Mated to Three Demon Brothers

Chapter 3

When my eyes opened, I sat up. The room was different. I looked down to find I was wearing a satin teddy and lacy black underwear. It wasn't a dream then. More like a nightmare. I stood and rushed to the bathroom. I felt my insides churn and I threw up into the toilet.

"Mistress? Are you okay?" I looked up at a woman in a maid's outfit and her eyes widened. "I'll fetch the young masters." She rushed from the room in a flurry and I sunk to the ground. I barely managed to keep upright enough to continue to lean over the toilet bowl. The cold tile floor on my legs made me shiver. I heard a bang and then Seth ran into the room. His eyes were flared up in anger, but they calmed when they saw me. He knelt next to me.

"Mate. Are you alright?" I shook my head softly. Belinos was the next to arrive and, lastly, was Levi with the maid. Seth stood. "Call for a doctor. Right now." The woman rushed off and Belinos crouched next to me. He reached out and touched my forehead.

"What does a fever feel like?" He asked Levi, who frowned deeply. Being full demons, they had never gotten sick before. "What can we do for you?" He asked me and I simply shut my eyes. What they could do was disappear. None of them had even asked me what I wanted. I hadn't said one word to them yet. Still, they had made me their mate and done those things to me.

"Athena." I opened my eyes as Levi crouched next to me. "Talk to us. Tell us what we can do. You are our mate. We will do whatever you need." Belinos nodded.

"Leave." I managed to squeak out and they all flinched. They looked at each other and then back to me. It was the first thing I had ever said to them.

"Let's give her space until the doctor gets here," Seth said, and though they frowned deeply, both Bel and Levi stood. "I'll have someone take care of you for now." His eyes were sad as he motioned his brothers to follow him out of the bathroom. I was joined by a maid shortly after who helped me get back to the bed. I looked down at my right shoulder and touched the symbol on my skin. This is my life now. I never asked for this.

When the doctor arrived, the boys returned to the room. I ignored them as the doctor looked me over. He frowned as he sat back. He turned to the boys.

"She's fine. Quite healthy in fact." He said and they all looked at each other. "I would say this was triggered more by emotion. Have you all had a fight?" He looked at the symbols on my shoulders and I covered them with my hands. I looked down at the bed and took a little comfort in my arms wrapped around myself. I heard a deep growl.

"Out," Seth said, and the doctor stood and left the room quickly. He stepped over and sat on the bed next to me. "Mate. What's wrong?" I bit my tongue to keep from responding. I didn't feel like dying today. "Athena." Belinos stepped up to the other side of the bed and crouched to look up at me. He met my eyes and his widened.

"You hate us, don't you?" I shut my eyes and there were three growls.

"Just kill me," I whispered, and I felt the air still around me. Like time had come to a halt.

"Why would we do that?" Levi asked as his voice moved closer. "You are our mate."

"You never asked me!" I shouted finally as the emotions got too much to keep pushing down. I dropped my hands. "No one asked me!" I opened my eyes to see their stunned expressions.

"You reacted to us," Seth said, as if thinking out loud.

"And that gives you a right to claim me?!" He flinched harshly. "Either kill me or get out." The brothers looked at each other and then stood and left the room without another word. I heard brief shouting outside the door before it faded away. I laid down and buried my face into the pillow of the bed. I didn't want to be mated at all. Now I was mated to three full demons. This was the worst. I cried my eyes out. I was vaguely aware of the door opening softly several times as I wept.

Once my tears finally dried up, I fell asleep on the bed against the pillow now soaked in my tears. When I woke up again, I came around slowly. I could hear voices and I kept my eyes closed and my breathing even.

"What are we going to do? We can't just let her hate us." I heard Belinos say.

"Why would she hate us? We can give her everything she could want and satisfy her needs better than anyone." Levi said with a growl.

"We didn't ask her though," Seth said with a sigh. "She's right. We were selfish. We wanted her, but she's only half-demon. She doesn't understand our world." I shifted slightly and opened my eyes. All three of the boys were looking at me. I looked down at the bed. "Athena." I looked up as Seth crouched to be more at eye level with me. "We should talk. Why don't you come to eat something?"

"Now you want to talk?" I glared at him and he sighed softly.

"Mate. Please," Belinos said as he sat on the bed. "Let us explain. I don't think you understand what happened yesterday."

"I'm not hungry."

"Bullshit," Levi said as he stepped forward. "Don't starve yourself. It's a slow awful death." I didn't even look up at him and he growled. "Get her something to wear and tell them to make food."

"What sort of food?" A woman said, and he growled as I looked up at him.

"Anything. Make a bunch of stuff." Seth said, and the woman nodded and left. He sighed softly as he stood once more. "Bel, I need you to get father. You are the only one he won't scream at for interrupting him." Belinos nodded and stood to leave. "Levi go calm down. It's no good to be so angry with our mate." Levi grumbled, but left with Belinos. "Please just get ready and come eat something. Even if you have no intention of listening to us. There are much easier ways to die." I frowned as he left the room.

The maid returned with a few options, and I wasn't surprised that all the sizes were correct. I had a feeling I knew exactly who had told them all of that. My mother was probably over the moon right now. I got dressed in the least revealing outfit. A crop top and low-rise jeans. Why did all the outfits show off skin? I followed the maid downstairs. I would have certainly gotten lost without her guiding me. The place was huge. When we entered the dining room, the table was filled with all kinds of food. The demon brothers were seated and waiting for me. Seth jumped up and pulled the chair at the head of the table out for me. With a sigh, I stepped over and sat down.

"Athena." I looked at Belinos and his face was sad. "Do you truly hate us?"

"Hate is a strong word," I said softly. I didn't hate them per se. I hated this situation. I hated that no one had cared about my opinion. "I don't know you well enough to hate you or like you." He flinched softly at my words, as if I had slapped him. Seth sat down with a hard sigh.

"Do you realize what happened yesterday?" He asked as he trained those red eyes on mine.

"You all decided to take me as your mate without asking anyone else."

"Do you know why?" Levi asked, and I looked at him. I frowned deeply. Why? Did they need a reason?

"Athena, we felt a bond with you," Belinos said, and I looked at him.

"A bond?" I hadn't heard of such a thing before.

"I figured you would be in the dark," Seth said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not this much though. Did your mother teach you anything about demons?" I shrugged softly.

"What does that matter? I don't fit in with demons. Most of them shun me just because I am half-human. I can't be with humans either, because it can be dangerous. I don't belong anywhere." Levi slammed his hand on the table as he stood and I flinched. Seth growled deeply at him and I watched his eyes flare with power.

"Sit. Down." Seth growled the words out so harshly it almost rumbled the air itself. Levi cowered instantly and sat down once more. "Your temper is showing, brother. Get it under control. You are scaring her." What an odd thing to hear from a rage demon. He depended on his own anger for power. He looked at me. "Anger should be well controlled. It's alright to get angry, but when you lash out because you lose your temper, then it's an issue." He explained to my confused look. I guess that made sense. He dealt with anger so much that he saw people flying off the handle as weakness.

"Who has shunned you?" Levi said and I looked back at him. "Give me their names and I will have a talk with them."

"I don't think she wants vengeance," Belinos said, and Levi scowled at him. "What she needs is to understand where we are coming from.