Page 47 of Dark Sold Mate

education. The community center where they gathered and celebrated. The residence area where families live.

“You've made a lot of changes,” Elle noted

“Silas has,” August corrected. “I just helped implement them.”

Elle wrinkled her nose. She didn't know how to feel about him yet. Silas, who had picked on her years ago, is completely different from the Alpha who had punched his brother in the face for her the day before. But then, was it really any different, and was she simply seeing what she wanted to see?

“Here,” August stopped at a bench overlooking a small pond. “This is my favorite spot. I come here when I need to think.”

They took a seat, and Elle watched the ducks on the water.

“I'm glad you're back,” August started. “I am aware of the fact that the situation is awful. I know you didn't choose this. But selfishly, I am happy I can see you again.”

Elle's throat tightened. “I missed you, too.”

“I had you in mind every day. I wondered what you were doing. If you were safe. If you were happy.” He paused. “I wanted to reach out so many times.”

There it was. The elephant, which they had been dancing around for days.

“But you did not,” Elle said sharply.

August flinched. “No. I didn't.”

“You knew where I was, and you never made any effort to get in touch with me. You gave me the bullshit story of not wanting to destroy the life I had built. But I needed you. I needed my brother.”

“Elle—”

“Do you have any idea what those first two years were like?” Elle turned sideways to look at him, anger coursing through her veins. “I was scared on a daily basis. I was not aware of how to operate in the human world. I was not sure what to do to pay the bills, or where to get apartments or how to use the systems I never learned about. I slept in my car. I went hungry. I was attacked twice by men because they believed that a woman would be an easy target.”

August's face went pale. “I didn't know—”

“Because you weren't there!” Elle's voice rose. “You were my brother. You were expected to be my guardian. And you only... watched me like some science experiment from a distance.”

“That's not fair.”

“Oh, please.” Elle stood, pacing in front of the bench. “You said you found me after two years. Which means for four more years after that, while I was picking up my life, learning how to be strong, struggling each day to survive, you were only watching. Never helping. Never reaching out.”

August stood up too, his eyes hard. “I wanted to help. You cannot imagine how many times I was going to show up at your apartment, or at your job. But I thought—”

“You thought what? That I was better off alone? And that I didn't need my family anymore.”

“I thought you were happy!” He sighed in exasperation and pushed his brown hair back. “I watched you make some friends, get promoted at work, make a life. You were thriving, Elle. And I did not wish to spoil that by showing up as nothing more than a relic of your past.”

Her eyes burned with tears. “That should have been my decision. You should have contacted me and left me to choose whether I would have you in my life or not. Instead, you chose that on my behalf. You made the decision on my behalf just like the rest of the members of this damn pack make them.”

“You're right,” August sighed. “I should have reached out. I was a coward. I was scared you would not want to see me. I refused to get close that way I could avoid confronting what I had done.”

The confession diffused some of the rage Elle was feeling. She could see the genuine regret on her brother's face, the guilt that had been eating at him for years.

“I do not blame you for the banishment,” she said softly. “I know you tried to stop it.”

“But I didn't try hard enough.”

“Maybe not. But as I said, you couldn't have gone against the Alpha.” She wiped at the corners of her eyes. “I am angry about the years after when you knew where I was and preferred to stay away.”

“I understand, and I'm sorry. But I would like to be in your life again, should you allow me, of course.”

Elle studied her brother. He looked older than how old he actually was, burdened with guilt and regret. But he also looked sincere. And even when she was angry, even when she was hurt, Elle missed her brother.