SEDUCE MY LOVE Read online

  First, I'll have some catch up time with Brian, get to know Anna a bit more, and then I'll try to squeeze in some time with Dad while we look for a place. I also have to meet Eve eventually. Hmm, now that I'm Pix's Mistress, I'm going to have to train too. So many things to do. Will we even have time?

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket, sending a quick text to Brian and Liam to make sure they were alright. With the increase in supernatural criminal activity, I didn't want to go too long without talking to either of them.

  Pix was safe since he was at home, and I'd just talked to him, so I wasn't worried. My phone buzzed twice, two separate text messages coming through with the words 'I'm okay'. I shook my head at their dual response, even through text. It was adorable and made me smile while I took a deep inhale and let it out with relief.

  Alright. I really should get going.

  My eyes scanned the room one more time, remembering all the moments I’d shared with Alexander. To think within these walls, I'd worked on building the foundation of Last Resort, and with it, I got to learn so much about Alexander.

  I got to see him grow as a person and man, but he still had so much more potential he needed to unlock. Deep down, I wanted to be the one to help him, just like he'd helped me in many aspects of my life.

  But now we're on opposites side of one another, with family political drama in the middle. Is it stupid that I still want him? Do I look stupid to the others for being so wrapped up about him? It isn’t like I desperately want him back...or do I?

  With a groan, I shook my head and ran my fingers through my black short hair. "He has family things to sort out. Who knows? Maybe he's already moved on with a girl," I grumbled to myself.

  "Sia?"

  I blinked and slowly turned to the sound of my name on my right. Golden eyes that had a slight glow in them locked onto me, their shock apparent. My heart skipped a beat, as my eyes trailed down Alexander's bare chest and dark navy blue boxers.

  From how wild his hair looked, he must have just woken up or had a rough night. My wolf was up and near the surface, her growl echoing through my mind. I had to mentally calm her down.

  We're in his home. We can't be combative here.

  She sat down, her eyes still locked on Alexander, who still looked surprised by our presence.

  Hate. Not loyal.

  I had to fight not to sigh. I personally didn't blame her for still having a grudge with Alexander, but him not showing the night I needed him didn't mean he'd been with someone else or anything.

  "Hey." I gave him an awkward wave, doing my best to look away from him. My body was doing its own thing and it wasn't going to be good on my part if I stayed much longer.

  I still love him.

  "Hey," Alexander replied.

  I took a peek at him, noticing how his eyes took me in, my simple outfit of black jeans and a white tank top. There wasn't a need for me to dress professionally when I was just picking up Saturn and Rin.

  I wouldn't deny that the succubus side of me loved how his golden eyes were solely on me, taking in every curve while he fought to not show his desire for me.

  With a deep breath, I turned and moved to point at my two cacti that were securely placed in a square box. "I just came to pick up Saturn and Rin. Nick accidentally sent them over here instead of my temporary place," I defended.

  Alexander nodded. "Oh. That makes sense. I had some business last night, so I didn't notice until I got home this morning. Was going to call you..." He trailed off, looking away.

  "I'm sure you were busy." I gave him the best smile I could muster. We stood there in awkward silence and my wolf kept making huffing noises.

  "Sia?"

  I flinched at the sudden voice, but my wolf went from grumpy to panting happily in a second.

  Brian?

  "You okay, baby? Your emotions are all over the place."

  Oh. I must have felt distressed to Brian and he decided to check in. I'm fine. I came to get Saturn and Rin from the old place, but Alexander's here too. I'm leaving now.

  "He's alone?"

  Yes. No one else is here.

  Didn't know why he was asking, but I brushed it off. I just wanted to get out of here before I did something stupid.

  "Okay. I'm going over to Liam's office and we'll be back by the time you get home."

  Alright. Thanks for checking in, Brian.

  "Always, Sia."

  The sincerity and compassion in his voice reminded me that I had men who loved me. I simply had to figure out how to let go. To move on.

  Alexander was staring at me with a puzzled expression. "Were you talking to Brian just now?"

  "Maybe." I shrugged. "How would you know?"

