Chapter Four
As the final bell of the day rang, I gathered my books, feeling a sense of dread settle in the pit of my stomach. The thought of facing Alex and Austin after school weighed heavily on my mind. I mounted my bike and pedaled all the way home, the ride offering little solace from the anxiety gnawing at me.
When I arrived, the house was empty, a note from Mariah sitting on the kitchen counter. She was deep cleaning someone’s house and had left some noodles in the fridge for dinner. I sighed, microwaving the noodles and sitting down in our little living room, my thoughts consumed by the twins’ mansion and the dreaded assignment.
Yes, mansion. Most of the big families in our pack came from old money, many having made their fortunes from the resources the mountains and forests provided. The Vandabelt twins and Elijah’s family made their money from lumber, while Isaiah’s family owned a coal mine. The twins lived in a grand house that exuded both wealth and intimidation.
I toyed with the idea of not going, just staying home and dealing with the repercussions later. But thinking of the many things the twins would do to me if I didn't show up made me think twice. With no other choice, I finished my noodles, took a quick shower, and got dressed in a large T-shirt, jean shorts, and my old Timberland boots.
With a heavy heart, I slung my backpack onto my shoulder and made my way to my bike. Each step felt like I was walking to my doom. The ride to the twins' house was short, but the anxiety spiked with every pedal stroke. My mind raced with thoughts of what awaited me.
Their house loomed ahead, a grand structure that seemed almost out of place in our small town. I parked my bike at the edge of their driveway, feeling like I was stepping into enemy territory. The front door seemed even more imposing as I approached, my hand trembling as I knocked.
The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Austin standing there with a smirk on his face. My heart sank further when I saw he was shirtless, his chiseled torso on full display. Alex appeared behind him, also without a shirt, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Well, well, look who decided to show up," Austin said, his voice dripping with condescension.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. "You said we needed to do the assignment."
Alex's smirk widened. "We did. And it's good to see you can follow instructions. We like obedient girls."
My skin prickled with discomfort at his words. I stepped inside, the door closing behind me with a foreboding click. The house was spacious and elegantly decorated, but it felt oppressive, the air heavy with their presence.
“Why do you always dress like a dude?” Alex taunted, pulling on the collar of my shirt.
“And a poor one at that,” Austin added.
“Because I'm poor,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Is that back talk I hear?” Austin asked, raising his eyebrow in questioning.
"I'm sorry,” I apologized, walking to the living room and taking my books out of my bag. "Let's get this over with. I already started and will be done in less than an hour, and I can be gone," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
"Not so fast. Who said anything about you leaving?" Austin said, grabbing both my shoulders and leading me to the stairs while Alex grabbed my books. "We are doing it from our room," Austin said.
I stood and shook my head. Who knows what they would do to me? What if they pushed me down the stairs or threw me out a window?
“What are you afraid of? Keep it moving,” Alex warned, and my legs involuntarily began moving. The twins’ room was enormous; it looked like they had merged two bedrooms by breaking down the wall that separated them. Each side of the room had a bathroom and a walk-in closet.
"Why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable first?" Austin led me to the sofa in the room.
I sat on the edge of a plush sofa, my backpack clutched tightly in my lap. They lounged casually, their bare chests making it hard for me to focus on anything else.
"Where are your books?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation back to the assignment.
“Want to do the assignment now that you've looked at us enough?” Alex asked, making my heart race.
Austin chuckled. "Don't worry, we've got everything we need right here." He pulled out a textbook and a notebook, tossing them onto the coffee table. "But first, we need to set some ground rules."
I frowned, my anxiety mounting. "Ground rules?"
Austin leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. "Rule number one: you do what we say, when we say it. Understand?"
I nodded, my voice failing me. This was worse than I had anticipated, but I knew better than to argue. These were the guys who gave me bruises and black eyes when we were in preschool, so I knew their temper well.
"Good," Alex said, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Now, let's get started."
They handed me the textbook, and I flipped it open to the assigned chapter. As I began to read, I could feel their eyes on me, a constant reminder of their control. Their laughter and whispers filled the room, making it hard to concentrate. I pushed through, determined to finish as quickly as possible.
The minutes dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity. My discomfort grew with each passing second, but I forced myself to stay focused. Finally, after what felt like hours, I completed the last problem.
"I'm done," I said, closing the book with a sense of relief.
Austin took the notebook from me, scanning my work. "Not bad," he said, a hint of approval in his voice. "You might actually be useful after all."
Alex leaned back, his arms stretched lazily over the back of the sofa. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
I shook my head, too exhausted to respond. All I wanted was to leave and never look back.
“Now that we're done, let's get to business,” Austin said, and I could hear my heart beating in my ears.
“Ooh, your reaction excites me,” Alex moaned.
“We still haven't forgotten about you peeping on us,” Austin said, and I immediately stood up, putting a few feet of distance between us. “Please, I'm so sorry. It will never happen again,” I pleaded.
They both stood up and smirked, each one flanking me on either side. “We smelt your arousal, and it was delicious. We haven't been able to get it out of our minds,” Alex smirked. I kept backing away from them until my legs hit something, and I realized I had bumped into the bed.
“Please, it will never happen again,” I begged as they inched closer. Seeing that I had no place to go, I decided to rush for the door but felt a firm hand on my shoulder holding me in place.
“Not so fast, carrot head. The party just started,” Alex said. “You're like a little pest… why are we always drawn to you?” Austin asked.
“Are you thinking what I'm thinking, brother?” Austin asked Alex.
“I sure am,” Alex smiled. Now I was sandwiched between them, my heart racing so fast I felt like I was going to pass out.
“Since you liked watching us like a little pervert, why don't we give you what you were missing out on?” They said and shoved me onto the bed.
“Leave me alone!” I screamed and tried to run. But I was trapped. Before I realized it, Austin crashed his lips into mine. My mind almost exploded. I had never kissed anyone before. I felt Alex, who was behind me, shove his hand beneath my chest, cupping my breast with his large hand while he moaned. I fought with all my might. What was going on? Why were they doing this? Didn't they hate me?
“Brother, let me have a taste of her sweet lips too,” Alex said.
“From now on, you're our very own toy,” Austin said after breaking the kiss. My body instantly reacted on its own, and I kneed him in between his legs. Before Alex could react, I hit him with my elbow in the stomach. As they were reacting to what had just happened, I grabbed my bag and bolted out of their room while they followed behind me.
“Stormi!” I heard Alex bellow in anger. It was the first time I had ever heard him call my name, and I was scared. I quickly got on my bike and pedaled out of there as fast as I could. Even though I knew that if they shifted, they could catch up to me easily, I didn't stop. I was so dead, but I didn't know how to react. Why would they do that? Why would Austin kiss me? Was it some prank they were about to play? My heart raced as much as my feet pedaled.
“Hey…” Mariah greeted as I entered, but I rushed straight to my room and locked the door behind me.