Page 7 of Owned by Four Alphas (Silverthorn Alphas #2)

How had she done that. How had that been possible? An entire marble statue reduced to rubble and dust.

She hadn’t meant to do it. She had just been so angry , it was like there was lightning in her veins, thunder in her voice. Something old, something ancient, begging to break free. Her father’s face had filled her head, the memory of the dream, of the forest, of the fire. Her vision of the Forest God had smiled, and her magic had exploded.

It was still there, sparking in her fingertips, silver embers dancing over her skin. She wrestled with it, shoved it back down, tears falling freely as she raced through the corridors of the palace.

She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t particularly care, either. It was dark, streaked with sudden, violent brightness every time lightning struck outside and flashed through the windows. The thunder rumbled in a steady, aggressive rhythm and the rain poured down from the skies.

The library. She realized she was running towards the library.

The library was good. Nobody would be visiting during the feast. And perhaps there would be something there, some book or scroll, that could explain what in all the gods’ names had just happened. Why she had seen his face. Why she was dreaming about him at all.

Normally she would have asked Elian, but…

She shook her head, gritting her teeth and forcing her feet to run faster.

“Selena!”

She stumbled to a halt down one of the many corridors, her shoes slipping slightly against the polished marble.

Ronan. Of course. Not all of her mates had enraged her today.

She turned around just to see Ronan skidding round a corner, stopping abruptly when he saw her.

She couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her.

He closed the distance between them in seconds, scooping her up into his arms as all the tension and frustration exploded out of her in a series of increasingly loud wails.

“It’s alright, sweetness, I’ve got you now. I’ve got you,” he murmured as he drew soothing circles across her back with his huge hand, cradling her against his chest like a babe. She only sobbed harder, twisted her fingers into the soft material of his shirt, pressing her face into his neck to try and stem the flow of tears.

“Is she okay?”

It was Malek, materializing in front of Ronan, his wonderfully gentle shadows encasing them all.

“A-a-are the oth-others coming t-too?” she hiccupped, twisting her head to look at Malek.

He shook his head, his jaw clenching, “No. At least, I don’t think so.”

“They won’t if they know what’s good for them,” Ronan growled, his grip tightening on her, protective and caring. “Unless you want them to come?”

“No!” she said quickly, rearing back, “I… no. I don’t want to see them. Not yet.”

“That’s fine, sweetness, whatever you want,” Ronan said. “Now where were you running off to in such a hurry? This isn’t the way to our chambers.”

She sniffled, curling as close into him as she could. “The library. I wanted some peace. And some answers.”

Even without seeing them, she knew Ronan and Malek were exchanging silent words. It annoyed her to be left out, so she pushed against Ronan’s chest.

“It’s fine, I’m fine, I can walk.”

“Sweetness, you’re still crying.”

“No, I’m not,” she said, somewhat petulantly, hastily rubbing her tears away. “See? Not crying.”

“You are very much still crying.”

“I can cry and walk at the same time!”

“Selena,” Ronan’s voice was pained, “please just let me carry you?”

She paused, ready to argue again, but when she peered into his bright yellow eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to.

“Alright. But only until we get to the library.”

Ronan carried her, with Malek shielding them all in his shadows, and the gentle gait of his walk calmed her enough that her heart rate slowed and the tension in her shoulders began to ease.

And with the receding shock came the sharp realization of what she had just done.

“Is everyone alright?” she asked suddenly, remembering the dancers and those closest to the statue.

“Nobody was hurt,” replied Ronan, “it was just a shock. That is all.”

“Kaelen is handling the fallout,” supplied Malek before she could ask.

“Of course he is,” she muttered, familiar frustration coiling in her gut.

“Don’t worry about any of them,” said Ronan as Malek pushed open the huge carved doors to the library. “We can deal with it all later.”

The library was blessedly empty, the towering shelves of books illuminated by the soft glow of a crackling fire. Selena breathed in the familiar scent of parchment and ink, straining her feet towards the plush furs.

“You can put me down now, Ronan. You promised.”

“Aye, sweetness, no need to remind me.” His tone was teasing, but the muscles of his arms were tense as he carefully set her down, his eyes narrow and watchful.

She sucked in a breath. “Are you…I mean…are both of you okay?”

Ronan and Malek exchanged another glance, their expressions growing somber.

“I do not like to see you in distress,” said Malek after a while. “It…agitates me.”

She instinctively moved to hug him, burying her face into the black fabric over his chest.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured as he dipped lower to wrap his arms around her, his lips pressing into the top of her head.

“It’s not your fault, sweetness,” Ronan grunted. “It’s those idiots, Kaelen and Elian. Things can get complicated when the males causing your mate distress also happen to be your pack brothers, and her mates as well. There’s the alpha instinct to rip apart any who threaten her , but also the pack instinct to mend and bond. It’s…confusing.”

Malek rumbled in agreement, his arms tightening and his head dropping to her shoulder. She turned her face, capturing his lips in a kiss, heat coiling low in her belly as he keened and pressed himself closer.

