Fated To The Lycan Brothers
Chapter 41

Suri Nightingale

"Bonjour, ma belle amie!" Polly says in the prettiest French accent as she eats a red macaroon that is the same color of her lipstick.

I had just gotten back to the house, impressively sprinting my way up to the room in record time just so I don't bump into anyone, and right after flopping on bed, my phone started buzzing and there was a video call request from her. "Bonjer, or something like that." I said, in a less pretty way compared to her, because I don't have the slightest clue about how to speak French or sound like one.

Polly chuckles just as I hear two other laughs behind her. A second later, Elle and Ariana pop up with bright smiles and colorful dresses fit for the runway.

Did they just come from a fashion show or is that how they normally dress for summer in Paris? Knowing the three, probably the latter. Or maybe both? Ah, rich people.

"How is our favorite girl?" Elle asks, her smile beaming.

She's only been in another country for a week and she's already glowing. The air in that place must be something magical.

"I'm alright," I responded casually, not wanting to show them that I was internally giggling at the fact she called me their favorite.

I feel like a kid with her first friend, but then again, they are my first friends. I'm just not a kid anymore.

"Has anyone bothered you this week after... you know? Because if there is, Ariana will gladly let her beloved fans from the fencing team to come at them." Polly said as she wiggled her eyebrows at Ariana who was shaking her head embarrassed.

I'm not even going to ask the story behind that, let alone tell them the truth about the stupid rogue status and the fact that everyone has just been ignoring me. It's been pretty peaceful, honestly, and if the status meant quietness then I would gladly take in such privilege.

And even if they do end up doing more than just that, I can fight my own battles. I'm not going to run off to my friends and tell them I'm too weak to fight for myself. I'll be fine on my own. Like I always have been.

I gave them a curt shake. "Not really. It's been quite serene, actually. I just wish the brothers stayed away longer than a few days, but that's my luck. It was nice while it lasted."

"Wait, the brothers left? For how long?" Elle asks, evidently curious, as she grabs the phone from Polly.

"Pouvons-nous avoir trois glaces au café?" I heard Polly say in the background and see her and Ariana in front of what looked like a gelato shop.

"Um... four days? They didn't show up that day when you guys left and they just got back earlier today." I told her and Elle looked like she was calculating something in her head.

After a few seconds, she turned to the other girls and mumbled, "The brothers went missing in action again..."

Both of them turned to Elle like she had just told them Louboutins were discontinuing their signature heels forever and there was just no way that was possible.

"What? Already? Oh mon dieu, I wonder what happened." Polly says as she passes Elle her gelato and I start to crave for ice cream, too.

But my confusion with the whole situation is so heightened that I can't look away from my screen. "What is happening right now? Why are you guys acting like there's going to be world war three or something?"

Polly coughs out a laugh before moving her head closer to the screen so she's the only one I can see. "It might as well be. At least for those involved. The boys going MIA is never a good sign. It means something's happened and whoever caused it has hell to pay. Not unless they already have."

My brows furrowed even more confused and then Elle pops up on screen again. "Remember during the party I told you there was a time before Fall break that they disappeared? It was because they got tangled up with some gang fight and almost landed some dudes in their coffins. It was bad, and had Mr. Whitford not been able to intervene and fixed it up, they wouldn't even be here anymore. But that was then and last I can remember, the brothers didn't get into a fight in the party or after. Did they?" She turns to look at Polly for an answer, but she just gets a shrug. "Don't look at me, I was barely present at that party. I was busy with my furry friend." (She's talking about my faux fur handbag.)

"Well, I'm sure there wasn't anything, fight-wise, so what could have happened for them to get so pissed off they had to leave?"

I wrack my brain trying to think with her, but I have no idea what to think of in the first place since I still don't understand most of it.

"Oh mon dieu!" Polly exclaimed, surprising all of us. "The kiss?!"

I choked on air in the most unladylike way possible before "Excuse me?!"

"Oh right, that kiss. I forgot to congratulate you on getting that bad boy tongue action, by the way." Ariana chimed in and I felt my cheeks turn as red as a tomato.

"Ariana! Not the time! We're brainstorming here," Elle gave her a look.

"Okay, okay, geez. Just wanted to give credit where it's due." She mumbles before going back to her gelato and I remain looking like a big tomato head.

"It has to be the kiss, though. It's the only big enough event that happened to any of them. Maybe they all actually secretly have a crush on Suri and they got pissed at Atlas for the makeout session that was so sexually intense it made 'Fifty Shades of Gray' seem like a children's book?" "Polly, oh my god that sounds insane," said Elle.

"Yes, thank you." I agreed with her.

"But surprisingly plausible?!" Elle added and my jaw practically fell on the floor.

