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A loud guffaw escapes Oliver. “I didn’t think of that,” he says, his eyes shining with mischief. “Is that the reason you were hiding Rory from us? You didn’t want to share your one and only mate?”
“Will two shut your nonsense?” Seth growls while Oliver and I break into chuckles. Heaving a sigh, he continues. “You guys still don’t understand what I went through during that week. Rory’s mental state toggled between deep depression and intense rage. At times, I was afraid she’d hurt herself. The only times I left her side was to buy us fresh food. She threw up the junk I brought her the first day, so I made sure to cook some proper meals to strengthen her.”
Hunching his massive shoulders, he sinks into a couch. “I didn’t have the time to call you guys and explain what was happening. Rory didn’t trust me at the time and was waiting for me to sell her to some other alpha. She didn’t believe I’d truly take her back home.”
“Do you think that’s what happened to her?” I whisper, hesitating to voice my thought out loud. “Did someone sell Rory to the Black Widow?”
Seth stares at me with a somber expression. “I believe so. How else could Mayor Bailley’s daughter end up in that sort of a fucked-up place? I asked Rory about it but she didn’t want to tell me anything.”
“Fuck,” Oliver breathes. “I can’t believe someone would do that to her. How the hell did they get away with it? Didn’t Mayor Bailley realize his daughter went missing?”
“That’s probably the reason he’s tailing Rory right now,” I say in a grim tone. “He must’ve been worried about her when he couldn’t get in touch with her. Then, she suddenly shows up, looking like she’s been starving herself for days. I’m sure that’s the reason he followed her all the way here.”
“I’m glad to know he’s a good dad to her,” Seth says. “Even though Rory is keeping everything a secret, he’s sure something terrible happened to her. A beautiful, lively woman like Rory doesn’t change overnight. Both her appearance and personality have transformed since the last time he saw her. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out what happened to her as well.”
“I hope he can see we’ll be good for her,” Oliver mumbles.
“It’ll be up to Rory to convince him,” I say.
“While Rory’s talking to her dad, can you guys explain what happened last night?” Seth says after a while. “How did you come across Rory and brought her here?”
“Rory was hanging out in the art exhibit on one of the upper floors,” I tell him. “At one point, she walked out and was roaming the hallways. Since the place was deserted, Major Kelso took the opportunity to corner her and assault her.”
“What?!” Seth roars, rising to his feet.
“Ssh!” Oliver hisses. Grabbing Seth’s shoulders, he forces our brother down on the couch. “Don’t growl like that or you’ll alarm the mayor.”
“Calm down, Seth-bear,” I say, cracking a grin. “At one point, he even dared to pull a gun at me but we took care of the asshole.”
“What?!” Seth jumps up from his seat again, looking like an angry rhino. Oliver has to wrestle him to force him back on the couch.
“We kicked his ass and took Rory away,” I add hurriedly before Seth can burst into flames.
“We need to investigate him,” Oliver says, sitting on Seth’s lap. “I’m sure an asshole like him is linked to the Black Widow.”
“Scoot over,” I say, shoving Oliver so that I can perch on our brother’s lap too.
Seth is quiet and thoughtful while Oliver and I scuffle around to see who gets to sit on his lap.
“Are you guys serious about Rory?” Seth finally speaks up as I land on the floor. “Her mind is in a very fragile state right now. You can’t fool around with her feelings and hurt her later.”
Oliver’s manic grin fades away as he meets my gaze. There’s no doubt in our minds and hearts about how we feel about Rory. Seth may not have realized it yet, but Rory’s our true mate. We knew it since we smelled her scent on his clothes the very first time.
Getting to my feet, I gaze into Seth’s frog-green eyes. “We’ll never hurt her.”
“She’s ours,” Oliver adds. “You should’ve known the fact since you got to spend so much time with her, but you’re a moron. Her scent should’ve been enough to confirm how you feel about her.”
“I wasn’t sure about anything during the week I spent with her,” Seth says in a quiet voice. “Rory didn’t want anything to do with me. She hated me and looked at me like I was a monster. She just wanted to go back home and forget everything that happened to her.”
A heavy sigh escapes Oliver. “Rory didn’t know who you were. Those sick bastards treated her and the other omegas like animals. Her rage and hatred were directed at them, not you. You punished yourself for the pain she suffered,” he says, knocking his knuckles against Seth’s forehead. “Only an idiot in love would do that.”
Seth’s expression dims. “So, what if I love her? It doesn’t change the fact that she doesn’t feel the same way about me.”
I exchange an exasperated look with Oliver.
“Rory was shouting your name when Kelso was assaulting her,” I tell him. “She was calling out to you to help her. She trusts you with her life, Seth-bear. You should be the one who needs to be careful with her heart.”
A vulnerable expression spreads on his face. He pushes Simon off him and gets to his feet. Stepping up to me, he grabs my arm and pulls me closer. “Are you telling the truth?”