“That helps,” he said, pulling back slightly, his wholly black eyes twinkling. She ran her fingers through the short black hair at the back of his head, tracing where his antlers sprung from his skull, brushing over his forehead where the moon-white skin cracked and grayed into black around his edges.

He looked near ready to devour her as she stepped out of the circle of his arms, his claws tightening ever so slightly on her hips.

“Thank you,” she turned to Ronan, “both of you. For getting me safely here. If it’s alright, I’d like to be alone for a little while. Get my head around…everything.”

Ronan pulled her back into his chest, one hand splaying over her stomach, the other reaching up to tilt her chin back. She gasped as he leaned down to kiss her, dominant and forceful. His tongue swept against her bottom lip, demanding entry, and she obliged, letting him claim her mouth entirely.

Only when the hand at her stomach started to drift higher, to the soft flesh of her breast, did she make a noise of protest and pull against him. His eyes were stormy as he gazed down at her.

“Will you not let us take you right here, sweetness?” he rumbled, his hand tightening against her breast, his thumb brushing against her stiffening nipple, “You look good enough to eat.”

She considered it for a moment, the ache between her thighs pulsing, but ultimately shook her head.

“Later, come back later. I really need some time alone. I have some…some things to think through.”

Namely, why she kept having dreams and visions of her father.

Ronan looked skeptical, but Malek grasped his arm. “Of course, Selena. Just…don’t leave the library, okay?” He glanced at the huge vaulted windows, at the rain lashing against them, the thunder cracking and roaring. “There’s something strange in the air tonight. We’ll come for you in a few hours.”

She nodded, his words coiling in her stomach, sending a shudder through her. Her mates left, Ronan more reluctantly than Malek, and she was alone.

With absolutely no clue where to start.

Turning slowly, she took in the huge shelves, the thousands of books, biting at her lower lip. Without her mates, the shelves suddenly loomed above her, arching towards the ceiling. The dancing shadows cast by the fire morphed and jumped, catching in the corner of her eye.

Her heartbeat quickened, her hands shook ever so slightly.

A log cracked in the fire, and she squealed, whirling around in fright.

It was nothing. She shook her head.

“Honestly, Selena,” she said to herself, a hand on her heaving chest, “get a hold of yourself!”

“Might I be of assistance?”

She screamed and stumbled backwards in fright, her arms shooting out to brace against the inevitable fall.

“Whoa, easy there.” The male—she thought it was a male—caught her by the arm and helped her steady herself. “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to shock you!”

She spun around to see a guilty-looking Fae backing away with his hands raised. He was short, only half a head taller than her, and his frame looked slight beneath the billowing blue robes worn by the palace servants. She sniffed, her body instantly relaxing.

Omega. He was an omega.

“No, please don’t apologize,” she said, smoothing her hands over her crumpled dress, her cheeks heating at how ridiculous she was being. “I guess I’m just a little…jumpy tonight.”

The male tilted his head, his eyes widening as he suddenly dropped to the floor in a kneel, “Your Highness!” he sputtered. “Forgive me, I did not recognize you at first.”

“No, no, please, you don’t have to kneel.” She grasped his wrist and pulled him upwards, brushing escaped strands of dark hair out of her face. “Selena is fine. Just Selena.”

His eyes darted around, his fingers twitching, as if expecting Kaelen to come roaring out of the darkness at him. Selena couldn’t help the slight burst of amusement at the mental image. Kaleen was much more likely to lecture a servant to death over impropriety than anything else.

“I’m very sorry to have startled you Your Highn—Selena—I’ll leave you in peace.”

He turned to scurry away, but she reached out again. “No, wait, please! You’re a librarian, right? That’s why you’re here?”

He nodded slowly. “Y-yes, I am. I just came up to check on the fires, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

He made to leave again, and she huffed in annoyance. “Please wait, I could use your help.”

The male stuttered in shock, wringing his hands, “Let me fetch the Keeper for you, I’m sure he’s much better suited to—”

“No, don’t disturb him, he’ll be busy at the celebrations. Besides,” she wrinkled her nose, remembering the stony looks he seemed intent on throwing her, “I’m not sure he likes me all that much.”

He huffed out a laugh. “He doesn’t seem to like anyone all that much.”

“So you’ll help me?”

The male sighed, glancing around the empty library, his scent nervous and scared. “Won’t your…I mean, are you allowed to be alone with another male?”

“I’m allowed to do whatever I want, thank you very much!”

He winced, “I’m sorry, Your Hi—Selena. That’s not what I meant. Of course you may do as you please. It’s just that…”

Realization hit her, “Oh, don’t worry about my mates. They can be protective for sure, but they’re not unreasonable.”

For the most part.

He didn’t seem much reassured by her words, but when he looked back at her eager face, she sensed his resolve start to crumble slightly. “What can I assist you with?”

She gestured to the towers of books, the dark aisles and rows that stretched out. “I’m looking for information about the Forest God. Or his magic. Or…visions.”

The male’s eyebrow twitched upwards. “Visions?”

“Yes, visions. Visions and dreams. Of gods. Er…sorry. I know that’s not very specific.”

“You’d be surprised,” the male said with a huff of laughter. “Alright. Books about visions and dreams and magic. I know a few places we can get started.”