The Three Who Chose Me Chapter 18: Sparks of Fiction

Josie

I woke up the next morning, panic and dread threatening to claw its way out my throat.

I’d slept half-hearted the previous night, drowned in the pain of the realization that I was stuck with these n that seed like they would only ruin my life even more.

After last night, it hit hard in the gut that everything I’d felt for the triplets stood for a complete, bullshit lie.

The image of Kiel turning his back on , going after Michelle, flashed through my mind again. Unprovoked.

Why the fuck do I have to go through this tornt?

Even my mind kept betraying , replaying their faces unprovoked.

Thorne with the agitating, perpetual frown but sohow insanely intimidating regal visage.

Varen with the glint of mischief sparkling in his electric blue eyes.

Kiel...with his quiet, irresistible, undeniable charm.

They tornted . Even my fucking dreams.

I sighed, running a hand over my face in agitation.

I didn’t wish to see their faces. But I also didn’t want to remain in this room all day, trapped like a fucking butterfly with clipped wings.

Throwing the sheets off, I swung my legs over the bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom.

The shower pelted down my back, warm and soothing. But even as I shut my eyes, wrapping my arms around my body, I fleetingly rembered the way Kiel had tasted.

"Ugh," I let out a grunt that depicted just how agitated I was, peeling my eyes open.

I needed to purge my mind of these n.

I threw a towel around my body monts later, trudging to the closet.

I quickly moisturized my body and donned a large, yellow polo that blended strikingly with the coffee chocolate of my irises.

I crept out of the room before the maids could arrive for their freaking, annoying daily routine, making my way to the garden.

I needed so peace and quiet. Especially in my head. Maybe the sounds of crickets chirping nonstop would do the trick.

Pushing every thought of the triplets away from her head—with great difficulty, anyway—I focused on the poor plant I’d withered yesterday.

Probably lying weak and defeated right now. Like .

A new, pressing urge to rejuvenate the plant throbbed in my chest, pumping speed to my legs.

I got to the garden and imdiately crossed over to the plant, scooting down next to it as I shielded my face from the sharp reflection of the sun, with a palm splayed above my head.

I spread my other palm atop the plant as I examined it, forgetting for a split second that it actually needed the sunlight if it was going to bounce back strong.

I didn’t hear the shuffle on the soil next to . But the voice—it jolted .

"What are you doing?"

I jumped, pulling my palm back as Thorne’s deep voice sent shivers down my spine—in that annoyingly insane way that made squirm all the way down to my toes.

I was also...irritated. That I still had it in to react that way to his voice.

I was also irritated that he was standing there behind , so imposing.

And of course, with his guards behind him. Six in total.

Never a private fucking mont.

I’d seen them a minute too late, though. The guards. Just as I opened my mouth to blast off the imposing, green-eyed Thorne.

Who glared at with his blazing eyes.

"I asked a question," his voice rang out again. Cold and impatient.

"And what makes you think I have to answer your question?" I blasted back, not minding the guards that stood only a few feet away.

He cocked a brow, annoyingly proud and arrogant. "Because I fucking asked?"

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Delusional, huh? You think I’m going to answer your questions, when you’ve been everything but nice to ?"

I leaned closer, my eyes flashing. "You know, there’s a limit to how much I can take, Thorne."

His face remained impassive, like I hadn’t just poured out my fucking heart to .

Then.

"Listen," he took a step towards , "what happened the other night...with.." the words trailed off on his lips. "Don’t give it much thought. It’s in the past now."

I knew exactly what he ant, because the dark look mixed with a confusing warmth in his eyes gave it away.

"Whatever you’re scared of isn’t gonna happen, so relax."

I scoffed in disbelief, squinting my eyes at him.

The nerve of this man...

Is he...trying to gaslight ? ?

"Look, Thorne, I don’t have the ti to listen to this nonsense. If you’d let be, I have to tend to this plant that actually matters more to right now."

Sothing flashed in his eyes. Unmistakable and nacing. Rage.

But it quickly dissolved as soon as it appeared.

"Josie, we need to make things work—"

I rose to my full height and pushed past him just then, unwilling to hear whatever else was going to spill from that mouth of his.

I need to get a hold of my emotions. Be in charge.

But he couldn’t just let be.

"Josie? You can’t walk out on while I’m talking to you."

I ignored him, annoyed by the fact that he followed on my heels, draining the life out of with his annoying voice.

I stepped through the front doors of the packhouse, and he still followed.

"Josie—"

"Can’t you just take the fucking hint and let be, Thorne?" I queried in an aggravated tone as I whirled around, eting his gaze. "Even for a minute?"

"No!"

Kiel strode in lazily from the side door just then, his hands casually shoved in his pockets, his eyes low and droopy. Nonchalant.

Catching him from my peripheral vision, my breath caught in my throat, my heart picking up a painful race.

"You don’t always have to shout, Thorne," Kiel drawled as he strode towards us, not even slipping a single glance.

Looking at his face frad with wavy red hair,

I felt tears sting painfully behind my eyes.

I blinked hard, twice, willing the tears back.

I wasn’t going to humiliate myself in front of these two.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I turned around to leave. But Thorne’s strong arm stopped , pulling gently to his side.

"From now on, Josie," his voice rang out low and gruff close to my ear, bristling the hairs on my skin, "you don’t go anywhere without ."

I gave him a flat look, the corners of my lips tilted in a half, humorless smile. "Really? So what happens to your work as the Alpha?"

His jaw ticked in agitation as he ran a hand through his hair, grunting.

"Just let the girl be, Thorne," Kiel chipped in again, "don’t be such an ass—"

"I don’t need you speaking for , Kiel," I cut in bluntly, the sound of his voice irritating this ti. "I’m very much capable of speaking for myself."

Kiel looked at then, like really looked at . His eyes penetrating . "Josie, please, can we talk? Alone, prefer—"

"Hell no, Kiel." Thorne stepped in here, his tone gruff and snappy. "You’ve lost the right to be that close to her. There wouldn’t be any talking to her, let alone, ALONE."

Kiel turned his gaze on his brother, his eyes blazing like coals of green fire. His jaw clenched hard, like it would snap in half.

This was the closest I’d seen to Kiel losing control of his emotions. Even for a split second.

"Back off, Thorne," he growled in a low, nacing voice. "I’m talking to Josie here."