Love Times Four My Stepbrothers Are My Mates (Alayah) novel Chapter 53

**When Broken Stars Drift Across Empty Midnight Skies by Troy Mason Venn**
**Chapter 53: Stay With Her**

*Nikolay’s p.o.v.*

As I watch Noah exit through the door, a heavy silence envelops me, and I allow a few moments to pass before I gather the resolve to follow him. We have a designated meeting spot in our territory, a place where we often strategize and share our thoughts. The staircase is eerily quiet as I descend, and as I push open the back door, the sprawling gardens come into view. Khal had mentioned that Alayah was somewhere in this very space, yet her presence eludes us. This is the moment when everything began to unravel, and I can only hope that Noah’s plan offers us a chance to mend things with Alayah.

Choosing a longer route to our territory, I seek the solitude of my thoughts. I need to carefully consider what I might say to Alayah, if the opportunity arises at all. In my mind, I brace myself for her potential rejection, imagining her telling us to leave her life and never return. The weight of this possibility hangs heavily on my chest. Just as I begin to lose myself in these thoughts, I notice a familiar figure walking alongside me. Turning my head, I see Anton, his expression a mixture of concern and curiosity.

“What brings you out here?” he asks, his voice breaking the stillness. I glance around, realizing I’ve strayed a bit off course in my introspection.

“I’m just trying to process today. My brothers are brooding, and our Lycans are feeling the tension too. I thought a walk might help clear my mind and maybe shed some light on where everything went wrong. Have you ever seen Alayah react like that?” I ask, settling onto a fallen tree trunk, my gaze fixed on the distant northern border of the Crimson Moon Pack. After a brief hesitation, Anton joins me, sitting down with a heavy sigh.

“No, I’ve never witnessed her like this before, and honestly, it terrifies me.” His admission resonates with me, stirring a mix of fear and empathy within.

I let his words linger in my mind, contemplating their weight, but before I can articulate my thoughts, Anton suddenly leaps to his feet. “Sorry, I just got a message. Alpha Randell wants to see me in his office. Do you know where Nero is?” he inquires, his urgency palpable.

“The last I saw him, he was still on the Gamma floor. If he’s not there, he might have taken Miku out for a run,” I respond, watching as Anton strides away. Once he disappears from view, I redirect my focus towards our territory, a sense of determination guiding my steps.

“Nero, I hope you’re out of the Pack-house. Alpha Randell is looking for you, along with Marc and Anton,” I communicate through our mind-link, a connection forged by blood that remains unbreakable by any outside force.

“The only bed she hasn’t woken up in yet,” he remarks, pushing the door open to reveal our Angel curled up in my bed, clad in an oversized shirt that swallows her petite frame.

Mara heads towards Nathan’s room, and as she swings the door open, we’re met with a chaotic scene of clothing strewn across the floor, indicating she had borrowed one of his shirts for the night.

“How did you know?” Nero asks, glancing back and forth between Nathan’s room and my bed, his brow creased with confusion. Mara explains that throughout the weekend, Alayah had woken up in a different bed each morning, except for this morning.

“This was the only room she hadn’t slept in, but the troubling part is that she doesn’t remember how she ended up here. I’m not sure if it means anything that she’s asleep in your bed, Nikolay. I just hope you all understand that she has shut off her feelings,” Mara says, her tone serious.

Before she can elaborate on what Grandma conveyed to her over the phone, a flicker of hope ignites within me. Perhaps the reason Alayah is in my bed is tied to her journey of self-discovery. It doesn’t absolve us of our responsibility to explain certain truths to her, but maybe she’ll be more inclined to listen. I keep my gaze fixed on our Angel, feeling the others begin to drift away, and I step into the room, determined to stay by her side.