Sisters By Chance - The Dawn (Book Two)

My Demand

Harry's POV

I'm exhausted as I drag my legs up the stairs with a warm and full stomach. Mrs. Birch's elk stew is heaven, as everything she cooks. Oh, don't get me started on her deserts and cakes! I'd kill for her chocolate truffle muffins! My mouth is practically dripping as I dream about the velvet-smooth feeling and sweet taste on my tongue.

The latest meeting had gone on for ages. We plan, plan and plan. I get that John wants to have considered every possible angle and outcome. But I don't think it makes any difference at this stage.

My apartment is empty as I enter and stumble to fall on my couch. My eyelids are heavy, and my body feels like lead. I haven't seen Raven all day and thought she'd be here. I wonder where she is?

'Mrs. Birch?'

'Yes, Beta?'

'If it's not too much trouble, I'd like some of your chocolate truffle muffins for Raven. She's been working so hard lately!'

'I'll see to it!'

'Thanks!'

Easy as pie, I sigh to myself. Now, I'll rest my eyes while waiting!

*

A sudden bang and a burst of profanity made me shoot up.

'I'm awake!' I groaned as I looked around the room sluggishly. My eyes sting from tiredness as I see a blurry black mess stomp toward my bedroom.

'You're home! What time is it? Have you eaten?' I murmur with a yawn.

'Yes, late, yes!' She grumbles before darting out of sight and disappearing. Her scent lingers in the air. It's oddly rich, thick, and blended with others. As in a haze, I follow the scent through my bedroom and into the bathroom. I can't put my finger on it. The water is running hot and is quickly dampening the air. Then I hear it. She's sniveling, whimpering, and crying. My mind goes blank as I open the glass door to the shower and step inside, fully clothed. The water is pouring down over her shivering frame.

Without a word, I grab her from behind, enfolding her in my arms. I rest my head on hers as I ask her what's wrong. She shakes her head slowly, not giving me a single word. There is only silence. My clothes are slicked against my skin, heavy from water as I keep her in my arms, letting the water rain over me and waking me up. I cradle her while whispering sweet nothings in her heart to comfort her.

'It's alright. Everything's going to be fine!' I coo while kissing the top of her head. I let her cry until she has no more tears. I strip out of my clothes before I wash her. Then I dry her in a large fluffy towel, brush her hair and finally carry her to bed. She has fallen asleep before her head hits the pillow, her hair still wet, and her face reed from all tears running down her cheeks.

I can't help but feel hopelessly inept as I stroke her wet hair from her face. A purple mark on her neck comes into view, and a growl escapes me. That's the reason for her confusing scent. She's been with a man. A man who wants to claim her. But where is he? Why isn't she staying with him? And more importantly, why didn't he follow her home if she couldn't stay with him?

The angry growl keeps bubbling from my chest as primal need simmers in my mind. No one f***s with my friends and live to tell about it, no one. I'll make her tell me who he is, and I'll kill him slowly and painfully. He's going to beg for mercy, and I'll have non to give. The tingling from a mindlink brings me out of my mental killing spree.

'Beta. I'm at your door with the muffins you requested!'

'I'm on my way!' I inform as I kiss Raven's forehead and walk out of the bedroom. Marie is carrying a tray filled to the brim with a large pile of dark brown fluffy muffins. Her eyes greet me with a shy smile. I see her eyes wander down my body before her cheeks turn pink. I'm naked, only wrapped in a towel, feeling lingering drops roll over my skin.

'Marie, you're an absolute angel! It's perfect, thanks!' I moan at the scent alone. The blush becomes heavy and quickly spreads over Marie's cheek and neck. She diverts her eyes to look at her feet as she speaks.

'You're welcome, Beta!'

'Have you taken some for yourself?' I wonder, not caring about her flustered stare.

'I took one for me and one for my boyfriend!' She tells me, giving me a quick smile before looking back at her feet. I swiftly grab two and shove them into her hands, demanding she'll accept them as I thank her again while closing the door so she can refuse.

With the muffins wrapped and put away, I finally look at the time and sigh. It's going to be hard waking up in just five hours. Even harder to please Ben at training tomorrow morning. I'll probably have my ass handed to me before the warmup.

Not wasting any more time - I head for my bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. I am about to turn the light off and leave when my eyes fall on a black arm sticking out from the laundry basket. Jack growls in my head, pushing to take over. But there is no need. I want to know just as bad as him. The lid falls to the floor as I pull the sleeve to my face, burying my nose again the damp fabric. I take a deep breath letting the scents seep into my mind. Jack helps me sort them out; there are wolves. But also a bear. I'm guessing Lucas. However, he's not the one who has been sucking her neck - I'm sure of it. I detect Jacob, Sofia, and then Tim, but nothing else.

