Three Wolfens Betrayed Me. One Siren Didn’t Chapter 01

Three Wolfens Betrayed Me. One Siren Didn’t Chapter 01

The three young masters of the Wolfen Alpha family that I’d picked up had all turned into their human forms.

And they wouldn’t stop climbing all over me.

The first time I saw them in human form, I thought I was dreaming. Kane leaned against the wall with a cold face, his wolf ears twitching impatiently. Drake was sprawled on the couch, giving me a lazy smile, his teasing eyes full of scattered light. Cole stood at the back, the tips of his ears bright red, like a moody pup. I thought I’d hit the jackpot. Instead, I got three goddamn liabilities.

When I was too exhausted to move, I heard them say:

“Tch. Look at her. With that build and stamina, she thinks she can handle three of us?”

“It’s fine. Once she’s had enough, she’ll hand us over to her sister.”

“She can barely crawl now. A few more days of this, and she’ll give up on keeping us.”

My vision went dark. I grabbed my phone and immediately called my sister.

“Didn’t you say you were sexually frustrated? I’ll give you all three wolfens. Just give me your platonic siren!”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then my sister’s voice – that particular tone of hers, laced with amusement. I could picture her expression perfectly: one eyebrow slightly raised, the corner of her mouth curved, her eyes holding that smug “I knew it would come to this” certainty.

I leaned back against the headboard, feeling like I’d been hit by a truck.

Every muscle in my body ached, especially my thighs and lower back. There were bluish-purple fingerprints on my wrists, and below my collarbone, a few fading red marks in random patterns. I didn’t need a mirror to know I looked like hell.

But just a few hours ago, they’d been whispering sweet nothings in my ear, nibbling my earlobe, wrapping their tails around my calves, calling me “Master” in those low, rough voices.

When did it change?

Probably the moment Selina showed up at my door.

*1*

I could still hear them talking in the living room.

They thought I was still out cold.

I lowered my gaze, studying the mess of marks on my wrists and legs in the dim glow of the nightstand lamp. There had been marks like this before, but back then, they’d felt like evidence of tenderness, the afterglow of passion. Now, they just felt like labels – cold reminders that I was nothing more than a temporary container.

“She won’t give all three of us to her sister.”

“Mm. Means one of us is staying.”

“Tch. Evelyn’s dull and boring. If you want to stay, go ahead. I don’t.”

“…Neither do I.”

“Forget it. Let’s just see what happens. Is she awake yet?”

“No way. She just about passed out from crying. She’s always dead to the world after that. You know that.”

“Pathetic.”

“Let’s wake her up in a bit. Another few days of this, and she’ll throw in the towel.”

My nails dug into my palms.

Did it hurt? Of course it did. But compared to the dull, suffocating ache in my chest, the sting in my palms was nothing.

I buried my face in the pillow. My nose was full of their scents: Kane’s sharp, like broken cedar branches; Drake’s sweet, like overripe fruit with a dangerous edge; Cole’s faint, loamy and wild, like rain-soaked earth.

Those scents had once made me feel safe. Hell, sometimes when they were out, I’d sneak a whiff of their pillows just to feel close to them.

Now they made me want to choke.

I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

My heart was hammering away in my chest, steady and relentless. I closed my eyes, and their voices, faces, gestures materialized in my mind as clear as day. They’d spoken so casually, like it was just small talk on an ordinary afternoon.

But those words had sliced through my skin like knives.

They wanted to leave. They wanted out. They thought being with me was some kind of punishment.

My vision went dark again. I grabbed my phone, my fingers shaking a little as I found Selina’s number. My hands were trembling – not from the cold, but from some weird tangle of emotions. Anger? Hurt? Reluctant acceptance? All of the above, and none of them at once.

She picked up right away. “What’s up, sis?”

Selina’s voice always had that annoyingly sweet quality, like honey cut with warm water – cloying, but somehow condescending.

I tried to sound desperate. “Didn’t you say you were sexually frustrated? I’ll trade you my three wolfens for your platonic siren.”

She paused. Then, cautiously: “Really? Are they okay with that?”

I was quiet for a moment. “They like you.”

I believed it. Even though something cracked in my chest the second the words left my mouth.

She got it.

And it was true. Everyone always liked her better.

For as long as I could remember. Selina was born to stand in the spotlight. I was better off hiding in the corner.

Selina thought it over. “I mean, I guess. Your place is too small for them anyway. But… my siren? He’s really cold.”

When she said “really cold,” there was an edge to her voice I hadn’t heard before. Not quite bitterness. More like a quiet, private frustration.

That was when I realized Selina had something she couldn’t have, either.

It wasn’t exactly comforting. But it was… something. A distant, unlikely kinship. So we’d both been shut out by someone.

I said, “He’s not actually platonic. That’s the only reason I’d even ask. I don’t want to sleep with him. I’m completely wiped out. I just need someone to do the damn dishes. I just hope he’s not like these three…”

She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve never been able to tame him. He’d never be interested in you.”

Hearing that should have been a relief. I didn’t want someone who’d jump me.

But for some reason, something prickled in my chest. Like… I wasn’t even worth being *interested* in?

Before I could answer, she said, “I’ll come pick them up this afternoon.”

And hung up.

The second the call ended, my bedroom door creaked open.

Soft. Nearly silent. But I knew the rhythm by now – they always paused outside for a beat, like they were checking the scents and sounds before coming in.

“Awake?” A lazy voice drawled. I looked up into a pair of cool, almond-shaped eyes.

Cole. No, Three. I mean — Cole. I corrected myself. They’d gone from One, Two, Three to Kane, Drake, Cole. But I kept slipping up. Maybe because in my heart, they were still those three little pups I’d had to nurse back to health.

He came over and reached for my blanket.

My voice came out hoarse. “…Wait!”

He squinted, leaning closer. “What’s wrong, Master?”

That word – “Master” – rolled off his tongue with a hint of mockery. Less like he meant it, more like it was foreplay.

I could feel his breath on my face. Warm. Wolfens ran a degree or two hotter than humans. Close up, it was like sitting next to a furnace.

“I’m exhausted. I need to rest.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“Can’t do that.” He sounded almost casual. “Master, you took us in. You’ve got to take responsibility. We haven’t had nearly enough. If you rest… what are we supposed to do?”

He drew out the last two words, his tone light and cruel, like we were just a bunch of hungry pups and I was a slab of meat on the cutting board.

Then he grabbed my chin and leaned in. Just before his lips touched mine, I shoved him away.

“Selina’s picking you up this afternoon!”

The air went dead.

Dead quiet. Every breath seemed too loud.

The man in front of me froze.

His fingers were still suspended in midair where my chin had been. The tips twitched.

Even the two leaning against the doorway stiffened.

Kane, who’d been slouched against the frame, went rigid, like a predator about to pounce – only to be nailed in place. Drake’s eyes narrowed, that easy smile freezing on his face.

Cole tilted his head. “…Which two of us?”

He thought I was only giving away two.

I shook my head. “All of you.”

Cole’s hand dropped.

He straightened up and looked down at me. There was something in his eyes I couldn’t read. Not anger. Not hurt. More like… the confusion of being betrayed.

But what right did you have to be confused? *You’re* the ones who said you wanted to leave.

I turned my face away.

The sunlight coming through the curtains was beautiful, splashing across the floor in shifting patches. It was the first nice day in a while. But I felt cold – a deep, bone-deep cold.

I reached for the water glass on my nightstand.

It was empty.

Just like my heart.