Monster in My Bed

Chapter Twenty-Two | Heartbreak or Heart Attack?

It was times like these when I wished I wasn't so emotional. Times like these when all I wanted to be able to do was push away feelings as well as my brother always could. My idea of pushing away feelings was just to become so psychotic that no one including myself paid attention to them, but how was I supposed to do that in a room full of Alphas who would try to kill me if I made one wrong move? I'm not talking psychotic like I start yelling. At this point, I wish that was my form of psychotic.

As if sensing my panic, Matteo immediately stood up from his chair and placed his hand heavily on my shoulder keeping me planted in my chair. Even if I wanted to get up, I doubt I would have been able to. A low growl vibrated through Matteo's chest as a warning to Kaden who was currently locking eyes with me.

"Wait, what's happening?" Barron asked sounding like a kid who had just missed the first five minutes of a new movie that he couldn't wait to watch.

I didn't answer him, and neither did Kaden. We were both too absorbed in each other. A penitent look covered Kaden's face, and regret shown in his bright eyes.

"Kaia, I—," he began, but I stopped him before he could finish.

"What the hell, Kaden?" I croaked, watching him closely with betrayed eyes. "What the hell?"

"How are you even here—?"

"You f--king left," I interrupted, completely ignoring his question. My voice rose as I started pushing against Matteo's hand. He put a bit more force on my shoulder, but I snarled and ripped away from his hold. "You f--king left, and you've been here the whole time!" I snarled, standing up forcefully. I could hear my chair roll back and hit the wall behind me with a bang.

Again, emotional.

Kaden knew how I got. We grew up together. We trained together. He may have left, but that didn't change the fact that he was by my side for thirteen years.

"Aleksei, what the hell is going on?" Bryce asked from behind me catching Kaden's attention. My brows drew together as my eyes narrowed in on my brother.

"Aleksei?" I wondered out loud. Kaden's eyes grew a bit, and he took in a deep breath most likely already knowing what I was going to do. "You changed your name?" I shouted in anger. "How could you just change your name?" I was about to make a leap over the table, but Matteo's arms wound around me. I could feel my wolf fighting to come out, and in all honesty, I wanted to let her.

"Kaia," Matteo growled in my ear as my elongating nails began digging into his forearms. Matteo didn't loosen his grip, though. If anything, it got tighter.

"You're his mate?" Kaden or Aleksei asked pointing at Matteo.

"Don't look at him!" I snarled trying to lurch forward.

"It was just a question!" Kaden shouted back at me making me flinch. Painful memories of when we would argue when we were little evaded my mind managing to make me even more upset.

"I had questions, too, you know! But, guess what? I never got to ask them because you were gone! I had no one!" I screamed as I tried to pull myself out of Matteo's firm grasp.

"Well, why didn't you ask Mom?" A cold ache spread through me at the thought of my mother.

"She wasn't there!" I croaked. Kaden's thick brows knit together in confusion.

"Dad?" I didn't say anything. I just stared Kaden in his eyes that happened to be identical to mine with the deadliest look that I could muster. Understanding my silence and my hateful glare, he continued. "Why?" The simple, one-word question had a deep inner hatred bubbling out of me like a volcano. I always knew the answer to that question deep down, but I'd never said it out loud until now. I never wanted to say it out loud. It hurt too much to think my brother could be the cause of something that ate me up so much inside.