Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 4

Ryder’s whole face twisted–like he’d been caught doing something mortifying. For a split second, he actually buried his face in the pillow, like maybe if he hid hard enough, reality would take a hint and leave him alone.

Wait. Is he… embarrassed?

His ears went full–blown crimson. I’m talking fire–engine red.

Knox and Carter looked like they might actually cry tears of joy, voices tumbling over each other:

“I knew bringing Miss Wolfhart would work!”

“Miss Wolfhart, seriously–ignore every word that comes out of his mouth from here on out. Alpha Ryder’s the king of saying the exact opposite of what he means–his lips scream ‘stay away,‘ but trust us, everything else about him is screaming for you!”

“Just look at those ears! And listen to his voice–man sounds like he’s about to explode! He’s just scared you’ll feel pressured. Especially since he thinks your heart still belongs to Mr. Grayson!”

Ryder lifted his head just enough to shoot them both a look that could’ve frozen lava solid.

“Shut. Up.”

They didn’t even flinch. Because saving his life mattered way more than his ego.

My heart was slamming against my ribs so hard I thought I might pass out. My hands shook as I reached out and gently turned his face toward

1. me.

I can do this. I want to do this.

Cradling the back of his head, I leaned in and kissed him.

I didn’t care how hard he tried to push me away. He’d saved my life twice. He’d suffered through months of torture alone, watching over me like

some silent guardian.

I wasn’t about to stand here and let him bleed out because of some misplaced sense of honor.

Not happening.

The second our lips met, Ryder’s entire body locked up–then shuddered violently, like lightning had just struck him. His breath caught. His fingers twitched against the sheets.

But even drowning in sensation, he still clung to that last thread of control like it was a lifeline:

“Freya.” His voice came out rough, barely holding together. “Are you even listening to me?”

“I don’t need you doing this because you feel bad.”

“What do you think I am? Some charity case begging for scraps?”

Tears pricked my eyes, hot and sharp.

“Ryder,” I whispered, voice cracking. “I’m not doing this because I pity you.”

11:41

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

Chapter 4

I grabbed his hand–the one trying so hard to keep space between us–and pressed it flat against my chest, right over my pounding heart.

“Feel that? That’s not obligation. That’s not guilt.”

His pupils blew wide–like I’d just set him on fire. He tried to yank his hand back immediately, like touching me like this crossed some invisible line he’d drawn for himself years ago.

But I held on tight. Refused to let him run.

“Ryder, please. Just feel my heartbeat,” I said, voice trembling but steady. “I’m not forcing myself. I swear. This is what I want.”

“So please… stop carrying this guilt. Stop punishing yourself for something that was never your fault.”

His throat worked frantically, bobbing up and down as he fought for control. His jaw clenched so tight I heard his teeth grind.

“You’re lying,” he said hoarsely, but there was less fight in his voice now. “I know your heart only has room for Grayson.”

“When Knox called you earlier… I heard you. You said Grayson needed you more tonight.”

Pain stabbed through my chest.

“Ryder, that was before-”

“Before you found out I saved you?” His laugh was bitter, self–loathing. “So this is just gratitude.”

“No.” My voice came out fiercer than I meant. “That’s not what I meant.”

I sucked in a shaky breath and forced myself to meet his burning red gaze head–on.

“Yeah, I was gonna go to Grayson tonight. Because I thought he actually cared. Because I was dumb enough to believe he saw me as more than… than some thing he could use and throw away.”

Ryder’s expression shifted–surprise flickering across his face.

“But then I heard him,” I continued, voice breaking. “I heard him call me a dog. Heard him tell his friends I was nothing. That I was desperate

and pathetic and-”

My throat closed up. Couldn’t finish.

Ryder’s eyes darkened with fury–not at me, but for me.

“And then Knox told me the truth,” I whispered. “About the blood ritual. About Frostclaw Peak. About the fire.”

“You’ve saved my life twice, Ryder. You’ve endured months of hell alone because you didn’t want me to feel trapped.”

“So no. This isn’t gratitude. This is me choosing you. Because you’re the one who’s been there all along. Because you’re the one who actually sees.

me.”

“Because when I look at you, I don’t feel like I’m nothing anymore.”

For a long moment, Ryder just stared at me–chest heaving, eyes searching mine like he was hunting for the lie.

But there wasn’t one.

And when he finally realized that–when he finally believed me–something inside him shattered.

He surged forward, hand tangling in my hair as he kissed me back with a desperation that stole every breath from my lungs. It wasn’t gentle. It

11:41.

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

30%

Chapter 4

wasn’t careful.

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