  "Your eyes are gold," he muttered. My wolf was back to her growling session and I groaned. "That's my wolf wanting us to leave, which sounds like a good idea."

  My voice was clipped with anger, leaving me curious as to why I was upset. No wonder why Brian checked in on me. I'm an emotional mess right now.

  Alexander walked over to me, my eyes lifting up to meet his intense ones. He stood before me, our eyes locked in a heated stare.

  My body grew hot while my stomach flipped. We'd broken up and yet I still had a strong attraction to him. His wolf scent was apparent now, but it didn't leave me in distaste like before I'd become a triple hybrid. His usual green eyes were still engulfed with gold, leaving me curious if he was talking to his wolf at this very moment.

  He took a step forward, our bodies slightly brushing as he looked down at me. I subconsciously bit my bottom lip while my hands grew clammy. I was struggling to fight against what I wanted to do, remembering all the times we'd stared in each other's eyes just like this.

  I fought my succubus need to feel his lips again, to enjoy the lust he delivered, and how such passion would tame all my needs.

  Alexander looked like he was fighting too, doing his best to ignore the palpable energy racing between us. He lifted his hand slowly, and I closed my eyes when his fingers lightly brushed along my cheek.

  I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding, unsure if I could really win this battle. I'm engaged now. Alexander isn't a part of that.

  Repeating those words over and over, I opened my eyes once more to look into those gold orbs. A sadness flickered through them and I knew deep down, my eyes must have shown my resilience to accept this.

  To accept that we still have something between us.

  It didn't stop him from leaning forward, his lips just centimeters from mine. It was as if he was testing me, but I wouldn't fail. The ring on my finger was the symbol of something better. Stronger.

  I couldn't go against the vow and commitment Liam, Brian, and Pix had offered to me. They were now just as knowledgeable as Alexander, knowing about the past me and my many flaws. Yet they were committed to fighting for our love, while Alexander was skidding by.

  With that thought, I looked away. "I'm sorry, Alexander." My voice was frail. "I can't."

  He didn't say anything at first, but I didn't need to look into his eyes to feel the disappointment that took over that once-heated connection.

  The sound of something crashing down the hall caught our attention, the two of us turning our gazes to the narrow hall that lead to Alexander's room.

  "I'm so sorry, Alexander. I think I broke something? I should have brought my glasses. I don't know where they are, though. I think I'm going to be late too. Ah. I'm seriously a mess. This is all Lilith’s fault. She and her drinking ga-"

  I had to blink a few times to realize Annie was in the hall. A very naked Annie.

  My wolf whimpered in my mind, feeling the flood of sadness that rushed through me like I'd been dumped. Here I'd been needing to fight my urge for Alexander when he'd been all cuddling with Annie moments earlier.

  I bit my lip to hold back the whimper that threatened to escape and I quickly fought the stinging in my eyes.

  "Annie? Why are you naked?" Alexander huffed. Annie blinked, looking conf
used as to what Alexander was talking about. She looked down and stared at her naked frame for five seconds before she shrieked in embarrassment.

  "Uh-Um. I. I couldn't see if I was naked or not," she whined. Alexander groaned, moving away from me to the laundry closet. He pulled out one of his black t-shirts and tossed it to Annie. "Jeez. How are you going to survive the real world when the pack isn't around?"

  "I'll be fine," she muttered and put the shirt on. She rubbed her eyes. "Where are my glasses?"

  I looked up to the top of her ginger hair to see the spectacles in question. Alexander shook his head, walking over to pick the glasses off her head and put them on her face.

  "There. Can you get dressed and leave now?"

  Annie blinked and her eyes locked onto me. "Oh! Sia. Um...what are you doing here?"

  I had to stop myself from answering immediately; the bitterness in my voice would prove how hurt I was.

  Turning around, I moved to pick up the box holding Saturn and Rin. "I came to get my cacti. Don't worry. I'm leaving." My voice was cold and direct.

  Alexander raised an eyebrow at me, sensing my change in demeanor. "Are you mad?"

  "At what? I'm simply here to get my cactuses and head back to my new place. Carry on." I brushed his concern away.

