I stared up at the handsome, violet haired, grey-eyed man in front of me. His calculating eyes scanned my body as I continued to sit on the ground. His smirk on his full lips just grew wider the more he observed me. I continued to look back at him as an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach from his scheming gaze. Just as I'm about to get up to apologize and distance myself from the man, who if I recalled correctly was called Axel, I freeze as my attention was drawn by an angry voice. I looked behind him and saw four other approaching figures drawing near.

"What the fuck do they mean we have to wed? Those hags have been fine with us doing our own thing for so long, so why now? Those controlling little fucks!" Max seethed as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Jax!" Ezra scolded before looking around to see if anyone heard what he said.

"We should have known they were planning," Zev said while shaking his head, causing his white locks to shift over his forehead. "They had been too quite these past few weeks." He tilted his head back in frustration. "Looks like we're going to have to pick a wife. Finding a decent one will be like looking for innocence in a whorehouse," he sighed. "So, you guys want to share a wife or go our separate ways?" he asked, facing the others.

I furrowed my brown in confusion about what they're talking about. Forced to get married? Share a wife? What the hell? Who would want to share their wife? Was that even legal? Last time I checked you could only legally marry one person and both parties had to be consenting.

"Share," they all replied unanimously in a serious tone.

My eyes widened at their answer. The tone of their voices and their expressions showed that they were dead serious. Hell, they even look angry that Zev would even mention getting separate wives. This, plus everything else that I've witnessed, led me to a simple, obvious, and logical conclusion, this wasn't real. Maybe something went wrong back in that abandoned building with him. All of this is probably just some bizarre dream I'm stuck in.

"I'm not dealing with some bitch all on my own," Jax stated.

Zev scoffed. "Like you'd be her only husband."

"We've been together for years and will stay together," Cassius interrupted in a voice that left no room for discussion.

"Plus, with Axel around, we won't have to worry about the fucking part. Whoever we marry won't even bother with us when they have an incubus around," Jax added, looking at Axel.

By this point, I wasn't even paying attention to them anymore. Instead, I was staring at my hands. I lifted my left hand in front of me and held it open, my palm facing towards my right hand that I raised as well. I stuck out my index finger on my right hand and used it to try to stab through the palm of my left hand. When my finger wouldn't pass through I scrunched my brows in confusion and tried again with more force. I quietly huffed in annoyance because my finger once again failed to go through my palm.

What the hell!

I remembered learning as a child that if you think you're dreaming that you could test it by poking your finger through your palm. In a dream, the finger would pass through no problem, so why the hell won't it go through?

I decided to change my testing method. Maybe the finger thing wasn't working because I was thinking about it too hard. Instead, I decided to try pain. I know for a fact that I didn't feel pain in my dreams. If I did, then the nightmares that plagued my sleep on a constant basis would be on a whole other level.

I pinched the back of my left hand. When I felt a tiny prick of pain my eyes widened in surprise.

That's not possible...

In denial, I lifted my right hand and slapped my face hard. I brought my hand back down towards my lap and all I could do was stare in shock at my stinging palm, wincing as I rubbed my cheek with my other hand.

I'm not dreaming...

I snapped my head up at the five men that now stood in front of me when I heard a muffled sound.

"Pft- Bhahaha!" Jax bent over clutching his stomach, laughing loudy after failing to hold it in.

I looked down as I feel my face heat up. They were watching me the whole time. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole to escape the embarrassment flooding my body at the moment.

A large hand entered the edge of my line of sight followed by the voice of who it belongs to, "Are you okay?"

Suppressing the urge to flinch away from his hand, I raised my eyes and met Axel's grey ones again, only this time they held a hint of amusement. I darted my eyes to the side after they met because the eye contact caused my blush to deepen further.

I put my hand in his warm, surprisingly soft one. He pulled me up to my feet mere inches away from him and let go of my hand, but didn't make a move to put any distance between us.

Due to the close proximity, his scent of cloves and cinnamon overpowered my senses. I unconsciously close my eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling as much of his scent as I could. When I opened them again I jumped a little because of how close Axel's face was to mine.

"T-thank you," I stuttered quietly, trying to lean my head away from him.

I wanted to take a step back but found that I couldn't. All I could do was stare into his grey eyes that seemed to be swirling with silver as everything else around us faded.

Through the trance his eyes held me in I could hear the muffled sounds of our surroundings and their conversation. I could distinguish them by the sound of their voices, but my mind seemed too slow to process their words fully.

"Since they want us to take a wife so badly, why don't we give them what they want?" Axel asked with a sinister smirk as his eyes traveled the length of my body.

The loss of eye contact started to clear my head, but before I could fully recover he captured me in his silvery gaze once more.

"Are you serious?" Jax asked. "You're seriously down to marry one of those evil bitches? You want to be someone's little trophy that they flaunt to their friends?"

"I never thought I'd see you just follow the council's orders, Axel, especially without putting up a fight," Ezra said, sounding surprised.

"What, did one someone catch your eye? You been secretly fucking someone?" Zev asked coolly with his arms crossed and narrowed eyes.

