Page 55 of Ruined Wolfsbane

I don’t deserve happiness, not after I let my baby brother get hurt for years without noticing. There’s a special place in hell for people like me. I never thought I could hate someone more than I hate Father Simon, but I was wrong. I hate myself far more than I could ever hate that bastard.

Stalking into my room, I resist the urge to punch something. A new hole in my wall will just give Bastian more ammunition for his worries. Robotically, I strip and get into a frigid shower. I let the cold water soak into my bones until I’m numb enough to get through the day.

I’m just pulling on my pants when my door opens. Expecting it to be Bastian, I turn around without putting on a shirt, pants undone and belt hanging loose. Only, it’s not Bastian. It’s Kai carrying Briar. A growl builds in my chest that he’s holding her instead of me. I forcefully push the jealousy down and smooth out my expression.

From Kai’s arched brow, I know he saw the struggle on my face. At least Briar didn’t.

She lifts her head from Kai’s shoulder and glances around my monotone room. The black, gray, and white furnishings are sterile. There’s nothing personal in my room. I’m not interested in making my space comfortable.

“Put me down,” Briar demands.

“Ask nicely,” Kai taunts her.

I try to hide my smile at her answering hiss. She sounds like an angry kitten. I laugh at the visual. Briar whips her head around and glares at me. I hold my hands up in surrender, attempting to soothe her rage.

She wiggles to get out of Kai’s hold. When that doesn’t work, Briar grates out, “Please.”

Kai slowly slides her tight little body down his front. Jealousy that he gets to touch her like that rears its head. I ruthlessly stomp it out. She will never and can never be mine. “See? That wasn’t so hard,” Kai gloats.

Briar puts her hands on her flared hips before snarling, “Fuck off. Kissing me doesn’t mean you own me, Malachi Wyldhart.” They kissed? When the hell did this happen? Shaking my head, I remind myself it doesn’t matter. Briar’s free to do whatever she wants with my brothers. As long as she leaves me alone, we won’t have problems.

“I never said it did, baby girl.” Kai shoves his hands in his pockets as he smiles down at her.

“Good.”

“As fun as this little exchange is to watch, why are you here, Briar?” I ask, voice coming out sharper than intended.

Briar flinches minutely at my harsh question, and I feel like an asshole. With everything she’s been through, I need to be gentler with her. Even though I’ll never give in to our connection, she’s still family now. I’ll take care of her just like I try to do with my brothers.

She sighs as she looks up at Kai. He shakes his head at her, and she blows out a breath. Turning around, Briar walks toward me. I’m momentarily hypnotized by her perfect tits. She’s shirtless and only wearing a lacy pink bra that leaves little to the imagination. They look plump and full. I can’t help but wonder what they’d feel like in my hands.

Dragging my gaze downward, my eyes snag on her laceration. It’s bloody and raw. “Fuck, sweetheart,” I breathe out as she stops in front of me. “What happened?” I clench my hands into fists to stop myself from touching her. While it’s usually difficult to keep my distance, it’s downright impossible when she’s hurt.

“I tore my stitches while running on the treadmill,” she tells me softly. Briar bites her lip like she’s afraid I’m going to lose it and scream at her.

Her being scared of me tears me to shreds. I’d never hurt her. I need to do better at keeping my distance without being a dick. “Why were you running?” I ask softly, trying to show Briar I’m not going to yell at her.

She just purses her lips and stares off over my shoulder. I open my mouth to ask if she wants me to stitch her up, when Kai barks, “Leave it alone, Xander. She doesn’t have to explain herself to you.”

My eyebrows rise at that. “I wasn’t going to press her, Kai. I just wanted to see if she wanted me to suture her wound.”

Briar nods at my question. I give her a small smile.

“Oh.” Kai sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.

“Is there something you need, Kai? ’Cause I work better without an audience.”

He shakes his head. “I’ll be back in with your clothes,” he says as he stalks over to Briar. Kai gives her a kiss on the top of her head before leaving my room.

“Mind lying on the bed, Briar?” I ask as I turn to get my medical kit from the bathroom.

“Nope. The bed works for me.”

Rummaging through the espresso-colored storage cabinet in my en suite, I gather everything I need to sew her up. When I return to the room, she’s already lying on the bed. My dick perks up at how well she follows directions.

Fuck. Not now!

I will it to go down before Briar notices the tent in my pants. Luckily, she doesn’t look my way until I kneel at her side.

---