Page 112 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

“You remember something,” Dylan said, a triumphant glint in his eye at the prospect of freeing me from Alexander’s “manipulation.”

“No, I don’t, I—” I started, but Dylan didn’t let me finish.

“Has there ever been a time when you’ve had two versions of a memory that involved Alexander?” he pushed. “If a conflicting version of an old memory tries to resurface, that’s your original memory fighting its way through Alexander’s powers.”

I stared at Dylan in disbelief. There was no way Alexander had that sort of power. Besides, I’d never had any such opposing memories about Alexander…

The strangely vivid dream of Alexander saving me instead of drowning me the first day we met jolted into my mind.

No, that was just a dream.

Alexander wouldn’t have used his psychic powers to hide that he was my true mate and almost let me get mated to his brother…right?

I tried to recall my original memory of the incident, the one where Alexander tried to drown me, but as I fought to remember specific details, the memory fractured.

Was that why nightmares of that day plagued me? My mind replayed the day over and over in my head, but instead of noticing the inconsistencies, my fear and dislike of Alexander had grown.

My knees buckled as Lara keened loudly within me, confirming this discovery.

Alexander was our true mate.

My Goddess-given mate.

That was why my feelings for him were so strong, and why Lara had been so attached to him from the start. It was also why we’d continuously failed to stay apart from each other, and every little touch quickly spun out of control.

Alexander hadn’t been manipulating me.

He’d been torn between his instincts as my mate and the harsh reality that he couldn’t let me fall in love with him without putting my life in danger.

I need you to be happy forever and I…I can’t give you forever.

Those words suddenly held a deeper meaning.

My eyes burned with tears. He’d gone through all this alone, and what had I said to him?

I hope you don’t survive this war, so I don’t have to see you again.

Tears streaked down my cheeks.

Dylan cupped my cheeks compassionately, wiping away my tears.

“You remember it now, right?” he asked, searching my eyes. “How Alexander manipulated you into falling for him?”

I remembered it all, but it wasn’t what Dylan thought.

I took a step away from him, brushing his hands off my cheeks.

“You’re wrong,” I said, meeting Dylan’s hazel gaze. “Alexander never manipulated me or tried to make me like him. All this time, he was pushing me away. He was trying to protect me.”

Dylan went silent, his unreadable gaze shifting from my face to his hands.

Then his face hardened and when he spoke, his voice was detached and cool.

“I was too late. My brother has already brainwashed you. Even with the truth in front of you, you make up lies to protect him.”

“Brainwashed?” My eyebrows shot up. “Dylan, he didn’t?—”

Dylan moved quickly, closing in on me. I raised my hands, but that was exactly what he wanted.

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