Their Secret Obsession by Pippa Moon

Knox POV

I stood before my brother, feeling the weight of my guilt crushing me. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to come clean, to spill the truth that had been gnawing at my soul since the demonic freak had appeared today. But fear had been holding me back. Fear of losing Kane, fear of Lottie's rejection, fear of what they might do if they learned the truth.

Memories flooded my mind, memories of that catastrophic encounter with the Demon. I remembered the way he toyed with my mind, the way he whispered promises of relief from the misery that consumed me. Misery, I now know he had put me through. I remember the deal he offered, the sinister bargain that hung in the air, like a dark cloud.

"You don't have to suffer, Knox," Astaroth had whispered, his voice like silk and smoke. "I can make it all go away. But you have to give me something in return." And in that moment, I would have given him anything he wanted to end my suffering and the inner torment that was consuming me from having killed my father. Or at least thinking I had.

I hesitated, even while my heart pounded in my chest. I searched his eyes for any hint of deceit, but all I saw was hunger, a hunger that seemed to devour everything in its path. I should have listened to my instincts and ripped him limb from limb there and then, instead of letting him get the better of me.

"What do you want?" I asked in a moment of weakness, my voice barely a whisper.

"Something small! You will barely notice it's gone." Astaroth smiled, a smile that sent shivers down my spine. But something small; that I would hardly miss, seemed like a risk worth taking if it eased my pain.

Shaking my head to rid myself of the memories that plagued me, I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and met Kane's hard gaze, seeing the anger swirling just behind his eyes my heart sank.

"Knox, what's wrong?" His voice cut through the silence, his concern evident in the furrow of his brow and the worry lines etched upon his face, but, the sharpness of his tone was not lost on me. I swallowed hard, trying to find the words to convey the turmoil that churned within me.

"I... I made a deal," I confessed, the admission tasting bitter on my tongue. His eyes widened in disbelief.

of deal?" My

the good kind." I sighed, as the memories flooded back to me, vivid and haunting. I watched myself in my mind's eye as I nodded slowly at Astaroth in the great hall, just as Kane and Lottie entered. Agreeing with his deal. Pursing my lips tightly, I braced myself before telling my brother the

ease

furiously, and I understood where his brain was going.

know, he just said it was small." I started to say,

was small?" He fumed, although I knew he was trying to hide his rage from

believed I had destroyed everything. The demon was inside my head, playing tricks with my mind. I thought this was all my fault. The pain was all-consuming." I whispered, but given how my father approached me,

son." his voice rang through the room, and I knew if I looked up I

"Something Small? Small like

Our mate!

against a wall. "Like our fucking pups Knox!" He seethed his footsteps hard on the floor as he rushed at

Sebastian ask from behind

the program, your lordship!" I roared, turning to glare at Sebestian, my arms in the air in frustration. Sebestrains

attention and force me to look at him and give him the answers he needed, something I wasn't ready to do yet because I wasn't sure what to say- Nothing seemed to cover the guilt that was eating at me.

snapped in reply. my lips tightening to fight back the sarcastic

have fucked up!