Chapter 38: 38: Gift Of Simplicity
My eyes widened into the size of saucers.
"How did you―"
"Come on, Briar, did you really think I was stupid?" Violet said with a scoff and a roll of her eyes. She roughly let go of my chin and stood to her full height. Standing in front of the mirror, she adjusted her bra strap carefully. "The whole pack knows it. Everyone is just pretending not to know because the Alphas refuse to acknowledge you as their mate."
She smugly glanced at me through the reflection of the full-length mirror.
"Besides, they’ve already chosen their Luna― me. There’s no need to mention insignificant fated mates in this case. They would just be risking upsetting me."
I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists on the carpet. What she said was true. There was no good reason to bring up the fact that I was the triplet Alphas’ fated mate. They would never make me their Luna anyway.
However, there would still be doubts in their mind. I bet good money that those very same doubts plagued Violet, too.
I smirked, looking at her defiantly.
"I wonder why I am still kept here then," I said, my voice not loud, but enough for Violet to catch easily. Her movements paused, and her expression turned rigid.
"It’s your punishment," Violet hissed. "You are here to suffer, knowing that you are unwanted, no matter where you go. Even your fated mates don’t want you."
"Do they really?" I said, my grin only turning wider as Violet’s face turned redder. She was quickly starting to resemble a tomato, and I knew I struck a nerve. "Rowan and Soren have not touched you, have they?"
Violet gritted her teeth, her hands clenched tightly into fists.
Bingo.
I had my suspicions when I realized their nightly escapades often didn’t bring the same sort of pain I often felt whenever Rowan or Soren had physical intimacy with Violet. The pain varied, and after a period of observation, I realized a pattern― the more painful it was for me, the more intimate they were.
The only exception was Cassian, whom I didn’t experience much pain for, even when he was physically intimate with Violet. The only explanation I had was that I had not slept with him. Perhaps a part of our fated bond hadn’t been fully awakened, especially since we weren’t actually bonded or mated.
Violet could deny all she wanted, but when she raised her hand to strike me across the face once more, I knew that I had hit the nail right on the head. My theory was correct. Strangely, it brought me a wave of satisfaction. No wonder Violet had to parade around them in such skimpy lingerie every night.
"They have touched me plenty!" she all but screeched.
Her eyes turned venomous, and I could practically see the cogs in her head spinning before she took a deep breath and straightened her posture.
"Perhaps you would like to see it for yourself," she cooly said. With a click of her fingers, two female omegas entered the room. Violet gestured to her closet and said, "Dress her in that beige one. Now."
The omegas followed her orders without another word. I struggled against them, but they easily tore my clothes off me, stripping me down before forcing the lingerie on me. Once I was dressed, Violet huffed.
"Come," Violet said. "We shan’t keep the Alphas waiting."
When I refused to get up on my feet, two warriors entered the room, hoisting me up by my underarm. I was forcibly dragged towards the Alphas’ door. Violet knocked, and when a voice came from inside, she pushed it open without another word.
"My Alphas!" she cooed.
Immediately, she headed straight for Rowan. I was flagged into the room right behind her before being roughly chucked on the floor. The omegas who dragged me in bowed, quickly exiting the room and closing the door behind them.
Violet waited to make sure I had lifted my head before she leaned in, pressing her lips against Rowan’s. She kissed him passionately, her hands roaming his muscular, broad chest before straddling him. Almost instantly, a sharp prick spread through my chest. It was painful, but still bearable for now. Yet, it still quickly caused my forehead to break out in a thin sheen of sweat.
When she finally pulled apart, her eyes darted down to eye Rowan’s crotch. Her lips curled into a satisfied smirk when she noticed the bulge, turning to look at me triumphantly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"Violet, darling," Cassian said. He made his way over to Rowan and Violet, tenderly holding her cheek. "Tell me again why you’ve decided to let the debby downer watch this evening?"
"I thought she might be lonely," Violet said, biting her bottom lip. "She’s always standing outside every night, and I thought she might be interested in watching. This might be the only chance she’s got at witnessing a mated bond."
Cassian’s eyebrows immediately knitted themselves together in irritation, but Violet worked quickly. She slithered up from Rowan’s lap, trailing a manicured finger seductively down the side of his face. Her other hand reached for his belt buckle, expertly removing it in one quick motion. Cassian’s eyes immediately fogged over with lust, and his lips were about to meet Violet’s when Rowan suddenly scoffed from where he sat.
"And you thought that dressing her in a set of lingerie would be the best course of action?" he asked. His eyes were trained on me, and even though he had seen me in my birthday suit before, I still tried to cover myself to the best of my abilities.
Rowan’s piercing gaze was causing my stomach to flip and somersault, and I didn’t like the sort of effect he had on me. The longer he stared, the longer my lower belly started to warm up.
Across the room, Soren had been quiet this entire time. However, I could also see his gaze on me. When he realized I was looking, he pinched his lips together and forcibly looked away, choosing to stare out the window instead.
"I-I..." Violet stammered, caught off guard by Rowan’s question. "I thought that you might’ve wanted her to watch as well," she finally said, though her voice got noticeably softer, "as punishment."
Her eyes moved between three points― Rowan, Soren, and finally, me. Then, it seemed as though a lightbulb had been switched on in her head. Her lips opened and closed like a gaping fish out of water.
Rowan scoffed.
He said, "In that case, Luna Violet, you most certainly have the gift of simplicity."
Rowan stood up to his full height and crossed the room. With his long strides, it took no more than mere seconds before he was right in front of me. He said nothing else, simply reaching down to grab me by my upper arm before hauling me to my feet.
"W-Wait―"
"Alpha Rowan, where are you going?" Violet asked, urgent.
As though he didn’t hear any of us, Rowan strode straight out of the door, tugging me along. The door slammed shut behind us.
