Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem)

Liam POV

"Guess we are not getting to bed any time soon." V groaned as he watched the shitshow around us through my eyes. We had only met Astroth twice before, but unlike my brothers, who were too hot-ended when it came to Lottie, I didn't mind the prick. Yes, he was a demon, yes, he was up to something, but he seemed to be upfront about all the shit he wanted, which was more than could be said for our family.

"You shouldn't be here," someone yelled at Astaroth, their voice cutting through the tense air, instantly identifying the malevolence that clung to his form. Turning to face the accuser, Astaroth's smile twisted evilly, his eyes scanning the crowd before shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Here we go. Show of power and all that crap." V muttered as a smile twisted on my lips.

"Pathetic, all of you," he scoffed with a laugh that echoed ominously around the room. As the crowd bristled with anger,

"Go back to the pits from where you came!" Someone yelled, and others joined; screams for him to return to hell grew louder, some labelling him a trickster and unwelcome entity. Seeing Astaroth's jaw clenched, his frustration palpable, I had a feeling V was right. Shit was about to go down. "Like we need more." V added moodily. "We had a plan. If we had just stuck to it, none of this would be happening."

"It was your idea to come." I reminded him with a smirk because although tonight had been dangerous, fucking crazy stupid and had almost cost me two siblings, it had, in fact, been V's idea to divert from the plan. Zoning back in, I sighed, seeing Astaroth going off on a tangent.novelbin

"You call me names, but frankly, I am the most honest person in this bar. I do not lie, I do not cheat. I tell you things as they are; you may not like it, but it is the truth." His gaze flicked to the bartender.

"Take him, for example. He's been skimming off the top, stealing money to feed his fairy dust addiction." I watched, mesmerised by the darkness he wielded, as murmurs and shocked expressions rippled through the crowd, some turning to glare at the bartender, who suddenly seemed small and guilty under their scrutiny.

"And him," Astaroth continued, pointing to a male with his arm casually draped around a female vampire, "He likes to spike women's drinks, so he can feed and fuck without them knowing." Gasps and disgusted murmurs filled the bar as all eyes turned to the accused, whose face drained of colour, the vampire beside him recoiling in horror and disgust.

"Her? Well, she likes to sleep with her mate's father." Astaroth added, driving his point home. He pointed to a werewolf sitting and watching from the outskirts of the bar. "She doesn't do it for love; no, she does it for fun and because she is excited to see the drama unfold." he laughed, pointing at another patron who immediately faced a barrage of judgemental stares and whispered accusations.

"This was crazy! And totally unnecessary." V uttered loudly as the bar erupted into chaos. Patrons shouted and argued while Astaroth laughed, his gaze locking on me.

"And they call me a trickster because I say shit no one else will. I do the things people want to do in private. People will always want to kill, abuse, and steal... I just don't hide my love for chaos." He scoffed, his red eyes shining with amusement if nothing else. With his eyes on me, I felt something icy lick up my spine and found myself alight with excitement for the first time in a while. Suddenly, someone charged at Astaroth from behind, a makeshift weapon drawn and aimed for a deadly strike.

"You might want to.." I started to say but was cut off by the blade piercing his gut.

"Stop that." I finished my sentence with a sigh as I watched him look down, more annoyed than hurt. A slow trickle of dark red blood oozed through his suit as he yanked on the broken table leg and pulled it through his gut, unbothered by the pain I knew it would have caused.

"This is a new fucking suit," he roared, annoyance flashing across his face. With a snap of his fingers, the attacker exploded into a mess of blood and gore, splattering everyone close by, which sucked because beside Astaroth lay an unconscious Lottie and a barely stirring Adam, who now found themselves covered in the remnants of the dead attacker.

"Demon filth, what the hell is wrong with you? If that got in her mouth, fuck, she could get sick." Adam growled as he regained consciousness, checking Lottie, who remained still and sleeping. It didn't take a genius to notice that his voice was filled with loathing. "And you are welcome, you flea-ridden mutt," Astaroth retorted with a sly smile, clearly unbothered by the insult. His eyes, however, seemed slightly concerned as I watched him check Lottie over; when satisfied, she was fine; he then turned his chilling gaze back to me.

over.

"Now, shall we get the stupid half-breed home and return her to her cosy bed at the Sparrow Mansion?" His tone, mockingly cheerful, sent a cold shiver down my spine. Something about the way he spoke told me the night was still young, and the drama was not entirely

Amid the aftermath of chaos,

surrounded by battered bodies and

the remnants of supernatural fury, I felt a deep, unsettling mix of gratitude and dread. I am grateful for Astaroth's timely intervention, yet dreading the implications of his power and the debt we might now owe him. As I helped a rather silent and shaky Chase gather Lottie, I eyed Adam, who seemed ready to go for round two.

"Told you he is suicidal." V groaned deeply as he watched Adam, ready to support his brother if needed, but like me, he hoped he had enough brain cells left to leave this fight for another day.

"Is a hellhound not enough for you

for one night, brother?" I remarked through mindlink, wanting to ensure he was safe and making the right decision because I had seen many people lose their lives tonight on the whim of an insulted demon And I would be damned if Adam would be added to the long list of Collateral damage.

"For now.." Adam snarled as he shook off the blood and tissue from his naked body and stormed from the club.

"He's getting in your car," I muttered to Chase as I scooped Lottie up, gesturing for him to follow Adam. "Because there's no way that blood and crap is coming out of the upholstery." I flashed a grin, hoping to coax even a smirk or some cocky comeback from him. Silence...

I sighed, my frustration mounting as I realised my typically cocky brother might be standing before me, but HE was nowhere to be found. This wasn't like him; his silence was a loud alarm in itself, signalling something seriously wrong.

And that was a massive problem-one we really couldn't afford right now.