shannon,” he began, “tomorrow is an important day. We’re going to drive you to school ourselves. We’ll introduce you to Brendan.”The weight of his words settled in the air, and a surge of excitement welled up within me. This was a vital moment—one that held a real promise of escaping from the relentless brothers.A smile tugged at the corners of my lips, and I couldn’t contain my happiness. “Thank you, Robin. I really appreciate it.”Mom chimed in with her reassuring presence. “We’ll be there with you, sweetheart. You’re not alone in this.”The prospect of facing Brendan, my designated mate and potential protector, with the support of my mom and Robin filled me with a sense of hope. It was a stark difference to the isolation and anguish I had endured at the hands of the brothers the past few days.As I prepared for bed that night, a mix of nerves