Filed to story: Claimed by My Ex’s Alpha Brother
“How about Lina and I cook tonight?” I piped up. “Looks like you folks could do with sleep rather than food?” I offered.
Betty’s face lit up with enthusiasm as she clapped her little hands. “It’s biscotti night!” she exclaimed with all the delight a feverish child could muster.
“I don’t think spaghetti is a good idea tonight,” Lina said, glancing at Betty. “How about you see if you can manage some toast instead?”
“Toast is good,” Betty nodded, snuggling closer to me. The warmth radiating from her little body set off that protective surge through me. I wanted to be here for Betty. I wanted tonight to be a step toward making amends with Lina. I regretted not being there for her when it mattered in the past, but if I could be here now, it would prove I was trying to do better.
“That’s really kind of you, Stephen,” Emily remarked, glancing between me and Lina, but there was a moment where I caught them both looking too quickly away. That sense of uncertainty thickened in the air and prickled along the back of my neck.
“Actually, any chance I could crash over tonight?” I asked, determination spreading through me. “I could do with Lina’s help on that file I came for. We could get some work done once the little ballerina’s in bed.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Emily hesitated, adding awkwardly. “I don’t want you catching whatever Betty has.”
I frowned. If Betty’s fever was something I was likely to catch, sitting beside her all afternoon would have infected me, anyway. Besides, it was your typical shifter fever that young pups tended to come down with-the kind my mom had nursed me through when I was about four or five years old.
That feeling of suspicion wound through me again as the sense that something wasn’t quite right returned. I could see it in the way Emily exchanged a quick look with Lina, both of them conveying more than words could express.
Lina shifted slightly, glancing at Emily before turning her attention back to me. “Sorry, Em, we don’t want to impose on you and Matt. It wouldn’t be fair to you to have to make up another room anyway.”
“I’ll make the bed!” I said, a mixture of hope and urgency in my voice. “I want to help out, and Betty might like having me around.”
Betty, nestled comfortably between Lina and I, perking up at the mention of me staying. “Please, Auntie Lina! I want Uncle Stephen to stay!” Her little face beamed with excitement.
The warmth in her blue eyes ignited that protective surge within me once again, and my chest filled with emotion as I heard that she wanted me around, even if it was only for tonight.
“Okay then, sweetheart,” Lina said, her voice soft but laced with worry as she glanced back at me. I could see the internal battle she was having from the clouded look of her gaze, but I couldn’t help pressing my point.
I’d driven here to follow orders, but now I was here for different reasons-the need to bridge the distance between Lina and me was all-consuming. My instincts were telling me to be here for little Betty, too. I hadn’t listened to the mate bond that was thrumming in my chest in the past, and I was intent on damn well not making the same mistake.
Once Emily and Matthew had retired upstairs, Lina put cartoons on for Betty, filling the spacious living room with laughter and chattering voices. The open-plan kitchen felt warm and inviting, accented by the soft light spilling from elegant fixtures that hung low over the dining area. At the polished granite island, I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and prepped a simple marinara sauce, the sweet scent of tomato, garlic, and herbs filling the space.
As I slid into my seat, Betty chirped, “Why you cut my toast like that?”
“It’s how my mom used to make them for me,” I said, nostalgia coloring my voice. “They’re called soldiers.” I mimed them marching on her plate and was rewarded with her giggles, filling the space with lightness.
I caught Lina watching me with a gentle smile that sent warmth cascading through me. The air around us swelled with anticipation. Was it wrong to want more? To wish she would tell me her secrets and share her dreams and regrets? My heart beat with urgency, willing time to march on so that I might be granted the privacy with her I craved.
“What is it, sweetie?” Lina asked, and for a foolish moment, I thought she was talking to me.
Betty squinted up at her, a frown creasing her brow. “You’re not eating it like Daddy does! Eat it the silly way!”
“You mean like this?” I exclaimed, slurping up my spaghetti. I was rewarded with peals of laughter from Betty, lightening the tension in the room.
After dinner, the evening was filled with light-hearted chatter and stories. Then Betty finally succumbed to sleep. Lina carried her up the stairs, and I was left alone with churning thoughts. I felt a stillness sweep through the house, and yet urgency coursed through my veins. I needed to confront Lina about everything lingering between us-the regrets of the past, the longing of the present, the future I couldn’t envision without her.
Feeling restless, I picked up the books that I’d read to Betty over the day, carrying them to the bookcase. I slid them neatly into place until a stubborn volume refused to budge. I tried to pull it out, but it angled strangely as I tugged. Then, the entire bookcase slid right, revealing a hidden corridor behind.
My heart raced as the corridor illuminated automatic lighting, and a pulse of adrenaline shot through me.
What the hell was a hidden room doing in Emily and Matt’s villa?
Automatic lighting lit up the corridor, and the suspicion that had been growing in my gut made me track down the corridor.
As I stepped down the corridor, the shadows seemed to beckon me, leading me into an office illuminated by soft white lighting. Two modest desks, one with a laptop and one without, sat alongside a more elaborate setup with six screens lining the back wall, each displaying streams of code that danced across the screen.
Emily had said she was a software developer, but this was an elaborate setup for your average engineer.
The laptop on the desk at the back was open, running a program. I strode to it, looking down at the screen. Curiosity and suspicion made my fingers itch, and in a moment, I was clicking through files.
Distrust flared through me as I discovered the files were encrypted. Your average developer didn’t encrypt their files. My disbelief thickened the more I investigated, clicking through the files, unsure exactly what I was looking for, but as I clicked into one of them, familiar names flashed before me.
Indent, Boden Ltd-companies I knew had plunged Blackthorn Corporation into turmoil. These were the culprits behind the sabotage and poaching that had plagued Magnus’s company.
Each click tore apart the carefully curated image I had of the simple family I’d spent time with earlier. I cycled through more names, and shock surged through me; names of companies I knew had flooded Blackthorn Corporation with troubles and sabotage over the years. Each revelation made the blood pound in my ears with disbelief.
The network of carefully hidden companies led back to Luna Remedies, registered under the name Betty White. As far as I knew, neither Emily nor Matthew had motivation to provoke this mess. Clarity morphed into a chilling realization: Lina was behind this vast business network.
I leaned against the desk, grappling with the reality of everything I had once thought I understood. How deeply had she become entrenched in the shadowy dealings of our world? The woman I loved wasn’t a mere bystander; she wielded power as a player in this dangerous game of deception, her efforts quietly undermining Magnus from the shadows.
Awe mingled with my protective instincts, simmering just below the surface. I needed to confront her. I needed her to explain everything.
Lina
Adrenaline spiked through my veins. The bookcase door to our secret office was wide open. I hurried down the corridor, fervently hoping I wasn’t too late. Maybe Stephen hadn’t discovered anything substantial. Maybe he’d simply come across locked computers.
Emily was quirky. She and Matt had more money than sense. There was nothing incriminating about a hidden office. Emily had just watched too many superhero movies and was eccentric.
My heart plummeted as I rounded the corner to see the six screens displaying text: doorways into my hidden world.
Stephen turned at the sound of my footsteps, and my two worlds collided.
I froze, feeling the weight of the truth throbbing between us. His expression went rigid. “Lina.” His voice was tight. “So, this is what you’ve been hiding.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?