signingbooks Chapter 220: Ticking Bomb
Chapter 220: Ticking Bomb
Scarlett’s POV
By the time we got back to the mansion, it was already night.
The heavy conversation from the kitchen hung between us, but the possessive warmth in Leonard’s eyes hadn’t faded. He walked me up the grand staircase and right to my bedroom door, but instead of leaving, he leaned his massive frame against the doorframe.
"Come sleep with me tonight."
My cheeks flared hot. "I... I will," I stammered, twisting the hem of his oversized white shirt, which I was still wearing. "Let me just freshen up and change first, then I’ll come over to your room."
Leonard stared at me for a long beat, his brown eyes tracking the blush on my face. A small, satisfied smirk tugged at his lips. He leaned down, capturing my lips in a deep, bruising kiss that completely stole my breath and left my core aching all over again. My inner wolf purred loudly, leaning into his touch.
He pulled away slowly, his hot breath fanning over my lips. "Don’t keep me waiting, love."
I nodded quickly, my heart racing, and slipped into my room. The moment I closed the door behind me, I let out a shaky breath.
I walked over to my closet and was just about to undress when the bedroom door clicked and swung open.
"Leonard, I said I’d be right over—" I started, turning around, but the words died in my throat.
It wasn’t Leonard.
Liam stood in the doorway, his eyes fixed on me. Before I could even process his presence, he closed the distance between us, his hands reaching out to clamp firmly around my waist. The heavy scent of fresh pine and rain flooded my senses.
"What are you doing here?" I gasped, my hands immediately coming up to push against his hard, bare chest. Panic spiked in my chest. "Leonard is just down the hall! He could walk in at any second, Liam!"
Liam didn’t back down. Instead, a cocky smirk spread across his handsome face as he pulled my hips closer to his. "I don’t give a damn. I haven’t seen you all day, Scar. I couldn’t get enough of you yesterday, and my wolf is going crazy."
I rolled my eyes, trying to maintain my grip on his shoulders to keep some distance between us. "Liam, remember the rules. Today is Tuesday. It’s Leonard’s day."
"The rules can wait," Liam growled playfully, leaning down to nuzzle his face into my neck.
"Liam, get off her."
The cold, sharp voice from the doorway made us both freeze.
I looked past Liam’s shoulder, my eyes widening as another massive figure stepped into the room. It was Leo. He stood under the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, a dark frown spreading across his face.
Liam let go of my waist slowly, turning his head to glare at his triplet brother. "What the hell are you doing here, Leo? It’s not your turn either."
"Exactly. It’s not your turn," Leo fired back, stepping fully into the room, his dominant Alpha aura flaring up to challenge Liam’s. "So get your hands off our mate and get out of her room."
The tension in the space instantly skyrocketed. The two brothers stood chest-to-chest, their large bodies towering over me as their scents clashed aggressively—Liam’s wild pine against Leo’s sharp mint and cedar. The air became thick, suffocating, and terrifyingly volatile. They were on the verge of baring their fangs right there on my rug.
"Both of you, stop!" I raised my voice, stepping boldly right between their massive frames. I glared up at both of them, refusing to let them bring their Alpha territorial wars into my bedroom. "Stop it right now, or I swear I will give both of you a penalty. No days for a week. Do you want to test me?"
The threat worked. Both Liam and Leo snapped their jaws shut, their muscles locking tight as they looked down at me. The mention of a penalty instantly cooled the raging heat in their wolves.
"Neither of you has the right to be here right now," I told them coldly, crossing my arms over my chest to show them I meant business. "It is not your turn. It is Leonard’s Tuesday. Now, both of you leave this room immediately."
Liam’s jaw clenched, but he took a step back toward the door. Leo remained still for a second longer, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a silent, heavy intensity before he finally nodded.
"And listen to me carefully," I added, pointing a finger at the door. "If you two fight or even exchange words on your way down the hall, I will know. And the penalty will stand."
Recognizing the finality in my tone, the two Alphas reluctantly turned on their heels. They walked out of my room side by side, their shoulders tense, but neither of them dared to make a sound as they disappeared into the corridor.
The second the door clicked shut behind them, all the strength drained from my body. I dropped onto the edge of my bed and released a long, exhausted sigh. I buried my face in my shaking hands, the weight of the entire day crashing down on me.
I stared blankly at the closed door, my heart heavy with fear. This is not working. The calendar, the private moments—it wasn’t a solution. It was just a ticking time bomb, and sooner or later, it was going to blow up in all our faces.
Just then, the door clicked and swung open once more.
I frowned, my heart leaping into my throat as I braced myself to yell at whichever brother had dared to come back. But the words completely melted on my tongue.
It wasn’t Leonard, Liam, or Leo.
Standing in the doorway were the three wives of the triplets: Camilia, Bianca, and Talia. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their expressions cold, unreadable, and completely serious as they stepped into my space.
Without saying a single word, Camilia reached back, grabbed the edge of the heavy wooden door, and shut it with a firm click. Then, with her eyes locked dead onto mine, she turned the deadbolt and locked us all inside.