Page 90 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

Consumed by thoughts that made my cheeks burn, I didn’t notice Elena and the bodyguard had left until my mate took a step away from me, those blue eyes steady on mine.

“Eleanor,” he said, his tone indecipherable. “You are Eleanor, the proposed mate for Dylan.”

I paused, confusion racing through me.

“Yes…but how did you know that?”

My meeting with Dylan was common knowledge, but the reason wasn’t.

The official story was that I was visiting the Nightshade Pack in place of mysickhalf-brother in a bid to keep up good relations, but?—

My thoughts stalled at the word “brother,” my mind moving fast as I took in the sight of my mate again.

Now that I wasn’t as starstruck by his appearance, I could see it—his uncanny resemblance to the picture of Dylan Hawthorne Elena had shown me.

“You’re the dark alpha.”

The words left me in a hushed whisper, like that could change the fact that my mate was the infamously bloodthirsty Hawthorne heir.

He didn’t deny it.

“I am no longer in line to be alpha,” he said matter-of-factly.

I was dumbfounded, unable to find my words.

“I…you?—”

Alexander Hawthorne kissed me.

My words and my thoughts vanished as he pulled me closer to him by my hair, stealing the air right out of my lungs. My entire world fell apart and rebuilt with a kiss that I felt in the depths of my soul.

I’d never been kissed like this before, like it wasn’t just our lips touching, but Alexander searing his name onto my soul, marking his territory. I couldn’t hold back a whimper of desire.

A low growl rattled in the back of Alexander’s throat, his hold on me tight enough to leave bruises. He ended the kiss almost as suddenly as he’d initiated it, leaving me weak-kneed and out of breath.

Alexander trembled and when I looked up at him, I was surprised to see a lone tear tracking its way down his perfect face.

I reached for him.

“Why—”

“Forgive me, Eleanor,” Alexander whispered, cupping my cheek.

I wanted to ask why, but my world went terrifyingly blank.

The sensation of Alexander’s body pressed against mine brought me back to myself, and I heard his voice once more, full of so much pain and sorrow that it broke my heart.

“...forgive me…I need you to be happy forever and I…I can’t give you forever.”

I jolted awake.

There was no pool. No pillar. No Elena. And no Alexander.

I shivered, the phantom chill of that day from four years ago still on my skin.

What sort of dream was that?

That wasn’t how I’d met Alexander. He’d pushed me underwater. He hadn’t saved me, and he’d certainly never asked me to forgive him.

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