114: Ada's POV

The smell of wet earth filled my nostrils. My ears could hear worms wriggling in the dirt, the spiders crawling between the pieces of damp hay. Distant rain plinked against a tin roof. My body was exhausted. A sharp pang radiated through my stomach as it growled. It was a feeling I had once been accustomed to, when I was a version of me that felt like it had existed in an entirely different lifetime.

I groaned, rolling over. A steady drip of water smacked into my cheek. My hand wiped it away as I shot up, eyes suddenly wide. How the hell did I get here? The decaying walls of a barn surrounded me, and the sound of nearby livestock became almost deafening. I looked down at my body and let out a sharp cry as I saw the shit-covered rags I’d worn on the journey to Oberon Castle all those months ago.

Pieces of hay poked into my skin as I scrambled back until I was pressed against the rotting wood wall. Had it all been a dream? The castle, the princes— my *mates—* had it all been some fantasy? My feet were bare. I pulled my knees to my chest, heaving in frantic breaths of musty air.

No, no, no, no. There was no way it wasn’t real. It had felt so real. How could I have imagined those things? A rumble and scrape sounded through the loft. It was the sound of the door of the barn opening. My hand was trembling. Full light was coming through the opening in the loft. Based on the shadows, it was probably around nine in the morning. I’d slept through morning chores. The welts on my back still weren’t healed from my last mishap. Surely, if they were added to I’d get infected.

I squeezed my eyes shut. How the hell was I back here? Something wasn’t right. I began to hyperventilate as boots thudded on the ladder leading up to the loft. *Oh, Moon Goddess, hide me.* If I only had the power of invisibility to cloak me, or at least Nik’s shadows to fight back. Not that those were real. No, those were a trick my sick imagination played on me. Just like the ice and the fire and Phoenix and Darius and—

A shadow loomed as the large body of the farm’s foreman approached the top of the ladder. I tried to push myself further against the wall. A gravely voice sang out, “Where are you, little fox?”

My empty stomach heaved at the nickname. I knew what came whenever he used that nickname. While I should be grateful I wouldn’t be torn into with a belt, this was so much worse. This was something none of the other workers had to worry about, as they were all men. The foreman’s body came into view— just a large shape against a mostly dark background.

“You were late, little fox,” the slide of leather against leather echoed through the loft, followed by the soft clink of metal as his now-loose belt smacked against the button of his jeans, “Come and get your punishment over with so you can get back to work.”

The sound of a zipper being slowly pulled down met my ears. *Moon Goddess, please.* A tear dripped down my cheek. Heavy footsteps grew closer. I inched a bit further away. All at once, the foreman leapt forward, white teeth glinting in the darkness. His hands gripped my biceps, yanking me forward.

“Always hiding, little fox,” his breath was hot on my face, reeking of the contents of his breakfast and stale coffee, “It’s a good thing I like the thrill of finding you.”

A sharp cry escaped my mouth as he forced me onto my knees, sharp pieces of hay cutting into my flesh. The coppery tang of blood filled the air. I fought against his grip, screaming as—

“Ada!” Nik bellowed, shaking my shoulders roughly, “Wake the hell up!”

My eyes shot open. The faces of my mates filled my entire view. All of them were pale, faces full of equal parts horror and anger. My body was drenched in cold sweat, and my limbs were too heavy for me to move. I blinked up at them, which seemed to be the only thing I was capable of doing. *A dream. It had all been a dream.* I wasn’t back at the Farm. The three Princes were now kings and were also my mates. I was here, at Oberon Castle, with them. Not with that wretched foreman.

Nik’s fingers, shaking, ran through my damp hair as he released my shoulders. He was naked, straddling me. I was in his bed, surrounded by black satin sheets. Darius was kneeling on my left side, eyebrows furrowed. Phoenix was to my right, standing over me. Their hands began gently roaming over my arms, soothing me.

Slowly, my heart rate returned to normal. I croaked, “I’m sorry.”

Darius clucked his tongue, running a hand over my cheek, “Don’t apologize. Why didn’t you tell us what happened to you there?”

“He never—” I squeezed my eyes shut, “Well, you know that. It was just other things. Things he couldn’t get in trouble for doing because I couldn’t prove it.”

Phoenix growled, taking a step away, “You’ll never have to worry about him again.”

My eyes widened, “You don’t need to worry about him. There are so many other more important things—”

“I suggest you take a moment to consider finishing that sentence,” Nik’s voice was flat, his eyes alight with an internal fire as his fingers tangled in my hair, “Everyone who has ever hurt you will pay. Trust us to know what is most important in our lives, and get used to the fact that you will always be at the top, dove.”

Darius rolled away from us, standing up, “Why don’t you go shower and get dressed for the day?” he offered as Nik climbed off of me and released me from his grasp, “We all have a lot to cover,” his eyes scoured over Nik’s side, which was still bright red and inflamed around his stitches, “Now that we’re all awake, we should meet about what your father stated.”

“Which part?” I tossed my bare legs over the side of the bed, my knees trembling as I stood, “The part about our bloodline, our family’s claim to the throne, or the fact that the rebellion is because our people feel we are thwarting their ability to be wolves?”

Phoenix rolled his eyes and offered me a woven black throw to wrap around my naked body, “Probably all of it, don’t you think?”

I gasped and put a hand to my chest, “Alpha King Phoenix Ashford, are you being snarky with me?” he grinned, and I took the jab, “Isn’t that more of Nik’s role in this foursome?”

“We like to switch it up now and then. Don’t get any ideas about calling me your *good boy,* though.”

“No?” I arched an eyebrow and waltzed passed him with a wink, “Nik seemed to enjoy it plenty last night. Don’t you think you would too?”