Raising the Wolves

For years, I only had eyes for one of them, the cold and distant Caspi

, kissing his foster sister, Lyra-the fragile girl my family to

overheard the other six Ashworth

gether, orchestrating "accidents" and mocking my "s

e heiress who held their futur

managed. The seven men I grew up with, the men who owed m

e a decision that would burn their world to the grou

voice firm. "I'm mar

pte

n remember, my world has revolved around seven young men my father took in. They are the Ashworth Fellows,

only beat for one of

clinging to his light. I baked him cookies he never ate. I waited for him after his classes, but he always walk

st tried hard enough, I

that belie

shadows of the old oak tree. Caspian had Lyra McClain, his foster sister, pressed against the trun

ian's request. The girl everyone saw as sweet and

oment destroy

er's study and made a decision that

ided who I'm g

, a warm smile on his face. "Have you finally won

ce firm. "No. I want to

h confusion. "Silas? The tech mogul from Silicon Valley? Seraphina, he's a Blackwood. T

ng our family's sworn enemy was not an act of lov

o Solis is a master strategist, Ronan Boyle has a fiery passion tha

in my mouth. "Worthy?

y favorite book in the library and overheard voices from the a

ice. "We need a new strategy. Seraphina is becoming mo

ffed. "So what? We just keep ignoring

arriage. If it's not Caspian, it will be one of us. And none of us want that. Our loyalt

behind a bookshelf. That thing. The words hung

look foolish or clingy in front of Caspian. They even mentioned the time Mateo had "saved" me f

d said with a laugh. "She looked at you

t took. The point was to make her feel a debt to someone other

me. At my trust, my affectio

were working together to avoid me.

ilas Blackwood, the outsider. They pitied him for

s," Mateo had concluded. "H

of their own, a fellow survivor from the harsh world they'd escaped. They were united

g into my palms as the memory burned through me. I was t

boys with nowhere to go. He gave them the best education, a life of lux

ke my foster si

een-year-old, had begged my father to agree. "Please, Dad!

came to the A

any perceived slight, always taking her side. If I ever showed a hint of jealousy, they would loo

lled with guilt, believ

t brothers protecting a fragile sister. T

eard them in the study, I'd stumbled out into the garden, my mind reeling. T

ds tangled in her hair, Lyra's ar

sper. "Caspian, what if she makes you

She won't have my heart. Marrying her is just repaying a debt to her