When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)

Chapter 70

LOGAN

I jolt awake as an ear-piercing scream shatters the silence.

Artemisia is clawing onto the bed sheets as Matthew is already leaning over her, trying to calm her down.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I ask her, trying to take her face into my hands but as soon as I touch her she screams again.

Fuck.

Her skin seems to burn up as she breathes heavily.

Panic expands in my chest, sorrow squeezing around my heart as I look at my brother. He must be wearing the same expression as mine as he looks back at me worried. "What shall we do?" "Love," I try again, just getting another heart-shattering scream from her.

Those aren't...

Looking at Matthew, I can see that he had the same thought as he gulps. "Where is Fynn?"

Son of a bitch!

'Finnegan!' I mind-link him, not getting any response. 'Finnegan, I swear to the Goddess!'

Just as I'm about to touch her again, the door opens and Cayden runs into the room. His hair is dishevelled, and I can't tell the last time I saw him this lost. "What is going on?"

"We don't know. She started crying and screaming out of nowhere." I make a little pause as if the words risked burning my tongue. "I tried to contact Fynn but he isn't responding."

He growls, and I see his eyes glaze over. I know that Finnegan is immune to his Alpha command but his mind-link will surely be more difficult to block than mine.

"I also had a few warriors fetch him," he murmurs as he moves onto the bed and leans over Artemisia. "Missy?" He calls for her, finally getting another reaction than we got. "Make it stop," she cries, breaking my heart. "It burns. It hurts so much!"

I hold her hand that is clawing onto the bed sheet but let go immediately as she screams in pain once again. Clenching my jaw, I get out of bed. "I'm going to get his ass out of whatever bed he is in."

I'm just about to walk to the door as Finnegan barges into it. His shocked expression moves onto Artemisia convulsing in pain on the bed before he looks at me.

Grabbing him by the collar of his t-shirt, I push him into the wall. I fight hard to keep Ethan from taking over as I bark at him. "What the fuck were you doing?"

"I was playing cards, you idiot," he pushes me back easily, pulling his t-shirt into place. "What the fuck were you thinking I was doing, huh?"

My chest heaves as I keep myself in check, and he moves to the bed. "Fucking move out of my way!"

Matthew and Cayden move at his barked order, and I clench my fists as I see him lying down behind Artemisia.

I'm just about to stop him and tell him that she reacts badly at being touched as he has already lifted her t-shirt and laid a hand onto her stomach. Mine and my brothers' eyes widen as we see Artemisia whimper before she calms down and finally gets back to breathing normally. "It's fine, mate," he whispers, kissing her shoulder. "It's a lot in the beginning."

My chest squeezes as I cover my eyes with my hands, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! I don't know how Drake got to her, but he must have found a way," he growls, and I step back to the bed. "She got into one of the subconscious realms he creates out of boredom. I don't know how she got access to it."

Pointing a finger at him, I gesticulate wildly as my desperation grows. "What does that mean, you prick? You were meant to keep him in check?"

"How would I know?! It's my first

mate, you know." he bites back, "You

know exactly that I did everything to keep her away from us. All while you were out there happily playing silly games. Don't blame it all on me. He loves playing games. I just didn't think that he could physically drag someone else into those spaces."

His grin annoys me without measure and I charge towards him, getting held back by Cayden and Matthew.

"Think of Missy," Cayden says calmly. "You will end up hurting her if you continue to fight."

I clench my teeth as I watch him caressing my mate while she screamed at my touch just a few seconds ago.

And not in a good way.

"You were supposed to talk to her first. If you let him trap her like this..." My voice fades into nothingness as I clench my jaw.

He is still concentrating on our mate as he continues to caress her, and I would want nothing more than to rip his hands off her body. "Corvina said that he needs her blood to bind her to him. I don't remember him getting any, do you?" "You are such an asshole! As if we were in control over what you did to her every time she was alone with you!" I growl, and he clicks his tongue.

"Well, I don't remember having so much alone time with her as you did."

"Don't turn it around like this! I'm not the monster here," I shout, making him growl threateningly.

"Logan," Cayden says with a warning tone, making me step back. Turning to Finnegan, he clears his throat. "You have to talk to her. We can't go on like this. She is suffering the most because of this situation. It already wasn't fair before, but if she gets those painful episodes it changes everything."

Finnegan sighs, nodding absentmindedly as he watches Artemisia, who now has fallen asleep in his arms. "I know."

"I'll give you two weeks. That's when

the ball will take place. If you have to

be the first to get her, you will do sq without provoking your brothers.

Ewill

you don't talk to her until then, do it in your place. And you won't like what will happen then. Do you understand?" Cayden asks calmly while I'm boiling inside.

I should be her first. She should experience love with us, not pain and fear.

"Yes, Alpha!" Finnegan answers through clenched teeth.

"Good," Cayden breathes out, gesturing us to the door. "Let's get her some sleep now. I think she is doing fine with Finnegan for now."

Finnegan grins at me, but I get him to lose it as I turn around to him hissing, "I know that you are just acting entitled because you are scared that she will reject you. And who could blame her? Nobody would ever be mated to something... like you!" To my luck, he has what he retains to be his most precious possession in his hands, or I'm sure that he would have ripped me apart.

I walk out reluctantly, scoffing as Cayden closes the door behind us as we leave.