Chapter 33 33
CHAPTER 33
\[Rhea’s POV\]
"So, what’s the big plan?" I asked, looking at Lucien.
He leaned against the kitchen island, looking perfectly serious. "It’s foolproof, Rhea. We follow you everywhere. The library, the cafeteria, the gym. I’ll even stand outside the stall when you go to the toilet. Total coverage."
I stared at him for a second, waiting for the punchline. When it didn't come, I burst out laughing. It was so ridiculous that I reached down, grabbed one of my discarded sneakers from the floor, and chucked it at his head.
Lucien moved with a blur of speed, catching the shoe easily before it could hit his face. He didn't even drop his serious expression.
"That's bullshit, Lucien," I wheezed, clutching my stomach. "You can't follow me into the bathroom at school. You'll get arrested."
"I'd like to see them try," he muttered, though a small smirk finally broke through his face. He clutched his chest, feigning a look of deep heartbreak. "And here I am, offering my dignity to keep you safe, and you're throwing footwear at me. My heart, Rhea. You’re killing it."
I laughed harder, the sound filling the apartment. For a moment, it felt like my life wasn't a total mess. It felt like I didn't have a stalker ex-fiancé who jumped out of windows or a best friend who treated me like a ghost. For a few minutes, I was just a girl in a living room with two men who made me feel like the center of the world.
When my laughter finally died down into small giggles, a sudden wave of emotion hit me. I looked at both of them, Lucien by the kitchen and Damian sitting right next to me.
"Thank you," I said softly. "Seriously. Thank you for looking after me. I...I had nowhere else to go. After everything that happened with Mark, I felt like I was drowning. You guys pulled me out."
Damian reached out and took my hand. He held it and kissed my knuckles with a gentleness that made my heart ache. "We’ll always be here, Rhea. You’re our mate. There’s nowhere else we’d rather be."
Lucien walked over, placing a hand on the back of the couch. "You belong to us. Taking care of you isn't a chore. It’s what we do."
He walked back into the kitchen to grab the plates of food he had prepared. He set them on the small dining table, steak and roasted vegetables that smelled amazing. "Eat. You need to keep your strength up if you're going to keep throwing shoes at me."
I stood up from the couch. The two heavy jackets, Lucien's charcoal one and Damian’s leather one, slid off my shoulders. I didn't pick them up. I stood there in the middle of the room, my eyes moving between both of them.
I felt a desperate need to show them how much I appreciated what they were doing. I didn't have money. I didn't have power. All I had was myself.
Slowly, I reached for the hem of the hoodie I was wearing.
Damian’s eyes widened, his fork stopping halfway to his mouth. Lucien froze by the table, his silver eyes darkening instantly.
I started to pull the fabric up, exposing my flat stomach. "I don't know how else to thank you," I whispered. "So I'm going to show my appreciation... in other ways."
I was about to pull the shirt over my head when a hand suddenly gripped my wrists.
Lucien was there in a heartbeat. He didn't pull the shirt down; he just held my hands in place, stopping me. He was breathing hard, his face a mix of desire and something that looked almost like anger.
"Rhea, stop," he said.
"What?" I blinked, looking at him. "I thought... I thought this is what you wanted."
Damian stood up and walked over, his expression serious. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Rhea, look at us."
I looked at him.
"You don't need to do this," Damian said softly. "It’s our obligation to take care of you. We do it because we want to, not because we expect a reward. You don't ever have to give your body away to pay a debt to us."
"But I want to appreciate you," I argued, my voice trembling.
"We want you, Rhea," Lucien murmured, his grip on my wrists loosening into a gentle hold. "But we want you when you’re emotionally ready. We want you because you want us, not out of some sense of gratitude or because you feel like you owe us for saving you. We can go deeper when the time is right. But not like this."
I felt the tears sting my eyes. I was speechless. Mark had always made me feel like I had to earn his affection, like his love was a prize I had to work for. But here were these two powerful men telling me I was enough just as I was.
"I... I don't know what to say," I whispered.
"Don't say anything," Lucien said, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "Just eat your dinner."
I nodded, feeling a strange mix of relief and a deeper kind of love for them than I had felt before. I turned toward the table, but as I moved, I felt it.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. It was that feeling again.
I froze. My eyes snapped toward the living room window. The curtains were partially open, revealing the dark night outside. The feeling was intense, like someone was pressing their face against the glass, staring at me with hunger.
The goosebumps rose on my skin instantly. I felt exposed, even with the twins standing right there.
"Rhea? What’s wrong?" Damien asked.
I didn't answer and walked toward the window, my heart hammering in my chest. I looked out into the shadows of the parking lot and the trees beyond.
The streetlamp flickered, casting long, dancing shadows, but there was no one there. The sidewalk was empty. No Mark. No stalker. Just the wind blowing a few dead leaves across the pavement.
"Someone was watching me," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I felt it. It was...it was so creepy."
Lucien and Damian were at the window in a second. Lucien pushed the curtain aside fully, his eyes scanning the darkness. Damian opened the window, sniffing the air, his nostrils flaring.
"There's no scent," Damian muttered, his brow furrowed. "Nothing but the city smell."
"But I felt it," I insisted, hugging myself. "It felt so real. Like they were right there, looking straight at my back."