"No," he replied, seemingly offended. "I'm not talking about those women. I'm talking about someone who's not exactly what they had in mind when making their edict." He took a step closer to me as he spoke, putting his fingers under my chin. I gasped as his touch ignited a burning need inside me that I never felt before. He lightly sweeped his thumb over my chapped lips, causing a shiver to go down my spine and left me wanting more of his touch.

"Axel, what are you doing?" Sighed Cassius with bored disinterest as I involuntarily opened my mouth.

"Oh, just getting better acquainted with our future wife," he calmly replied before pushing his thumb past my lips and into my mouth.

I closed my lips around his thumb and sucked while my eyes stayed locked on his molten pools of shimmering silver. A heated ache started to form in my lower abdomen as need spread throughout my body. He placed a hand on my hip and moved my shirt up slightly to reveal a sliver of skin. His fingers brushed against my bare skin, leaving trails of burning desire wherever they touched. He gently squeezed my hip, causing me to quietly moan around his thumb. His lips curved into an arrogant smirk.

"Axel," Ezra cautiously scolded.

"What? Clearly, she's enjoying this."

"What did you do to her?" he asked through clenched teeth. " Last time I checked- which was moments ago- she had no desire to bed you. She was terrified at the mere mention of it earlier. How are you influencing her if there is no desire to manipulate?"

"It turns out you and Cassius were right," he said, slowly pulling his thumb out of my mouth.

"About what?" Ezra asked.

"About her not having any magic."

"And that answer my question how?" Ezra asked with a raised brow.

"There are two ways I can put someone under my spell," he answered, trailing his thumb across my jaw and down to the base of my neck where he started playing with my hair. "The first you're already aware of, manipulate their desire towards me. The more they want it, the easier it is. The second way that you don't know, is if I'm more powerful. I can already influence the councilwomen without their knowledge and they are pretty powerful. So, imagine what I can do to someone without a hint of magical power in their entire body."

"What the fuck man!?" Jax exclaimed. "You can manipulate those hags? Why didn't you tell us? Do you know the kind of shit we could have been getting away with all these years?"

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you," he replied, glowering at him. "You would behaved recklessly knowing that I could get you out of trouble. The council would have eventually realized something is amiss and they wouldn't have reacted well."

"So- correct me if I'm mistaken- you're proposal is that we marry this-" Zev paused, "-woman," he said mockingly in his cold tone, "while she's under your control and incapable of refusing?" He asked.

"Yup," he replied, leaning forward until our noses brushed against each other, popping the 'p.' The minty scent of his breath fanned access my lips, mixing with the scent of cloves and cinnamon. I wanted to get closer to catch more of his intoxicating scent, but he pulled back before I had the chance.

"We aren't like them," Ezra said in a tight voice. "We do not take unwilling partners. If we do this we will be no different from the women we despise."

"I don't know, Ez," Zev interjected with a lazy drawl. "This is a great opportunity to flip the cards. To show them how it feels to be wed to someone unwillingly. To be someone's property. To be taken, used, and owned."

"Zev, she hasn't done anything to anyone," Ezra chastised him in a softer voice that held pity.

"How would you know that?" Zev spit out, his tone cold enough to burn.

"Because of Timothy," Ezra said softly. "You heard what he told us about her. We were wrong when we found her, she truly was just lost. She had no ulterior motives-"

"You don't know that!" He nearly shouting, his anger breaking though his icy exterior. His chest heaved in his anger. He took deep breaths to compose himself. "It could all just be an act. It's always the innocent seeming one who play you the hardest," he said, his voice hardening.

"We don't have anything proving that it's all an act, only what what we have heard from Timothy and witnessed ourselves. Until we have evidence proving otherwise, she is innocent and we do not harm innocents. If we did, we'd be just like the-"

"No, we won't," Axel said, interrupting Ezra. "We will marry her and that's it. We won't force her to do anything other than be our wife in public, and after what Timothy told us she is the only one I'm willing to marry. Unless it is all an elaborate act, we won't have to worry about her trying take advantage of us. With the alternative options, there is no doubt that they will try. Even if she does try, she's physically weaker and has no magic. There's no way she could overpower us. In exchange for playing her part as a good wife we will give her food, shelter, and clothes, which, by the looks of her, she needs," he said, taking a quick glance at my clothes.

"What if she doesn't agree to this exchange?" Ezra asked, nearly snarling.

"She has no choice," he responded. "She will marry us, that I promise you. We won't have a soul-bonding ceremony, just a contract marriage. That way, we can divorce her in a few month's time once the council backs off."

Ezra scoffed. "And how do you plan to feed during those few month, Axel? Once you marry, any essence that doesn't belong to her will alert everyone that you fed on another. You know how harsh the punishment for stepping out is."

Axel rolled his eyes, breaking his spell for a second. "I don't have to fuck to feed. I can manage on the energy others release during climax. It will be enough to sate my hunger for a while and since I won't be in physical contact with the source when they climax, the scent of their essence won't cling to me. I can overpower any lingering notes by hugging her or something." He paused and frowned slightly. "Although, I don't know how long that will last me. Eventually I'll need to fuck her or someone else to avoid going rogue from hunger like some of my ancestors. I don't really want to be put down like a dog."

