Chapter 86

Ollie’s POV

…all of us should just forget about her.

The words haunt me even as I finish cleaning the kitchen and return down to my room, careful to avoid the brothers on my path.

Once I’m in my room, I check the clock. I only have about a half-hour to make my decision, before I need to leave in order to arrive at the cabin on time.

I’m playing with fire here. If I go, I feel like I’m giving them all of the power. Once I’m in their presence, I struggle sometimes saying no to them and their whims. But I’ll have to be strong in this case, especially because the only other alternative is to ignore them and risk being permanently ignored in return.

I don’t want to be forgotten by them, not even after I’m gone.

It’s incredibly selfish, but I want them to remember me. I want them to look back fondly on the time we were able to share together. Even if I can’t tell them the truth about me, even if I can’t stay… I want to have this. The memories. I don’t want them to be tainted with regrets.

Despite all the valid reason I’ve been collecting not to go, I have been leaning towards going anyway.

Ella’s points were convincing. Why not have fun while I still can? Besides, I do trust the brothers, so I know they just want to talk tonight. My curiosity is piqued. I really want to hear what they have to say.

I’ve been leaning on the side of going tonight, but my mind wasn’t fully made up until I heard Conrad’s comment.

Likely Conrad has just been feeling prickly since I haven’t been open in wanting to see him, but that comment still stings.

I won’t let them forget about me.

So I go to my closet and search for something to wear. I have some clothes tucked away in the very back of my closet in a trunk just for this purpose. Mostly it is filled with nightgowns and sexy underwear, but I do have a couple of plain clothes outfits just in case.

I grab one now, a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt, as well a pair of lacy black panties and a matching bra.

To my knowledge, there is no plan for sex tonight, but I still feel sexy and confident wearing the lace, even if no one else can see it. It feels like a set of armor to me, or a vital part of the disguise. When I’m wearing it, I feel like the mysterious seductress, and not like regular ole me at all.

Changed and ready, I sneak out of the estate, and make my way to the mountain and the cabin.

I sense the brothers there already as we move closer, yet no one is talking inside. At least not that I can hear.

My nerves on edge, I shift back to human form and approach the door. I lift my hand to knock, not realizing the door isn’t latched. At my first few knocks, the door swings inward on its own.

All four brothers stand from various points around the room to stare at me. I suddenly feel like I’m some kind of experiment under a microscope.

Conrad steps forward first. He’s clean shaven, wearing a nice tight black t-shirt that clings to all of his delicious muscles. Muscles, I notice, he is flexing, likely to impress me.

He doesn’t have to do that, I’m already impressed. But I appreciate the effort he’s showing.

Even as he glowers at me.

“You’re late,” he says.

I’m not and I know it. He’s just trying to gain control of this situation.

“I’m on time,” I say.

“Tonight maybe,” he says. “But you are late in reaching out to me. I had to find you on my own, and I’m not happy about it.”

“I didn’t realize it was my responsibility to cater to your wishes,” I say. “Last time I checked, you aren’t my master.”

Subtly, I notice Declan smirking.

“I’m not your master, but I am your mate,” Conrad says, stepping closer. “You should be as drawn to me as you are the others.” His voice drops lower, a growl. “Unless you want to try to deny it.”

“I can’t deny it,” I tell him. “But I refuse to be tied down. When I agreed to meet with Hugh, it was under the conditions that it was a sex-only no-strings-attached situation. That is the way I want things to stay.”

Conrad narrows his eyes. “And you think you won’t have that with me?”

“Will you keep your teeth to yourself?” I ask him. “Will you vow to me not to try to remove my mask?”

“My brothers have made these promises?” Conrad asks.

“Yes,” I tell him.

Like he doesn’t believe me, which hurts more than it should, he glances at his brothers for confirmation. They each nod in turn. Then Conrad looks back to me.

“You are our mate,” he says.

“And I can just as easily disappear,” I tell him. “Try to bite me. Try to discover my identity, and you will push me away.”

“I’ve heard you plan on leaving anyway,” Conrad says.

“Eventually,” I admit. Remembering Ella’s words, I say, “But there’s no reason to deny ourselves in the meantime.”

Conrad doesn’t like that I’m planning on leaving, that much is clear. But he doesn’t have any kind of choice in the matter, and I wish he could see that.

Either I leave now, or I leave later.

His threats or his intimidating posture isn’t going to change that for me. I am steeled against my heart, and even though I know Scarlet instinctively wants to stay with our mates, she’s already agreed with me. When the time comes, I will leave and in that distance I will learn to live without my mates.

Conrad steps closer to me again, so reminiscent of how he did in his private gym the other night. When he’d been shirtless and sweaty, and I’d nearly caught fire with lust.

I feel that same burning desire beginning to spark within me now, and without my wolf hiding my scent, Conrad must be able to scent it in the air. Immediately, his eyes take on their own flame. He haltingly starts forward, his fingers twitching, before he stops himself.

We aren’t alone here. For now, the beast within him will have to be restrained.

“I think we all just need to calm down,” Wes says diplomatically. “Conrad, maybe back up a few steps.”

Conrad growls again, but with seemingly great effort, he listens and adds a few feet between us.

Hugh fills that space at once.

“Little fox, I have an offer for you, and I think you will like it,” he says. He seems eager and excited, but then again he’s always like that a little at least.

“What is it?” I ask.

He grins. “We should go on a trip. Just you and us, all of us.”

“A trip…?” This could be a trap of some kind, where they might isolate me in hopes of seeing my true identity. But with everyone else going on trips, I’ve started to feel heart sore. I’ve never really been anywhere.

It would be nice to go somewhere, to spend some time with just my mates, before the inevitable end of all of this.

“A trip,” Hugh confirms. “Somewhere secluded and romantic. Where we can be alone.”