Page 47 of Bound to the Guard

“Give him space.” Leo tugs on Oliver’s arm. “Let’s wait for Damien.”

Oliver hesitates, but allows Leo to lead him a few steps back. “Why do we need to wait for Damien?”

“Because they’re…” Leo widens his eyes and gives me a pointed look.

Confused, Oliver follows his line of sight, and realization dawns, followed swiftly by fury.

Footsteps pound down the hall, and Damien rushes into the room. He locates me right away and hurries forward. “Hey, sweetheart, are we having a bad day?”

Oliver steps between us, shoving him in the chest. “What have you been doing with my baby brother?”

“Not now.” Damien moves Oliver out of the way to hold out the blanket. “Hey, sweetheart, was this too overwhelming? Do you need to go back to our?—”

Oliver steps between us again. “How dare you sleep with my little brother! He’snineteen!”

Damien’s jaw hardens as he grabs Oliver’s arm, shoving him behind him as he speaks to someone else in the room. “Tell your husband to sit down. He’s freaking out Seven.”

“Don’t touch my mate,” another man—also Damien—snarls.

Damien ignores the warning and turns back to me, shaking out the blanket. When he kneels, the other Damien, the cold one from a different reality, appears behind him.

Oh, god, my brain broke.

My arms rise to cover my head again as I rock in place. “How are there two? Why is this happening?”

Warmth envelops me, along with Damien’s pheromones, smelling like comfort and home. A whine escapes me.Thisis my Alpha.

“Hey,” he breathes into my ear. “You’re okay. I’m here.”

With a sob, I uncurl and crawl into his embrace, seeking his pheromones.

“That’s it, sweetheart.” His arms come around me. “Keep breathing.”

I wind my body around him, clinging tight.

“You’re safe.” With one hand on the back of my head and his arm supporting my hips, he stands. “Let’s go back home and try again another day.”

“Where the hell are you taking Dylan?” Oliver demands shakily.

Shuddering, I press my face harder against Damien’s neck, clinging to him tighter.

Damien’s chest rumbles as he speaks. “Stop calling him that.”

“Why not? That’s his name!Dylan.My little brother. The one I started the Vanishing Voices blog for, the one—” He cuts off to clear the thickness from his throat. “The one I thought some cannibal ate. I grieved for him, so don’t you dare walk away with him now before I have answers!”

A sob wrenches from my throat. Oliver’s pain tears at me, but I can’t deal with him. Not yet. Not when I’m so raw, so overwhelmed.

“This isn’t about you right now, Oliver!” Damien roars. “Can’t you see he’s suffering? Back off!”

A muffled cry sounds, and I peek over Damien’s shoulder as Oliver turns to collapse into Damien’s arms, his shoulders shaking.

Confused and afraid, I duck my head back down. “Two Damiens. I don’t… I can’t…”

Damien strokes my back in soothing circles. “Remember when I told you about my twin, Caleb? Did I not tell you we’re identical?”

A memory surfaces through my panic. “Identical? Not… Not a Damien from another world who doesn’t want me?”

“Never.” Damien’s arms tighten around me. “I will always want you, sweetheart. You’re mine.”

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