"Axel-"

"I'm in," Jax announced, interrupting Ezra.

"Hmm, act or not, she could prove to be a temporary source of entertainment." Zev shrugged. "Sure, I agree to a temporary arrangement."

"Frankly, I don't care," Cassius said flatly. "But since it would lessen my workload, I'll go along with Axel's plan."

"It's four against one, Ezra. We're marrying her, preferably right now since we're already here and I already have her under my control. So, are you going to keep the promise we made or break it?" Axel asked as he brought his hand that was playing with my hair up to cup my cheek.

"Fuck. Fine."

A giant smile spread across Axel's face. "Alright, let's go get married."

He brought his hand down from my face and wraps it around my waist while moving the one on my hip down to my thigh. He tightened his grip and lifted me off the ground, using the hand on my thigh to move my leg so it's wrapped around him. My other leg followed in a desperate attempt to get closer to his body. My arms raised to wrap around his neck as my legs tighten around waist and desire led me to rub against him. The whole time our eyes remained connected.

He let out a low groan before moving both his hands to stop the motion of my hips. "I wouldn't do that if I was you, Kitten. You won't be able to handle the consequences."

I couldn't process what he was saying. All I could focus on was the heat of his body that soaked through the clothes that separated us, clothes that I was finding very irritating at the moment.

I was so lost in desire and need that I didn't realize that we were moving. I only realized we were in an intricately, designed, large building when we came to a stop in front of a tall white desk in the middle of a large hall and Axel broke eye contact with me to acknowledge the woman behind the desk with a slight nod. She eyed him and the other men before giving me a slight nod of acknowledgement which I returned unconsciously.

With the trance being broken for a moment, I started to process what they were discussing. While I started to piece together that they planned on marrying me against my will, I was hit with the mortifying realization that I had sucked on Axel's thumb that he had shoved into my mouth.

Before I could further divulge into everything that happened in the last few minutes, Axel moved one of his arms so my butt sat on his forearm and he brought his free arm up to grab my chin and made me look into his eyes again.

"We're here to officially register as husbands to our lovely wife," Cassius smoothly said to the black-haired woman.

"Soul bond or contract?" She questioned without looking up from her computer.

"Contract."

"Name and age of the wife?" The woman asked.

"Tell her, Kitten," Axel said to me while rubbing his thumb along my cheekbone.

"Damanea Riar, 25." The words spilled from my lips despite not even understanding what she was asking for. All I knew was that I had to please the man with the silver eyes, I had to do what he wants.

"Name and age of the first husband?" She continued.

"We're all going to share the position of first husband," Zev answered.

"Names and ages," she demanded in annoyance.

"Zev Dubois, 194."

"Cassius Montgomery, 367."

"Jaxon Novak, 283."

"Ezra Larsen, 125."

"Axel Dimitrov, 462."

After typing for a few moments, the woman spoke, "I've inputted the data into the records. Take this and head to room 116 located to your right to complete the blood contracts."

This time I felt it when Axel moved us to somewhere else. I felt it because, with every step he took, his arm under my bottom pushed me against his body. A moan slipped out of my mouth as I felt my crotch press against his hardened cock through our clothes.

"Oh, five at once?" A surprised voice asked from somewhere near. "Aren't you a lucky lady," the voice continued with a cheery tone.

"Sorry, Ma'am. She's a bit shy," Jax said politely. It would have surprised me that he could show such respect towards a woman considering what I've heard him say about us, but I'm too distracted by pools of liquid silver to notice.

"It says here that all five of you will be doing the blood contract for first husband?"

"Yes, Ma'am," answered Ezra.

"Hm, as you all already know as her first husbands you will have limited control over the other husbands she takes. You will be above them and the blood contract will force them to accept that, but any soul bonds will override your power." Everyone was silent after she finished relying the necessary information and the sound of movement could be heard. "Hold your hands out. I'm going to prick your fingers. You will all place your blood on her right wrist, mixing it in one spot where the contract's mark will form. She will then place a drop of her blood on the insides of each of your right wrists where your marks will form."

I could faintly feel someone grab my arm and move my sleeve up before small touches were placed on my wrist. When Axel touched my wrist it left the same trail of burning desire that I experienced each time his skin met mine. The sensation was short-lived because it was followed by a sharp pain at the tip of my finger before I felt it being pressed against something warm a few times. When my finger was pressed against Axel's wrist, the same desire flared up inside me.

A weirdly textured paste was placed on the back of my hand and something was loosely wrapped around my wrist. I heard the woman speak some incoherent words before my wrist started to get warm. A warm breeze drifted through the room, managing to distract me from Axels completing gaze. Without the distraction that he brought, the sensation on my wrist continuously increased until it turned into a burning pain. I squirmed in Axels hold and wanted to cry out. I stopped struggling when he tightened his hold on me and grabbed my chin, bringing my eyes back to his. Once again trapped in his captivating gaze, the pain dulled until it was bearable.

After a few more seconds the pain vanished completely.

"The blood contracts are complete. Congratulations, you are now officially married."