Love Times Four My Stepbrothers Are My Mates (Alayah) novel Chapter 45

**When Broken Stars Drift Across Empty Midnight Skies by Troy Mason Venn 45**

**Alayah’s Perspective**

The atmosphere in Jesse’s diner was warm and inviting, filled with the rich aroma of comfort food and the soft murmur of patrons enjoying their meals. Mom and I were in the middle of our usual dinner routine when suddenly, her phone buzzed insistently on the table, the caller-ID lighting up with an unexpected name—Beta Jacob. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, but I could see the flicker of apprehension in her eyes as she realized that Dad had misplaced his phone.

“Beta Jacob is calling about Dad,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would somehow change the situation.

On the other end, Beta Jacob’s voice came through, explaining the urgency of the matter. Noah had been trying to reach Dad, but without any response since Thursday, Alpha Gordon was understandably displeased. The weight of this news hung heavily in the air, and I could feel my heart racing as I absorbed the implications.

Dad, sensing our unease, fished his phone out of his pocket, waving it in front of us like a flag of reassurance. “See? I have it right here,” he declared, but when I asked Mom for his number, a wave of uncertainty washed over me. I dialed, but the silence on the line was deafening.

“Mom, can you double-check that I wrote it down correctly?” I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice. She nodded, confirming that I had the right digits. I tried again, but still, nothing. The phone remained stubbornly quiet, and I could feel the tension building between us.

Frustrated, I scrolled through my contacts until I found Erick’s number. “Hey, Erick, I really need your help with something,” I said as soon as he picked up, my voice urgent.

“What’s going on?” he replied, his tone shifting to concern.

“Is it possible to send a message that never reaches the other person? Or make a call without it ringing on their end?” I asked, my mind racing with possibilities. There was a brief pause before he responded, his brow furrowing in thought.

“Can you get your hands on the phone?” he inquired, and I assured him I had it. He guided me through the process, step by step, and I could feel a flicker of hope igniting within me.

“Why didn’t you tell her that you do feel a connection?” Mom pressed, her eyes glinting with curiosity. Dad’s smirk indicated he was enjoying this a bit too much. Topaz, her head tilted in thought, mirrored my own confusion, and I realized it didn’t take a genius to guess why Noah had kept it from me.

“I haven’t told her yet because I’m not sure if this connection is a true Mate-bond,” Noah replied, and I felt Topaz retreat to the back of my mind, disappointment washing over us both. He could have easily said he wasn’t comfortable discussing it in front of others, or that it was something he preferred to share with whoever he felt the connection to first. Those would have sufficed, but instead, he made it seem like I was trying to manipulate him into believing there was something between us, hurting Topaz in the process.

I shook my head at Mom, silently urging her to drop the subject and steer the conversation back to the reason we had called this private meeting in the first place. With a deep breath, she began to recount the discoveries we had made during dinner, and I could sense the tension in the room spike. Everyone was furious—an understatement, really.

Dad laid out the details about the budgets and what I had uncovered, and Crystal’s reaction mirrored Alpha Gordon’s. “I swear, I’ll kill that bitch!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with righteous anger.

“I’ll explain everything in more detail during the meeting tomorrow. Just know that your father gets alerted every time she withdraws money from the account. I’ll see you all in the morning,” I said, planting a kiss on Mom and Dad’s cheeks before retreating to my room. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t shake the hope that I would wake up in my own bed and not somewhere else entirely.