My Ex Husband The Alpha His Brother The Rogue novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

-Laila

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By the time we head down, Cameron and Sarah are already seated at dinner, just as Kael predicted.

Alpha Max is also present and we exchange greetings with him warmly.

Though his pack is lesser ranked than the Blackwood Pack, he’s of the older generation and has been like an uncle to Kael and Cameron, so he’s seated at the head of the table.

Which is good. If Cameron and Kael had to decide who would sit at the head of the table between them, we probably won’t get to eat any dinner tonight.

“You’re just in time.” Sarah says, passing a smile our way. “We were just talking about the kids. They’ll be arriving soon and I think the air is a little too humid here.”

“I don’t know about Liam, but Kelly is easily affected by the temperature. The poor child hasn’t been herself since that incident with the wolfsbane…” Sarah trails off, glancing around the table like she hadn’t meant to lead the conversation in that direction.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” She apologizes quickly. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I just get so worried about Kelly. And Cam too… he was so devastated to see Kelly hurt, I don’t want to put him through that again.”

I glance over at Cameron. His lips are pressed into a thin line, but he doesn’t say anything.

My hands clench at my sides. Kael and I haven’t even sat down and she’s already at it.

Kael pulls out a chair for me before he sits.

“You’re such a gentleman now, Kael.” Shirley gushes, clapping her hands. Effectively stirring the topic of conversation away from me. “You’ve got yourself a good one there, Laila.”

Cameron stiffens visibly, and Sarah frowns at the change in topic, but Shirley doesn’t seem to notice it.

She means no harm but seeing as everyone knows I was once married to Cameron, he doesn’t seem too happy with her words.

I feign a smile, placing a hand over Kael’s on the table for all eyes to see. “He’s just a darling.”

Kael’s hand turns over, intertwining his fingers with mine.

“You’re a lucky woman, Laila.” Sarah chips in again, just as the food is served. “I mean, everyone knows what a menace Kael has been. To think you’d be the one to finally tame him.”

Shirley laughs quietly, nodding her head in agreement. “I remember he broke so many hearts in high school, he was almost expelled.”

Max chuckles lowly, shaking his head as he cuts into his steak. “He wasn’t any better in college.”

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The conversation slowly turns light and cheerful. At least so far. But dinner has only begun. And like she read my mind, Sarah pipes up again.

“I was pretty concerned when I heard the rumours that he shot Alpha Marcus of Bluewater and sent him to the emergency room.” She says lightly, like she’s just talking about the weather.

Kael sits quietly, like he’s not the topic of conversation. It seems he’s quite used to being talked about like he’s not sitting right there.

I clench my utensil tighter in my hand, distracting myself from the urge to stab my fork in Sarah’s restless

tongue.

“Oh don’t be silly.” Shirley dismisses, “It must have just been rumors. Alpha Scott would throw a big fit if it was

true.”

“It is.” Kael chips in curtly.

The table goes silent and all eyes shift to Kael, including mine. Everyone knows how aggressive Alpha Scott of Bluewater can be, especially when it’s about his only son Marcus.

“It is?” Max asks, just as uncertain as the rest of us that we heard Kael correctly.

“I shot him.” Kael confirms. “In the thigh.”

“You shot Marcus?!” Cameron exclaims in a low hiss. “Are you out of your mind, Kael?! Trying to drag Blackwood into a war?!”

Kael shrugs casually, chewing on his steak. “That’s already old news, Cam. There’s no need to pipe up about it.”

“He got on my nerves… talking shit about my wife.”

I blink in astonishment. His wife? I’m his wife though.

“No one gets away with that. He asked for it.” Kael continues, his tone perfectly calm as if he didn’t just admit to nearly starting a war. “It took a lot of self control not to blow his brains out.”

His gaze settles pointedly on Sarah. Her eyes widen and she shrinks into her seat.

Cameron’s eyes narrow at the threat to his wife and he sits up straighter.

“But Laila doesn’t like me killing people.” Kael finishes. “So I try to be forgiving. Shooting thighs and all.”

Pack wolves are usually not this vocal about shooting people. But Kael being a rogue doesn’t seem to mind talking about blowing brains out over dinner.

Alpha Max clears his throat and everyone falls into an awkward silence.

The tension between Kael and Cameron only gets progressively worse and eventually, I excuse myself. Heading to the stairs.

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My body aches from all the restraints I’ve exercised watching Sarah run her mouth and repeatedly bring up the poisoning incident.

Her intention is obvious. Reminding everyone why I was banished in the first place, in such a roundabout manner is clearly to discredit me in the presence of Alpha Max and Cameron.

Even how she hinted repeatedly at how devastated Cameron had been. She’s clearly urging him to remember the past event and the reason we got separated in the first place.

And all of that just tells me there’s already some cracks between Sarah and Cameron. Otherwise, why is she so eager to prove a point? It’s not like anyone was diagnosed with amnesia.

Shaking my head, I make my way upstairs but instead of heading to Kael and I’s room, I walk down the opposite direction leading to the open balcony.

The lake surrounding the house shimmers under the moonlight. I try not to let my mind stray but it still does.

Scenes of Cameron and I swimming around in the icy cold lake surfaces in my mind. We weren’t a typical young couple in love, getting married of their own will, but even in our arranged circumstances, we’d found companionship with each other…

Cameron loves the cold. I don’t. But spending the mornings and some moonlit night soaking in the lake had quickly become our ritual. Far away from our responsibilities and the Blackwood name.

And then, there’s Kael. He shot Alpha Marcus over me? That can’t be right.

Kael and I are only a loving couple when there’s eyes on us.

A creak sounds from behind me.

I don’t bother turning. I don’t need to. It’s characteristic of Kael not to let me out of his sight for even a

moment.

His hands rest on either side of the banister, caging me in. And as he leans forward, his warm breath fans the side of my face,

“Still pretending you don’t remember, Lails?”

My breath catches. It’s not Kael. It’s Cameron!

I try to turn but Cameron stops me. “Don’t… not yet.” His tone is barely above a whisper, almost pleading.

My heart shrivels within me.

His cheek brushes against mine…a gesture so tender, it stirs a numb ache in my heart.

The familiarity of his scent…of his touch, his gentle tone, and his tenderness…it triggers memories I haven’t allowed myself to entertain in years.

Kael is downstairs. So is Sarah, his wife. And yet Cameron wraps his arms tighter around me, burying his nose

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He draws in a shaky breath and his hold on me tightens even more. My heart stutters within me, torn between uncertainty and displeasure,

Gripping the railing, I wrench myself away from his hold,

He cases his grip, letting me step away from him to the side,

“Go back to your wife, Cameron,” I murmur, my voice cold and devoid of the surge of emotions bristling

beneath the surface.

He chuckles. A low and bitter sound. “And you to my brother?”

I frown slightly. But I don’t respond.

“I know you must be wondering, but it wasn’t my idea to bring us here, Lails,” Cameron says again,

“But from the moment I stepped into these walls again, I knew…” He trails off.

He knew? He knew what?

His cryptic words settle heavily between us,

“To me, this is a sign…” He leaves his words hanging and the cold air clings to me as his presence retreats. His footsteps fading down the hall.

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18:49 Mon, Oct 13

Chapter 44

Chapter 44