Chapter 3

Louis POV

Our little Lotus quickly falls asleep in the back of the car, and I can't seem to take my eyes off her. Little puffs of air escape her lips as she breathes in and out, and I wonder what she is dreaming about. Her nose screws up, and tears drip from her closed eyes. Whatever it is, I don't think it is pleasant.

"You aren't to touch her," Levi growls at me.

I return his anger, but quietly. I don't want to wake her. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Lennox snorts with laughter. "You are looking at her like you want to eat her up, but I can't say I blame you. She looks good enough to taste."

Levi growls again. "None of you will be touching her, and I won't either. We agreed a long time ago that we would not take part in the barbaric ritual of using a breeder. Are you two saying you have changed your mind because a pretty woman has been dangled in front of our faces?"

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at Levi. "No one is suggesting anything of the sort, but it is clearly on your mind because you brought it up."

Lennox leans back in his seat and pinches the bridge of his nose. He is already over our argument. Levi is the oldest, and I am the youngest. Levi is level headed, and I am more easy going, but I don't have the weight of being the oldest on my shoulders. Lennox has been stuck in the middle of us for his whole life, and he is exhausted.

When he doesn't break up the fight between us, it quickly turns physical. Levi kicks my shoes, and I push off my seat, launching myself at him. The fight doesn't last long before Lennox growls His voice rumbles the car windows, causing us to stop.

Lotus curled into Lennox's chest with her eyes shielded. How in the hell did she survive as a man all this time? She is too delicate for this world. That much I am sure of. Levi pushes me off him, and I settle into the seat, but she still doesn't look up.

Lennox strokes the back of her hair. "It's okay," he attempts to soothe her. "They fight a lot, but they don't mean anything by it. They are just big kids."

She looks up from his chest and nods before slinking away from him. He frowns but doesn't push himself on her. Unlike before, he doesn't seem too keen to flirt with her. Not when she is afraid.

We ride in silence, but she doesn't fall back asleep. Her head rests against the window while she cries. As we approach the gates of the Winter Pack, her tears have dried, leaving tracks through the dirt on her face. When the car jerks to a stop, we all hold our breath.

She curls her fingers on the door of the car and leans forward. Her eyes are wide as she takes in the scene before her.

The outlying cities are different than the packs. The four main packs of the Crescent Realm control the seasons of the cities that surround them. Even though the cities are suffering from unbearable summer heat, it is always winter here. The snow never melts, and the nights are long. My brothers and I have visited the other packs, but none are as beautiful as ours.

Lotus recoils from the burst of cold wind that blasts her in the face when the door is opened. She shivers, and I realize she is not dressed for the snow. She had no intention of leaving the city, not that it would have mattered. She would have been forced to leave everything behind anyway.

The three of us file out of the car and wait patiently for her to gain enough bravery to join us. When it becomes clear that she won't exit on her own. I peek my head back in.

"It is warmer inside."

I offer her my hand and pull her gently into the frigid cold of the Winter Pack. Her skin prickles and turns a vibrant shade of pink against the freezing temperatures. Lennox and Levi don't seem to notice she is freezing, but her shivering is all I can see.

Scooping her into my arms, I carry her into the palace. Levi is muttering under his breath, but Lennox is laughing loudly. We are meant to be keeping up appearances, but I refuse to let her freeze.

The palace doors open, and everyone freezes as I walk in. They whisper loudly, not bothering to lower their voices. Lotus hides her face in my chest in embarrassment, but I don't let her or the others stop me from heading for the stairs. My foot is on the first step when Levi growls.

I spin slowly with her in my arms, glowering in his direction. He looks us up and down. "Put her down."

It isn't a request. It is a command. One that I don't plan on following. Turning away from my brother, I take the next step and then the next. I know the footsteps that are following me don't belong to Levi.

"Alpha Louis." A voice comes from behind me. An Omega is shuffling from foot to foot. "I am supposed to show the young lady to her room."

I look him up and down, and I know I should trust him, but I don't. I won't trust anyone with my Lotus. I shake that thought from my mind. That is absurd. She isn't mine, or anyone's. That is the problem with the Celestial Realm. Men believe that women are property.

"I can take her to her room," I snap at him.

His eyes dart to the ground. "Alpha Levi has requested your presence. These are his orders."

I set her on her feet and tilt her chin up so she is looking into my eyes. "I will be right back." Then I turn to the Omega. "If you touch her, I will kill you."

He swallows hard and nods in acknowledgement. I give Lotus a final look before going in search of my brothers.