And Then There Were Four

Cassie.

Staring at my brother, I was completely pissed by the way he had approached me in the hallway, as if he was my keeper and had a say in everything I did. One, he didn't have a single clue what had happened that night with Silas or Lucas, and two, I was an adult. If I

wanted to fuck three men in a night-which I didn't-that wasn't his place for him to say I couldn't.

The last thing I had expected as I stood there trying to decide how badly I was going to beat my brother for talking to me the way he was in front of all these people was for Trixie-sweet, kind Trixie-to jump in and defend me.

She stood fiercely in front of me, looking down at Pollux, who lay on the ground, staring up at her in shock, just as the rest of us were.

Had anyone else done this, he would have shifted and caused all kinds of torment, but with her, he didn't. It took me a minute to process what was going on, but as I watched him staring at her in utter disbelief with his eyes wide and his mouth parted, it suddenly dawned on me the reason why he hadn't jumped up.

Trixie was mated to my brother, and she had no idea.

Part of me had suspected something was up after the dinner we had with Odin where he quickly backed down once his eyes landed upon Trixie, but I had just cut it to him not wanting to start shit in Odin's dining hall.

Laughter filled me as Trixie turned, glancing over her shoulder in my direction. "What are you talking about? What is karma?"Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

Quickly knocked from the trance he was in, Pollux jumped to his feet and brushed himself off. "Keep your fucking hands off me."

His comment was directed towards Trixie, and with wide eyes, I scoffed, shaking my head. "Seriously, brother? Are you not going to tell her?"

Trixie looked between Pollux and me, and he shook his head once more, not saying anything. I couldn't help but laugh. My brother, the man who had been all about mates his entire life, was finally paired with his, and he wasn't going to take the initiative. "Wow. Are you fucking kidding me? This is what you've waited for forever, and you're not going to say anything?" I was in shock and complete, utter disbelief at how my brother was acting. It honestly didn't make any sense.

Unless it was because she wasn't a shifter.

Considering this thought, I narrowed my gaze at him and was absolutely pissed that he would reject her because she wasn't a shifter. "If you're not accepting because "

"Go fuck yourself, Cassie," he snapped, cutting me off, "keep your fucking mouth closed."

He stormed off, and I watched him disappear from sight. I wanted to chase after him and beat him for how he was acting, for how he was treating Trixie, a girl who was nothing but kind to me who was nothing but kind to everyone. "That fucking asshole." The muttered response from my lips caused confusion to pass over both Sansa and Trixie, who cleared her throat with her arms crossed her chest, waiting for a response.

"What just happened?"

Here I was with my own issues, and now I had to deal with my brothers. It was absolutely bullshit how he acted, and he knew it. With a groan, I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, trying to figure out the best way to address this current situation. "Why is it always me?"

"Why is what always you?" Sansa asked. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

I hated being looked at to provide answers to something that wasn't really my place, but neither of these girls was going to let this go. Both of them are going to want to know what I knew and why my brother was being an asshole. "Okay, I'll explain," I sighed, glancing around at all the listening bodies that stood nearby. "But not here."

Trixie and Sansa both looked at each other before Trixie smiled. "Coffee shop?"

"There's a coffee shop?" I was stunned once again this place had something as simple as a coffee shop just like they had back home.

"Yeah, I already told you before that this place isn't much different from the human realm." Trixie laughed as she looped her arm through mine. "I can't wait to hear what is going on because, honestly, I could use some good gossip." Trixie had no idea what she was asking for because this wasn't the kind of gossip she wanted. It was far more complicated, and as much as I wanted to tell her, I was conflicted about how she would take the news.

Part of me thought she would take it well, but then... the other part worried she would be heartbroken. I wasn't sure how pixies picked their mates, but I hoped she wouldn't take this the wrong way when I told her the truth.

*****

When I said I wanted to go to a

coffee shop, honestly didn't know what I was expecting. Perhaps it was something similar to the coffee shops had remembered going to back home. Coffee shops that had coffee machines, countertops filled with delicious foods, and a variety of different music with high-top tables for you to gather at.

However, a coffee shop in this place was more like walking into an old bookstore that happened to serve coffee and tea cakes. The building had rustic decor and antique pieces lined with cobwebs high up one shelves. The walls were burgundy with white accent trim, and a lady with fiery red hair and golden eyes served steamy cups of addicting coffee at the counter with a smile.