Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem)

Liam's POV

The searing white light swallowed us whole, and for a moment, it felt as though we were suspended in nothingness. Then, just as abruptly, the brilliance faded, leaving us in a dim haze. My stomach churned violently as if my insides had been twisted and wrung out. A throbbing pain pulsed behind my eyes, and every muscle in my body felt like jelly.

I stumbled forward, my legs barely supporting me. The floor beneath me was cool and smooth-marble? I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the blur from my vision. The air here was... different. It was crisp, almost too clean, carrying a faint scent of unfamiliar blossoms mixed with something electric that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Chase groaned beside me, collapsing onto his knees. "Ugh, I feel like I just got off the world's worst roller coaster," he muttered, clutching his stomach.noveldrama

I forced myself to stand upright, taking in our surroundings. We were in a vast room, more opulent than anything I'd ever seen. Towering columns of polished stone soared toward an arched ceiling adorned with intricate mosaics depicting celestial scenes-constellations intertwined with mythical creatures and swirling galaxies golden light filtered through stained glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colours onto the gleaming marble floor.

Along the walls, tapestries woven with threads of silver and gold depicted battles and ceremonies from eras long past. Elegant furniture crafted from dark woods and inlaid with mother-of-pearl lined the room. Shelves held ancient tomes and artefacts that seemed to hum with latent energy.

In the centre of the room stood an ornate bed draped in luxurious silks and velvets of deep blues and purples. Knox was lying on it, his eyes open and alert. Colour had returned to his cheeks, and he appeared unscathed, a stark contrast to the dire state he'd been in moments before.

"Knox?" I called out, my voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber.

"Liam? What's going on? Where are we?" He sat up slowly, flexing his fingers. Before I could answer, Chase let out a low whistle.

"Well, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he quipped. I turned to glare at him. Chase was still wearing those ridiculous pink sweatpants-Charlotte's that were now torn and stained from our earlier struggles. His shirt was missing entirely, revealing a myriad of scratches and bruises that twisted across his tattooed torso. Despite our precarious situation, he managed to smirk, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Seriously?" I snapped. "This isn't the time for jokes."

"Just trying to lighten the mood, man. Besides, if we don't laugh, we'll probably start screaming." He shrugged, attempting a casual behaviour that didn't quite hide the anxiety in his eyes. I couldn't argue with that, but his nonchalance grated on me. "We have no idea where we are, how we got here, or what's happening to us. Maybe focus on that instead of movie references."

"Hey guys," Knox announced as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, testing his weight. "I feel... fine," he expressed, astonishment evident in his tone. "Better than fine, actually."

"That's impossible," I replied. "You were at death's door a minute ago." He gave me a puzzled look.

"I remember feeling terrible like I was dying. But now..." He rolled his shoulders. "Now I feel stronger than ever."

A sudden unease settled over me. The air might have been fresh, but there was an undercurrent of something unsettling a lingering sense of being watched. Havoc, Knox's wolf, should have been exhausted, yet here Knox was revitalised. "Do you guys feel that?" Chase began pacing, his eyes darting around the room.

"Feel what?" I questioned.

"Evil," he whispered. "It's like the air has charged with it."

"Yeah, I sense it too. We need to be on our guard." I nodded slowly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, boys; it feels great.. like breathing pure energy and.." Knox took a few steps forward, and his knees buckled suddenly. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his head.

"Knox!" I yelled, rushing to his side. Chase was there in an instant, and together, we lifted him back onto the bed. His skin had turned ashen, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"What's happening to him?" Chase asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"I don't know! He was fine just a moment ago," I replied, frustration mounting.

Knox began to convulse, his body wracked with violent tremors. His eyes rolled back, and a guttural sound escaped his lips. Without warning, he started vomiting a thick, black substance-it oozed out like tar staining the pristine sheets and emitting a noxious odour that

burned my nostrils.

"Hold him steady!" I ordered, grabbing a cloth from a nearby table and trying to wipe away the viscous liquid. But it kept coming, an endless flow that defied explanation.

"Come on, buddy, fight it!" Chase

held Knox's shoulders, his knuckles white from the strain. Knox's

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breathing became erratic, each gasp sounding more desperate than the last. His body temperature fluctuated wildly-one moment

scorching hot, the next icy cold.

"He's getting worse," Chase said, fear evident in his eyes. I pressed my fingers to Knox's neck, searching for a pulse. It was faint and irregular.

"We can't let him die," I whispered, more to myself than to Chase.

"Do something!" Chase pleaded.

"I'm trying!" I snapped back,

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frustration and helplessness boiling over. I didn't know how to help him; nothing made sense here. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the black Substance stopped. Knox lay motionless, his chest barely sing and falling. The room was eerily silent, save for our ragged breaths.

I checked his pulse again. It was there but weak, fluttering like a trapped bird.

"Is he...?" Chase couldn't finish the sentence.

"He's alive, but just barely," I replied, swallowing hard. My mind raced. We needed help, but where could we possibly find it in this place?

Footsteps echoed from somewhere beyond the grand doors at the far end of the room. We both turned sharply, eyes fixed on the entrance. The massive doors, intricately carved with symbols I didn't recognize, began to open slowly.