The Pact Of Five

CHAPTER 1 “Thirty days.” The word hit me before I even stepped fully into the room. Low, rough, and so close to my ear I felt the rumble of it against my skin. I froze, one hand still on the banister, my heart slamming hard enough to hurt. I knew that voice. Knox. I turned slow. He stood right behind me, filling the whole hallway, broad shoulders blocking out the light from the dining room. His scar sliced through his left eyebrow, sharp and familiar, and his eyes—dark, unreadable—dropped over me like he was stripping off my clothes. “Knox,” I said, steady as I could make it. “You’re in my house.” “Your brother invited us.” He didn’t step back. Didn’t even shift. “But I’m not here because of him.” The smell hit me then—pine, rain, and something wild, something that made the hair on my arms stand up. I looked past him. Five of them. All here. Cole leaned against the dining table, arms crossed, jaw set so tight the muscle jumped. His gaze never left my face, like he was memorizing every line. Jax slouched in the chair by the fire, boots up, a lazy, dangerous smile playing on his lips. Tattoos crawled up his neck, dark and bold. Zane stood by the window, back turned, but his head snapped the second I looked at him—pale eyes sharp, watching everything. Micah was by the door, hands in his pockets, quiet, waiting, like he knew exactly what was going to happen before it did. My brother Liam walked in from the kitchen carrying three bottles of beer, completely missing the way the whole room went dead still the moment I stepped in. “There you are. Thought you’d hide up in your room all night.” He set the bottles down and clapped Knox on the shoulder. “Boys say they haven’t seen you properly in months. Figured it was time we fixed that.” Liam, I wanted to scream. They’re not here for a visit. Can’t you feel it? Instead I just nodded, fingers twisting in the hem of my dress. “Hi, guys.” Cole pushed off the table. “Hi, little one.” The name landed heavy. They used to call me that when I was seven and they’d chase me around the yard. Back then it was teasing. Sweet. Now it sounded like a promise. Dinner was torture. Every time I reached for something, a hand passed it before I could lift my arm. Every time I spoke, all five heads turned like I was the only one in the room. Liam rambled on about border disputes and pack politics, completely oblivious to the tension thick enough to choke on. They weren’t listening to a word he said. They were watching me. The way I tucked my hair behind my ear. The way my knee brushed the table leg. The way I breathed. When Liam finally got up to take a call in his study, the second the door clicked shut, everything changed. Knox stood up and walked around the table until he was right beside my chair. He leaned down, one hand resting on the back of my seat, his voice dropping so low only I could hear it. “You think we came here to eat dinner?” “I don’t know why you came,” I said, but my voice shook. “To remind you.” His eyes dropped to my mouth, slow and deliberate. “Thirty days. Then the pact ends. And none of us are holding back anymore.” “What pact?” My heart was racing now, fast and scared and something else—something warm curling low in my stomach. He didn’t answer. Not directly. “You’re not a kid anymore. You haven’t been for a long time. We all see it. Every single one of us.” “Knox—” “Rule number one.” He leaned closer, his breath warm against my jaw. “Whoever touches you before the clock runs out… loses. The rest walk away. No arguments, no do-overs. That’s the deal.” I stared at him. “You made a deal. About me.” “For you.” “I didn’t agree to anything.” “Your brother did.” His thumb brushed my cheek—once, so light I almost thought I imagined it. “And deep down? I think you’ve been waiting for this too.” He pulled back and walked away before I could say another word. I looked around the room. Jax’s smile widened, like he’d heard every word. Zane’s jaw tightened. Cole’s eyes burned like fire. Micah gave me a small, slow nod, like he knew exactly what I was thinking. I stood up fast, my chair scraping loud against the floor. “I’m going to bed.” No one stopped me. But as I walked up the stairs, I could feel all five pairs of eyes on my back, following me every step. When I got to my room and shut the door, I leaned against it, heart hammering, breath coming fast. Thirty days. I walked to the window and looked down. They were all outside now, standing in a circle under the porch light. Knox said something too quiet to hear. Cole nodded. Jax kicked a stone. Zane crossed his arms. Micah looked up—straight at my window. And he smiled. I stepped back fast, my hand flying to my chest. They weren’t just watching. They were counting. And the scariest part wasn’t that they wanted me. It was that I was counting too. END OF CHAPTER 1