Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon
Chapter 0303

Lottie's POV

(Ten Minutes Earlier)

I stirred to the sound of creaking just outside the room. My eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by sheer exhaustion. I tried to ignore it, pulling the quilt tighter around me. My body ached in places I didn't know could hurt, a dull throb that echoed the turmoil in my mind. All I wanted was to eat something warm, sink back into this bed, and let sleep claim me until it was time to leave this place behind.

But the creaking persisted, followed by the murmur of raised voices. I sighed, tossing the quilt aside. So much for a peaceful night's rest. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up slowly, every muscle protesting. "Seriously? Can't a girl get some sleep around here?" Annoyance bubbled up, but beneath it was a flicker of curiosity.

Padding softly across the room, I approached the door. Pressing my ear against the cool wood, I strained to make out the conversation. Adam's voice came through, stern and edged with irritation. He sounded... rude, even for him. Someone was insisting on seeing me. I rolled my eyes, assuming it was Laura or another overzealous pack member unable to respect boundaries.

Then I heard another voice-a voice that made my heart skip a beat. Kane.

My breath hitched as a rush of emotions surged through me. Confusion. Anticipation. A glimmer of... hope?

"Why is Kane here?" I closed my eyes, trying to piece together fragmented memories that danced just out of reach.

Suddenly, images flooded my mind: a secret deal whispered in hushed tones, a stolen moment with Kane in the kitchen-the warmth of his gaze, the brush of his hand against mine.

"Wait, did that really happen?" Anger and hurt swirled within me.

"Why can't I remember clearly? Am I losing my mind?" But amid the frustration, there was relief. Relief that these memories, however fleeting, meant I wasn't going crazy. Something was happening-something real. A small sob escaped my lips as the memories began to fade, slipping through my fingers like sand.

"No, no, no... please," I whispered desperately, pressing my palms against my temples as if I could physically hold onto them. The creaking behind me barely registered as I grappled with the vanishing images.

"I need answers. I need to see him." Determined, I reached for the door handle, my fingers trembling.

But before I could turn the knob, a cloth was abruptly clamped over my mouth from behind. A strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back with swift force. Panic shot through me like ice. I tried to scream but found no sound would come-my voice had vanished, stolen by some potion infused into the cloth.

"Magic!" Sage whispered faintly. "It's magic." her muffled words were swallowed by the fabric pressed against my lips. The scent of chemicals and herbs filled my nostrils, sharp and sickening.

"No! Not now!" My heart shattered as the precious memories were yanked away just as violently as I was being pulled from the door-from those I loved.

I struggled, kicking out blindly. The arm tightened around me, and I felt the texture of leather gloves against my skin. Spun around, I came face to face with a familiar set of eyes-cold, unyielding. Recognition sent a jolt of fear through my core. "It's him... but why?" "Help me! Please!" I tried to reach out through the mindlink, desperately hoping someone-anyone-would hear me. But there was nothing but silence, an empty void where the comforting presence of my pack should have been. My pleas went unanswered, swallowed by the oppressive darkness.

A low, chilling laugh echoed in the room as the cloth was removed, only for cold metal to snap around my wrists. I glanced down to see the cuffs-the same ones that had been used to suppress my father's powers months ago. Horror twisted in my gut. "They've planned this. They know exactly how to keep me powerless." I thought to myself as I tried to slow my breathing to allow air into my lungs at last.

"Fight me, and I will use this," the

voice uttered with contempt, drawing my attention back up. A blade glinted in the dim light as it traced softly over my stomach. The threat was clear, the unspoken implications making my blood run cofe. My hands instinctively moved to protect my belly, but the cuffs made any movement clumsy.

Every instinct screamed at me to fight back, to shift, to do something-but the cuffs rendered me human, stripping away my abilities.

"Think, Lottie. Think!" I mused to a silent Sage, but all I could think about was the life growing inside me the pups. I couldn't risk their safety.

Swallowing hard, I nodded slowly, signalling my compliance as the magic wore off. My captor smirked, satisfied, and began pulling me toward the far wall. To my astonishment, a hidden doorway was revealed as a panel slid aside a passage concealed within the very walls of my room.

"How did I never notice this?" I asked a still silent Sage, but I knew as much as I tried to speak to her, the cuffs rendered her mute. I just hoped she could still hear me.

As we stepped inside, memories

flickered of the secret tunnels that ran through the packhouse. Lilly and I used to play in them as children, our laughter echoing in the confined spaces. As teenagers, we would sneakout using these very paths, chasing adventures beyond the packhouse walls. But now the thought brought no comfort. If anything, it deepened my despair. These tunnels could lead

anywhere-out of our home, to

hidden rooms-anywhere.

"No one will find me down here," I muttered to myself as I wallowed in self-pity. Feeling powerless, alone and scared of what was to come. There was only one reason this fool would take me, and it signalled nothing good for me, the pups or him!

And that brought me some

satisfaction because when my brothers got hold of him, my... mates, he was dead. So I might not

be sure of my fate right now or the

of the lives I carried, but I knew one thing for certain: they would not rest ththis idiot and his deluded plans, whatever they may be, wêre punished.

Repeatedly. Brutally and fucking deservedly.