Rising to the top with my three hybrid mates Chapter 44: There is a history

Scarlet’s POV

I stood in the hallway, my fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as I tried to suppress the fury bubbling inside . My plan had failed. It was supposed to be perfect.

I had tid it flawlessly—the full moon, my heat, the K-trios’ predictable schedule. They were supposed to be here, in this house, drowning in my scent, unable to resist . They were supposed to bond with , mate with , and finally beco mine. Obsessed. Devoted. Bound.

But that damn butler had told they weren’t available. Why? How could they not be here? I knew they weren’t attending the Serpent Kiss until later, so I had planned everything ticulously.

My scent should have been everywhere, impossible to ignore. Unless they were in so dire situation—which I refuse to believe—they should have been here, crawling to , desperate for .

And yet, nothing.

I waited all night, expecting them to co to , to explain themselves, to grovel for ignoring . But they didn’t. And now, today, still nothing.

My patience was wearing thin, and my anger was simring just beneath the surface. Fine. If they wouldn’t co to , I’d go to them. I’d make the first move.

I knew about the Serpent Kiss being enchanted, and my father had given more information about it. I’d use that to my advantage, to get closer to them, to find out why they resisted when I was in heat. It didn’t make sense.

But as I approached the living room, I froze. There they were talking to a woman. Who the fuck was she? My eyes narrowed as I took in her silver-white hair, and for a mont, my heart nearly stopped.

No. It couldn’t be.

Won in this place dye their hair all the ti. It didn’t an anything.

But what was she doing here? It better not be what I think it is.

I walked slowly, silently as I approached the living room.

So it is business issue then. Fine. But why here? Why not at their company? It wasn’t like them to be bringing a stranger, especially a woman, to the house.

This was a breach of their usual cold, calculated protocol, and that alone put on edge.

I stepped into the room. "There you all are. I’ve been looking for you."

I walked forward and finally got a clear look at her face. Pretty, in a common, forgettable way.

And her aura? Dull. Completely unremarkable. The initial spike of irrational fear I’d felt vanished, replaced by cold disdain. She was nobody.

I made a show of looking at the woman, my expression one of polite curiosity masking utter boredom. I sat down gracefully close to the brothers.

"Keith," I purred, not taking my eyes off the intruder. "Who is this?"

"Just one of our employees," he said, his tone dismissive. Perfect.

I turned my full attention to the silver-haired woman, offering a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. "Scarlet Valois," I said, the na itself a statent of power and pedigree.

The woman gave a small, ek greeting. "Pleasure to et you ma’am."

I’d been a fool to even montarily worry. This mouse? This nervous, shrinking looking woman with the cheap-looking clothes and the aura of a frightened rabbit?

She was a non-entity. A pretty face ant nothing without the power, the presence, the ruthlessness to back it up.

Keith started to explain their absence. "We were going to co see you soon—"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "It’s perfectly alright dear. I know you had your reasons for being unavailable." I paused. "But that isn’t why I ca to talk to you. I’ve heard what happened to the Serpent’s Kiss. My Dad recently called and told it was planned."

Before I could elaborate, the mouse actually had the audacity to raise her hand like a schoolchild. "Um, Mr. Keith? i know this conversation isn’t sothing i should be involved in. Can i leave?"

"You may leave," I said coldly, dismissing her.

But Keith’s voice cut through the air, firm and final. "Not yet."

My head snapped toward him.

I hid the shock and the flash of white-hot annoyance behind a smile I hoped looked more indulgent than insane. Keith wasn’t the kind of person who tolerated unnecessary presence, especially a woman’s, in his inner sanctum. For him to insist this stranger stay... it made the skin on the back of my neck prickle.

Keith’s gaze, which had been fixed on the mouse, slid back to . "Planned by whom? What did he tell you?"

I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice as if sharing a grave secret. "There’s a prophecy going around." I could feel the woman’s presence like a splinter in my mind. A re human. She wouldn’t understand the significance of a whispered prophecy, the weight of our world. But then again... she’d t a monster yesterday, hadn’t she? Perhaps she’d make so pathetic, squeaking sense of it after all.

Kieran, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "What prophecy?"

"My father said they’ve uncovered so old histories," I explained, my eyes flicking pointedly toward the silver-haired woman before returning to the brothers. "Texts that suggest a specific prophecy is beginning to co to pass." I let the dramatic pause hang in the air, then let my facade of composure crack just enough to show a sliver of genuine discomfort. "But... I really don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss this with a stranger here. I’m uncomfortable with it."

I watched Keith’s face, looking for any sign of relenting.

It was Kieran who moved. "I’ll see her out," he said, rising to his feet.

The relief was imdiate, but so was a fresh wave of suspicion. Kieran himself escorting her? That was another oddity to add to the growing, infuriating list.

I watched, my smile frozen in place, as the mouse stood up. She gave a small, polite bow and followed Kieran out of the room without a backward glance, leaving alone with Keith and Kayden.

The air, once polluted by her mundane presence, now crackled with the pure, potent energy of our kind. Keith’s impatience was a subtle shift in the atmosphere, a slight tightening around his eyes.

"You can go ahead and continue, Scarlet," he said, his voice a low rumble.

I inclined my head. "My father told it’s a prophecy concerning the Shadow Cult." I let the na hang between us, knowing the weight it carried.

I saw the flicker of recognition in Keith’s gaze, a slight stiffening in Kayden’s posture. "He believes a generation past perford a grand ritual, one designed to bring their most powerful leaders back from the dead."

"The Shadow Cult have been extinct for a very long ti," Keith stated. "How does it connect to our Serpent’s Kiss?"

"The Serpent’s Kiss is a connection," I explained, as if unveiling a great truth. "Its energy and space is... huge. The Cult are using it to produce their monstrous foot soldiers at a a very high rate." I paused. "And according to my father’s sources, we won’t be able to stop it. The only option is to contain the outbreak. We kill the monsters as they materialize."

Kieran returned, his presence settling back into the room. Keith imdiately relayed my summary, his voice grim. I watched Kieran process it.

"We can’t do that forever," Kieran remarked.

"We wouldn’t have to alone," Keith countered. "This isn’t a threat we can contain. We’ll have to discuss this with the others."

I smiled inwardly. This was perfect.

A threat that required unity, that would force them to rely on information only I could provide.

I could feel the energy of the enchanted waist beads beneath my clothes, a warm, promising thrum against my skin. The dynamic had shifted back in my favor. This prophecy is going to benefit , no matter the cost.