The Seduction of Jac Frost (by Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 127

Chapter 92

Wilder and Rafferty were sitting in the bookstore while Bar was puttering around. Jacqueline was curled up in the bed in the back storeroom sleeping off a full night of being in her bear form and being treated like an animal.

“Every muscle in my body hurts so I can only imagine what she is feeling,” Wilder flicked a worried glance to the back room.

“I’m surprised she didn’t bail back to her mother’s realm to get away from our damn bears,” Rafferty closed his eyes and stretched out on the sofa. “I’m exhausted and I only had to deal with me,” he shot a one–eyed glare at Bar before closing his eyes again, “for the most part.”

“I told you. He’s an alpha. He likes to be the most dominant beast in every situation. It’s part of why Bjorn’s bear hates Orson. Once we were out and Orson pissed all over everything Bjorn had marked and then he pissed on Bjorn’s beast too. Literally pissed all over him.” Bar grinned, “and that was before he killed my mate. You should have seen what he wanted to do to him when she died at his hands.”

“You need to stop saying that.” Wilder grumbled. “We know he needs to prove his remorse and be a better being but you constantly throwing it up in his face is not doing anyone anygood.”

“What do you know?” Bar grumbled, “you’ve not been in my shoes.”

“No. We haven’t and I pray we never have to be in that situation, but you forget something very important.”

“What?”

“We feel it.”

“What?”

“When Jacqueline is struggling over the feelings she had for Jacinta and her family, how do you feel?”

“Like I want to rip the world apart to fix it for her.”

“Uh–huh. What else do you feel?”

“What?”

“You feel her hurt, Bar. You feel the way her heart aches. It doesn’t matter how much she puts on whether she’s good or she’s not hurting, we feel the hurt. I can feel how much it aches in her soul that Winika has done what she’s done. I feel that longing in her when she sees her mother and the desperation she wants, no matter how much she shoves it down, tq loyed by the woman who carried her in her womb for ten months.”

“What is your point?”

“We,” Wilder waved between him and Rafferty, “feel how much you wish your brother weren’t a giant fuckwad. We feel all the regret in your heart for the way you behaved before you were mated and how much worse you behaved once you were mated. You shoved it in his face, Bar. You forget we see and hear your thoughts and your heart and your regret. There is one phrase which keeps coming back to me and it’s from deep in you.”

Rafferty didn’t even bother to open his eyes as he called out, mocking Bar’s voice, “you can have your crown, my mate is better than any crown. Where is your mate?”

Bar looked away, his jaw tight.

“We’re not saying he had any excuse to do the things he did. He didn’t,” Wilder continued. “He’s a fuckwad like no other fuckwad. I’m lucky because my brother, despite our disagreements, has been and always will be my best friend, and I have never been pushed into competition with him. I didn’t have parents who were pushing me to outshine him in one way or another. I sure as hell wasn’t born to be the backup to River. I don’t know what I would have been like if I’d grown up in the household you grew up in. Everything Bjorn has done deserves your anger and your ire.”

“But?” Bar ripped a box of books open with more force than necessary, and several volumes hit the floor.

“But my male,” Wilder said softly, “there is a very soft heart that beats in your chest and every single time you send a barb his way, the way you have since the time you were young, it poisons that soft heart. It hurts us when you hurt, Bar and we want to keep you from hurting but some of this hurt is self–inflicted.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

“You think I’m causing my own pain?”

“I think the way Jacqueline cast a spell on her own heart to keep her from suffering the pain of rejection, you go on the offensive, putting Bjorn on the defensive, because it’s easier than feeling second best to his ego and your father’s cruelty in pitting you together. The more you came out on top with your insults the more approval you got from your parents for being strong. You’ve become accustomed to beating him to the ground and you need to break that cycle.”

“Essentially,” Rafferty commented, “you’re letting the fucker live rent free in your head and there’s enough people and beasts in our head already. We don’t need you being wound up over him when you

have six mates to contend with.” He looked at Bar, and we need to have a very real conversation later al

how to shut the beasts in our head up. He doesn’t shut up and he fucking purrs. It’s worse than having Wilder in my thoughts.”

Bar nodded, “you’re right. He lives there rent free and it makes the anger in me simmer below the surface all the time. It’s not fair to you three that I’m angry like this.”

“It’s okay to be angry, Bar but don’t let him steal your happiness a second time.”

“How do I let it go?” he whispered.

“Well, funny you should ask,” Wilder looked to the door of the shop where a bell was ringing as it pushed open.

Bar shot Wilder and Rafferty annoyed glances. “When I said you two could be here while I worked in the shop this morning, I was expecting you would bring your laptops, use your phones, and talk to your PAs and we could all be working together. I didn’t think you’d stage an intervention while our mate was sleeping off the effects of her claiming and Orson is exhausted in the back of my mind so I can’t fight back.”

Wilder laughed, “it’s not an ambush. You promised to chat with Dana. We simply told Bjorn to come with. Also, we’re here to support you. We have your back and we’ll happily bury his skinny ass.”

Bjorn stepped into the lounging area of the bookstore impl96 overhear the last comment, “good luck with that.” His comment fell off his lips before he inhaled sharply, “what the hell?”

Bar gave a cocky smirk, “what’s the matter brother?”

“I smell strange bears. Three of them. Are you harboring shifters, Bar?”

“Nope,” he nodded at Dana, “morning Dana. I like your claiming mark. It suits you.”

“Thanks Bar. I like yours too!” Dana said happily missing the tension and the way Bjorn’s eyes swung to Bar’s neck.

• can experience what shifters experience in order to rule them appropriately.” Bar said trying to quell his smirk.

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