SWNOVELS Chapter 15 ~ Manberries!
Maddox’s POV ~
I turned from watching Delilah leave.. Steele was howling in my head and my heart felt heavy in my chest.. And, not for the first time.. I wondered if I was feeling this way because she is my mate.
I looked up at Laney.. then Venom. He laid his heavy hand on my shoulder “Get your house in order, little brother.. There’s something going on there.. and he needs to fix it.”
I nodded.. kissing Laney.. I told him “I know. I will get to the bottom of it. I can’t fix it.. until I know what’s broken.” Delaney scoffed “Right now? Right now, it’s Delilah who is broken.. I don’t know what was said.. or what was done. Honestly, the only fucking reason I want to know at all.. is because I want to know what would drive a boy I have known for a long time.. a boy I watched grow..to snuff the light out of our girl’s eyes.”
As they left, I looked at Brock and Derek.. “My office.. Now! Hunter! Make sure I am not disturbed!” I stormed off through the foyer.. taking the stairs three at a time.. reaching my door.. in no time. I slammed myself in my chair.. and the brothers walked in.
Derek sat down.. while Brock went to stand by the windows. I said “Somebody better start saying something that will make this acceptable!”
Brock snarls “It doesn’t matter what I say.. I’m sure she’s already told you all about it.. Your mind is made up.. so what difference does it make?”
I growled “She told me that she was leaving because you hate her. That you are my fourth.. and apparently, I need you! She told me she refused to be the cause of any discord between us. THAT’S what she told me! And! Do not fucking disrespect me Brock!”
He sneers “Oh what are you going to do? Everyone knows a turned wolf isn’t as strong as a natural born wolf!”
I stood to my full height “Is that a challenge, Digger? You want the presidency? Is that what this shit attitude is about?”
Brock sat down on the sofa.. he put his fists in his hair and pulled “Agghh! FUCK! No! I didn’t mean that. I don’t want that! I am really sorry, dude. Couple years ago.. I liked Delilah.. I liked her a lot. I asked her out.. like a dozen times. Even though I knew she wouldn’t date.. Anyone. Ever. She was waiting on her mate.. for everything.
The first time she caught me getting a blowjob was in the janitor’s closet at school.. She opened the door with a mop and bucket in her hand.. Saw what was happening.. set the bucket down and stood the mop in it.. Told me.. put those away when you’re done..
I knew then I fucked up.. she would never go out with me now. I tried talking to her.. I told her I wouldn’t do it anymore.. and I would save the next one for my mate.. and everything was fine for awhile. Until her seventeenth birthday party.. That was the second time she caught me getting a blowjob.. In the pantry.. in the kitchen.. by her stepsister.”
I whispered “Goddess, Brock! Her stepsister? Of all people!?” He nodded and said “I know. I know.. But I was drunk.. and that wasn’t the worst part.. Emily called her a prude.. said what mate would want someone like her.. he was going to cheat on her because she wouldn’t be able to please him.. that he would probably reject her..
And I didn’t say one single word in defense of Delilah.. the girl I actually liked! Delilah looked at me.. with tears in her eyes.. then looked back at Emily.. told her ‘I know, Em. I’ve heard it from you and your mother my whole life. It’s all good.’ And she left us in the pantry.. where I let Emily finish me off.”
Derek said “That only proves you are a whore. Delilah isn’t the kind of person that would judge you by her own opinions and beliefs. She’s more of a live and let live kind of person. And I know she doesn’t hate you.. She’s not capable of hating anyone.”
Brock looked at me.. and a solitary tear trekked down his cheek “I don’t know why she didn’t tell you what I did.. She should have.. I would have! The night of your welcome home party.. I was drunk.. really.. stupid drunk.. I saw her enter the kitchen.. so I followed her.. I grabbed her arm and yanked her into the pantry.. I pinned her against the wall and tried to kiss her. She fought me.. twisting and turning her head and body. I slammed my body weight into hers and yanked her hair back. And I kissed her..
I laughed and told her I had something now her mate would never get.. her first kiss.. She started crying and said ‘You took nothing from him. You took it from me.. just remember.. I never gave it willingly.. to top it off.. you do it here.. in the very spot my stepsister sucked you off.. and ran me into the dirt.. while you said nothing.’ Her coldness made me angry.. and I snapped “Don’t be such a prude! It’s not like I popped your cherry!” And she left me standing there.. sober as a judge.. Hating what I did. Hating what I said.. Hating myself. Hating her for being right.”
I looked at him and asked “Why? Why would you do something like that, Brock?” He shook his head “I don’t have a reason. I liked her.. so much. I wanted her to like me.. I thought if I could just prove to her, kissing and stuff is pleasurable.. she would like it, too. It’s not cheating if you haven’t met your mate yet. That’s just silly.”
Derek said “For some of us, it is.. Brock. And you knew it was cheating.. for her. We both did. You have a shitload of apologizing to do.”
He groaned “I have apologized a million times. About what I did.. what I said.. I called her the same thing Emily called her that night.. and I keep hearing Delilah’s voice in my head saying she’s heard it her whole life.”
I said “Give it a few days to settle.. then try apologizing again..” He was already shaking his head “She caught me getting a blowjob. In her restaurant.. in her cooler.. by one of her servers.”
I roared “Good Goddess, Man! What the fuck were you thinking? What will you do if she turns out to be your mate?” His eyes got huge and he hung his head.
I don’t even know what to say.. or how to make the situation better. Obviously, Brock is a dick thinker and not a brain thinker. He never realizes the consequences of his actions.. and never remembers the consequences when another opportunity arises. Fucking dick thinker!
I said “There are four women in Boise in need of a protection detail.. The job starts Thursday.. and goes through Tuesday. They are testifying against the father’s best friend.. whom they witnessed killing their parents.. You and your team are to head out today.. two hours.. actually. While you’re gone.. I want you to think about how you plan on apologizing to Delilah.. because absolutely none of this is her fault. Every bit of it is on you. You should be ashamed of yourself.. And you had better start maturing.. and quickly.. or you will be replaced.. “
He nodded.. and left to pack. Hunter and Valerie joined Derek and I.. I told them everything Brock had done.. and by the end, Valerie was in tears for her friend. Hunter was pissed.. and Derek was still shell shocked.
Delaney called.. wanting to know if I had found out anything.. because all Delilah will say is Brock is not the same Brock she met when she first came here.
Not wanting to repeat the whole thing again.. I gave her a brief synopsis of what he had admitted to.. knowing the roof of their clubhouse was about to blow off.. even with the miniaturized version of events.
I told her to let Delilah know I was sending Brock on a run for a week.. so we can go over the items found in Elizabeth’s house and interrogate them.. when she’s ready. And Delaney said they may bring Elizabeth and Emily to their compound for interrogation.. and the meeting could be held there.. since it’s Gizmo’s home base.
I asked why we should do that.. when everything is already here.. set up and ready. She told me Delilah only trusts me and Valerie.. that she thought Brock was her friend.. but he wasn’t.. what if everyone else was like Brock?
My chest was hurting.. so bad, I could barely catch a breath. I was losing her before even knowing if she was mine. Brock walked in and started to say something and I held up my hand “Don’t. Just do not!” He turned to Valerie and handed her an envelope “Will you please make sure Delilah gets this? I don’t know if she will even read it.. but I know I have to try.”
Valerie said “I hope you find your manberries on the road to Boise!”