Chapter 37

Seraphina

Monday morning had arrived too quickly. The weekend had been an endless cycle of research, unanswered messages, and a gnawing sense of anxiety that seemed to grow by the hour. My stomach was in knots as I walked out of the Alpha Phi house, glancing around to see if any of the men would be waiting for me, as I had expected. But there was nothing. No sign of them.

I had half-expected Damon to be leaning against the door, smirking, waiting to tease me for worrying, but nothing. It felt like the distance between us was suddenly miles, despite only a weekend apart.

The cold morning air hit me like a wave as I walked toward my first class, but my thoughts were too consumed with doubts to even feel it.

Do they really care about me? I thought. Or was it just a temporary thing?

I tried to shake the thoughts away, focusing on the path in front of me, but there was a heaviness on my chest that wouldn’t lift. The men had made it clear they wanted to protect me, but their absence, their silence over the weekend, was eating at me.

Just as I reached for the door of the classroom, a sudden force yanked me backward, a hand pressing firmly over my mouth to stifle any sound. My heart hammered in my chest as I was pulled into the shadowed hallway, and my pulse raced with adrenaline. I struggled, but the grip was too strong.

Then, a familiar voice growled low in my ear. “Thought we told you not to leave until we came for you.”

My body froze, then the tension in my muscles easing at the sound of Damon’s voice. I was too overwhelmed to even be annoyed at his dramatic entrance. He spun me around, his eyes dark and intense, and my breath caught as I saw the other two men standing just behind him, their expressions unreadable.

Relief flooded my veins with warmth. My head buzzed, and I couldn't help but exhale sharply as the realization hit me all at once—they were back. Safe. And they were here.

I didn’t say anything at first, too caught in the whirlwind of emotions. My lips parted, trying to find the words, but they didn’t come. Instead, my gaze flickered between each of them, aching from the absence I had felt all weekend.

Before I could speak, Damon’s lips crashed down on mine with a consuming intensity. It was all heat and urgency, his hand wrapping around my waist, pulling me flush against him. His tongue tangled with mine as his other hand slid up to cradle my neck, tilting my head back just enough to deepen the kiss.

I felt my knees weaken as the heat of his touch surged through me. His lips were possessive, claiming, like he was reminding me that I belonged to them, just as much as they belonged to me. And even in the intensity, I couldn’t help but feel safe—protected in the arms of the man who had once been the most dangerous of them all.

As he pulled away, my chest heaved, and before I could even process the dizzying sensation, Marius took his place. His kiss was slow, deliberate, like he was savoring the moment. His lips were soft at first, but the pressure soon became demanding. His hands slid under my jacket, fingers warm against the bare skin of my back, sending a jolt of fire through me. Marius was all calculated control, even in the way he kissed, pulling away only when he had me completely breathless.

Then, Tyrone.

His kiss was a storm. Hands everywhere—gripping my hair, my face, my body—pulling me into him as if I were the air he needed to breathe. His kiss was fierce, a wild intensity that made everything else in the world fade away. There was no room for doubt, no space for hesitation. It was a raw, possessive thing, as if he were trying to merge with me, body and soul. His lips were punishing, demanding, and yet, I found myself sinking into him, lost in the passion he ignited.

When he finally released me, I gasped for air, trying to catch my breath as the men stood back, watching me with smoldering eyes.

“Happy now?” Damon teased, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips. His voice was lighter, playful, like he hadn’t just kissed me senseless. “Or should we just kiss you again and make sure you don’t forget how much you’re wanted?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, my heart still racing from the onslaught of emotions. “You know,” I muttered, “for someone who tells me not to leave, you sure have a funny way of showing up when I need you.”

Marius stepped forward, his gaze hardening with that quiet intensity that never left him. “We were handling things. You need to understand that we can’t be everywhere at once.” His tone was clipped, but there was an undercurrent of something else. “And we don’t want you caught up in any of it. Stay close. It’s safer that way.”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back a smile. “Right. So, what? You’re going to be my personal bodyguards now?”

Tyrone’s lips twitched upward in the slightest smirk. “Is that a problem, princess?” His voice was low, playful, but there was a clear warning in his tone, a reminder that he was still in charge. He was always in charge.

