Love Times Four My Stepbrothers Are My Mates (Alayah) novel Chapter 18

**When Broken Stars Drift Across Empty Midnight Skies by Troy Mason Venn**
**Chapter 18: Grandma**

Crystal has devised a plan for tonight’s dinner, a little experiment to see if she can keep everyone apart. She’s asked me to keep my thoughts to myself, not wanting any influence from my feelings about the others. I can tell her that Nikolay makes me feel as if I could share my deepest secrets with him without fear, and like his brothers, he creates a cocoon of safety around me. Yet, a flicker of anxiety crosses my mind as I consider Topaz’s feelings; I truly hope they don’t stem from the Mate-bond. The implications of that would complicate everything, turning our already tangled web into a full-blown snarl.

“Angel, have you managed to scan a lot of files?” Nikolay inquires, stepping closer to my desk. His presence is warm and inviting, and I can’t help but decide to tease him a little.

“Yes, actually, I’ve made significant progress. I initially thought I’d need to scan several years’ worth of paperwork to gain a comprehensive overview, but it turns out two years was sufficient. Now, I just need the documents from Autumn Pack to merge the reports. If all goes well, I should be ready to present everything come Monday morning,” I reply, a satisfied smile playing on my lips.

Reaching into the cookie jar, I grab a graham cracker and lean back in my chair, savoring the moment. I catch a look in Nikolay’s eyes—one filled with satisfaction. “He probably thinks he’s outsmarted us. I wonder if he realized you could see through the facade, that you picked up on the fact he wasn’t really Nero. Did his brothers warn him how quickly you called them out on their nonsense?” Topaz muses in my mind, and we share a laugh, Nikolay still watching me with that intense gaze.

Once I’ve finished my cookie, I meet Nikolay’s eyes directly. “Could you please thank whoever baked these? They’re absolutely delicious, Nikolay,” I say, my voice warm with appreciation.

His expression mirrors the same bewilderment I’ve seen on his brothers’ faces, but unlike them, he doesn’t retreat from my office. Instead, he stands there, trying to process the fact that I could distinguish him from his siblings. I notice a flicker of something—was it pride?—in his gaze before he finally stands up to leave.

“I would give anything to be a fly on the wall during their conversation,” Topaz comments, and with that thought lingering in my mind, I decide it’s worth starting over. I shut down my laptop, the screen fading to black, and clutch the cookie jar as I make my way to the Beta floor.

I take the staircase that the Omegas use, the familiar creaks and groans of the old Pack-house echoing around me as I ascend. I hurry to the balcony of the living room, the perfect vantage point for eavesdropping on my stepbrothers. However, as I strain to listen, I hear nothing from the Gamma floor, leading me to wonder if they’ve chosen to discuss their thoughts in a more secluded area, perhaps in Nero’s office.

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