The Wrong Roux Brother Slipped Into Me

THE EXPERIMENT

THE EXPERIMENT.

MINA’S POINT OF VIEW.

I watched the smirk slide off Declan’s face. Clutching my wool sheets close, I wrapped them tight around my chest, cool air hitting me as Declan removed himself from my side. “Don’t move.” He commanded, his voice low, his face coiled with a strange expression.

Grim

That was the word. He reached for his briefs, swung them on in one go, before grabbing his pants as well.

“What could she be doing here? Your aunt has never visited me before, let alone my hut.” I cleared my throat, my body still buzzing from what just happened. His shoulders were tight with tension as he stood with his back turned to me. He didn’t say a word, so I continued. “She’s never even said a word to me before… I-is she looking for something?”

“Declan Roux!” The sound of her sharp yell and the door rattling against its frames filled the silence between us. “I can smell you all over this hut. Open this door before I take it off its hinges!”

“Declan, I-I don’t think I want her to know what we just did.” My cheeks burned. The thought of his aunt knowing would haunt me. Besides that, Elliot might find out.

And if that happens, I might never get a chance to make him see I’m worthy of him.

Declan turned sharply, his eyes bright red when he snarled, “Can you stop?”

“W-what?” I blinked, eyes wide. My heart slammed against my ribs, my fingers tightening around the wool sheet against my chest. Declan lets out a weird sound, like an almost pained growl. He snaps his eyes shut, breathing heavily through his nose.

I remain there, just watching him, brows furrowed. What’s the matter with him?

When he finally opens his eyes, his pupils have returned to their familiar dark brown. He steps forward, as if to say something, when the yell from his aunt cuts in yet again. “Declan Roux! Open this door this instant!”

“I’m f*****g coming!” he roared, the sudden sharpness of his voice wrenching a gasp from me. Declan no longer glanced at me; he pulled on his shirt, then stepped out of my room.

I gulped, staring at the spot he stood on seconds ago.

What was that about?

I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?

‘It’s because you keep hanging on to someone who isn’t even our mate, stupid human!’ the voice inside me hissed. I rolled my eyes, trying to block it off.

If I don’t pay attention, it doesn’t exist.

‘I’ll tell you what doesn’t exist, you stupid…’

I shook my head hard, rising on shaky legs. Walking as well as I could, but the soreness between my thighs would not let me, I held the wool blanket tighter, creeping over so I could spy. Declan had let his aunt in; she stormed into my small hut, her hands on her hips.

“Busy?” she glared at her nephew. “I mean, take your time, Alpha. It’s not like we have an emergency on our hands.”

What emergency?

“Aunt, please, I really don’t have the time to…”

“Why am I the only one panicking or thinking about how serious this is, Declan?” She pressed a palm to her forehead. “Do you understand what you told Varric moments ago? You think he’s going to just let that go?

We both know how he is.”

“I had to say it; besides, it’s not like it’s not…”

“Whatever it is, Declan, you should not have told him Mina is your mate.”

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He did what?!

“You did what?!” It was my turn to snarl. I stepped out from behind the curtains, no longer caring that I had only the wool sheets around me. His aunt glanced at me, her eyes running up and down my body before nodding her head. Her eyes flashed with understanding. “Wow, nephew. You really move slow.”

“That’s enough, Aunt. I’ll take care of this”

“How could you tell the council, or anyone, that I'm your mate, alpha?” I stepped forward, keeping my glare on him. he didn’t look at me. “If the council thinks that, it’s only a matter of time until the entire pack does as well; and then Elliot will too.”

‘Elliot?” his aunt asked, a frown etched on her features. ‘What does he have to do with this?”

“He already rejected you, Mina.” Declan faced me now, his tone sharp with what felt like restrained anger. “Why do you care that he learns you are my mate?”

“But I'm not your mate, Alpha. This was just supposed to be…” I licked my lower lip, my teeth sinking in so hard I drew blood. If Elliot finds out, he thinks I… no… no, this cannot be happening.

“He already rejected you!” Declan yelled sharply. “Quit thinking about him.”

"I know! I heard everything Elliot said. I saw the look on his face when he admitted i was a bet, and what the bet was about.

I know what he did to me.

But five years of believing he was my mate wouldn't disappear just because he had finally shown me who he was."

Some stupid part of me was still waiting for him to tell me it had all been a mistake. I wanted to do whatever I could to get him back. "But now, if he thinks you and I are mates, he’ll pull further away from me.”

“Again, why do you care what Elliot has to do with this?” his aunt cut in. “I don’t think you two understand…Varric is like a dog. You have thrown him a bone; he won't let it go.

He expects you to mark and mate on the full moon. That’s barely a week away!”

“M-mark?’ I swallowed. “That can't happen.”

Declan shifts further away from me, suddenly pacing. I don’t stop, though; he needs to understand. “There’s no way in hell anyone besides Elliot is going to mark me, Declan. We both know that when someone other than your mate marks you, your body will reject the mark. I could die, Declan!

You were willing to mark me knowing that?”

I knew it; he only wants me for my body. It’s Declan Roux, after all.

“Mina…” Declan lets out a low chuckle, but doesn’t say anything after that.

“I don’t want to be marked by you, Declan.” My heart, for some weird reason, clenches. It feels like I'm betraying my soul with what I just said… but that can’t be. The mark is only for my mate, and that’s not Declan.

“Look, the two of you can fight about the mark later. We need to decide what to do; if you don’t get marked by him, Varric will take you for the experiment.”

“Experiment?” I frowned. “What does that mean?”

She pulled out her phone, clicked the screen, and a video played. It was me, in the school’s courtyard yesterday. Someone filmed me when that weird sound escaped me.

“So? This doesn’t mean anything. Everyone knows I don’t have a wolf.”

“Yes, everyone does.” She nodded. “However, how many wolfless have you seen or heard with a growl, let alone one like that? Varric saw the video, and now, he wants to experiment on you.”

“I still don’t understand what an experiment means.”

“And you won't need to.” Declan cut in. “On the night of the full moon, you will be marked and mated. Once that happens, this experiment doesn’t have to happen.” His voice was much deeper, stronger; like a mix of Vladimir and Soren from before.

I shook my head. “That’s not your choice to make. I decide; it’s my body. And I have decided, Elliot, my mate is the one to mark me, Declan.”

“You’re saying that with my c*m on your tongue?” He hissed. My cheeks flamed, saliva lodged in the wrong pipe. I glanced at his aunt; she coughed, looking away from either of us.

“Not here, Declan,” I glared, my cheeks still warm. “My decision still stands; I won't be marked by anyone other than my mate. If this experiment is what we have to do to make sure Varric stops with what he’s doing, then fine.

I will go for the experiment.”