“No,” I said quietly, my gaze flickering between the three of them. I couldn’t help but feel the weight of their presence, the way they surrounded me, always watching, always protecting.

Damon grabbed my hand, leading me toward the door. “Good. Now, come on. We’re going to walk you to class, and after that, you’re sticking with us. No more running off alone.”

“Fine,” I muttered, my heart still thumping erratically. But as they flanked me on either side, I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of something else—something warmer, deeper, and much more complicated than I was ready to admit. It didn’t matter, though. I was safe now.

As we walked down the hallway, the three of them flanked me, their presence a solid reminder of everything I’d been missing over the weekend. They were back. They were here. And I couldn’t deny the relief that swirled in my chest every time my gaze flicked to one of them. There was something about the way they moved together—like they were in sync, always aware of the other, always watching my every move.

Damon was the first to break the silence, his usual grin back in place, though there was still a dangerous edge to it. “You look better now,” he teased, his voice light, but his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re not as pale, and you don’t look like you’re about to jump out of your skin.”

“Maybe,” I muttered, though I couldn’t stop the soft smile tugging at my lips. “But I would have appreciated you showing up sooner.”

Marius’ expression was more serious, though I could see the tiniest flicker of approval in his eyes. “We had our reasons,” he said, his tone even, but there was an underlying softness there that he didn’t often show. “We needed to make sure everything was in place. Your safety is... important to us.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I kept my mouth shut, letting the words hang in the air between us. Tyrone, ever the instigator, leaned in close, his warm breath brushing against my ear. “What’s the matter, princess? I thought you liked a little danger in your life.”

“I do,” I said quickly, my voice barely a whisper. “But not when it means I don’t know where you are or what you’re doing. It’s... frustrating.”

Tyrone smirked, his lips brushing against my earlobe in a teasing kiss. “Well, I think it’s good for you,” he said, his voice low and soothing, the possessiveness dripping from every word. “Keeps you on your toes. Keeps you thinking about us.”

I rolled my eyes, though my heart skipped a beat at the warmth in his voice. “I don’t need to be kept on my toes,” I muttered. “I’m perfectly capable of handling things on my own.”

Marius’ hand brushed against the small of my back, guiding me forward with that quiet, protective energy of his. “I don’t think you fully understand the danger you’re in, Seri,” he said softly, his voice serious but tender. “This isn’t just about us. This is bigger. And you’re too important to be left alone, especially with everything that’s happening.”

I glanced up at him, his face unreadable but full of something that made my pulse race. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You’re not a burden,” Damon cut in, his voice a little sharper now, the playful tone fading. “You just... need to trust us. Let us protect you.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling on my chest like a thick fog. I didn’t want to trust them—not because I didn’t want to, but because every part of me wanted to run, to hide from whatever mess they were involved in. But I knew deep down I couldn’t. They were too much a part of my life now, too close. And maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

“You don’t need to protect me,” I said softly, meeting Damon’s eyes. “I can fight my own battles.”

Tyrone chuckled darkly. “And we’ll let you. But that doesn’t mean we’ll leave you to fight them alone.” His gaze flickered to Marius and Damon, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he were making a silent decision. “We fight our battles together, don’t we, guys?”

Marius and Damon nodded, their expressions serious now, though there was still that underlying tension between us.

I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of gratitude and apprehension. They were right. I couldn’t go through this alone, even if a part of me wanted to. But trusting them—letting them in—felt like the first step in something irreversible. Something I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

“Well, since I’m clearly not getting out of this,” I said, breaking the silence with a small, rueful smile, “I guess I’ll have to trust you.”

Damon’s grin returned, but there was an edge to it. “That’s the spirit,” he said, reaching out to tug at the sleeve of my jacket in a playful manner. “I knew you’d come around. Now, about that class...”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t protest as he led the way toward the lecture hall. “You guys really are a handful, you know that?”

Marius gave me a rare, almost tender smile. “But you wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?”

I didn’t answer right away, but the truth was, no, I wouldn’t. Even though the chaos they brought with them was overwhelming at times, I couldn’t imagine a world without it. Without them.

As we reached the door to the lecture hall, I hesitated for just a moment, looking between the three of them—three men who had become more than I ever expected them to be. They were a storm. A fire. And a promise. And no matter how much I tried to fight it, I knew I was already in too deep.