Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon

Kane's POV

I tore through Lottie's room like a man possessed, yanking open drawers and flinging their contents across the floor. Clothes, books, and trinkets scattered in disarray, but none held the answers I sought. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless beat matching the chaos in my mind. Desperation clawed at me.

Where is she?

I overturned the mattress, the bedsprings groaning in protest. Nothing. I ripped the curtains from their rods, moonlight slicing into the room and casting jagged shadows. Every fibre of my being was focused on finding some clue, any sign of where she'd gone-or who had taken her.

From the corner, Liam sat casually in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, observing my frenzy with an infuriatingly calm demeanour. His gaze followed my every move, eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and something else judgement.

"Tell me," he drawled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "are you throwing this hissy fit because Lottie is missing or because your brother hurt your feelings?"

"What?" I whipped around to glare at him, chest heaving.

"I am not throwing a hissy fit," I growled, seizing a bedside table and hurling it across the room. It crashed into the wall beside Liam, missing him by inches before splintering to the floor. He didn't even flinch. Instead, his smirk widened, eyes dancing with that infuriating amusement.

"You're not?" Liam taunted, arching an eyebrow. His relaxed posture only served to stoke the fire burning within me. The mocking tone of his voice sent a hot surge of anger coursing through my veins.

A low growl rumbled from deep in my chest as I began to cross the room toward him, each step measured and deliberate. I felt Rolo stir within me, mirroring my agitation. My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles white, nails digging into my palms. Liam watched me approach, utterly unperturbed, his gaze steady.

"You going to hit me?" he asked, a deep chuckle escaping his lips. The sound made me pause, a flicker of uncertainty disrupting my anger. "I am your only friend left. You really want to alienate me too?" His words caught me off guard, slicing through the haze of rage clouding my mind.

"Friend?" I scoffed, the word bitter on my tongue. I moved past him, the tension in my shoulders easing ever so slightly as I bent to pick up an overturned chair. My movements slowed, deliberately. The air between us shifted, the hostility giving way to a heavy silence. "Yes, friend, Kane," Liam repeated, his tone softer now. "I feel for you." I set the chair upright, my back to him.

"I don't need your pity," I snapped, though the venom had drained from my voice.

He picked up a small pillow that had fallen to the floor and tossed it at me. It struck my shoulder lightly before landing at my feet.

"I do not pity your dumb ass," he retorted. "I said I feel for you. I feel for how everything has fallen on your shoulders because your brother is a sulky child. I feel bad knowing I get to spend time with Lottie-I get to watch her grow, see her turn into a beautiful woman and mother-while you don't. I feel for you. But I do not pity you, because although I feel bad for you, this is a consequence of your actions and the deal you made."

His words hung in the air like a dense fog. I froze, replaying his last sentence in my mind. *The deal you made.* A cold chill ran down my spine.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered internally to Rolo.

"Yes," Rolo growled, the unease evident in his tone. I turned slowly to face Liam, my eyes narrowing.

"What deal?" I asked, my voice dangerously low. My fists clenched again, the tension coiling tight within me. Liam's confident façade faltered for the briefest moment.

"Huh?" he replied, a nervous laugh escaping him. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me," I snarled, taking a step toward him. "You said this was a consequence of my actions and the deal I made. What deal?" He shifted in his seat, glancing away.

"Look, Kane, maybe I misspoke," he stammered. "Emotions are high right now-"

"Cut the crap," Linterrupted, closing the distance between us. "What do you know?" Liam's eyes flicked back to mine, mix of regret and apprehension swirling within them. Before he could respond, the door flew open with a resounding bang.

We both turned to see Chase bursting into the room, unabashedly naked and exuding a wild intensity. His chest heaved with laboured breaths, every muscle taut beneath the

skin smeared with ash and streaked with blood. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and his hair was a dishevelled mess. The scent of smoke and something

else-something otherworldly-clung to him.

"Lottie?" he gasped, his gaze darting frantically between us.

"She is "I began, but the words caught in my throat as I took in his appearance. The raw desperation in his voice sent a jolt of unease through me.

"Gone... I know, and I know who has her," he announced, cutting me off. His declaration hung heavy in the air, silencing any questions I might have had for Liam.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, stepping toward him. "How do you know this?"

"No time to explain," he insisted, wiping a grimy hand across his brow. The urgency in his voice ignited a spark of panic within me. I exchanged a glance with Liam, all previous tension was momentarily forgotten. "Who has her?" I pressed, my heart pounding.

"Astaroth," Chase replied, his eyes blazing with fury. "He is not working alone; he has help..."

"My father?" I whispered, the betrayal slicing deep. Chase's head snapped sharply to glare at me.

"Why your father?" he questioned, yanking on a pair of sweatpants from the floor. My lips twisted as I noticed they were too tight and pink-Lottie's, and of course, he gave zero shits.

"Knox is convinced he lied about her father being dead," I admitted without hesitation.

"He was meant to kill him months ago, but the only scent in here after she had gone... was Anthony's," Liam explained to Chase.

Adrenaline flooded my system as the realisation that Knox had been right rendered my body numb.

"Where is Knox?" Chase asked as Liam came to stand beside me.

I could feel Liam's steady presence beside me, his calm demeanour a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me. Despite the chaos, his composure seemed to anchor me, preventing me from spiralling further into panic. "He's with your father," Liam informed Chase.

Shock coursed through me like ice water. If Knox was confronting our father alone, he could be in grave danger. The weight of my failures pressed heavily on me-I had let my brother down too many times already.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I

growled suddenly, finding my voice. If they were right and Knox was alone with our father, I couldn't waste another second. I needed to get to him. Without another word, I brushed past Chase and bolted out the door.

"Kane, wait!" I heard Liam call out behind me as he scrambled to his feet, but I was already racing down the hallway. My only thought was to reach Knox-and Lottie-before it was too late.