Tasting 293

293–Our Fourth Mate

Nora:

“I wasn’t yelling at her for no reason. I was just minding my own business when Nora suddenly

attacked me. She even hurt me,” April feigned tears, rubbing her elbow to emphasize how

uncomfortable she felt being questioned.

“Nora, you tell me what happened,” Silas asked me. As much as I wanted to leave and ignore him, I

was determined to win this little. battle and show her that I could play this game too if I wanted.

“I was just admiring her bracelet. But I don’t know why she got so angry,” I hugged myself and

looked down while April grimaced.

“That’s such a big lie. Why would I get angry over just a bracelet?” she hissed at me, and I lowered

my head even more, pretending to be terrified of her.

“Yeah, you—you’re right. I’m—not telling the truth,” I sniffled, closing my eyes and squeezing my

body together.

“Stop acting like I did something to you,” April’s frustration was so satisfying. This is how desperate I

act when trying to prove my innocence while they keep playing games with me.

Natalya emerged from the living room, having watched the interaction. between April and me.

“Nora was threatening her,” Natalya quickly jumped in as a witness.

“Don’t get involved,” Silas warned her first before turning to April and

203 Our Fourth Mate

1. me.

“I heard it myself. She was only asking for your bracelet,” Silas said, his gaze fixed on April with a

look that told me my deception had worked.

“Besides, it’s just a bracelet. You don’t have to warn her not to look at it as if her mere glance would

ruin it. And don’t ever yell at her again just because you think she is far away from us and we

cannot come here for her defense,” he shook his head in disapproval before heading off to freshen

up in the guest room.

But why did he act like he knew April would test my patience and try to attack me again when in his

own

to attack me again when in his own pack he acted like he believed all the accusations against me?

“See that?” I folded my arms across my chest, not faking being too scared anymore, watching April

lost in her thoughts.

“If I wanted to, I could play so dirty that all of you would end up in jail. But I don’t play games. Not

because I can’t, but because I refuse to deceive my stepbrothers—they don’t deserve that,” my own

words. caused me immense pain. I have been nothing but considerate toward my stepbrothers.

I understand that now they think poorly of me because of the file and everything, but it wasn’t

always like this.

I sighed and ran upstairs. Now that I was sitting on my bed, I stared at the packed bags. It broke my

heart how they had kicked me out.

With a sigh escaping my lips, I closed my eyes to rest. I eventually dozed off—I guess the

heartbreak was wearing me down.

When I went downstairs, I found out from the guards that Silas had

293–Our Fourth Mati

eaten dinner alone in his room, and the girls were out partying.

Daphne left alone to explore the pack while April and Natalya were together.

Without eating anything, I started walking upstairs when my knees began to hurt. This had never

happened before.

The pain wasn’t just any ordinary ache. I was gasping and sat down on the staircase.

“What is happening?” My body felt heavy, almost as if something inside me was suffering.

There was only one possibility.

“Akira!”

I called out her name and quickly twisted the ring on my finger. The agony was so intense that I

couldn’t think of going upstairs—I just couldn’t.

So I decided to confront her while I still could, or else she might go silent again.

“Akira! What is going on with you?” I pleaded, worried for her.

“It’s–” hearing her voice again was like a melody to my ears. But what she said next stunned me.

“I need to find him–” she uttered.

“Who?” I couldn’t comprehend who she meant.

“Our mate—it’s a full moon tonight. You need to go to his bedroom and take off the ring for a few

seconds. We need to feel the mate bond–”

250–Dur Fourth Mate

My heart started pounding hard as I processed her words.

“Whose bedroom?” I hoped it was a nightmare, but it turned out to be true when she softly replied,

“Our mate—Silas!”