Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon novel Chapter 162

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.

"What kind of deal?" My brother's expression darkened with concern.

"Not 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 truth.

"He told me...he would ease my pain." I whispered nervously.

"Why? What was in it for him!" Kane snapped furiously, and I understood where his brain was going. Demons never did anything without an ulterior motive.

"You would know all about that!" Kane snapped in reply. my lips tightening to fight back the sarcastic remark brewing on my lips,

"I know I have fucked up! I know that it is all my fault that Kitty has been taken from us!" Havoc whined inwardly, my lips pulling into a frown because that was more words than I had heard Havoc say in months. I knew he was gutted, and I got it! Because he was right, this was on us, but we were beating ourselves up enough, we didn't need Kane giving us a hard time, too.

"Kane, look." I started to say, but his face was inches from mine, looking at me, his features unreadable.

"Just spit it out, for fuck sake!" Kane growled. As I tried to confess to Kane, his detached mask slipped, his anger now palpable, a raging inferno that threatened to consume us both. I could see it in the way his fists clenched at his sides and in the way his jaw tightened with barely contained fury. And I know that I deserve every ounce of his wrath.

"I can't believe you, Knox," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "How could you even think about making a deal with that monster? Do you have any idea what you've done?" I hung my head, unable to meet his gaze.

"I was desperate, Kane," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "I thought I had no other choice." But Kane wasn't satisfied with my answer, and I could feel the weight of his disappointment bearing down on me like a leaden cloak.

"There's always a choice, Knox," he growled, stalking away from me, his voice hard, and unforgiving. "And you chose wrong." I flinched at his words, feeling the sting of his condemnation like a knife in my chest.