'That doesn't make sense!' Jack snorts. 'Why can't we detect who the new male is?'

'Could she have masked his scent?'

'Maybe,' He grumbles, not entirely convinced.

'We'll ask her tomorrow.' I decide as I yawn and let my eyelids feel heavy again. All this thinking has given me a headache. Raven feels warm as I take my place beside her. She soars softly, and her hair has made her pillow all wet. I swiftly change it to a dry one before pulling her against my chest. She moans and turns to face me. She buries her face against my chest, but instead of a content sigh, I feel her frown and turn away from me. Whoever he is, he's affecting her, and the pull is pulling her away from me. I kiss her head before letting her go. She rolls away from me, and I let her. We need to give her a room of her own from now on. She's never been mine, and I'm alright with that. But I don't like her being sad.

*

'Tell me who he is!'

'No!'

'Sweetheart, tell me so I can kill him, NOW!' I demand, holding her by her shoulders. We have been arguing all day, and she's adamant about keeping her mouth shut, only telling me - No! I don't think she has said anything else today, not even good morning. I've watched her chew her knuckles while staring out into space, lost in thoughts.

'Your hurting because of him, and I won't have it! Give. Me. His. Name!'

'No.'

'f**k this s**t!' Jack growls in my head, ready to punch something - when there's a sudden knock at my door.

'WHAT?' We roar at the door in unison, snorting like an angry bull.

The door swings open, and I see Kayden standing there. Ready to knock again.

'Is this bad timing?' He asks, looking at me with hesitation.

'No!' Raven tells him as she jerks herself from my grasp, her wand raised and her brows furrowed. 'He's all your's. He's getting on my nerves!'

'Oh, um, I'm not here for him. No offense, Beta! I'd like to have a word with you, Raven!'

Before I have time to register his words and before I have the chance to suppress Jack's rage, Raven strides past me, grabs Kayden's hand, and closes the door in my face. I know it isn't Kayden. He would have claimed her in my living room for all to witness the first time he saw her. So what could they need to discuss?

'He knows who it is!' Jack growls in my head dangerously low. And I nod, quickly grabbing the handle to follow them. I throw myself out the door to be met by the empty hallway. They are gone. I swiftly stride to the stairs. However, it's empty too. f*****g witch and her magic powers of disappearing.

'This isn't over!' I growl in the empty hallway before turning on my heel and walking back into my apartment.

***

Raven's POV

Kayden saved me. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see another man. That's not true, but at this moment - it could have been. I love Doggie with all my heart. He's my first friend in forever - he's funny, protective, and caring. And I know he's mad because I'm sad. But he isn't helping the situation.

I'm not ready to talk with him yet. Sofia was one thing - she's a girl. She gets it. Harry is seeing red and wants Tim dead. How's that going to fix anything? Stupid boys!

I grabbed Kayden's hand as soon as the door closed behind us, wielding my wand and bringing us down to the first floor in the blink of an eye. Our feet hit the ground, and he falls to his knees with his palms against the floor, gasping for air.

'f*****g hell! You could have warned me!'

'Don't be a baby!' I tell him tiredly as I put away my wand. 'What did you want?'

'Moody much?' He asks as he stands to his feet, looking a bit green. I keep staring at him and wait for him to make sense. His head turns toward the stairs, looking up and frowning.

'He's pissed!'

'So am I! What do you want?'

'It's a surprise!' He grins while grabbing my hand and pulling me back up the stairs. No more men for me; they're hopeless and useless. It's women from now on.

Using as much force I can - I pull my hand from his grip and walk back down. 'No thanks. I don't want any more surprises, ever!'

'Hey! Where are you going?' He yells.

'Away from all men!' I grumble, not intending to answer him.

Two large hands grab me from behind, lifting me. I'm quickly thrown over Kayden's muscular shoulder and carried up the stairs to the second floor. I pound his back with my fists, scolding him and demanding he'd let me down. He grunts when I manage to hit his lower back, probably right on his spine. All I see is the hallway as I dangle upside down. My hair is nearly sweeping the floor as it sways back and forward. I see him kick a door with his foot: like if knocking.

It opens immediately - as if the one on the other side expected him and was waiting. I feel hands on my hips, and I am suddenly pulled from Kayden's shoulder. Someone is trying to lift me inside the room, away from Kayden.

'What the f**k, Kayden!' I yell at him while gripping his t-shirt and trying to pull myself back, climbing like a cat - away from whoever is taking me.

'Calm down, kitten!' Kayden grunts as he grips my arms pulling me off him. My heart hammers in my chest as I do my best to escape. I consider crying out for help, but who would help a witch against two pack members?

