Page 98 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

I looked down at my mate, wanting to beg him not to take my pup with him, except the face before me wasn’t Brandon's anymore. It was Cade’s, and I felt my heart break beyond repair at the sight.

‘Bells, wake up.’

I looked around the room as I heard my twin's voice. Sobs wracked my frame as I gathered Cade’s body in my arms. His body was still warm as I twined our fingers together.

“Come back to me. Please. Come back. I need you. Cory, help me!” I screamed out the last part.

‘Wake up, Bells. It’s only a dream.’

“What?”

‘WAKE UP’

I sat up in bed, my hands on my abdomen.

“Cade?”

I got out of bed, intent on going to look for him. I needed to make sure he was alright. I needed to see for myself.

‘Bells?’

I stopped, Cory’s voice cutting through my panic.

‘Cory?’

‘I’m here. It was just a dream.’

‘Why is this happening to me?’I sobbed.‘Why do I deserve this?’

‘You don’t, Bells. You don’t deserve any of it.’

‘I must have done something, Cory. Why did I deserve to be exiled and given Brandon as a mate?’

Over the last year, Cory was the only one I’d been able to tell some of the things I’d gone through with Brandon. I made him swear not to tell anyone.

I knew now what it was. Gaslighting, abuse, physical and emotional. I didn’t understand why the Moon Goddess would do this to me. I thought if I sucked it up, I would eventually find out why. Or maybe if I loved him enough, he would change.

Cory’s been asking me to see a therapist, but I couldn’t. I needed to put on a strong face for the pack. They wouldn’t stay if they didn’t trust me.

‘You didn’t deserve to be stuck with that asshole,’Cory growled. ‘I wish you had told me when he was alive. I told you I would bring you back.’

‘I didn’t want to worry you, Cory. I thought I could handle it on my own.’

‘You’re never on your own, Bells. Come home.’

‘I need to see this through. I’m sorry I woke you.’

‘No need to apologize. Do you want to talk about this one? It felt worse than the rest. You’d gone almost a week without them.'

‘Just more of the same. I just couldn’t make myself wake up. Cade still there?’

‘Yeah, he’s off to look at properties tomorrow. I’ll let you try to get back to sleep.’

Cade was alright, and that alone made my emotions calm.

‘Okay, love you, big brother.’

‘Love you, sis.’

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