Tasting

441–It’s Raining Babies

Ryker:

We started searching but tried to make it appear more natural. Since the head maid had left, the other maids had retreated to their chambers as well, leaving only the warriors sticking to the outside. We had the entire mansion to ourselves, except for the maid’s quarters.

“Every single door is locked,” Nash groaned, joining me after we scoured the entire first floor. “Silas said only the unlocked doors are occupied.”

“Where is Cain?” I asked Nash, who rolled his eyes at the mention of Cain.

“Hey, what is going on between the two of you?” I halted in my tracks and nudged his elbow to make him turn around and answer me.

“He—he is overreacting. He keeps talking about Nora as if she belongs to him.” Nash placed his hands on his hips, struggling to articulate why he was so agitated. But I understood.

“And why would that bother you? She is not our stepsister anymore.” I knew precisely why, but I wanted him to initiate the conversation with me. I thought it was time one of us actually brought it up. We couldn’t keep hiding the truth. Now that Nora was no longer our stepsister and we were free from our curses for a while, it was the perfect time to address the mate bond issue.

“Well, I’m not comfortable,” Nash groaned. “And I hate it when Cain acts like he deserves her more.”

The way he shot glances at me made it clear he wanted me to know he was interested in her.

“You want her too?” The moment I asked, I watched him raise his brow. I had never seen us brothers compete for someone’s attention. It was going to get messy.

“It’s just that Cain is making me see him in a different light,” Nash uttered as he walked past me. That was a warning.

I wondered how he would react when he found out that I wanted her too.

Months Ago:

“What the heck were you thinking?” My dad yelled, tears streaming down his face as they placed me in a cage, shirtless and only in pants. My gaze was fixed on the ground, but I didn’t regret any of my actions. Given the chance, I would do it again and again.

Only for Nora.

“It’s okay. I’ve called Cain and Nash; they will arrive at the prison house, and we will get Ryker out of here safe and sound.” Silas patted my dad’s back to calm him down.

Soon, the car started moving, and I was being transported to the prison in chains, with a heavy dose of wolfbane in my system.

I wanted to ask my wolf if he was okay, but I knew he was. Anything that would result in saving Nora would be reason enough for him to sacrifice his own life and safety.

I had never considered doing that before. For years, my brothers and I had kept secrets from the pack and the council.

Once we arrived at the prison, the warriors handed me a shirt to wear and cover my body, which I accepted. As I sat in the waiting room, my father arrived again.

“Ryker, I admire you for trying to save Nora, but you almost got yourself killed today. If they thought you were a threat, they might have opened fire on you,” Dad paced from one corner of the room to the other while I kept my eyes fixed on the wall ahead.

“I want to mark Nora,” my lips uttered, stopping my father dead in his tracks.

“Huh? What did you just say?” My father turned to me, dread visible in his eyes.

“I love Nora. I’m going to accept her whether you like it or not. I don’t care.” I wished I could accept her right away, but I had to leave and hide for a while.

“Then know this—she will be dead before she gets to live happily ever after with you.”

My father’s words sounded like a threat, or perhaps a warning.

Recent Times:

My dad knew about my feelings for Nora, but he had ignored the topic as if I had never said those words to him.

“Second floor.” I watched Nash point towards the floor above, and after giving him a nod, I rushed upstairs.

“All the rooms are locked,” Cain was already standing in the hallway, looking defeated.

“Every single room?” Nash inquired, and Cain nodded.

“There should have been at least three unlocked rooms: one for each– Nora, Brody, and Janet. Does that mean they lock every room when nobody is inside?” I tried to make sense of it, but it became too obvious when we stared at the guards outside one room.

“Why are there so many guards outside that one room?” Nash asked.

“Hmm, something is fishy. Maybe that’s the room,” I recalled Silas telling us about the guards.

“Do one thing: you guys distract the guards while I sneak in through the window,” I said, patting Cain and Nash on the shoulder as I headed toward the staircase.

It wouldn’t be difficult for me; it was kind of my specialty. So when my brothers started chatting with the guards, who were eager to converse with the alpha kings, I sneaked around to the back of the mansion and began climbing the wall to the window.

They had left the window open just a crack, giving me a hint that someone was indeed inside.

“Ahh! This one is crying so much,” I heard a girl complain. I jumped onto the balcony and peered inside at something I hadn’t been told about.

It wasn’t just one baby; there were three nannies rocking three infants.