WHY CHOOSE?

My Triplet Husbands 2

My pulse thundered in my ears. I hadn’t even recovered from Magnus’s mark, and now Daemon loomed in front of me like a predator circling prey. His aura pressed down on me, suffocating, dark.

In a single motion, his arm hooked around my waist, jerking me against him so roughly that I stumbled forward, gasping. His grip was cruel and unrelenting, forcing my body flush against his.

Before I could catch my breath, I felt the brush of his lips at my neck—right over the tender spot-- exactly where Alpha Magnus had taken me. My stomach dropped. Then pain flared as his fangs sank into my skin, sharper, deeper than Alpha Magnus’ had been.

I cried out softly, knees buckling, my body trembling against him. My head swam with dizziness, and I didn’t know if it was from the blood loss or the strange pull of the soul-bond ripping through me. Just one more, Emerald. Just one more.

Alpha Daemon growled against my throat, savoring the bite, before tearing his mouth away. His grip on my waist tightened as he devoured my lips in a bruising, merciless kiss. My head spun violently as our blood mingled between us, the metallic tang of it spreading through my mouth, burning its way into every nerve.

My knees nearly gave way, but his hold only tightened, keeping me trapped against him like he enjoyed watching me struggle to withstand it.

When he finally pulled back, I was left gasping, lightheaded, my vision blurring at the edges. Alpha Daemon dragged his thumb slowly across his mouth, wiping the smear of blood from his lips. His eyes glinted darkly, curiosity mingling with hunger, as if the bond had only whetted his appetite.

A shiver coursed through me. His gaze promised one thing—he would enjoy using me, testing me, breaking me, piece by piece.

And then, as the oracle's voice rose again, the next Alpha stepped forward.

Alpha Cassian.

Our eyes locked, and a tremor went through me so violently that I nearly staggered where I stood. His gaze was nothing like Magnus’s cold impatience or Daemon’s predatory hunger. No—Cassian’s eyes brimmed with something worse. Loathing. His sharp, brown eyes, different from his brothers, dragged over me as though I were filth beneath his boots, and every second of his stare told me he despised being here, despised me. I could feel it.

The oracle’s voice cut through the heavy silence.

“Do you, Emerald Ukilah, offer your body and soul, with everything you possess, to Alpha Cassian Ravencourt?”

I forced the words out, barely above a whisper.

“…I do.”

“And do you vow to be a submissive wife all the days of your life?”

His eyes held mine the entire time, mocking me, daring me to falter. My lips trembled, but I managed, “I do.”

“And do you, Alpha Cassian Ravencourt, take Emerald Ukilah as your wife and soulmate?”

His answer came sharp, cutting, without hesitation. “I do.” The words were more a command than a vow.

The oracle gave the final decree, heavy as a death toll.

“You may now seal the bond with the Soul-Tie Kiss.”

I wanted to run. My knees threatened to buckle. But Cassian didn’t give me the chance.

He closed the distance in a stride, one hand clamping brutally around my jaw, forcing my face up to his. His grip was iron, painful, making me wince as his fingers dug into my skin. There was no care, no restraint. Only possession.

His lips brushed my neck, right over the twin punctures his brothers had left behind. The skin there was raw, throbbing, and before I could even brace for it, he sank his fangs in, mercilessly deep.

A strangled cry tore from my throat as my body shook against him, the pain sharper than before, cruel. My vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edges as my blood rushed hot down my skin. My pulse stuttered, erratic, as if my body couldn’t keep up with the repeated taking.

I was trembling violently when Cassian pulled back, his expression unreadable but his eyes burning with cold disdain and satisfaction.

Next thing I knew, his mouth crushed against mine.

It wasn’t a kiss—it was a violation. Harsh, suffocating, blood mixing on our tongues as he forced his will through mine. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. His hand left my jaw only to seize the back of my head, keeping me locked in place as his mouth consumed me. The taste of iron and fury filled me, and I shuddered, shaking so hard my knees gave way.

He held me upright, to keep me from collapsing before him. His kiss was merciless, and when he finally released me, I was left gasping, shaking, my lips throbbing, the world spinning violently around me.

But I could still feel his hot breath on the side of my neck, leaving trails of goosebumps. "Welcome to your new life, Kitten. I hope you're as excited as I am for this ride?"

His words reverberated through me, and I bit my lip to keep them trembling. But his fingers suddenly closed around my throat.

My breath caught, a sharp gasp scraping out as my eyes widened in panic.

I clawed at air, trembling, my lips parting soundlessly as I struggled to breathe. His gaze never wavered. Cold, pitiless, his brown eyes burned into mine as though he were testing just how quickly he could snuff me out if he wished.

“Answer me,” he murmured, voice low, dangerous, vibrating against my skin. His thumb pressed into the side of my throat, making my vision blur. “Are you excited, Kitten?”

Tears pricked at my eyes as I choked out the only words I could manage, my voice strangled and shaking.

“Ye… yes, Alpha.”