Knotted By The Devilish Alpha Brothers

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: turn me on

Reid had never been this humiliated in his life. His face burned. His jaw ached from clenching. Every muscle in his body wanted to throw her off, but she had him locked tight—no leverage, no room to move.

How the fuck is she doing this?

Dean flatly spoke. ”I did warn you.”

Amelia shifted her weight, keeping Reid pinned. A tremor ran through her arms. She was running out of time.

”Now is not the time to waste,” she said. The lightness in her voice was still there, but something urgent pressed underneath. ”I can feel myself fading. Stop moving, Reid... or I’ll pinch and squeeze that soft ass of yours. Let’s see how much you like that.”

Reid went completely still. The flush on his face deepened. Being pinned, threatened, made to blush—none of this was supposed to go the other way. Ever.

Amelia turned her closed-eyed face toward Enzo.

”All I’m asking is for help syncing my memories properly. You’re the only ones who can speed that up.”

”Making demands of us is brave. We’re the ones who hold your life.” Enzo declared.

”And yet I’m still alive.” she replied. ”Because fate dragged us back together.”

Enzo’s mouth twisted. ”Fate.”

”I heard about the ceremony,” she continued, ignoring his tone. ”Just make sure the three of you play your... erotic roles perfectly.”

Enzo said nothing.

”In my past lives I had a liking for you three. That’s all I’ll say. You’re the ones who can push me toward my potential the fastest. Once that happens, getting closer to the secrets of the Underworld Territory becomes possible. And my clueless self? She’ll do almost anything to uncover the truth if it means she can eventually leave your lives. This is a win-win.”

Reid twisted his head, staring at Enzo. ”Please tell me you’re not actually listening to this shit.”

Amelia leaned down and pressed a light peck to his cheek. Reid flinched.

”I really wish I could speed everything up,” she murmured near his ear. ”But all of you still have to figure things out on your own. This is the only nudge I can give you in the right direction.” She paused. ”I know the trust issues run deep. But somewhere under all that armor is the opposite of what you pretend to be... even if you don’t know it yet.”

Her body was growing heavier. The strength was fading.

”Also... don’t let her know about this conversation when she wakes up. That’s my first real plea.”

The last of the borrowed power drained out of her. Reid finally wrenched free, flipped her off him, and shoved her onto the bed. She bounced once against the mattress, limbs already going limp.

Even then, she lifted one trembling hand and brushed her fingertips along the line of his jaw. Her closed eyes and soft smile made Reid pause in confusion.

”I’ve definitely missed that,” she whispered. ”All those years searching for you three... completely worth it.”

Her hand fell away. Her body went still as she slipped back into ordinary sleep, leaving the three brothers standing in heavy, complicated silence.

Reid recovered first.

He grabbed Amelia by the shoulders, and shook her hard enough to make her head roll against the pillow.

”Wake up. You don’t get to humiliate me like that and then pass out. Open your eyes.”

”Stop.” Enzo demanded.

Dean moved immediately. He caught Reid around the chest and pulled him back from the bed. ”Now you understand why I didn’t want to tell you what happened between me and the freakshow.”

Reid twisted against Dean’s hold, still staring at Amelia.

”She spanked me.”

”I’m aware.”

Enzo barely registered their argument. His attention remained on Amelia.

There was something about her that didn’t add up.

She was frustrating. Unpredictable.

And yet, none of it had bothered him as much as it should have. His gaze stayed on her unconscious face.

What is it about her?

There had always been something missing in his life. He had never known what it was, and he had stopped caring about finding an answer years ago. Whatever it was, it had never interfered with their lives.

Until Amelia. He didn’t like the direction of his thoughts.

We’re not the kind of men who get attached.

He knew that. So did Reid and Dean.

They had survived by keeping people at a distance, and they had no intention of changing that now. Still, Amelia had already managed to get under their skin.

Enzo looked toward his brothers.

”Your voices are getting annoying.”

The argument stopped.

Dean released Reid, who straightened his clothes and shot him an irritated look before turning back to Enzo.

”I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt.”

Reid’s brows lifted.

”You are?”

”Yes.”

His gaze shifted between them.

”And I know both of you are going to do the same thing, even if neither of you wants to admit it.”

Reid rolled his shoulders, still rubbing the spot where Amelia’s knee had pressed into his back earlier. A faint, crooked smile tugged at his mouth despite the lingering sting to his pride.

”Fine. But I need actual sleep after this.”

”No.”

Enzo’s voice left no room for debate. ”We’re all sleeping here.”

Reid opened his mouth to argue, but Dean cut him off.

”The ceremony is tomorrow. Her body needs to be completely saturated with our scents by then.”

Reid exhaled through his nose, long and defeated.

They moved without further discussion. Enzo took the left side of the large bed, Dean the right. Reid, after a final glare at the universe, claimed the remaining space and dropped down with a dramatic sigh.

”Your mattress is a rock, Enzo. Do you sleep on actual stone for fun?”

No one answered him.

The proximity to Amelia worked faster than any of them expected. Her scent— warm rain and vanilla—wrapped around them. The constant low tension that lived in their muscles began to ease.

One by one, still tangled in their own private denials, the three brothers drifted into sleep.

*

Amelia stirred. Solid warmth pressed against both sides of her body like living walls. A heavy arm lay across her waist. Another rested along her thigh. Heat surrounded her from every direction.

Her eyes fluttered open.

Sculpted chests. Bare arms. The unmistakable lines of powerful bodies caging her in.

I’m still dreaming.