Page 4 of Tarnished Embers
“Boys…” Caspian warns in a dark tone, and they all step away, even Prince, his hand falling from mine. I’m suddenly left feeling bereft while moisture threatens to fill my eyes, and I want to hide but Caspian’s grip on my cheeks won’t let me, and his face softens the longer I stare at him. “Let’s get to the rooms, okay?” I nod as a single tear escapes. I don’t know why I feel like bawling my eyes out, but the lump in my throat won’t go away. He leans in, kissing the tear away and my body relaxes the moment his lips make contact. A part of me knows that I shouldn’t feel this…that I shouldn’t feel comfortable with him, but he’s like the balm my soul needed and has been yearning for for so long. “It’ll be okay, Little Cinders. We’ll make sure of it.”
His words give me the strength that I didn’t know I needed, and my hand reaches up, taking one of his off my cheek and tangling our fingers together.
“Okay.” A long exhale falls from my lips and the smile that he gives me is the stuff that poets dream about. “This way.”
* * *
“BOYS LIKE YOU” BY TANERÉLLE
CASPIAN
Fucking captivating.
Ember Jane Everly is utterly spellbinding and I can see my stepbrothers are just as affected as I am. Our obsession with her took root six months ago when Odette told us about her and we found pictures of her online, but none of them did her justice as her beauty is incomparable.
We’ve been watching her ever since and following her socials. Oct even tracks her movements using his computer skills, discovering every little detail about her. Like the fact that she doesn’t go out much, doesn’t really have any close friends, and mostly stays at home. It was the ultimate tease, not knowing what she was up to every second of the day since this house doesn’t have cameras, so we couldn’t watch her as much as we’d have liked.
The lack of information online didn’t stop our fixation and didn’t stop us from pouring over every picture we could get hold of, fantasising about what we’d do once we finally got her to ourselves.
I didn’t exactly lie when I told her we would look after her, that we would make sure everything was alright, but Odette promised us a plaything of our very own, a gift for being such good and dutiful sons, and we intend to indulge all of our darkest fantasies.
I just didn’t expect to find her so…addicting. I clutch her hand in mine, Prince giving me the stink eye even though he knows that I’m the best one out of us all for calming her down. I’ve got just the right amount of command and care.
Prince, on the other hand, wants to devour her and infect every part of her until she doesn’t know who she is anymore. He may come across as a Southern gentleman, but he craves the ultimate control that only comes with ownership. The twins are tricksters, they’ll play with her until she doesn’t even realise that she’s been broken. Oh, she’ll enjoy every moment, but she’ll be destroyed by the time they’re through.
And me? I want to take care of her, wrap her up and smother her until she doesn’t see anyone else, until she can anticipate my every desire and is desperate to fulfil it.
We’ve had years to dream about what it would be like to truly be in charge for once. To get what we crave most. For too long we’ve had to obey, and while it’s been fun, it’s also been a mind fuck that has threatened to destroy us. So to finally have some control is a heady feeling that none of us will give up anytime soon.
Ember just happens to be the only one, the only thing, that we have ever had control over.
And we plan to keep a tight rein on her.
CHAPTERTWO
“WICKED GAME” BY JESSIE VILLA
EMBER
With a still-racing heart, I lead the guys to my wing. There’s something about having my own wing in a house that makes me feel icky, even though it’s been this way for the past couple of years since we moved here. It’s like I’m one of the many entitled, rich bitches at Morley College, expecting everything to be handed to me. Though, if I’m being honest, it’ll be nice not to be all alone in this part of the house anymore.
Caspian still has a firm grip on my hand, and even if tingles race from the place where we touch, there’s a comfort in it that I’m not looking too deep into. I don’t have the mental capacity to examine why my new stepbrothers affect me this way or why I feel so settled in their presence. All I know is that a maelstrom of lust, want, and need has filled my core from the first moment they walked into the room.
My room sits in the middle of this hallway, overlooking the extensive formal gardens, and I didn’t get the significance until now, but there are four other bedrooms, two on either side of mine. Fate strikes again, fucking bitch.
“Mine is the middle,” I tell them, pausing at the first door we come across while pointing at mine. “The bedrooms on either side are unoccupied.”
“I like that you’ll be in the middle of us,” Oct teases, his hand skating down my arm, making all the hairs stand on end even though I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt. I’ve the impression that he’s talking about more than the room, but before I can comment, he grabs the door handle and turns it, throwing open the carved, wooden door to reveal a room in the exact shade of blue as his eyes. Well, fuck me sideways.
No! No fornicating with your stepbrothers, Ember!
Again, my body disagrees as Caspian pulls us into the room, my entire being flooding with warmth at Oct’s words.
“This one is mine,” Oct states as he strides over to the French doors that open out onto a balcony.Oh shit, the balcony. I feel the blood drain from my face at the realisation. “A balcony that connects all the rooms, how convenient.” His voice is a low purr as he stalks back towards me like a jungle cat, just waiting to pounce. I clear my throat and chew on my lower lip, my thighs clenching together, trying to ease an ache that I’m refusing to admit is there.
“Yep, and they all have en suite bathrooms too. I’m sure you can change anything you don’t like,” I tell them in a slightly choked tone before looking around and trying to picture Oct’s enormous frame inside the space. They make these huge rooms feel small, and I don’t hate it. I love my room, it’s my sanctuary, but have often felt a little lost in this vast house, especially as normally, I’m the only one here aside from our staff who like to go about their business unseen and unheard. I have to swallow past the sudden lump in my throat before speaking once more, the idea that I might not be as alone as I have been hitting me hard. “Shall we see the others?”
Caspian’s hand squeezes mine as we leave Oct’s bedroom to open the next door, the room next to mine. Even though I knew the colours of the rooms up here, I’m still stunned to see that it’s also an exact match for Kit’s eyes. It’s painted blue, only a darker, moodier version with navy accents.What the actual fuck is going on with my life?