Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women
Chapter 1068

Chapter 1068: Chapter 1068

The river made its usual soft hush against the rocks, birds wheeling above in lazy circles, as Jude sat on a mossy boulder with his hands buried in his hair. The island was quiet, deceptively so, the way it always was before things began to change. He had spent the entire morning pretending to forage, but his eyes were not on the forest floor. They followed movements, Rose’s, Layla’s, Zoey’s, each too perfectly timed, like dancers in a strange choreography only they understood. It wasn’t the closeness that disturbed him. His wives had always shared affection, even playfully blurred the lines between love and desire, especially during lazy afternoons or stormy nights. That wasn’t new. But this, this was deeper, thicker, a thread of something that didn’t feel like them at all.

He could no longer pretend it wasn’t happening. There was a pattern forming. A slow orbit around Rose, as if she had become the island’s sun. And the more time passed, the more he felt like a planet growing colder and smaller.

He found Sophie in the shade of the large palm tree by the forest’s edge, sorting through some roots she’d unearthed from the deeper thickets. Her hair was damp with sweat, strands clinging to her temples, and her fingers were stained with soil. She didn’t look up when he approached, but she sensed him, the way she always did.

"You’ve been watching them too," he said softly, crouching beside her.

Sophie blinked up at him. Her eyes were calm, expectant. "Who?"

He hesitated, not because he didn’t know what to say, but because part of him still hoped he was wrong.

"Rose. Layla. Zoey," he said. "They’re different. You know it."

Sophie smiled faintly and returned to scraping the bark from a root. "They’re not different. They’re just close. It’s been intense lately. Rose nearly drowned. The others were scared. They probably bonded."

"No, Sophie." His voice tightened. "It’s not just that. They’re not just close. It’s more like... they’re connected in a way that isn’t normal. I know how Rose is. How Layla is. How Zoey is. I’ve lived with them for years. This, this is something else. They speak in half sentences. They finish each other’s thoughts. And the way they look at me..."

Sophie didn’t meet his gaze. "Are they hurting anyone?"

"That’s not the point."

"Then what is it?" she asked, her tone sharper now. "So they’re closer than before. People change, Jude. They go through things. Rose nearly died. Layla and Zoey might’ve just... latched onto her emotionally. You’re overthinking it."

"I wish I was," he murmured. "But something’s not right."

Sophie exhaled, set the root aside, and finally met his eyes. "You sound paranoid."

Jude looked at her, feeling the tightness settle into his chest. She didn’t believe him. He could see it in her guarded expression. She thought he was imagining things. Maybe she was right. Maybe the stress of leading, protecting, watching everyone day and night, had finally cracked something in him. But deep down, he didn’t believe that.

He stood without another word, brushed his palms on his pants, and walked back toward camp. The others were gathering fruit and herbs in pairs, laughter echoing through the trees. From a distance, everything looked normal. He could almost convince himself it was. Almost.

But then he saw Rose, Layla, and Zoey again, walking together, arms intertwined like vines. Rose leaned in, whispering something to Zoey, and Layla laughed before all three of them looked in unison toward Jude. Just for a second. Just long enough to know they had noticed him watching.

And they smiled.

He didn’t sleep well that night. He lay with Emma curled at his side, her breath soft against his neck, but his eyes stared at the ceiling of the treehouse, counting every creak, every branch shifting in the wind. The others moved restlessly in their bunks. He heard footsteps twice, soft ones. At first he thought it was just someone going for water or a nighttime walk to cool off. But then, in the dim light, he saw silhouettes slipping out. Three of them.

The next morning, he sat in the clearing alone, half-chewed fruit in hand, and watched as Sophie passed by. Her hair was still damp from a wash, her shirt sticking to her shoulder from the river.

She stopped, looked at him, then down the hill where Rose, Layla, and Zoey were sitting in a circle by the ferns. Rose was braiding Layla’s hair, her fingers slow and careful, and Zoey was resting her head on Rose’s lap, smiling up at her like a sleepy cat in the sun.

"They’ve been out together a lot," Sophie said finally, sitting beside him.

He turned to look at her. "Yeah."

"I woke up last night. They weren’t in bed. I didn’t hear them come back either."

Jude didn’t respond, just let her words sink in like rain into thirsty earth.

"I followed them this morning," Sophie continued. "They went toward the falls. Didn’t speak. Just walked in silence. Like... like they knew exactly where they were going and what they were doing."

He nodded once. "You’re seeing it now."

Sophie looked at him, something flickering in her expression. Doubt. Worry. Fear.

"When I got closer, I heard them humming," she said. "Together. It wasn’t a tune I recognized. It didn’t even sound like a melody. Just... a rhythm. Like breath. Like heartbeat. And when they turned around, all three of them were smiling at me. Like they knew I was there."

Jude’s throat felt dry. "Did they say anything?"

"No. They just walked past me. Like I wasn’t even worth speaking to."

Sophie folded her arms across her chest, rubbing her forearms as if suddenly cold. "Something’s off," she whispered. "You were right."

He let the silence settle between them, as heavy as the clouds building above the trees.

"Do you think it has something to do with the river?" she asked.

Jude nodded. "It started there."

"Maybe she brought something back."

"Or maybe something brought her back."

Sophie looked down, tracing a finger over the dirt. "We need to watch them. See what they’re doing when they think no one’s looking."

"I already tried," Jude said. "But they’re too careful. It’s like they know when I’m around. Like they feel me watching."

Sophie’s eyes darted to the group again. "I’ll watch," she said. "Tonight. I’ll stay up. Follow them."

He reached out, gripped her hand, thankful for the first time in days that someone else finally saw the shadows trailing behind the smiles.

That night, the wind picked up early. The forest swayed with the sound of rustling leaves, insects fell into a rhythm of chirps and clicks, and the house remained dim, only flickering candles lighting the floor. One by one, the women turned in, tired from the day’s heat and strange tension.

Sophie sat by the edge of the platform, pretending to braid her hair, while Jude lay on the far side pretending to sleep. Hours passed. Long, dragging, quiet hours.

Then came the creak of wood. One. Then two. Then three.

Soft steps, barely audible.

Sophie waited five heartbeats before she moved. By the time she reached the floor, the girls were already past the clearing, moving along the path toward the eastern woods. The moon lit their shapes faintly, Rose leading, Layla and Zoey behind her, heads lowered, walking barefoot.

Sophie followed. Slowly. Carefully. Each breath a weight in her chest.

They didn’t speak. Not once. Not even when they reached the ancient tree circle near the spring where the moss grew thickest. There, they stopped. Rose turned toward the others, her hands out. Layla and Zoey took them, and then they knelt.

Sophie watched from behind a rock, heart thudding against her ribs.

Then Rose spoke. A single word. One Sophie didn’t understand. And both women lifted their heads in unison, eyes wide, unblinking.

It wasn’t until Rose smiled that Sophie realized how wrong she’d been.

It wasn’t just that something had changed.

Something had entered them.

And it was spreading.