  "Wait a minute, Sia." Alexander walked toward me, but I was already moving toward the door. Before I reached it, the door swung open; sky blue eyes locked onto mine.

  I stopped in my tracks, taking a second to take in Pixel's casual appearance. His silver hair was up in a ponytail, a few strands resting on the left side of his face. He wore a white fitted shirt with a chibi cactus on it and grey sweatpants.

  He was holding a plastic bag with something in it, but his eyes were stuck on mine. He immediately frowned before his eyes drifted to Alexander, who must have been behind me to the right. Then his eyes moved further right and his eyebrow arched up.

  "What's Annie doing here?" Pix questioned.

  "I should be asking what you're doing here," Alexander snapped. I maneuvered myself to look at his annoyed expression while Annie still stood there in bewilderment, her eyes going between Pix and Alexander.

  You could be blind and still feel the tension between the two of them, but I wasn't in the mood. I just wanted to go home.

  "Pix," I whispered. His anger-laced eyes locked onto mine. "Why did you come here?"

  His eyes softened and he lifted his plastic bag. "Came to buy whipped cream."

  My wolf began to pant and run around, now excited as ever that Pix showed up. It was an interesting reaction that she normally only had for Brian, but maybe that had changed now that they were my fiancés.

  "You came all the way down here for whipped cream?" Alexander commented. I noticed how he rolled his eyes, but Pix merely grinned as he let the door close behind him. He moved to stand before me, and with loving eyes, leaned down and kissed me.

  It wasn't a simple kiss. It was shimmering with passion, and he didn't let my lips go from his captivity until a full minute passed.

  "I only like this specific brand of whipped cream. It's extra sweet, especially when you lick it off something warm."

  My cheeks grew hot at his devilish smile, sensing the mischief in his words that led to a naughty vision of what was to come.

  He gave me another kiss before leaning back and taking Saturn and Rin from my hold. Holding them with his left arm that carried the bag of whipped cream, he moved to stand on my left side, reaching out for my hand.

  Grasping it gently, he gave me a comforting smile. "I remembered you said Nick sent over a few of your things to the wrong address. Thought I'd come by and make sure there wasn't anything else I could help you with before we head to the new place."

  "Oh," I replied, feeling lost for words. "Um. It was just Saturn and Rin."

  "Good. Liam and Brian are on their way down. They'll pick us up in front. We can have a nice engagement dinner," Pix suggested.

  "Engagement?" Annie had spoken, moving slightly closer to look at the three of us. "Sia got engaged?"

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, unsure whether I wanted to answer or not. Would it be petty if I do? Is it weird that I want to rub in how grateful I am to be engaged to three amazing men?

  My wolf wasn't going to let me miss this chance, moving to the surface, but I didn't shift. With a sweet smile, I met Annie's gaze.

  "Yup. I'm engaged to Liam, Brian, and Pixel. We just came back from a luxurious vacation on this private island. We're house shopping, but you know how full NYC is. Difficult for even billionaires to find a place. Working on it though. We should go. Terribly sorry for interrupting." The last sentence was snarky, but my wolf felt good that she'd defended the both of us in a petty way.

  We could be blowing things out of proportion, and I surely didn't have all the facts, but my heart hurt too much for me to think of the 'what ifs'.

  "You’re...engaged to all three of them? You just started dating Pix," Alexander argued.

  Pix squeezed my hand, lifting it up to show the vibrant ring that glowed a beautiful turquoise with hints of gold, reminding me of Pix's eyes but with a teal mix to it.

  "Why wait when there's a strong connection between us?" Pix countered. "I've wasted enough time in this life wishing for love. Now that I have someone who has enough love to share, I'm not going to beat around the bush and miss it."

  Avoiding Alexander's eyes, I leaned into Pixel's side. "We should go. The others are going to be here any minute, right?"

  Pix looked down at me and nodded. "You're right. Sooner we get dinner out of the way, the better. Wouldn't want the whipped cream to get too warm. It's the best combo for dessert."