"What?! No! How is that plausible? That is the most non-plausible thing in the whole world because those brothers have wanted me gone from the very first moment I stepped foot in this town." I reasoned out but by the sly smiles on their lips, something tells me they're no longer hearing me out, lost in their fantasies of me being in a polyamorous relationship.

Did I say the air in that place was magical? I take it back. I don't want to go there. It's actually filled with hallucinogens.

"What if they're just doing that to get your attention? Knowing the Wolfe brothers it's probably the only affection they know how to give." Polly giggles and two others agree wholeheartedly.

"Right?!" Ariana adds with enthusiasm and I try not to rub my hands on my face and groan at how absurd they were being.

Atlas and Wes who have taunted and mocked me since the day I got here? Threatened me to leave or else they'll do something about it themselves? Growled at me like they were going to eat me alive-and I don't mean in that way-more than once? And don't even get me started on Devon who was faking his friendship with me this whole time.

These boys are my enemies. Not my possible lovers.

I told myself that over and over again, even after my call with the girls, and yet here I was, lying down on my bed, staring at my overly pink ceiling and thinking about the what ifs.

What if she was right? What if a part of what she said is actually possible and the brothers make it seem like they hate me, but they actually feel... the opposite? What if... Atlas liked the kiss almost as much as I did?

I felt my cheeks getting warmer and as hard as I tried not to think about it, I still ended up doing it.

The way Atlas sucked my lips, how he pushed for more as if he couldn't get enough even if we were exchanging every drop of our saliva at that point. The way he moaned when my tongue touched his and how I felt his body getting closer and closer to me that any more we would have somehow morphed into one, like that's what he actually wanted.

It was surreal. It was... nothing like I ever expected for my first kiss to be.

First of all, I didn't expect to get one at all. I am by no means a prude. I have thought of it here and then, but it was just that- thoughts. All my life I've been what people call a loner and loners don't just randomly get kissed by somebody because that's the thing, they have nobody. I used to have nobody, too.

And now I have not just one, but three friends. As well as a kind of fatherly figure in my life. And even if I wish it wasn't the case, I do live with three boys the same age as me now.

It's almost as if... I finally have people in my life.

Though that still doesn't explain the possibility of the boys liking me so I concluded that there was no way in hell... or heaven.

Satisfied with my own conclusion, I rolled over to my stomach and pulled my bag on the other side of my bed and brought out the stuff I needed to work on for the weekend.

Fortunately, there wasn't as much since I managed to do most of it in the library while doing my research paper for our math class.

I swallowed hard when I remembered the look on Devon's face when he passed his other half to me. He said he wanted to talk, but I was just so annoyed at seeing him that I told him to just leave me alone.

He looked so heartbroken that I almost gave in and let him speak to me, but I managed to stop myself, repeating his words to Atlas in my head. If he wants to keep his innocent act then so be it. I'm just not letting myself be fooled by him again no matter how annoyingly charming he is.

Damn the brothers and their good genes.

-

I'm about eighty five percent done with my reading for World History, the part about the French Revolution which really doesn't help erase my thoughts about what Polly said earlier, when my stomach starts to rumble and I realized that it's because it's almost dinner time and I've been studying for three hours.

"Damn," I mumbled to myself. Who knew I would be such a hard worker?

I hopped off of bed and decided to change into some house clothes before going down since I realized I haven't stripped off of the uniform since I got back.

"Hm..." I puckered my lips as I looked at my endless selection of clothes until I decided on some blue striped boxers that matched with a white top that cut right around my waist.

Looking at my outfit made me feel like I was ready for a photoshoot for a loungewear brand. It's crazy to think I used to just own two pairs I had to wash and reuse multiple times for sleeping back then. Now I had enough clothes to last me for the rest of my life without having to wear them more than once.

My stomach rumbled again and I rolled my eyes at how impatient it was.

Geez, can you wait a little?

Now that it's gotten used to being able to eat as much food as it wanted and whenever it wanted, it was getting really spoiled. I should tell myself not to get used to this, but I can't help it. Just the thought of the crazy amount of food and how good it mostly likely is that we're about to partake has my mouth watering.

I slipped into my light pink open-toe slippers made out of terry cloth from Versace. Not hard to miss where it's from because the logo is written all over it and I remember the first time I wore it I felt uncomfortable, worried I would get it dirty, but wearing it more often has gotten me more used to it.

I swear the rich people's life is getting to me, but I tell myself not to get sucked into it... too much.

I'm feeling pretty preppy tonight, excited for all the food I'm going to get, as I desperately hope nobody is home yet again. Having had the house all to myself for four days has been bliss.

