Chapter 39: #THIRTY-NINE

Nicholas’s POV

How naive of me to think Mom would be here waiting for me. But seeing all three brothers seated in the living room while Elijah held me in his arms made me feel quite embarrassed.

And I couldn’t help but panic because I knew how weird they could suddenly get because of how Elijah held me right now.

Sure enough, their expressions changed when he stood in front of them with me and I suddenly wanted to just bury myself underground or something to avoid their gazes. Elijah didn’t seem to care, however, and even had a bright smile on his face as he placed me back down.

I immediately hung my head low in embarrassment and then cleared my throat, turning their attention to me.

"Elijah said there was a break-in and you witnessed it." Adrian spoke first, his eyes falling to my bare chest and I swallowed hard, covering myself up with the robe on my body.

I explained to them what happened the exact way I explained it to Elijah previously and their gazes darkened, especially when I talked about the stalker’s message and how he wanted to kill me.

"He must have come in through the gate in the back." Roman pointed out with a frown while Cassian remained silent, his eyes dropping to my neck every now and then.

"There’s a back gate?" Elijah asked with raised brows, and I glanced at the rest of the brothers to see that they weren’t surprised.

Except Elijah.

How come they knew of things he didn’t know?

"Not everyone knows there’s a back gate. It’s a little too strange." Adrian pointed out and my brows furrowed in confusion.

"But what about the maids? Since they were working for him and they’re nowhere to be found now, it would only make sense if they showed him the way out, right?" I questioned with my fingers on my chin but Cassian shook his head.

"I think it’s the other way around." He replied and my brows raised in question. "Not even the guards know that a second gate exists, that’s why no one guards. I have a feeling this stranger is someone who is very familiar with this place. He led them out, they didn’t help him."

Now that was a different approach.

I used to have a theory that this "stranger/stalker" was Jordan’s brother and he was probably a guard in the mansion. Or probably someone close to the Blackthornes that could be trusted.

Because he had access to the safe, he strode in and out like it was his place and he even knew an exit that shouldn’t exist.

This new piece of information could now mean a whole lot of things.

Was it one of the brothers messing with me? But none of their figures was the same. Could it be Jayden? I doubted it.

Who was this man?

"You said you saw him walk out with a file?" Adrian asked and I nodded. "What else did you notice about him?’

"He was all clad in black, I couldn’t even see his hair or skin. Even his eyes had glasses on. Apart from the fact that he had the same scent as Jayden’s brother, I couldn’t notice anything else."

"Who is Jayden?" Cassian asked, his voice a deep dive as he got up and I swallowed hard. "How do you know his brother? And his scent?"

Before I could respond, Elijah beat me to it and stood in front of me, shielding me.

"Jayden attends college with us. He’s Nick’s friend." He muttered and crossed his arms over his chest. "While some of you decided to mark him without his permission, exposing him to the entire world with a glowing mark on his neck, his friend was the one who lent him his brother’s jacket to cover it up. Any more questions?"

’But you didn’t tell me about the mark either.’

I swallowed those thoughts back down as Adrian and Roman stood up as well. Were they seriously about to fight again?

"What is with that accusation? I can mark my mate whenever I want. Just because he hangs out with you more doesn’t make you his favorite." Adrian snapped, his fists clenched and I rubbed my temples in annoyance.

"I thought we were over this." I muttered softly and they all went silent at once. "I swear if you guys fight one more time because of me, I’ll climb up there..." I pointed to the top of the stairs and their eyes followed my movement.

"And then I’ll jump."

Their wide eyes stared at me in shock but they didn’t say another word, not until I sighed in frustration.

"Jayden is my friend. The only friend I’ve ever made who was just like me and didn’t need anything from me." I glanced at every one of them and they avoided my gaze. "Because of the mark which my lovely and handsome mate didn’t inform me about, I had to skip school."

"I thought you knew." Adrian muttered, his gaze filled with guilt and I scoffed.

"Jayden lent me his brother’s hoodie, his brother who left him behind because he was an omega. Although I think it’s too much to be a coincidence that I met that stranger who had the same scent as his brother’s, I believe that Jayden has nothing to do with this." I explained, rubbing the space between my brows and Cassian frowned.

"What if he was lying about his brother?" He pointed out and my brows furrowed at the thought. "What if he made the story up to distract you?"

"But he showed me the picture of his brother and he looked familiar to me. Which is why I have a feeling that I might know this stranger. And he wasn’t Jayden." I muttered slowly and Elijah continued.

"I don’t like Jayden either but he is quite timid and a little too weak for something like this. If I don’t know about the back gate, how could an outsider, let alone an omega know about it?" He explained and I found myself nodding in agreement.

"So the question is; who is Jayden’s brother?" Adrian muttered and I nodded as well.

"I will try to find out from Jayden the name of his brother and if it’s possible, I’ll take a picture of that portrait and bring it back here." I finally said with a yawn, blinking slightly from the fatigue that suddenly enveloped me.

Without thinking, I reached for Elijah and he wrapped his arm around me, supporting me so I wouldn’t fall.

"Why do you love him more than you love us?" I heard a voice speak and I froze. "It’s always Elijah. Why?"

I almost thought Cassian would never talk to me personally after what happened but now he was talking because he was jealous?

"Are we really getting at this again?" I whispered as I stood straight, trying not to wobble. "He’s right beside me. I felt dizzy and held on to the closest person next to me—"

"Not just this time. But you’re always with him all the time." Adrian said this time and I couldn’t help but scoff.

"Maybe because he actually stays with me?" I finally snapped and they looked taken aback. "Maybe because he treats me better than you guys ever did? Maybe because he knows what I want, asks for my consent before doing anything to me and actually wants me not just for what I have to offer?"

"You think we have a choice?" Roman questioned, his gaze dark as he stared at me. "You think we don’t want to be around you?"

"This isn’t just by being around me!" I half-yelled, my hands clenching into fists. "Do you remember how you marked me?" His face immediately went blank after I said those words and Cassian turned to him in horror.

"You did what?" He asked Roman with wide eyes and he avoided his gaze completely.

"I didn’t even know it was you because you marked me without my consent. And then you made me suffer by kissing someone else after claiming me. And then, you talk about abandoning me like I’m a fucking object!" My voice was growing louder now as I spoke and then, I felt Elijah’s hands on my shoulder.

"Love, why don’t we calm down—"

"No." I replied, shrugging his hands off me. "I’m done holding this in. Cassian totally ignored me like the plague because Adrian marked me. Meanwhile, I didn’t give him the permission to! I didn’t even know a mark was on my fucking neck because I couldn’t see it."

"Did you guys seriously mark your mate without consent?" Cassian asked in disbelief as he stared at both men in shock, making me scoff.

"I did mine out of jealousy." Roman muttered.

"I just wanted to make him mine completely." Adrian replied and I wobbled once again, leaning into Elijah whose arms already wrapped around me.

"Fine, let me ask this. Do you guys love me?"