Mated in the Shadow of My Sister novel Chapter 51

Chapter 0051

(James POV)

As my mother got to the end of her story, I was not sure what I should think or how I should feel.

Should I be feeling angry with my mother? Disappointed? Disgusted? Even though it happened 27 years

I

ago, I knew that I should probably be feeling all of those things.

Watching Nick’s face across the desk from me, I could tell he was feeling many of those emotions.

‘Me, though? To my surprise, all I really felt was…. numb.

In a way, I did find it amazing how a single story —about something that happened before I was even born, no less— could explain so much of my life and yet raise so many more questions. I think I felt numb partly because a big part of me was in shock and not ready to confront all of those questions yet.

I have always known that Margle had an unusual amount of control over my parents, and I have also

always known how desperately my parents worked to avoid offending her and Beta Robert. However, I

had always assumed that my parents behaved the way that they did because my parents were

compassionate people who valued Robert and Margie’s opinions. I had no idea that the real reason was

because my mother was consumed with guilt for killing Margie and Robert’s first son.

Now that I knew the truth, I could not help but wonder how far-reaching Margie’s control over my parents

-and therefore me- really went. Was Margie the one that Dr. Hyder was warning me about? Had

Margie been manipulating things behind the scenes?

I dismissed the thought almost as soon as I had it. Questions about how much of my life Margie may

have manipulated… especially with respect to my life with Stephanie.. were at the top of the list of

questions that I was not ready to confront.

Thankfully, as I replayed Alpha Brett’s words in my head, my next thoughts offered me a brief distraction.

“No, it does not fit.”

“What?”

Nick and my mother both looked at me in disbelief. That is when I realized I said my last comment out

loud.

“Sorry, I did not mean to say that out loud.”

“What does not fit?” Nick asked, not letting it go.

I sighed