Chapter 69 Are you fucking her?
BRYNNE
I pace in my room, ignoring the judgmental eyes of my siblings. Sienna stands by the door, her hands on her hips. Tristan has always been a quiet guy, but his disapproval is loud. Kade sits at my desk, drumming his fingers on his thighs.
“Brynne,” Sienna says, finally breaking the quiet. “I don’t… I don’t understand. Why did you do it?”
My feet crash to a stop, and I run my fingers through my hair. I’d be lying if I said I knew. So, I offer her the truth.
“It was an accident. I didn’t know it would work.”
The books always talk about emotions triggering the flames. But I hadn’t known that would work until she picked up Tristan’s fork, their faces too close to each other. Something inside me snapped right then. She danced with him to spite me. I shouldn’t have cared, but I want her attention on me alone. I own it, not Tristan.
“Well, it did,” Tristan spits.
A muscle twitches in my jaw. I try to ignore him, but he shoots to his feet, his chest heaving. Sienna looks at both of us, gives me one hard, disapproving glare, and storms out of my room. The door slams shut behind her, and I swallow back my protest.
My sister is pissed for more than one reason, but we’ll sort that out later. Right now, I need Soma to wake up before Lilith arrives for the mate bond ritual. Otherwise, I’ll be in trouble.
Tristan starts toward the door, chest still rising. As he reaches for the handle, my fingers clench.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I demand.
Without looking at me, he spits, “To check on her.”
His tone reeks of condescension, like the answer is obvious, but I’m deliberately being silly. But he’s the dumb one. Soma’s maid is with her, and she’s under strict instructions to call me if there’s an update.
Tristan doesn’t need to be in her suite with her. But if I come on too strong, my siblings will misinterpret my intentions. Yet, I can’t help closing the distance between us and resting my shoulder against the door.
“What’s your deal?” I ask.
Tristan sneers and tries the handle. When he realizes he can’t leave unless I move, he says, “Step back.”
“What’s your deal, Tristan?” I ask too calmly.
“Deal?” he growls.
Fire burns in my younger brother’s eyes as he steps forward, leaving only a hairsbreadth between us. Kade straightens up on the bed. His eyes flicker with concern, and he crosses his arms over his chest.
“I have none,” Tristan snaps. “Soma is my friend, and I’m the only Rybak she seems to like in this house. So, kindly fuck out of my way so I can go check on her.”
Of everything he says, only one line sticks. I’m the only Rybak she seems to like in this house. Whatever silly little crush they have on each other ends now.
“No,” I mutter.
The word leaves my mouth in a tone that gives no room for argument. He tilts his head, eyes narrowing as they assess me, and I meet his gaze head-on. The corners of his lips twitch, both of us too stubborn and prideful to step down. Soma belongs to me. Only me.
“She’s fine,” I continue. “The doctor is attending to her. They don’t need anyone messing around her.”
His voice drops. “Brynne.”
“Don’t think I don’t know you caused that mishap with Helga,” I say, voice sharper with every word.
An emotion flickers in his eyes, but it fades as fast as it comes. He used his ability to tip Helga’s tray, causing her meal to spill over Soma. I don’t know what plans he has, but he’s not leaving this room.
His jaw ticks. “If you’ll disrespect our future Luna by bringing your side piece where she eats, then don’t blame me for taking matters into my hands.”
“Oh, now she’s our Luna?”
“Yeah. Sienna read her aura. She’s a good person. Good for us. Whatever this is…” he trails off, his hands gesturing wildly. I scoff, my temper flaring. “This twisted thing you’re doing? It needs to stop.”
There’s no us. Only Brynne and Soma.
“It was an accident,” I remind him.
“Brynne, you set her hair on fire.”
My fists curl at my sides. I fight to control my breathing, but my pulse spikes. “It. Was. An. Accident.”
“Oh, please. Sienna might believe that shit, but not me,” he snarls. “I saw your face. You were upset.”
Those words hit harder than they should. His voice echoes in my skull, and I stumble backward. I study his face, shaking my head at the thought that slowly forms. In the last few days, he’s been in Soma’s suite too many times to count. Even Sienna has noticed.
This… isn’t righteous fury. It’s something deeper. More intimate and a bit too protective for friendship.
“Are you fucking her?” I grit out.
Anger flashes in his eyes. For a breathless moment, the room holds still, and the air crackles with tension.
The next second, he shrugs. “So what if I am?”
My fist flies before I think, cracking against his jaw with a sickening thud.
“What the fuck, Brynne?” Kade shouts, lunging forward.
But Tristan laughs, blood trickling down his nostrils. The sound is infuriating and taunting as he wrenches the door open. His shoulder slams into mine, and the door closes behind him with a maddening softness.
Chest heaving, I whirl on Kade. “He’s fucking our Luna.”
Kade throws up his hands. “And you’re not exactly keeping yourself celibate for her either. If Tristan is where she finds comfort, then hurray! Good for her.”
“Whose side are you even on?” I snap. He hesitates, his jaw clenched like he wants to say something else, but I don’t let him. “Get the fuck out of my room.”
The air between us tightens, heavy with everything unsaid. Kade’s eyes gleam with disappointment, but he turns and leaves without another word.
When the door finally clicks shut behind him, I lose it. I kick the frame, and pain shoots up my leg. Grunting, I stagger back, rage pulsing through me.
What kind of brothers do I have? Kade doesn’t even like Soma, yet he’s speaking up for her.
I stumble to the bed and drop onto it, dragging both hands down my face. The ceiling blurs as my mind replays everything: her laugh during the dance with Tristan, the quiet ease with which they shared meals, and the moment her body crumpled to the floor.
Why did I let that happen? Oh, I knew why.
I was furious. Just for a second, I imagined her hair catching fire, anything that would take Tristan away from her. But I didn’t know it would actually happen.
Minutes pass. I poke through the mindlink, trying to get updates from my siblings, but they shut me out.
Bunch of idiots.
A few more minutes pass, maybe hours, but the connection stays closed. I grab my phone from the bedside console and drop a message to all of them.
They ignore it.
Irritation shoots through me. They’re lucky I’m not the king yet, or I would have commanded them to answer. Right now, I have no other option. So, I head to Soma’s suite and surprise myself by knocking first.
The door opens to reveal her maid. Her eyes widen, and her knees dip in a curtsy. “Your Highness.”
“Are they in there?” I ask, trying not to stare above her head. She frowns. “My brothers. Even my sister.”
“No.”
Interesting. I glance down the hallway, suspecting my foolish siblings to be paying attention to this conversation. Without a word to the girl, I step into the living area and charge straight for Soma’s room.