Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos

This means that Reyes is the Butcher. He is standing close to me and I hug him while I say, "Thank you." He stiffens and starts pushing me away just as Tyson and Ansel yank me to them. The bonds between us hum with annoyance, which will quickly turn into anger if I don't explain myself. "The men you killed, they all deserved to die for what they did to...women at the Celestial Heaven. To Angel as well."

Reyes sits next to Angel and pulls her into his lap. It's like he's using her as a shield against everyone. "Dying once is not enough to pay for what they did to my woman. They deserve to suffer eternally." Angel's anger seems to evaporate. Maybe this dinner is salvageable. To Angel, he says, "I'll kill the entire world to keep you and our child safe.”

A pang of jealousy hits me. Why couldn't Tyson be the same as Reyes? Tears sting my eyes. "I need to go to the toilet," I excuse myself before tears start falling down my cheeks.

I quickly leave the living room to the bathroom down the hall and lock myself inside. Why am I being so...emotional all of a sudden? I turn on the water and splash some on my face before looking in the mirror. The sadness that has become a permanent trait of my soul is reflected so deeply in my eyes. If I want to have another chance at happiness, I must stop living in the past.

I don't know what Tyson would have done if he had not hung up when I called him to tell him about our baby. The past can't be changed, but knowing how much he loves me now, it is easier to let go of the resentment-not right now, but at my own pace.

Angel visiting me has been such an eye-opener to how my life could be if I allow my guys to love me, if I forgive myself for all the mistakes I've made, and if I decide to be happy.

I grab the face towel and dry the water off my skin.

Happiness is a choice, and I choose a life full of love and joy.

I throw a last glance at the mirror. My eyes seem to shine a bit, and not with sadness.

When I return to the living room, Jasper and Mose have finished heating the food, and everyone is seated at the table. Angel is still in Reyes' lap, Alekos and Stefan on either side of them. She looks embarrassed by the entire situation, while I'm happy that she found three men who love her so much.

There is no chair left for me, so I go to Rueben. "May I?"

He blinks before a smug smile spreads across his face. Patting his lap, he says, "I'd be honored to feed you tonight."

I cock my head. "While I'm not sure what you meant by that, I only wanted to sit. You can bring another chair from the kitchen for yourself."

After a moment of silence, I swear everyone stares at me. Then Angel huffs, "You mean your men don't force you to sit in their laps and endure while they take turns feeding you?" It's my turn to stare. "No."

"It's just that Olivia needed time to decide if she wanted to be with us or not," Tyson quickly says. "But we will start treating her like a Lady starting," he pulls me into his lap, "right now."

My life as the daughter of a Duke was pure hell. Now that I have finally bonded with all my men, my journey as a Lady begins. "I'm looking forward to seeing what being a Lady entails." Tyson kisses me. Allowing myself to be loved might not be hard. It will take a lot of trust on my part, but I think that with time, I can build a new life here on the farm with my men and our animals.

A strange look appears on Angel's face. "How about I serve the food? Olivia, care to help?"

Stefan and Jasper quickly stand. "We got this," they say.

Angel insists. "Since Olivia and I are the ones who prepared the entire meal, we are the ones who know how the food will be divided."

I'm not sure where she wants to go with this, but I decide to follow along. When Angel stands, Reyes is clearly not happy but lets her have her little moment. I get up, grab a serving spoon, and start serving the lasagna.

The rice casserole was the only dish that was unsalvageable, but Angel insisted on keeping it. When she starts putting big rations on her husbands' plates, I understand why. Alekos looks like he's about to be sick while Stefan and Reyes swear under their breaths.

"I made this with all my love," Angel says so sweetly that if not for cooking together, I would have believed her. "You won't hurt my feelings and not eat it, right?" Her question and the immediate reactions of her husbands, who look like they want to die, make me laugh. Not just that strange sound I've made until now but a real laugh.

My men gasp.

And I can't stop laughing. It's like a dam has been broken, and happiness floods my entire being. There are many cracks in my soul, but slowly, they will be filled in with love.

I am no longer broken but whole.

Ansel looks at Angel's husbands. "You have ten minutes to eat before we kick you out. Your bonded can stay as long as she doesn't bother us while we settle Olivia into the Lair." "About that," Tyson clears his throat, "I was thinking about moving to another place."

**I'm pretty sure I've missed an update - sorry. The next update will be in 2 days**