Page 17 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

“Why?” I asked, only realizing how needy I sounded when Alexander lifted a mocking eyebrow.

Asshat.

Flushing, I cleared my throat and corrected myself. “I mean, why did you mark me earlier?”

Alexander didn’t answer immediately, and when he did, it was with a slight furrow between his eyebrows.

“Because you irk me,” he said finally. “You’re the only person who looks at me like that—like you aren’t scared of me.”

What?

Alexander couldn’t have been more wrong. He thought I wasn’t scared of him?

I couldn’t even hear his name without having a visceral reaction. But growing up in this vicious pack, showing my fear was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Alexander moved closer to me. Every step he took was precise and predatory.

He cupped my cheek almost tenderly, the slight smirk on his lips starkly contrasting the dark look in his eyes.

“But I intend to fix that. Iwillbreak you, Eleanor Ashford.”

I slapped Alexander’s hand off my face, ignoring Lara’s pained whimpers in my head.

“That’s it? You marked me because you want to break me?”

Alexander didn’t seem bothered by my outburst as he shrugged flippantly.

“It doesn’t hurt that it pissed off Dylan.”

Of course. This was Alexander Hawthorne, after all. Expecting anything other than sadistic jokes from him would be unrealistic.

But still, the thought that he’d carry out a sacred bonding ceremony with someone for the sole purpose of breaking them was…

“You’re sick,” I spat out.

Alexander inclined his head thoughtfully.

“You threw yourself at your fiancé’s brother the night before your bonding ceremony,” he sneered. “Isn’t calling me sick a bit hypocritical?”

I raised my hand to hit him, but he caught it easily. For a moment, I stared at Alexander as his hand held mine midair and his distant, cold blue eyes silently mocked me.

I realized he’d been right last night when he told me I’d regret being with him.

I regretted it already.

Alexander and I didn’t speak to each other again that night, and we maintained our silence for the entirety of the long drive to the Nightshade Pack the next day, despite us being the only two people in the vehicle.

Father hadn’t visited me before I left. With his alliance finalized, he didn’t have any reason to speak to me again. I felt torn between gratefulness at not having to see him again, and bitterness over the lack of closure.

Elena held me while I cried that morning, knowing that would be the last time I saw the woman who was the closest thing I’d ever had to a mother. Elena wouldn’t leave the Red Moon Pack with me. Unlike me, this pack was truly her home.

Now, I was completely alone.

The car pulled up in front of a residence that was too small to be the Nightshade pack house, but too large to be a private home.

Alexander didn’t even let me appreciate the view before he headed upstairs, me trailing behind him until we reached an expansive bedroom.

“Your things will be brought in,” Alexander said matter-of-factly. “Get ready for the welcome party. I’ll return to escort you shortly.”

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