The Wrong Brother's Temptation novel Chapter 199

Sienna

That made me look at him with knitted brows.

“What about him?”

“I wanted to check if you’re okay,” he whispered urgently. “Because I don’t think it’s safe for you to be near

him.”

“Safe?” I repeated, something in my chest going tight.

He hesitated, and his expression shifted into concern that always used to make my stomach flip when we were younger. Back then I would have given almost anything for him to look at me exactly like this.

“I wanted to talk about this morning”

“Oh if you mean the breakfast I’m fine”

“That too but more importantly the fact that…” he took a pause as if he was searching for the right word

“That?” I probed him.

“That I…I walked in on him…and you by the wall”

Oh shit, why was he talking about that?

“And then there are marks on your neck as well…” his eyes flicked briefly to my collar.

Heat flooded my face and I pulled the collar of my sweater up on instinct, covering what little was still visible.

“I…the marks look….” He trailed off again. “Maybe you need to see the doctor or something”

“I’m fine, really”

“No you are not.” Aaron shook his head.

“The way he treats you is barbaric. I expected him to be careful with you.”

“Relax Aaron. Its nothing like you think”

That did nothing to appease him.

“I’m worried about you,” Aaron continued, before I could say more.

“I’ve heard things about how he is with women, Sienna. He’s never exactly been known for being gentle with anyone. And you….I’ve known you all my life. You are sweet and nice”

I folded my hands on my chest.

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The Wrong Brother’s Temptation

“So you mean I am not supposed to explore things because I’m nice”

“No! I don’t mean that” He raked a hand through his messy hair and I recalled how I used to have the urge to run my fingers through them.

“I just…you are suffering because of him. He is parading you like his trophy girlfriend in front of everyone by making you dance to his tunes.”

He gestured vaguely to my dress. Hadn’t he complimented me for my look at the breakfast?

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, sharper than I meant to.

“Don’t I?” Aaron’s eyebrows lifted.

“I grew up in this house too, Sienna. I know exactly what he’s like when he wants something and decides not to ask nicely for it. Connor only knows to snatch what he wants. He breaks and hurts. You have experienced it yourself in childhood”

“That’s not…”

I stopped myself, somehow realizing his words were making me irritated, not because he was stating the I didn’t want to hear, but because, it was Aaron, the guy I’d loved all my life saying it, and yet, somehow wanted to disagree with him of all people for his half brother I hated to the core back then.

“You know I’m right Sienna, that’s why you are running out of words fast to defend him.”

I looked up at Aaron whose attention I’d wanted for years, who was finally standing in front of me lone genuinely worried, protective, and exactly the way I used to imagine he might look at me if he ever noticed.

I wanted him to be jealous of me dating Connor. Never had I imagined I would want to defend Connor when Aaron finally acted on that concern slash jealousy.

But truth be told, Connor truly had been a very different person from his childhood persona, a complete 180 degree change that made me wonder at times if I really knew him.

And now I wanted to tell Aaron that Connor had been gentle and careful in every single way that actually mattered.

Why did I want to defend him?

I blamed the meds, my wolf and my pack’s need to find a suitable alliance and a match that thrust me in this fake dating scenario in the first place.

I told myself it was some chemical malfunction rather than anything real, because the alternative felt like it demanded more honesty than I currently had access to.

“I’m fine,” I said instead. “Really, Aaron.”

“I’m worried for my best friend,” Aaron replied gently, like the words themselves were a gift he was giving me.

“You know what he was like to you growing up. I just don’t want to watch him hurt you again, in a different

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The Wrong Brother’s Temptation

way this time.”

“He’s changed,” The words tumbled out of my mouth.

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“Do you think so?”

I nodded.

:

“I really want to believe it for your sake but the friend in me can’t” He sighed, his shoulders sagging a little.

“Have you noticed he still gets that look on his face,” Aaron left out a humorless chuckle, “right before he says something cruel? I remember it from when we were kids. You’d think that would have gone away by now”

“He hasn’t said anything cruel to me.”

That wasn’t a total lie but it was not a complete truth either. I could live with that.

“Give it time,” Aaron suggested, and there was a touch of fondness in the way he said it, like he was gently correcting a child who hadn’t learned their lesson yet.

“I noticed you watching him at breakfast, by the way and the way you looked at him.” His voice stayed soft ac careful, laced through with concern but was it some other emotion as well hidden beneath?

“What look?”

He continued as if I had never spoken.

“And the servants have been talking about how you didn’t leave his side all night at the hospital.”

There was a small, almost wistful smile on his face.

“You always did see the good in people, even when they didn’t deserve it. That’s one thing I absolutely adore about you.”

I blinked.

“Even as kids you were always helpful and sincere in your efforts. Yet he targeted you for being weak and gullible, calling you names. I’ve lost count of the times you cried because of him and now you…”

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