I hear my name repeatedly while I struggle to win a doomed battle. The man griping me from behind sneaks his arms around me and pulls me flush against his chest. I buck my body and punch with my hands while thrusting my head from side to side. My words get stuck in my throat, making it impossible to scream for help. All I can do is try to wiggle myself out of these relentless arms.

The clicking of the door closing snaps me out of my erratic behavior.

The voice pleading my name becomes clear as day, making me snap my head to my right, looking at Adonise's face close up. His baby blue eyes are glossy as they stare down at me, pleading along with his voice.

'Please, Raven!'

'Don't!' I snap at him.

He sinks to the floor with me in his arms. They make me feel weak, and I want to be strong. Yet I can't bring myself to pull away.

'I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!' Tim pleads as he caresses my arm and hip with his thumbs. When I say nothing: he rubs his nose on my shoulder while whispering against my skin. The light touch of his lips sends shivers through my body.

'Say something,' He pleads before kissing my shoulder light as a feather.

'There is nothing to say! You didn't want me, and I don't want you, so let me go, and we can forget this ever happened...'

'Stop that! I never said I don't want you. You are all I want, all the time!' He groans. His arms get tense around me as he grips me tighter.

I fold my arms across my chest stubbornly as a child.

'Words and actions are two different things. You say you want me now. But have shown the opposite!'

'I have not!' The dark voice of Thor growls as he sniffs my shoulder and snorts. 'You smell like him again!' He grunts while rubbing against me.

'Hi, handsome!' I mumble.

'Hi, little bird! I've missed you,'

'This is confusing, do you know that?'

'How so?' He breathes against my neck, still rubbing my arms and legs with his hands.

'You're sexy as f**k!' I groan. 'And I have wanted to climb you like a tree since I saw you bare-chested and sweating. I had dreams about you before that - nightmares from when I found you. But after that - all I could see was you. But you made it clear you didn't want me and what I am!'

Thor observes me as I speak, his eyes shifting between dark and light before going impossibly dark.

'We wanted you! But Tim was scared. We have seen and heard things. Things that torment him, day and night!' Thor sighs. His words grip my heart like the vise so often do. 'And you were dating my Beta. I was conflicted, yes. But I wanted you!'

'All I did was straddle him. That was all I had done with him when you walked in. I hadn't even kissed him!' I tell Thor as I hold his gaze. 'You could have claimed me, and nothing would have happened between Harry and me. It would have been over before it started.'

'Tim couldn't,' he tells me without letting my eyes go.

'And now?'

'We want you! We have always wanted you!'

I shake my head, having a hard time believing him.

'You said he couldn't before. What has changed?'

'Why don't you ask him?'

'I don't trust him!' I huff while pouting. Thor's mesmerizing eyes erupt in a huge smile. He adjusts me to straddle him on the floor while placing his strong hands on my back to pull me in for a hug, pressing me against his chest firmly. His face seeks its way into my neck, inhaling deeply. The man under me purrs softly against my skin. His words send goosebumps from my scalp to my feet.

'You trust me?' He asks with a silky voice, making me swoon. And before I have thought through my response, the words slip past my lips like water in a stream.

'I do!'

Thor's purring turn to a soft growl. His firm chest vibrates against mine, and my n*****s perk up - standing in painful attention.

'You know he hears you, don't you?'

I nod against him, resting my head on his shoulder. I know. It's just easier to talk with Thor. He's been honest from the get-go.

'Can I have you and not him?' I whisper as if Tim wouldn't hear me.

'We're a package deal, little bird! It's both or non, so talk with him.'

I nod slowly against his shoulder as I wrap my arms around his neck. His calm breathing goes jagged, and I feel his heart hammer in his chest. The wolf has made way for the man, and I grip him tightly.

We stay quiet, waiting for each other - not knowing what to say. My thoughts go wild in my head. And every single one of them is more stupid than the other. Listening to his heart pound makes mine race as well. I feel his muscles flex as they hold me. He draws tiny circles on my back with shaking fingers. With my nose against his throat, I felt him swallow hard. He seems more nevus than me. Suddenly it becomes obvious. They are different persons in the same body; Thor is so confident in his actions, and Tim is so insecure.

Confidence is key - I think to myself before taking a deep breath and relaxing against him. His warmth washes over me, so I slowly wiggle my hips to make myself comfortable and hear him draw for air sharply. Encouraged, I rub my nose against his shoulder and up his neck, his most vulnerable spot - humming softly.

'Tim?'

'Raven,' he breathes with a voice so soft it makes my name sound like a prayer in his mouth. The deep tone and slight rasp send chills down my spine as I whisper my demand.

'Stripp! You owe me a shower...'