Kayden jumped in front of me and held Alec’s shoulders. “You need to listen. Nothing happened. I never betrayed you. It’s not what you think.”
Alec jerked off Kayden’s hands and howled, shifting in the middle of the room. His tail swung, pushing things off on the floor. He snarled and moved like a rabid dog, breaking furniture right and left.
The hair on my body pricked. Instinct took over and fangs came out.
“No, no, no!” Isabella was on her feet, staring the wolf in the eye, tears in hers. “You can’t do this.”
I spread an arm in front of her. “Isabella, stay back.”
“I’m not afraid of you, any of you. Not anymore.” She passed me and crouched down to the wolf’s level. She reached a hand at his head, and I yelled my protest. Ignoring me, she touched the furry skull.
Despite the huffing and puffing and ugly, drooling, clenched jaws, she embraced the wolf and rested her forehead on his. “I’m in love with you as much as you are in love with me. All three of you.”
He snarled again and slid his head under her arms, leaving her embrace. She sighed, shoulders slumping. “Kayden pushed me away as far as he could, Alec. He never touched me because of his love for you. But this isn’t about either of you. Or about Joshua. It’s about me. About Rena.”
“What about Rena? I asked.
She wiped her eyes. “You think she loved you first, and when she knew about what you were, she went to Alec. But that’s not true.”
“What do you mean? This is exactly what happened.” I glanced from her to Kayden, who was eerily silent, the dead muscles of my heart suddenly felt so cold.
“I’m sorry, Joshua. It was Kayden she fell for first,” she said.
“What?” My shout died in Alec’s howl.
“She loved Kayden, and Kayden loved her. But he knew his brother wanted her so he never spoke of his love. Not even to himself. Rena left and met you, fell for you, but then she got scared when she found out you were a vampire. Destiny led her back where Alec and Kayden were, and Alec won her over with his deep love.”
Dazed, I leafed through the memories. Could this be true? She hadn’t told me about Kayden the same way she hadn’t told Alec about me?
Alec shifted back. He stayed on all fours, covering his naked junk. “All this time, she wanted him. She only came to me because I looked like him.”
“No,” Belle said. “She loved you. You, Alec. And I do, too. The only difference between Rena and me is that she loved all three of you at separate intervals of time. But I love you separately and together all at the same time.”
“If that’s true, what are you going to do when you have to make the choice?” Alec asked for all of us.
“I don’t know, but can’t we, at least till that day comes, try to have a glimpse of peace, a glimpse of happiness together? I’m so tired of being miserable and afraid all the time.”
An angry scowl contorted his face. “Is that what you really want?”
“Yes. It’s what I need. I desperately need this, Alec,” she sobbed, and then she looked up at Kayden and me. “Please don’t make me choose. Not now. I’m not ready to give any of you up. I just can’t.”
“I think you’ve already made your choice.” Alec growled and shifted out of the apartment.
CHAPTER 30
KAYDEN
I shifted and followed my brother into the woods. I had to make him listen. Understand.
I had to bring him back to her.
Running in the dark, I trailed him to the willow tree. He just stood there, howling. My paws treaded carefully toward him. His snarls stopped me in my tracks.
His pain led to mine. His anger I couldn’t bear. It was all my fault. I had to find a way to rectify all this.
Alec, please. I know how mad you are at me. You have every right. I made a terrible mistake. Tell me how to fix it. What can I do for you to forgive me?
You are my brother. My twin. You were supposed to help me win her over, protect her from the vampire so I could claim her. Not you.
