Tasting 65

65–The Big Game Played By My Stepbrothers

Nora:

I didn’t even resist and forgot about Natalya and Lord Atwood. I thought the kiss would happen

because the way he pulled me back suggested he was in the mood. However, just when our lips

were about to connect, he pulled back and let go of my face.

“I can’t do this,” he muttered under his breath, leaving me stunned.

“Huh?” I asked in shock.

“I can’t do this. You are my-,” he turned away, running his hand through his hair and breathing

heavily.

“Nora! Cain! Are you two home?” Lord Atwood’s voice snapped me out of my trance–like state. I

didn’t quite understand what had just happened, but what my brain could comprehend was that

maybe he was feeling uneasy about the fact that I was known to everyone as his stepsister.

To break the awkwardness, I never questioned him. What could I even ask him anyway, ‘Why didn’t

you kiss me? I am desperate?‘

Lord Atwood’s arrival back home was a good excuse to break the awkwardness and change the

subject. I turned around and left the room while Cain still had his back towards me.

I rushed downstairs to meet Natalya and Lord Atwood, but my steps. slowed down when I could

only spot Lord Atwood.

“You’re back. You have no idea how worried I had been for you,” still

65 The Big Game Played By My Stepbrothers

18

not thinking too much into it, I ran up to him and hugged him. His arms felt like a father’s love. I wish

my father was even the slightest bit like Lord Atwood. But he wasn’t. He would never be, at least not

to

1. me.

“Hey! What happened? Is no one at home with you? Is that why you are so scared?” he was

laughing, not even sounding worn out.

I broke the hug to examine his face. He looked up from me and smiled at someone. I followed his

gaze and saw Cain standing at the top of the stairs, watching us interact.

“Did the monsters hurt you?” I

wondering why Cain wasn’t coming back at Lord Atwood,

father.

to check up on his

“What?” Lord Atwood laughed, staring at me like he had no idea what I was saying.

“You were captured by the monsters? Do you have any idea how

worried we all had been? We all went to the woods and looked for you and then we called

Natalya-,” I pushed on, even as I saw his frown grow. He was watching me cluelessly, and then he

looked at Cain, who had now come downstairs.

“You were captured by the monsters, right?” My heart started to lose

its beats.

“Cain, what is she talking about? Did you guys take her to the woods?” Lord Atwood used his

commanding tone with his son, and right off the bat, I understood that everything I had been told

was a lie. I turned to face Cain, and then I understood why he couldn’t kiss me. That was his way to

distract me from meeting Lord Atwood so that the brothers could do whatever they were doing.

65 The Big Game Played By My Stepbrothers

“Natalya!” I covered my mouth in shock.

“What is going on?” Lord Atwood held my hand to comfort me because tears started to appear in

my eyes.

“We had to take that step. That girl Natalya was lying about being a special one and the one who

killed the monster,” Cain was no longer talking in his sweet and calm demeanor that he had been

using with me for the past few days. I watched his face with big tears in my eyes and wondered how

long they had been planning this for.

“So you lied to her?” Lord Atwood yelled, pointing at me.

“She is her friend and would have blown our plan,” Cain had his hands. in his pockets and talked

casually.

I was so disgusted that he even tried to kiss me just so that he could. stop me from confronting Lord

Atwood and finding out about their plans. That’s why he couldn’t kiss me. Not because he was shy

or considered me as his stepsister, but because he was disgusted and couldn’t go to that extreme

length for the sake of this plan.

“Natalya is in the woods with the brothers. What are you trying to do to her?” I screamed at Cain

and noticed his jaw clenching. He was suddenly angry.

“She’s right. I didn’t know while I was busy in a meeting with the council over trivial matters, you

were here playing this game. This is not the right way to expose someone’s lie,” Lord Atwood was

yelling at Cain, who seemed nonchalant. Such a drastic change in his

personality. Where did the gentle monster go?

“I am going to find Natalya and save her. I didn’t want to stay behind anymore. Screw these

stepbrothers. Why the heck did I even believe them?”

65 The Big Game Played By My Stepbrothers

“Nora! You cannot go. Let me handle this,” Lord Atwood held my hand and pulled me back, stopping

me from going into the woods on my own.

“There will be no need. The test has begun, and I am sure Natalya will realize there are

consequences to lying about such a huge power,” Cain seemed both bitter and angry towards

Natalya. Every time he reminded. us of her lie, his jaw would clench.

“What consequences and what test?” I screamed at him before I freed my arm from Lord Atwood

and ran upstairs to my bedroom. No way I planned to stick around. I opened the window and took a

deep breath before jumping out.

I would find Natalya and save her myself. After how Cain and the others tricked me, I honestly lost

control. I was reminded that a helpless person can trust no one but themselves. Once I was on the

ground, I shifted the ring on my finger, letting my wolf loose.

“I am sorry for what happened,” she uttered, making me hastily wipe the tears from my eyes.

“It was all my fault though. One would think that after so many betrayals, I would have learned a

lesson,” I said, racing towards the woods where I had left the stepbrothers with my innocent friend.