  Before anyone could reply, Pix moved to the exit, my hand still in his. Using a hint of magic, he opened the foor for us and directed us out.

  He looked over his shoulder. "Thanks for keeping our fiancée's cacti. We'll make sure the wrong address mishap won't happen again."

  With those words, the door closed on its own, most likely from Pix's pullback of his magic. We didn't say a word until we were inside the elevator.

  "Sia?" Pix's soothing voice was back, but I didn't know if I could face him. Could I look into his eyes without crying?

  Pix sighed, reaching over to press on the red shiny button. The elevator came to a stop for a moment, and from the shivers that crept up my arms, I could sense his magic once again.

  "I'm fine, Pix. You don't need to stop the elevator," I pointed out. He ignored me, moving back to stand in front of me. He was still holding onto my cacti, but his free hand pressed against my cheek.

  "Look at me and tell me you're okay."

  I stared down at our feet, noticing how my vision grew blurry with each second that passed. My wolf looked sad, moving up to the edge of the surface to whimper. The sorrowful sound made me blink my eyes, desperate to stop my tears that were pooling.

  Pix's hand moved from my cheek to beneath my chin, lifting my head up. My watery eyes met his guarded ones.

  "I'm fine." My soft whisper was filled with grief, the first set of tears rolling down my cheeks. He bit his bottom lip, doing his best not to show how my defeated expression affected him.

  "Sia. Maybe..." He trailed off, as though he was trying to figure the best excuse to help me not jump to conclusions.

  "Why can't I just move on?" I whispered. "Whether Annie is the person Alexander needs to marry or is interested in or if she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, it shouldn’t matter. Alexander and I are both adults. Why do I have to give him the benefit of the doubt?"

  Saying it out loud hurt, contributed to more tears that rolled down my cheeks. "How long do I have to keep doing this back-and-forth battle? I...still care about Alexander. Why else would I be a crying mess in the elevator with a man who loves me wholeheartedly? I care for him, but if he cared about me, wouldn't he fight for this? Wouldn't he immediately try to clear up what I saw? What we saw?"

  Pix was silent and I smiled. "Anni
e was naked. Alexander had to get her a shirt. I guess she randomly made it to his apartment somehow and slept in his room? Heck, it could have been my room. Who knows. Not like it's mine anymore, anyway." I sighed, lifting the finger with the new ring that sparkled from the elevator lights.

  "I almost kissed him," I admitted. "But I remembered this. Realized that I had three amazing men who would love me no matter what. Even if someone tempted you to choose sides, I'm sure you would still remain by my side. With Alexander...I don't have the same trust."

  "How about if he's downstairs, Sia? Maybe waiting to explain?" Pix suggested. I couldn't help but giggle, shaking my head before meeting his eyes once more.

  "You're too kind, Pix."

  "No, I'm not," he replied, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "I become a jealous jerk when Alexander looks at you."

  "It's kind of cute," I complimented. He chuckled, but slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me into a side hug.

  "Listen, Sia. It takes time for people to move on. Don't feel bad that it's hard for you to move on from Alexander. He was your first love, even if you may not want to admit it. It's going to take time and there are going to be days where it still hurts."

  He pulled back to look into my eyes. "But each time we'll be there for you. We'll listen to you cry and hold you whenever you need our warmth. It's hard to move on from someone you loved, but you will eventually. In the right time."

  With a gentle kiss, he rubbed his nose against mine. A wide smile formed on my lips, my last tears rolling down my cheeks as I nodded.

  "Thanks for coming, Pix." I meant every word. He nodded and used the back of his hand to wipe my tear-stricken cheeks.

  "I'll always be here for you," he said with affirmation. I took a deep inhale and let it out slowly, doing my best to not look like I'd just cried in the elevator.

  Pix made sure I was okay once more, then pressed the button to let the elevator return to normal. When it reached the bottom floor, I slipped my hand in Pix's, needing that extra bit of warmth.

  The doors opened and we entered the main entrance hall. There was no sign of Alexander, but my eyes caught on two men wearing identical suits. Aside from their opposite hairstyles, I could tell right away it was Liam and Brian.