Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon

Chase POV

The throaty growls and the clashing of fur and fangs filled the bar, each sound echoing like a death knell in my ears. I watched, heart pounding, as Adam and Knox transformed into their wolf forms-Savage and Havoc-tore into each other with a ferocity that turned my blood to ice. The old bond I shared with Knox, built over years of childhood friendship, had lately clashed violently with the rage I felt toward him for the pain he had caused Lottie. Yet, now witnessing this brutal brawl, I feared that friendship might be at an end as I watched wide-eyed and sure I was about to see my brother's life snuffed out right before my eyes.

As the fierce battle raged, the entire bar fell into a stunned silence; every onlooker's attention seemed riveted on the violent spectacle. Patrons and staff alike were rooted to the spot, their faces etched with shock and fear, mirroring my own paralysis.

Adam's wolf, Savage, lived up to his name with every brutal move, but Havoc was a beast unlike any I had ever seen. The raw, unhinged power he wielded was terrifying to behold. My body was frozen, a statue of fear, as I desperately willed myself to move, to do something. The fear escalated into sheer panic when Lottie, in her pregnant state, pulled away from my weakening grip and hurled herself toward the struggle.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Havoc, with lethal intent clear in his wild eyes, charged toward his downed prey-toward my sister, who now shielded Adam with her tiny, vulnerable body. My heart stopped, the blood draining from my face as I realised it was too late to intervene. Havoc was seconds away from striking, and all I could do was watch the horrifying scene unfold.

"Do something," I begged Thor, who lay motionless under the surface of my consciousness. His presence was faint and overshadowed by dread.

"I can't," Thor's voice echoed weakly in my mind, his tone laced with shock and trepidation. The mere presence of Havoc, of anything that remotely reminded him of our harrowing time in the demonic realm, paralysed him. I didn't need a doctor to tell me we had PTSD, a shadow that had followed me since our escape from hell-a fact I shared with no one. The sound of fighting alone made me nervous and fearful; I hadn't trained or battled since, unable to face the echoes of that pain.

"We can't lose them, Thor," I pleaded again, desperate for him to find the strength to move, to act when I felt utterly powerless. Liam was rushing forward, determination etched on his face, but I knew he wouldn't make it in time. Nothing seemed capable of stopping the impending disaster.

But at least Liam was trying.

Then, just as all hope seemed lost, a piercing scream filled the room. Lottie's voice, desperate and commanding, somehow penetrated the chaos. Havoc's deadly charge halted slightly, but it was clear it was too late to stop the inevitable. He was abruptly enveloped from nowhere in a sudden, eerie red light that seemed to descend from thin air. The shield that formed around Lottie and Adam shimmered with sinister energy, clearly tainted with the essence of hell. It looked like a force field, pulsating with dark energy, repelling Havoc with an almost physical blow.

Havoc screeched in pain, a sound chillingly familiar to the screams that haunted my nightmares from the demonic realm. The force of the mysterious shield threw him backwards across the room. He hit the wall with such force that it crumbled, dust and debris clouding the air.

Relief flooded through me for a moment, followed quickly by a new wave of fear-who had the power to wield such a force? What new player had entered our already dangerous and overcrowded game?

"What the fuck," Liam gasped, voicing the confusion and dread that gripped us all.

I remained stunned, my gaze fixed on the crumbling wall and the figure of Havoc, now still. Questions raced through my mind-had Lottie somehow summoned this force? Was there another player, another nightmare, involved now? The uncertainty of our situation, the potential for even greater danger, filled me with a deep, pervasive worry. We were in uncharted waters, and the presence of such power hinted at challenges we might not be prepared to face.

"Protecting that bastard is a full-time job," a steely voice muttered, tinged with annoyance and irritation. I spun around to see Astaroth standing there, his presence as unsettling as ever. A wave of hatred surged within me, fueled by the manipulative games he'd played with my family and the excruciating pain he'd inflicted on me-all to coerce Lottie into his twisted deals. His actions were not just meddling; they were personal, a direct assault on our lives and sanity, making it impossible for me to mask my

disdain.

"Oi fucker." Knox bellowed while the tension in the air became palpable as Knox, mid-transformation with his face still covered in thick fur, spluttered from the sidelines.

"Me?" Asatroth smirked, turning to eye a very naked and angry Knox.

"Then do us both a favour and stop doing it." His voice was rough, ragged from the ordeal. Astaroth, who had nonchalantly thrown Knox aside only moments ago, turned to regard him with a look of utter indifference.

"If I could, I would. But I made a promise, and I keep my promises," Astaroth snapped, his gaze then shifting to pierce through me. His eyes were cold, accusatory. "Unlike some." The dig hit hard, and I felt my blood run cold under his scrutiny. I should have known he would be here, not just to intervene, but to cause his brand of chaos, to stir the pot in ways only a demon could enjoy.

Knox, now fully shifted back to his human form, began to rise, his voice thick with defiance.

"I mean it, I don't ask you to keep saving me your promise is no longer needed, so how about you" His words were cut short as Astaroth, with a mere wave of his hand, flung him brutally against the wall. The impact was harsh, rendering Knox silent and unconscious. Part of me wanted to protest-another part, the darker, angrier part, thought the bastard deserved every bit of it.

"You disapprove?" Astaroth's voice pulled me from my thoughts, an eyebrow arched in query. I shook my head, finding my voice at last.

"No, not at all," I responded, my gaze

drifting to where Knox lay

motionless, yet still breathing. A

cold, hard truth settled within me as

I spoke. "I don't care what happens to him." And I realised in that

moment, the sad truth was, I really didn't. My indifference wasn't just a mask or a momentary feeling; it was a deep, unsettling realisation of how far I had come from the person who once considered Knox a friend.