Tempting Darkness

Darius watched my face for a second, and I swallowed as his eyes ran down my body and to my lap, making me shift uncomfortably. He growled; the noise gave me goosebumps as he towered over me.

"Lycus, go get her some clothes. Kalen, go grab her a shirt until Lycus comes back so she can shower," Darius said before pushing off the bed away from me. Lycus nodded to him before walking out, and so did Kalen, leaving me with Darius and Tobias. "You attend every class. Someone will pick you up from your room in the morning to take you down to the mess hall, where all meals are served for those who live here."

"Where am I?" I asked before I could stop myself. Darius didn't like being talked over as he took a deep breath, and I watched his hands clench into fists at his sides before looking down.

"Meals are in the mess hall. I will have some books sent in here. Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone here you are our mate. If you do, you will wish you were in the cells. Am I clear?" "Crystal," I told him.

"Also," Tobias said, stepping closer to the bed and moving to stand beside Darius, "you will steer clear of Kalen. Stay out of our way, and if you can behave and do as you're told, you will have a bit more freedom."

"Why can't I go near Kalen?" I asked, confused. He appeared to be the only one who didn't outright condemn me.

"Don't question us. Just do as we ask. It isn't up for discussion," Tobias said just as Kalen walked back into the room. He had a folded shirt in his hands, and he placed it on the end of the bed with a towel.

"Now go shower; you're filthy. Tobias will bring you something to eat when you are out of the shower," Darius said before turning on his heel and walking out. He stopped at the door, looking expectantly at Kalen, who turned around when Tobias touched his shoulder, nodding toward the door. Kalen left. He looked like he wanted to say something but kept it to himself. They both left, and Tobias stayed behind, looking down at me.

"Count yourself lucky we haven't killed you yet, Aleera. Be careful not to give us a reason to. Kalen may not want you dead, but the rest of us do. Just remember that," he said before walking out and closing the door behind him. I heard the lock click in place, so I didn't even bother checking it as I got up and walked into the bathroom.

A shower sounded excellent. I hadn't had a hot shower in god knows how long, usually washing in lakes or streams. It wasn't the same. You never really felt clean with only cold water, and I was lucky to find soap when I could. I suppose that's what happens when you leave the fae community and are forced to live in the wilderness among monsters, never catching a whole night's sleep and jerking awake at every noise.

Walking into the bathroom, I stopped in front of the mirror above the basin, furrowing my brows when I noticed it had five sinks. A shower took up an entire wall behind me, and there was a colossal bath that could easily fit five people in the middle of the room. A toilet was in the far corner, and I wondered if they'd specifically made this room for the five of us before I ran.

Guilt gnawed at me as I placed the shirt and towel on the basin before looking at myself in the mirror. I looked different from what I remembered. My face had changed; it was slimmer. I didn't look like the same eighteen-year-old girl when I left the boarding school. I looked older, drained of life. I was skinnier, my hair dull and lifeless. It was so much longer now. It used to sit on my shoulders; now, it was halfway down my back, having grown out.

The door leading to the other room opened, and Kalen wandered in.

"There is shampoo and soap in the niches and a spare toothbrush." He walked over before bending down and opening the cupboards under the sink basin and reaching into it.

He pulled out a hairbrush and toothbrush before handing them to me.

"Thank you," I told him, observing the man. He nodded, and I heard talking in the room he had just walked in here from.

"You all share a room?" Kalen looked at the door before nodding and looking back over at me.

"Strange, huh?" I shrugged, unsure what others did when they had multiple mates. I stared at his neck, finding the same markings I saw on Darius's. Kalen placed his hand over it, pulling my attention back to him.

"I should go. They won't be pleased if they catch me talking to you."

I chewed my lip as I watched him slip out of the bathroom. Turning back to the mirror, I peeled off my hoodie and shirt before dumping them in the basket.

The clothes were stained and holey, but I wasn't sure where my bag was, and I believed I had left it behind in the city-vaguely remembering it slipping off my shoulder when I called on them. I unbuttoned my jeans and stepped out of them before unclipping my bra. I placed it on the sink basin, knowing I only had one.

Turning around, I hurried to the shower and turned it on, my hand placed under the water as I waited for the temperature to heat before stepping in. It was like heaven, and I sighed, bracing my hands on the tiled wall-the dirt, grime, and blood washing down the drain as I pressed my face under the spray.

Opening my eyes, I reached for the soap in the niche before slathering it on my skin. I didn't want to get out but knew I had no choice; the effort it took to remain standing was becoming intolerable. Hunger made me feel weak and shaky; I needed to eat soon. The steam made me dizzy, and my hands hadn't stopped shaking since I awoke. Shutting off the shower, I jumped when I heard a knock on the door before the handle twisted.