An Offer She Can't Refuse

The Lower Level

I went straight to work after the Quads took off.

Valerie and David made sure to make me feel quite welcome—Valerie gushing over me like I was her very own daughter.

"We'll be around if you need us," Valerie announced as they left me to work.

"Thank you so much and thank you for allowing me into your home," I gushed.

David smiled, "You are going to do wonders here, Sabrina."

I took off, Maggie allowing me to get to work with the first list and then the second. I didn't see much of anyone, save for a few chefs or butlers who didn't live at the estate. I made my way through the corridors and rooms like I already knew the place. I was a quick learner, but this was ridiculous.

"How old is this house?" I asked Maggie when we ran into each other during a quick laundry room session, "I know it's modernized, but it feels like it has an old soul."

Maggie beamed like I'd said something award-winning and inspiring.

"Oh, Miss Sabrina! This home has been here since the late 1700′s, I think 1782."

"Holy cow! Has it always been in the Calhoun family?"

"Yes, it has," She smiled, "You really are intuitive."

I didn't really feel that intuitive. I was hearing voices and fainting. Rayanne checked on me quite a bit. I asked her if she had gone to the same college as Quinn was attending and if she worked at the same hospital, but she as eerily vague.

"I am sorry if I'm nosey," I lowered my gaze, "I have never really had too many people to chat with."

"Oh honey, it's fine," Rayanne said, "I am a holistic doctor, but I did practice and yes, I do have a degree from Aurora, actually."

"That's nice. I thought about going back to Aurora to go to school, but I am not sure."

"Guess you have some time?"

"I think so," I nodded, "Mr. Calhoun has been very generous with his offer."

"He's a good man," Rayanne said, "You still feeling OK? I can give you a care package that I think you'll enjoy!"

"Oh, please do! That lavendar tea knocked me right out."

When she was gone, I tended to the chore list—getting a couple of silly messages from the Quads throughout the day.

It felt strange, tho, and it felt nice. I shouldn't have been helplessly attracted to them in such a way that I wanted to spend every second of my life with them. I hated that they were gone and my heart sank when they said goodbye that morning.

I was wandering mindlessly throughout the house, texting them on my afternoon break—texting Tina who was sending me silly memes all day to keep my spirits up.

I went down another staircase and found myself in the basement.

"Well, this isn't on the list, but I can take a peek."

Stepping through the door, I looked inside to nothingness. It was dark and damp with a few boxes strewn here and there so I walked around for a few minutes, scrolling social media. What a joke. I shouldn't have even had social media when I had no friends to be social with.

I leaned against the wall and rested my head. I was just about to walk out of the room when a light caught my eye.

Turning to face it, I noticed a small stone jutting out of the wall near the far corner of the basement.

"I wonder..." I shoved my phone in my pocket and crept over, tapping the stone and then pushing on it, "Silly, Sabrina..it's not a hidden..."

"AHH!" I found myself fumbling through the hole in the wall, the small- hidden in plain sight- stone door pushed itself out of the way and I went falling into another room, a room full of items.

It had another set of stairs and after picking myself up I slowly tiptoed down the steps and into this hidden room.

"What the hell?"

It looked to be antiques and old books, baby toys and photos, things that would pay my way through fifteen different student loans.

"Woah," I looked at old paintings, paintings that looked like the town.

"It's Maxwell High..." I didn't dare touch anything. I would die if I damaged something.

I noticed what looked to be baby books and pictures of the Quads when they were kids.

"Sabrina..."

I yelped.

"Hello?"I looked back at the open door, "I'm in here! I'm sorry—I got lost and I..."

"Sabrina..."

The voice wasn't coming from the entrance—it was coming from the far end of the packed room.

"Wh-who's there?" I trembled so hard I thought I was stuck in my spot.

I found myself moving through all of the items, pushing boxes and rocking chairs, lamps and books out of the way until I reached a mirror. It had beautiful markings around the edges, but it was so dusty.

"Where are you? Am I going crazy?"

"Sabrina..." The mirror was vibrating, almost misting over.

That wasn't dust. That was a mist—or a fog billowing inside of the mirror.

"They are drugging me!" I turned around and ran into Maggie and Rayanne.

"Get the f**k away from me!" I pushed passed them and made my way as fast as I could to the door when I was grabbed from behind by Maggie.

"Just do it now!" Maggie said, "We can't lose her."

"No! Get away from me! Get off of me!" I struggled in her grip which was incredibly strong, "Leave me alone!" I yelled and kicked, punching Maggie in the face until she dropped to the floor, "I knew something was wrong here! I knew the Quads didn't want me here for something good."

Rayanne stood in front of me with her hands out as if she was molding something in thin air.

"W-what are you doing?" I tried to move, "What's wrong with my feet... Don't do this! Please...what are you? Who are you?"

I was about to crumble to the floor when the door was pushed all the way open and the Quads came rushing in. Before Xander could even try to talk, I slapped him across the face.

"How could you?! How could you drug me and take me here? What? To be your little slave for god knows how long?!"

The other brothers looked at me as if they were ashamed or remorseful for what they were doing to me.

"I hate all of you!"

"Cupcake.."

"Don't you dare! At least I figured you all out before I got sucked into whatever you're doing. I do not want to stay here! I break the contract," I knew that I was trapped. Clearly they were all in on this trafficking business.

"What about the voice, Sabrina?" Xander asked me, stepping closer, "What is it saying? Where is it coming from?"

"You drugged me and that's why I'm hearing voices!"

"Not when you were little and we're not drugging you, baby girl," Sebastian said.

"Stop calling me pet names! I'm not your girl!" I was getting so mad. So mad that I could feel the ground move underneath me and the others could, too.

"f**k, maybe she is ready..." Hudson said as Valerie and David appeared, watching as I stood there with my eyes closed, my fists clenched and the ground moving underneath us.

"We can't!" David said, "She isn't ready."

"David," Valerie pleaded, "Something is calling to her from beyond the veil. You know it, too. Something is happening!"

"Look at what she's already capable of," Q said as if he was admiring me, "She even healed Xander."

"What?!" I opened my eyes, tears streaming down my face, "Have you all gone mad?!"

"f**k this!" Xander took me into his arms and gazed into my eyes, his green orbs turning dark gold right in front of me, "You need to know who you are before I tell you what you are and what you can become.."

"What the hell are you?" I asked him, not taking my eyes off of his, "Please don't hurt me."

He turned to his brothers who had surrounded us and I looked at them and their eyes...their eyes were the same dark gold as Xander's.

"I would never hurt you, Sabrina. I would gladly take my own life before hurting our precious mate."