Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96

The knowledge made my chest ache. Every time I thought we’d had a breakthrough, the ground beneath us crumbled.

“Ro?” Anson’s voice was hesitant.

I let my eyes fall closed for a moment. I wanted to lash out, to push them all away. But that was my hurt talking, my fear, I couldn’t blame the rest of the guys for Vaughn’s actions. I couldn’t even blame Vaughn. He’d been through hell.

I swallowed against the burn in my throat. “What happens if Vaughn never wants to be a part of this bond?”

Knox moved to stand beside me. “He’s already a part of the bond. The only way that breaks is if one of you dies.”

My chest tightened. I didn’t want to hold Vaughn hostage, not when being with me would cause him this much pain. As much as it would’ve

killed me to let him go, I would’ve. “There’s no way to undo it?”

River stepped up next to Knox. “I’ve never heard of it happening before.”

Caspian shuffled in on my other side. “That’s not what he wants, Ro. I know he said it but-”

“I’m hurting him.” I turned to Caspian, fighting to keep my tears at bay. “He’s been through so much, and I’m only causing him more pain.”

Caspian blanched. “I don’t think that’s the case.”

“You didn’t see him just now. Being linked to me, fighting to stay away, constantly worrying about hurting me…it’s torturing him.”

Caspian ran a hand through his hair and looked out at the lake. “He hasn’t truly hurt anyone in years.”

“But that burden stays with him.”

“I know,” Caspian whispered. There was so much guilt in his voice. A weight of his own that he was battling with. “I goaded him that day. I was being an ass. I knew he was still struggling with control and I didn’t care.”

I moved closer to him, laying a hand on his arm. “You were a kid.”

[

His eyes met mine. “I was old enough to know better.” A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Do you know he wouldn’t touch me or anyone else for almost a year after that? A year of no human contact. That messes with someone.”

I’d felt so alone after Lacey died and my parents all but disappeared. There were months where I hadn’t gotten a hug, but I’d still had a casual touch here and there. A pat on my shoulder. The shake of my hand. Vaughn hadn’t had any of that. The tightening in my chest only intensified.

“I don’t know how to help him. Is it best if I simply stay away?”

“No.” It was Anson who spoke, his green eyes hardening to emeralds. “He’s so used to everyone letting him get away with this disappearing act. I think it’s time we push.”

Caspian whirled on Anson. “You have no idea what Vaughn went through. Losing our parents. Almost dying. Manifesting so early. It’s more than the scars on his body. It’s the scars on his fucking soul.”

Anson didn’t move as Caspian shoved at his chest. I held my breath, waiting for Anson’s infamous temper to explode, but it didn’t. “You’ve all been tiptoeing around him and making excuses for years. Every time you let him push you out, it makes those walls a little stronger.”

The burn in my throat was back. Anson knew what it was to push people away, except his walls weren’t made of scowls and biting comments. His had been constructed of cocky smiles and pretending to be someone he wasn’t.

Marked Me First!

84.8%

Chapter 96

I moved without thinking, stepping between him and Caspian, wrapping my arms around Anson’s waist. “You’re right.”

“It’s not a good idea.” Caspian argued. “When Vaughn gets like this, he needs his space.”

Anson’s face nuzzled my hair as he inhaled deeply. “I’m not saying we chase after him right now, but tomorrow, we find his ass and let him know he doesn’t get to pull the lone wolf thing anymore. With the council coming here, we need to stick together.”

Knox stepped forward, clapping Anson on the shoulder. “He’s right. We have to start thinking like a real bond. It’s not just our relationships with Senna that are important. We have to look out for each other too.”

My heart warmed at Knox’s support of Anson. The fact that they could come together on an issue gave me hope for our bond as a whole. I knew that hope was dangerous, that my heart could keep being shredded along the way, but I was going to keep trying anyway.

River moved into our little huddle. “Ridge describes their bond with Cassie as a brotherhood. It’s just as important that we all trust each other. We need time together and not just when we’re in crisis.”

I turned in Anson’s arms so that I was facing the group. We’d been through so much over the past month. And River was right, a large portion of it had been attacks of one kind or another. We needed time to simply be. To get to know one another on an everyday level.

♡ (1)