Page 6 of A Curse So Cruel

This gets the exact reaction I’m hoping for, and Galen drops his hand. “Where?” There’s no humor in his voice now. The word is a command.

Swallowing hard, I hope I’m not making a terrible mistake as I whisper, “My back.”

The men are all business now. Raith takes a step away from me and lifts my shirt. Tingles race along my skin as the fabric drags against my back, and Galen moves, the pair of them staring at me.

Raith lets out a rush of air. “She’s right. She’s been selected.”

Selected.The word repeats in my head, and something about it feels…wrong, though I’m not sure why. Raith drops my shirt, and Galen spins me around, grabbing my chin. “So…curious,” he murmurs, tracing his thumb along my bottom lip.

“Galen!” The word is a harsh, clipped warning, and Galen turns his head, smirking as shadow daddy four, who I know is really named Knox, materializes from a cloud of shadows a few paces from us.Knox. Raith. Galen. Thane.I repeat their names in my head.

Oh goodie. And now it’s a party,I internalize sarcastically.

Chapter Four

~ Shade ~

“You were supposed to be taking care of her,” Knox says coldly.

He’s barely finished speaking when Thane also appears, stepping from dark shadows further to the right. I can only guess they’ve both finished whatever it is they’d planned to do with Alexander, because I don’t see him anywhere.

“Oh, we were takin’ care of her, all right,” Raith replies playfully, his hand going to my waist.

I expect Galen to tell the others about the portal ring he found on me. It can’t be usual for a human to have one, but he doesn’t say anything. Actually, I even note that he’s pocketed the memory stone, too, and I hope that’s a good sign.

“I didn’t mean for you to seduce her,” Knox snarls. “If you’re after fun, you’ll have to wait until we’re back in the shadow realm. If you haven’t wiped her memory yet, just kill her then. I don’t care. We need to get back.” His words are hard and clinical, and fear sinks into every part of me. It’s then that I realize Ihadn’t really been that scared before with Raith and Galen. I mean sure, the risk of losing my memory was there, but for some messed up reason I hadn’t really believedGalen or Raith would hurt me.Yeah, because they’re totally your mates, and those asses are supposed to be protecting you.I try not to get hung up on it.

But Knox… there’s a darkness in his eyes that tells me he would kill me without a thought. I’m nothing to him. Completely insignificant and murdering me would be faster than wiping my memory. A cold sweat breaks out over my skin, and the strange feelings of desire I have for Raith and Galen are almost overpowered by my rising panic. Almost.

Raith doesn’t release me. If anything, I swear his hold on me tightens, if that’s possible. I try not to read into it.Calm down. He probably just wants to make sure you won’t run away.But even as I think it, Galen shifts, almost like he’s trying to shield me from Knox’s view. My heart thunders, and I try to squash my hope down.

“Well, you see the amusing thing is,” Galen drawls, “the little human seems to think she’s my fated mate.”

“Only yours?” Raith challenges, his voice gruff like he’s annoyed Galen has only mentioned himself. It makes me wonder if the large man is feeling the same things that I am.

Thane’s dark brows pull down, and surprise flickers on his handsome face before it’s replaced with a hard resolve. “You know we don’t get mates.”

“Well yes, I tried to tell her she was mistaken, but I must admit, there is something…compelling about her,” Galen trails off thoughtfully.

All four men stare intensely at me, and I squirm under the weight of their attention, suddenly feeling like I’m the female main character from one of my favorite smutty books. Only in my story, the men are staring at me like I’m a spec of dirt,something to be easily discarded. At least, Knox is staring at me like that. Thane looks concerned and weary, and Galen and Raith are still looking at me like I’m their new favorite plaything.

“Do your job and wipe her memory,” Knox orders again. “We don’t have time for this.”

My lips tremble, but to my relief, Galen doesn’t move to obey him.

“You should touch her,” Raith suggests with a dark grin. “I swear, when I’m touching her all I wanna do is fuck her brains out.”

“You want to bed everyone,” Thane points out, but I don’t miss the spark of intrigue in his brown eyes.

I’m not sure what I’m expecting, but I’m surprised when Thane’s expression grows serious, and he approaches me like he’s trying not to startle a wild animal. Galen steps to the side for him, and then I’m simply standing there, craning my neck to stare up at the largest man I’ve ever seen. Thane lifts his hand in front of my face and hesitates. “May I?” His voice is gruff, but his eyes are gentle.

Hold on. Did he…ask for permission?I’m completely taken off guard, and it takes me a moment before I nod once. I mean, what else am I going to say? Besides, there’s a part of me that’s curious, too. Touching Galen and Raith felt…electric, and I lick my lips, wondering if this guy will feel the same.

Thane watches my face the entire time, and when his fingers slide down my cheek, once again the sensation of ice and fire trails down my skin. An inferno of desire ignites in Thane’s eyes, that is no doubt mimicked in my own, because just touching the man has me wanting to climb him like a tree and ride him until I’m screaming.

Whoa.I feel like I need to fan my face, but I don’t.

Thane stares at me for a long time, and then he blinks once and steps away from me. His expression is hard again,while I’m practically panting.Three? Can I really have three mates?Excitement bubbles up inside me, because being fated to three smoking hot shadow daddies sounds too good to be true. But then I remember what assholes they are, and also the information Thane gave away earlier.You know we don’t get mates.His words haunt me.What the hell is that all about anyway?And if it’s true, then why are they making me feel like an omega going through her heat.