Aidan.
I moved quickly through the corridor toward the rogue quarters, my steps sharp and purposeful. The air around the place was thick with silence and submission, the kind that came from fear being woven into daily routine. I knew the layout well enough, and it didn't take long before I reached the room I was looking for.
Her room.
I raised my hand and knocked once, firmly.
"Rogue 456!" I called out, my voice carrying authority without effort.
The door opened almost immediately.
But it wasn't Maria.
A strange figure stood there instead, unfamiliar, her posture stiff and cautious. I took a step back instinctively, my brows drawing together in displeasure. I had been very clear with my instructions—Maria was to be kept alone. No roommates. No shared space.
"Greetings, sir," the girl said quickly, bowing her head. "She isn't in."
"Sir?" I echoed, my tone sharp as my gaze swept over her.
She straightened slightly, though she still kept her head lowered. From the way she stood, rigid, overly respectful I could tell she was new. New rogues always carried themselves like that, as if one wrong breath could cost them their lives.
"What's your identity?" I asked coolly.
"Rogue 457," she answered without hesitation.
That explained it.
I clicked my tongue softly and glanced past her into the room, confirming Maria's absence. "Any idea where Rogue 456 could be?" I asked, already suspecting the answer.
"Yes, sir," she said quickly. "She was assigned to work in the garden."
My jaw tightened.
Of course she was.
Without another word, I turned on my heel and strode away, irritation coiling tightly in my chest. The sky outside had already darkened by the time I reached the garden path. The sun had long dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a dim glow that barely illuminated the grounds. Torches flickered faintly in the distance, casting long, uneven shadows across the soil and hedges.
Then I saw her.
Even from afar, she was easy to spot, bent over, moving slowly, her posture strained. I quickened my pace instinctively, long strides eating up the distance between us. My focus narrowed entirely on her, on the way she moved as though every step hurt.
But then I noticed them.
Damien.
Adrien.
They stood on either side of her, close enough to feel intentional. My steps slowed almost immediately, my body responding before my mind fully processed it. I watched from a distance, eyes narrowing slightly as I took in the scene, their presence, their positioning, the way they loomed near her.
As the distance between us closed, the heavy atmosphere of the room seemed to vibrate with a tension I could taste.
Damien's voice cut through the silence, sharp and mocking, as he addressed her. "Rogue 456! You seem shocked at our presence!"
He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he leaned in with a predatory grace, closing the gap until his lips were just a whisper away, brushing against hers in a gesture that was as much a threat as it was a caress.
Watching them, a primal surge of possessiveness flared within me. Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to step in, to seize control of the moment and claim what was ours. The urge to take over was a physical weight in my chest, a dark, pulsing demand, but I forced my muscles to remain still. I restrained myself, though the effort felt like holding back a landslide.
Adrien moved then, his movements fluid and chillingly calm. "Have you done anything bad again?" he asked, his voice low and smooth.
He drifted toward her, his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that promised no escape. As he reached her, his hand rose, his fingers trailing down the line of her chin in a slow, deliberate motion that emphasized her helplessness.
I couldn't stay silent any longer. "I wouldn't be surprised if she has!" My own voice echoed through the space, hard and unforgiving, as I finally bridged the last few feet to join them. The sound seemed to bounce off the walls, sealing her fate.
I didn't hesitate. Reaching out, I pulled Maria toward me, my grip firm and unyielding. In a split second, I claimed her, grabbing her lips forcibly with my own. I tried to deepen the contact, pushing my tongue against her teeth to force an entry, but she fought back. Her resistance was immediate. She slammed her hands against my chest, her small frame tensing as she tried to shove me away with everything she had. The suddenness of her rejection caught me off balance, and I staggered back a step, the momentum of her fear momentarily breaking my hold.
The defiance didn't last. Before she could even draw a breath to scream, Damien moved. With lightning speed, he grabbed her and pinned her firmly against the wall, his strength dwarfing hers.
"How dare you resist?" he growled, the sound vibrating deep in his throat, raw with a dangerous edge. His hand traveled downward, his fingers tracing a burning path to her thighs. With a sudden, sharp movement, he jerked her legs upward, forcing her body into a vulnerable position that made her shudder violently against the stone.
The sight of her trapped between us, trembling yet defiant, ignited something dark and ravenous in my mind. The realization that we could take her right here, in this very moment, sent a violent shiver racing down my spine. The heat in my blood pooled low and heavy, my body reacting with a fierce, demanding ache as my dick probed against my clothes.
"You belong to us!" Adrien muttered, his voice thick with a dark promise.
He stepped into the space Damien had made, taking over the assault. He didn't give her a chance to breathe before crashing his lips against hers, hungrily claiming the territory she had tried so hard to protect.
I had just taken a step forward when Vanessa's voice cut through the night.
"Aidan, Adrien, Damien! What's going on here?" she asked.
Her eyes moved slowly between the three of us, searching for answers, while she clung tightly to Davian, waiting in tense silence for someone to speak.