Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Knox’s fingers dug into my shoulders as we drove up the gravel road towards the lodge. His thumbs worked at the muscles that had turned to stone in the past few hours. “I think you might’ve overdone it on the weights this morning.”

I was going to be paying for it tomorrow, but I didn’t have much of a choice. “I’ll sit in the hot tub after I work on my gift this afternoon.”

Mason had told us he would be putting in some calls to people who had energy benders in their family lines, hoping they might have some information to help us. I thought about the other members of the Quad, how much information they likely had on the subject, then immediately shut the idea down. They had continued to refuse to believe Kaleb was behind the attack on me, even though he’d apparently gone into hiding.

Anson came to a stop in front of the lodge, and we piled out of the vehicle as the front door opened and Mason appeared. “We need to talk.”

My stomach dropped at the lines of tension bracketing his mouth. The guys moved in around me as Vaughn appeared in the doorway. His face was a blank mask, but I could see the hints of concern in those ice–blue eyes.

No one said a word as we filed into the lodge. It was quiet. Too quiet. Especially for the hours after school. Kids were usually coming through to get an after–school snack and holed up at tables to study. The only other person present in the space now was our head enforcer, Mac. He dipped his chin in greeting, but there was no warmth in his gaze.

I wanted to move to Vaughn, to wrap my arms around him, but the edge in his demeanor told me that contact wouldn’t be welcomed. The knowledge twisted something inside me, and my wolf made a keening noise in my head. She didn’t understand our mate’s need to hold himself back from us.

I did my best to soothe her as I sat on the sectional. River must’ve sensed my unease because he took my hand, letting a trickle of that warm, calming energy flow into me. I leaned into him in thanks.

Knox took my other side, Anson and Caspian flanking us. Vaughn stayed standing, moving behind the couch. It was his perpetual position, as if he needed to be ready for an attack at all times.

I looked up, meeting Mason’s gaze. “What happened?”

“There was an attack on a smaller pack last night. North of here, just over the Canadian border. Two gifted females were taken and most of the pack slaughtered.”

My stomach twisted and cramped. “Kaleb?”

A muscle along Mason’s jaw ticked. “The attack was done by rogues.”

The word triggered a series of memories in my mind. Tidbits of information that the guys had shared about the attack on their own pack nine years ago. I swallowed, trying to clear the dryness in my throat. “Are attacks by rogues common?”

“No,” Vaughn growled behind me.

Mason scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Sengues are often hired for less than savory jobs. Things that could get you brought before the Quad. They exist on the fringes of our society and they like it that way. But it’s rare for a large group to be organized in this way.”

“Was it a large group that attacked Ridgewood?”

The group was silent. I glanced at Caspian. There was so much pain in his gaze, it clawed at my heart. No, I could feel it. The hurt, the loss, the grief. I could feel Vaughn’s rage pulsing off him in waves. And Knox? There was so much guilt swirling around in him, I could drown in it.

I grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He stared at the floor. “I should’ve protected her.”

His Alnha Brother Marked Me First!

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Chapter 169

“You were nine years old.”

I could picture little Knox losing himself in grief and guilt for the mother he’d loved so much.

“She’s right,” Mason said, voice hoarse. “I shouldn’t have taken so many wolves with me to the conference. I left us unprepared-”

“It’s none of your faults,” I said, cutting him off. “The only people responsible are the ones who were involved in the attack. Did you ever find any of them?”

Mason’s jaw locked so hard, it looked as if it would crack.

It was Mac who spoke. “We tracked down two of the attackers. They never broke. Never said why they’d come. Never told us who had hired

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