Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 161

Chapter 161

There was such pain in River’s voice. I moved on instinct, wrapping myself around him and practically climbing into his lap. “I’m okay.”

“But you almost weren’t.”

A pang lit along my sternum. I’d come so close to losing River. To losing all of them. And it had marked us all. It didn’t help that the hits just kept coming.

“You got to me. Every time, you’ve come for me.”

“Senna.” His voice cracked.

“Every time. You’ve always been there for me. More than anyone else in my life.” My hands fisted in his T–shirt, and I pressed my lips to his neck. “And I know you’ll be there for me every day from now on.”

“Damn straight,” Anson muttered.

Caspian let out a soft chuckle as his hand trailed up and down my back. “Senna’s right. No matter what, we find a way.”

River’s lips ghosted over my forehead. “I don’t want you in pain, not ever.”

It was the worst thing imaginable for my empath. He would feel it more than I ever would. I ran my hand through his hair. “Life will always have pain. But I have you to help me deal with it. As long as I have our bond, I can beat anything that comes my way.”

Anson laid a hand over mine,stilling my fidgeting. “It’ll be okay.”

I looped my thumb over the top of his hand, holding on. I’d take every tether to them I could get. As we’d made breakfast and gotten ready to go see Abigail, I’d found myself needing to touch at least one of my mates at all times. Fear that Kaleb might be able to reach me even in

wakefulness had taken root.

Caspian turned onto a smaller back road, guiding the massive SUV around a bend. My stomach dipped as the hospital came into view.

Anson squeezed my hand again. “You don’t have to go in. We can talk to her without you.”

I shook my head. “I want to go too.”

Want wasn’t exactly the right word. Need was more accurate. If I let myself cower now, I’d never get back up. I had to keep moving forward.

“We’ll be with you the whole time,” Knox said, his hand slipping under my hair.

Mason turned in his seat up front. “Her doctor assured me she’s more stable than your last visit.”

I swore I could still hear Abigail’s screams in my mind. I couldn’t help the shiver that coursed through me.

River’s hands found my shoulders, letting in a trickle of his soothing energy. “We’ll get through it no matter what. Together.”

My gaze traveled to Vaughn sitting beside River in the third row. He hadn’t said a word as we were getting ready to leave, he had simply climbed into the SUV. Vaughn wasn’t pretty words and easy reassurances. He communicated everything he had to say with silent action. And today he was telling me that he was here, a real part of the bond.

I lifted an arm over the seat and rested my hand on his knee, squeezing gently. Vaughn’s eyes fixed on the contact. He didn’t reciprocate, but he didn’t move away either. It was our own form of progress.

Caspian pulled into a parking spot at the front of the hospital. The little peace and reassurance I’d felt melted away. I focused on keeping my

Screw My Childhood Sweetheart–His Alpha Brother Marked Me First!

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Chapter 161

breathing even, on not allowing my anxiety to get a foothold. All I could do was put one foot in front of the other.

We piled out of the SUV and started towards the front doors. Mason led the way, the guys surrounding me as if someone might jump out at any moment to try and snatch me away. Just as we reached the steps, the door opened. A woman in scrubs smiled at us. “Dr. Barton and Abigail are around back on the patio. Dr. Barton thought the fresh air and open spaces might be good.”

Mason dipped his head in a nod. “Thank you.”

The woman guided us around the massive building to a beautiful stone patio that overlooked a series of gardens. My steps faltered as I caught sight of Abigail. She faced away from us, standing at an easel, paintbrush in hand. As I moved closer, I could see just how talented she was.

My fingers twitched at my sides. My pull to create had come from the woman who had given me life. But I wasn’t nearly as talented as she was. I couldn’t help but wonder if that would’ve been different if Abigail had raised me. Would my artistry be leaps and bounds ahead of where it was now? Would we have spent afternoons walking through museums or bringing landscapes to life?

My heart ached at all the what–ifs. River’s hand came to the small of my back, that familiar warmth flooding me. I looked up at him and shook my head. “I need to feel it.”

He frowned and I couldn’t help but smile. I reached up and rubbed at the little lines between his brows. “Tell you what. Let me feel everything right now, and you can put me in a good feels coma on the way home.”

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Chapter 162