Bound By Four

Chapter 16

“Nice to meet you Miss Rivers” Lucian twin greeted smoothly moving out of the way giving her space to enter inside. Even though he shared the same features with Lucian she could tell how different they were from each other. He had a more controlled vibe compared to Lucian.

Cyrus turned to his twin,a question in his eyes. Elara was too busy admiring the house interior to notice the silent conversation going on between the two young men behind her. Lucian placed an arm on the small of her back gesturing her in while silently glaring at his brother.

“Nice to meet you too, other twin” she tried to joke, regretting it the second the lame joke left her lips. “Don't mind me”

Lucian felt her stiffening slightly as they entered the living room. He rubbed circles on her back to loosen her tense nerves. In the living room, Elara saw two other men who sat comfortably. She recognised the younger looking one. Adrian. And the other who she didn't recognise but she noticed the slight resemblance to the other Blackwood brothers.

A huge grin broke out on Adrian's face as he spotted her. “I was so excited when I found out that you were visiting, Miss Rivers!” He exclaimed immediately springing to his feet. “You have no idea…” his arms were already spreading to give her a hug but before he could get close to her, Lucian shoved his shoulders with a sharp elbow.

“What the f**k,dude. What was that for?” Adrian stumbled, glaring at his brother.

Lucian's jaw flexed,his arm coming to circle Elara's shoulder protectively. “ever heard of the word boundaries, Adrian? Haven't you heard that it's rude to pounce on your guest? Stupid f**k”

Elara could feel the tension in the air causing her to shift awkwardly on her feet. She felt that they had gotten into an argument before she came.

Lucian cleared his throat. “Well brothers… this is Miss Rivers and Miss Rivers,this is…Dante” he gestured to the unfamiliar face staring at her with piercing eyes. “Cyrus,my twin and Adrian.”

Elara forced a polite smile. “You can call me Elara. Miss Rivers sounds too formal. Nice to meet you all.”

Adrian who was the only one unaffected by whatever issues the Blackwood brothers were having said, “pleasure is all ours. Mine especially because I think I'm your favourite student. I even cooked for you.

“You cooked?” Elara asked, genuinely surprised. “That's so… nice. Thank you”

“You're welcome, Miss… Elara.” Adrian winked. “After all I'm a man of many talents.”

Lucian scoffed under his breath. “Yea, right”

Minutes later, they were all gathered at the long oak dining table. Elara could see that Adrian had put a great deal of effort in preparing the meal. Plates of steaming food were spread across its polished surface. Elara's mouth watered at the amount of food in front of her. She hadn't realised how hungry she was until now. The only thing she ate today was a small cracker pack with warm water.

“I hope you like it, Elara,” Adrian said smugly.

Lucian rolled his eyes, but Elara murmured a quiet “Thank you, this looks really nice, Adrian” and dug in politely.

It was difficult to enjoy the dinner with the strange air in the dining room. Lucian had told her that his brothers were eager to see her but Adrian seemed like the only eager one. She could feel Dante's cold gaze from the side but she actively ignored it trying to focus on her food alone. She wondered if there was a problem with him as he had barely touched his food.

By the time they were finished, Elara was exhausted from being the object of their intense scrutiny.

Dante suddenly stood, collecting plates into his arms. None of his brothers tried to join him in clearing the dishes and she wondered if it was like a regular thing here.

“Wait, let me help you with that,” Elara offered quickly, rising from her seat.

Lucian’s hand shot out, catching her wrist gently. “There's really no need for that. Dante likes to clean and he usually does that alone. He's kind of a tidy and control freak.

Elara hesitated, but she knew it'd be wrong to just watch him clean the dishes after she had finished eating. It just didn't feel right to her. She smiled faintly. “I usually don't feel comfortable watching someone do my dishes. I guess I'm a tidy freak too”

Dante watched the interaction with dark eyes before waving at his brother. “She can help if she wants to.” A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched irritation flicker in his brother's eyes.

Lucian sighed but let her go.

Moments later, she stood beside Dante at the sink,an apron over her dress to avoid staining the only good dress she had. The faint smell of garlic and lemon filled the air. She imagined that was how a witch lair would smell like if they existed. Dante rinsed the dishes methodically while she dried and stacked them.

He hadn't said anything since they started washing. It was too quiet.

Elara decided to break it. “So… you don't go to Blackwood Academy? I think I'd have come across you if you did.”

Dante didn't bother looking at her,his full attention fixed on the plate in his hand. “Online school” he replied in a curt tone.

“Oh.” She smiled lightly. “That's actually… interesting and strange, considering that your parents own Blackwood. Is it a personal choice or…” seeing that he wasn't going to respond she continued. “Well… if you need any help, you can ask me. I'll be happy to help.”

For the first time since they entered the kitchen,he turned to look at her fully. His eyes were pointed, and it was difficult to make out his expression , but his words cut through the air like a blade.

“What do you want with my brother,Miss Rivers?”