𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ( 𝐌𝐱𝐌 ) [ DARK ROMANCE ]

Chapter 24 | PHASE TWO: Control pt. 3

DYLAN ||

Three days later

"Dylan!" I hear his voice behind me as the sounds of the gravel on the ground crunch beneath his feet.

My muscles tense as I stop dead in my tracks before slowly turning around to face him.

"Bennett." I sigh heavily as I rush towards my big brother, my body crashing into his.

He wraps one of his arms around my waist and with the other, he cradles my head to his shoulder.

"What's going on Dylan? Why were you running like that? Are you ok?" Bennett questions and I shake his head against his shoulder.

"No, Bennett. . . I'm not ok." I reply, feeling my brother's body tense against mine as he pulls away just enough to look into my eyes.

Bennett's eyes search mine. "Talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"Ok." My words come out barely above a whisper as I nervously look around the area. "But not here, can we go in the house?"

"Of course." Bennett nods, grabbing my trembling hand and leading me towards the packhouse.

Once inside, he closes the door behind us and quietly makes his way through the livingroom, up the stairs, down the annoyingly long hallway and into his old bedroom, gently dragging me along with him.

"So what's going on Dylan?" He asks as he leads me over to the bed and sits down, pulling me down with him. "Why haven't you been acting like yourself?"

My eyes brim with tears, my gaze locked onto the floor instead of on my big brother, my everything.

I've felt absolutely defeated with everything that's been going on ever since Bennett left for Alpha training at the Academy five years ago.

He graduated the Academy today and ever since he's been back in the pack, I've just felt this enormous freaking weight on my shoulders and it's not getting any easier.

I feel like this hallow shell of what I once was and that really hurt my heart because I didn't want to feel so broken, so nothingness in front of my brother.

"I'm just. . . so overwhelmed, Bennett." I shake my head, never once tearing my gaze from the floor.

"Overwhelmed with what, Dylan?" Bennett asks as he soothingly rubs my back. His touch always brought me such a sense of relief.

"Everything." Whispering my answer, I feel his finger hook under my chin,  forcing my gaze to meet his.

"Tell me what's wrong." Bennett whispers his words just as softly and I blow out a shaky breath as I finally allow my unshed tears to fall.

And when they do, my big brother's expression morphs into one of heart wrenching pain as he pulls me into him — embracing me like he's always done.

Embracing me in one of his Bennett hugs that always made everything all better.

_____

Blinking away the tears, my jaw clenches as my fists ball around Bennett's sweater — the sweater that he was wearing the day before he was taken from me.

Today was a difficult day for me.

I missed my big brother like crazy, even more than I usually did and that's really fucking saying something because Bennett was always on my mind.

Fuck — I could really use one of those Bennett hugs right about now because if I had just told my Dad and Uncle Jake who Raiden was to me, instead of being the submissive little runt that I am, maybe I wouldn't be living with this pain, this agony, this aching need to go to that damn Leopard and bury my nose in his nape, to inhale him as deep as I could and never let him go.