Page 93 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

Months ago, I would’ve taken his words at face value.

I would have lashed out at him for being a manipulative, insensitive asshole.

But after last night, with the foggy memory of him asking me to forgive him when he hadn’t done anything wrong, combined with all the times he’d said cruel things but treated me kindly, I wasn’t ready to take his words at face value.

I thought of the many things that hadn’t added up since I’d come to the Nightshade Pack. I knew I was missing something.

Something big.

“You don’t mean that.” I met Alexander’s gaze as I spoke, searching for an inkling that my suspicions were correct.

“I know you’re keeping something from me.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “Alexander, whatever it is, you can share it with me.”

Something flickered in the depths of those icy blue eyes, but then a sardonic smirk tugged up the side of his lips.

“Do you truly believe that?” Alexander scoffed, and there was no sign of the man who’d trembled as he held me the night before. “That there must be some secret reason I don’t want you?”

I couldn’t let you get mated to Dylan. You’re mine. You always have been.

“I believe in you,” I said evenly, as if my heart wasn’t hanging in the balance. As if I wasn’t doubting and second-guessing myself all the way. “You aren’t the asshole you pretend to be, Alexander.”

Alexander moved leisurely to close the distance between us. When we were just inches apart, he swept my hair off my shoulder, baring my bonding mark as he threaded his fingers through my hair.

Confusion swirled within me, and my breath hitched in my throat.

“Your naivety is almost endearing,” Alexander’s tone was patronizing as mockery flickered in his eyes. “No wonder Dylan still wants you even though he has a baby on the way.”

My chest went cold. Very cold.

“Stop,” I said, trying to step out of his hold, but Alexander’s grip on my hair tightened painfully. He held me in place easily, forcing me to meet his gaze.

Alexander’s next words were mercilessly callous.

“Make no mistake, Eleanor, I’m not my brother. No matter how desperately you latch onto me, no matter how many times you climb into my bed, it won’t change how I feel about you.”

I slapped him hard enough that his face snapped to the side.

Alexander blinked down at me with surprise.

“Let’s talk again when you’re ready to tell the truth,” I said smoothly, before shrugging off his hold and walking away.

My heart hurt from Alexander’s words, but I still couldn’t shake my suspicion that he was hiding something from me.

Maybe I was delusional. Or maybe, just maybe, I was onto something.

Luckily, there was someone I could ask about this.

Seraphina.

If there was some secret Alexander was keeping, she was bound to know about it…right?

I couldn’t shake the memory of the day we’d met, when she’d been about to tell me something about Alexander, but he’d interrupted us before she had the chance.

Was Seraphina’s information the key, or was I just grasping at straws?

I made my way to the patch of woods we usually trained at, lost in thought.

What would I do if it turned out there was no secret? If this was just who Alexander was?

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