Alle Kapitel von Marked by My Fiancé's Brother: Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

~ Harvey ~ “The High Council has expressed interest in learning more about our…” I pause, and Maya raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. Our sham of a marriage? Our fake relationship? Our mating fraud? “…fated bond. Tomorrow, at the gala, you’ll stay at my side and play the loving, devoted mate. Council members will be there, watching us.” “A gala? This is the first I’m hearing of it. What time?” Maya asks flatly. Damn woman. I’m telling her the High Council is circling us, and all she cares about is an event to doll herself up and parade in front of the nobles. “Eight.” “I can’t attend. I already have another commitment,” she says and turns to leave. For the first second, I’m too stunned to react. For the second, I’m still trying to process whether she really just said that. The nerve. Who does she think she is? I’m not about to risk my Alpha title because some viper won’t cooperate for our mutual benefit. I step forward, closing the distance between us, and I

~ Harvey ~ “It turned out wonderfully. I told you Alpha Greg was absolutely itching to sign,” Gina chirps, her eyes lit with pride. Of course she is — she’s the reason I just landed a loaded investor for my upcoming project. I’m grateful to her. She’s a gem. A keeper. “Let’s toast to a successful deal!” she exclaims, plucking a flute of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray and pressing it into my hand. She pushes her chest out, obviously trying to draw my eyes to the curves spilling from her strapless dress. It’s the kind of view most men would drown in — yet strangely, I feel nothing. No desire, none of the possessiveness I should feel watching other males shamelessly ogle her. Instead, my mind drifts to a beautiful she-wolf in a dark orange gown. Goddess, that dress looked stunning on Maya. The moment she stepped into the lounge earlier, I forgot how to breathe. I wanted to tell her she looked breathtaking, gorgeous, unreal — and instead I muttered, “You look decent.” Decen

~Maya~ I will not let him bleed me dry. At least not without a fight. My hands are trembling, but my blood boils, and I feel a surge of unknown power rushing through my body. I press my palms into the mud, push myself off the ground, and jump to my feet, ready to fight to my last breath. The heat floods my palms, fast and fierce — the way it did before, only stronger now. It races up my arms and pools beneath my skin, alive, straining toward the thing behind me like it’s desperate to get out. For one heartbeat, I don’t know which frightens me more: whatever is hunting me, or whatever is clawing awake inside me. A faint light bleeds through my fingers, and I raise my hands, ready to hurl it— “Are you all right, sis?” I swallow the power down hard, and it fizzles out under my skin as fast as it rose. Nico. My brother stands in front of me, visibly shaken — a breath away from a blast I didn’t even know I could throw. I’m still trembling, from the attack and from whatever almost to

~Maya~ "Miss Maya, the Alpha ordered us to help you move to a new room," Ella says, entering after a soft knock, two other Omegas behind her. It catches me completely off guard. I'm still drying my breakfast dishes; I set down the towel and follow her. Ella pushes open the door to one of the guest rooms — large, airy, and incredibly bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows and lavish furniture. I sink onto the enormous bed. The mattress is soft as a cloud. My eyes sweep from the beautiful Persian rug to the cream sofa — and then to the light. Morning sun pours through the tall windows and spills across the floor, and my fingers itch for a brush. For a while, I've been painting in a cramped room with one stingy window, chasing a patch of daylight that vanished by noon. This room has light to spare. It's the one thing I'd have asked for if anyone had ever asked. "The Alpha said if anything is not to your liking, you may redecorate as you please," Ella says and leaves me alone. I

~Harvey ~ I walk to my study on autopilot. Every time I'm around Maya, I don't feel like myself — as if some invisible thread connects us and makes me do stupid things. I plan to summon my mother, but funnily enough, I bump into her in the hallway. "Mother, at breakfast you lectured us all about rules. Yet the records show you are the one who removed Maya from training." For a second, she freezes — then recovers fast, with a little giggle and a wave of her hand. "Oh, did I really? I'd completely forgotten. Ah yes, now I recall — I simply thought there was no point wasting resources on a wolfless girl." "And what has changed now?" I ask flatly. She shrugs. "I still think Maya is worthless. She was never good enough even for Derek — nowhere near the level required to stand at his side, not even to mention that she does not fit to be your Luna. But with this external threat... those vampire attacks, I mean... everyone should know the basics." I study her. Being wolfless is n