I was so tempted to swim in the pool the entire time but I had put it off, telling myself if they're not back by Friday I can celebrate the end of my first week in the academy with a little dip. If nobody's home again tonight, I could still do that.

All of that hope vanished the second my eyes locked with a certain someone's. I was taking my last step on the stairs while he was stepping out of the elevator.

He looks like he's brooding, the mood around him completely ominous and dark as he frowns, and the second he sees me, he crosses his arms in front of his chest and shoots me a glare.

I debated on giving Atlas a 'friendly' greeting, but before I could say anything, he shifted his gaze away from me and walked away like he literally didn't see me. Freaking rich dick.

Disappointment comes at me like a wave and I'm drowning in it because as soon as I open the door to the dining room, all three of the brothers are present as well as Keith.

Keith is sort of a sight for sore eyes, but the other three makes me want to gouge said eyes.

"Suri!" He greets me like he hasn't seen me for years, the expression on his face lighting up the whole room, which isn't really a hard task seeing as all the boys were sulking like they had just lost a puppy.

He comes up to me for what looks like a hug, his arms stretched out, and I hesitate. I'm not good with physical contact and as much as I do like and appreciate Keith, I don't know what to do.

He must have noticed the hesitation on my face as he changed his form and moved on to just giving me a quick pat on the shoulder. Thank god.

"You look lovely," he says. Well I'm glad one person in this room thinks so.

"Thank you," I mumbled to him shyly. "Uh, you look pretty well made up yourself. Did you just arrive or are you still going somewhere else?"

Keith is wearing a white polo and some beige chinos, finished off with crazy expensive-looking wool loafers. He could seriously join The Bachelor and the girls there would go crazy for his refined looks and excessive amount of money, duh. Keith's smile gets wider and that makes me nervous all of a sudden. Please, Lord, let this not be another test of my patience. Don't you think I've already had enough?

"We're going somewhere else," he corrected me.

Oh my god, I guess the answer to that question is - no Suri, you haven't had enough.

"What?!" The simultaneous roar came from the table.

When I turned, Atlas and Wes were looking at Keith with their brows knitted and fists clenched, uncannily looking so much like each other.

Keith turned to the boys with a soft smile as he ushered me to sit down. I reluctantly followed, once again sitting on my old seat which was, unfortunately, right in front of Devon.

He gave me a small smile that I didn't feel like giving back so I just looked away from him to focus on what Keith was going to say.

"As I was saying, we're going out. I have some few days off and next week I know everyone will be much too busy with extracurricular activities so I want to take this free time that we all have to celebrate the end of your first week and bond a little more." Keith says, his smile from ear to ear like this is the happiest day of his life but to me, and likely the boys too, it's an absolute f*****g nightmare.

I can barely avoid them in the academy since we're classmates in most classes now I have to spend my weekend with them too? Fuuuuuuck. How do I get out of this?

Fortunately, it turns out I wouldn't have to try so hard because the boys are already spewing excuses to get out of it.

"No can do. I, uh, I have an important report for History class to hand in," said Atlas with so much confidence I would have actually believed him had I not known that we, in fact, do not have such a report.

"Same. I have a partner work with Andrew and I need to meet up with him on the weekend so I'm out, Pops." Wes added with an innocent-or as innocent as his face could get-smile, even adding the 'endearing' nickname to soften the invite decline.

I was looking at Devon, waiting for him to make up his excuse, but he didn't give any.

Instead, he just shrugs his shoulders. "Fine with me."

"Traitor," Wes said, but he masked it with a cough.

Atlas let out some snorting sound which made my stomach feel weird for a split second before I told it to shut up.

Keith lets out a long sigh, so long that I thought my stomach was going to have an empty hole from hunger before he finishes, before his lips curve into another cunning smile-that I'm beginning to notice is never a good sign-and he clasps his hands together. "Well, that's too bad. I guess it will just be me, Suri, and Devon. And all this time I thought you boys wanted to visit the Calico Seas."

Wes almost jumped to the table out of nowhere. "Did you just say Calico Seas?!" He asked as his eyes were seconds from popping out of his sockets.

"I'm in! I'm in!" He started proclaiming and I turned to him mouth agape.

So much for that 'partner work' huh, Wes?

Atlas' look at Wes looked more hostile than mine, like he was shooting laser beams at him. Wes turned to look at him and it's like they were having a conversation in their minds. Is that some kind of triplet thing?

A few seconds later, Atlas mumbles an, "Okay I'll go, too".

You have got to be kidding me.

So much for my boys-free weekend. The swimming pool in that place better be so amazing that it will stop me from wanting to end my misery.

Wait, what the hell am I even saying? I get to stay at a resort for the first time in my life and I'm complaining?

Oh my god, I really am turning into a rich spoiled brat. Somebody please save me