Forbidden Never Felt This Good

Into the shadows

Serena:

I had risen early, filled with worry that my stepbrother might wake up and expose the truth about our mate bond. Would he really be foolish enough to reveal it to everyone and land us both in serious trouble?

Maximus had already cautioned me about the fallout if anyone overheard us even speaking inappropriately.

Picture how I would be viewed once they learned I had sensed the mate bond with my own stepbrother.

My mother would throw me out, and I would be labeled a shameless being. As though my pheromones had not already left me feeling unclean.

I slipped into an old dress and exited my room to head to breakfast, hoping to discover what was happening inside the mansion.

Since Ivy had remained awake until 5 a.m., her mother could not rouse her. Thus, it was only the two of us.

As I took my seat, I spotted the man from the previous night, absorbed in his phone. The way he hastily ended his call upon noticing me made me catch my breath.

Introductions took place, yet he continued to stare at me. For a second, I questioned whether he recalled me at all.

After all, he had been quite intoxicated the night before.

"Zane! Why don’t you taste this? I prepared a cheese omelet for you. It’s a fresh recipe, and I know how fond you are of it," my mother said cheerfully to my stepbrother. But I observed that they appeared rather unfriendly toward her.

Zane tapped his fork against his plate, but rather than taking the dish she extended, he simply gazed at her.

"Zane! She is doing her best to build a connection with you. At least try a little," Lord Aldric Voss complained, but his son merely rolled his eyes.

I did not wish to notice him in that manner, but he was so powerfully built and strangely appealing. My eyes then moved to Dorian, seated next to him, his neatly ironed light silver shirt with the sleeves rolled up just past his elbows, revealing his strong arms.

I swiftly averted my gaze, realizing what I was doing.

Even though I attempted to remain composed, it did not alter the reality that I had sensed the mate bond with the man sitting there, behaving as if he ruled everything. He was my stepbrother, and that meant danger.

The only positive aspect was that I lacked an active wolf, so after the first mate call, there was no possibility he could detect that we shared the mate bond.

But if he somehow remembered, I was finished.

"I’m finished," Zane suddenly rose, prompting Dorian to look up at him. He then glanced toward their father and realized that Zane’s sudden exit was likely to anger him.

"I have some meetings I need to complete before the storm. Also, I’ve requested Zane’s assistance," Dorian quickly stood up after his brother. I wondered if he was being truthful or simply inventing a reason to shield him. The instant he provided that explanation, their father appeared to calm down.

"Ah, right. I’m pleased Zane is showing interest in the business too. Everything my golden child touches turns to gold," Lord Aldric Voss smiled with pride, even as Zane himself did not seem particularly affected by the compliment.

Zane slipped his hands into his pants pockets, casually throwing his coat back, then walked off. His broad and muscular brother followed, picking up his coat in a very deliberate manner, draping it over his arm before departing.

I had not known them for long, but Dorian seemed to me like someone very concerned with his appearance. The way he dressed, the accessories—everything was so exact and costly.

Zane, by contrast, was entirely different. His coat was rumpled, his shirt creased, and he had not even bothered to tuck it into his pants. His tie was slack and crooked.

"Serena! I’m so happy you joined us for breakfast. I had been curious why you’ve been keeping away, but then Nora told me that you’re an introvert and don’t like being around people. That’s why I stopped inviting you. But I’m glad you made the effort today," Lord Aldric Voss explained, clearly relieved by the excuses they had created for my absence. A knot formed in my stomach.

It saddened me that, instead of simply putting up with my presence for a short while, they had gone to the trouble of inventing a falsehood.

I could only manage a faint smile in reply. Just then, Ivy appeared, though by that point, Lord Aldric Voss and my mother had already completed their breakfast.

"I’ll help you get ready for the office," my mother offered eagerly, desperate to win favor with these people. She departed with Lord Aldric Voss, leaving me alone with Ivy and Aunt Nora.

"Serena! Why don’t you make yourself useful?" Aunt Nora’s sharp tone surprised me as she rose from the table, carefully arranging a tray with small servings of every dish.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, ready to face any demand. I noticed a knowing look pass between Nora and Ivy before Aunt Nora placed the tray in front of me.

"The brothers didn’t join us because of you. Why don’t you take this tray of food to one of them?" Her request startled me.

I was new in the mansion—why would I be the one asked to deliver their food? They should be the ones coming down to eat with everyone else.

"I don’t think that would help. If anything, it might just irritate them even more if I appeared," I declined the task. I knew they did not like me from our very first encounter.

I had witnessed Dorian’s fury firsthand, and Ivy herself had said the others were the real danger. So why would I willingly go before them?

"Knox is the youngest of the brothers. He’s really ill today, so he’d appreciate it if you took his food upstairs," Ivy added, agreeing with her mother. I turned my head, considering my choices.

"Come on, didn’t you see how concerned your mother looked? Help her out by dealing with the brothers yourself, and convince them you didn’t come here to steal their money or live off them," Aunt Nora insisted, standing behind me and urging me to rise from my chair.

I truly did not want to do it, but she was right about my mother being worried. She did not deserve to be punished by the brothers because of me.

I had to begin managing my own issues. Maybe bringing food to my stepbrother would make him dislike me less.

"Okay, but which room is his?" I asked reluctantly, finally standing from my chair, though I was so hungry I could have eaten right then.

"The first room on the second floor. It has a black doorknob, which makes it stand out from the others," Aunt Nora added, giving me a slight push forward.

The tray was heavier than I expected—or maybe I was just feeling dizzy. I took it and headed upstairs, but deep down, I had a strong sense that I was making an error.

But it was too late to go back. I was already on the second floor, standing before the door with the black knob.

Before I could knock, Aunt Nora hurried up behind me, quickly turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. I did not like what she did. Why didn’t she knock?

"Just leave it inside," she whispered, then swiftly retreated and went downstairs, leaving me in an awkward position.

The room was completely dark when I entered. He must have been in the bathroom, so I thought I would simply set the tray on the side table and depart quietly.

But my clumsiness failed me. As I set the tray down, I knocked something off the table. It did not just fall; it shattered noisily, resounding in the dark room.

"Who the f**k is in my room!"

His voice thundered from inside the bathroom, filled with threat. I immediately regretted coming here.