My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game (Elena and Marcus) novel Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Chapter 158 Private Burden Born

Briar’s POV

The thought lingered in my mind for several moments before clarity struck. Of course it made perfect sense. How could I have taken something from someone when I couldn’t even read at such a young age? The memory of stealing it seemed impossible when I considered my childhood limitations.

Eventually, I dismissed the nagging doubt and returned my attention to the pages before me.

Asher began preparing for his evening shower routine, positioning himself between our two narrow beds as he pulled his shirt over his head. Despite my best efforts to remain focused on my book, my eyes betrayed me completely. The defined muscles of his torso shifted and flexed with each subtle movement, creating an almost hypnotic display of strength and grace. Then the intricate tattoo spanning the entire upper portion of his back captured my attention entirely. The artwork was impossible to ignore, covering nearly every inch of available skin with detailed precision.

Realizing I had been caught staring once again, I quickly redirected my gaze back to the open book in my lap, desperately attempting to concentrate on the printed words. Unfortunately, my efforts proved largely unsuccessful as my mind continued wandering.

Nico’s knowing grin met my eyes from across the room, and I felt the familiar warmth of embarrassment spreading across my cheeks like wildfire. Without hesitation, I grabbed my book and made a hasty retreat outside to the small table and chair setup positioned just beyond the bunk house entrance. The single overhead light provided barely adequate illumination for reading, but it offered the privacy I desperately needed.

Time seemed to blur together as I lost myself in the story, until Corbin’s approaching footsteps broke through my concentration. The evening light-out protocol was clearly approaching, so I carefully placed my bookmark between the pages and closed the book with reluctant finality.

"That’s something we rarely witness around these parts," Corbin observed, settling himself nearby.

"What exactly do you mean?" I questioned, genuinely curious about his statement.

"Someone actually taking time to read," he replied with obvious amusement in his voice.

"I suppose you’ll need to adjust your expectations then. However, this represents my entire literary collection, and I haven’t noticed any library facilities in the immediate vicinity, so this will likely be the extent of your reading observations," I responded with dry humor.

"I’m confident we can arrange something more substantial for you. But right now, I need to discuss something rather important with you," he said, his expression growing noticeably more serious as he took a seat.

"Your tone suggests this matter carries significant weight," I noted, studying his suddenly grave demeanor.

"It absolutely does. Your timing regarding the transfer to this location was remarkably fortunate. We’ve just received official confirmation that your previous base suffered a devastating attack. While we don’t possess all the specific details yet, we can confirm that werewolves were responsible for the assault. The commanding officer at that location had suspected they were under surveillance by the nearest pack territories. Intelligence suggests those same packs orchestrated the entire attack."

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