Tasting
Chapter 60

60–We Lost My Stepdad

Nora:

Ryker’s constant glaring made us uncomfortable. It was obvious that we needed to come up with an explanation for why we were in that state.

“Uhhh—we were just—,” As Silas opened his mouth, Ryker’s loud grunt shut him up. If anything, it was clear he didn’t want to hear any explanations. First the council members and now Ryker, it was twice in a row, and I was beginning to blame myself for it. I should have told him to back off. But the freaking horny side of mine just laid there and enjoyed his hands and then his lips. I bit my bottom lip when remembering those few seconds of a strange feeling of being in heaven, and when I raised my head, my eyes met with Ryker, who was obviously not very pleased..

“Come downstairs,” Ryker grunted, not even asking us to explain ourselves and rushing out of the room. Now that it was just the two of us, I found Silas‘ muscles tense up.

“Shit!” he complained. I felt just as bad. It was so embarrassing to be caught like that by Ryker. Who was not only my stepbrother but my mate too. Silas never said a word after that, and neither could I muster some courage to utter a thank you to him. Not for the ointment but to get me in trouble twice. We fixed our clothes and went down to replace everyone there.

To our surprise, the brothers were in the living room. They had returned, and from the looks on their faces, it felt like they didn’t come with good news.

60 We Lost My Stepdad

“What’s going on?” Silas stepped up, watching his brothers anxiously trying to avoid making eye contact with us. Cain looked defeated, with his hands on the couch backrest and his head bowed down. Nash was huffing and grunting, walking around like an unleashed bull. Ryker stood near the big glass door, with his hands in his pants‘ pockets and his face turned away from us.

Part of me wondered if it was about what Ryker saw. However, soon my assumptions met dust when one of the brothers decided to break the silence.

“Dad—,” Cain uttered in a soft murmur, raising his head and looking at his brother.

“What happened to dad?” Silas lost his calm almost instantly and yelled, demanding a much clearer statement than what Cain provided him with. This time, the responsibility to answer him was handed over to Nash, who walked up to his brother to face him before breaking the heart–wrenching news upon us.

“The monsters took him,” Nash uttered, making me cover my mouth to hide the shock and fear. Silas quickly slapped his brother’s hand away when Nash attempted to place it on his shoulder.

“What the heck are you saying? How can a monster take Lord Atwood with his sons guarding him?” Silas screamed at his brothers, reminding them that Lord Atwood was not some omega that could be taken away so easily.

“Dad wandered off, and by the time we knew, the monsters took him, it was too late,” Cain explained, hastily stepping out from behind the couch to halt Silas‘ agitation. He was the angriest and was even ready to throw his hands at anyone he found suitable to blame for his missing father.

60–We Lost My Stepdad

I was deeply devastated. Lord Atwood was the best father figure in my life. How the heck did the monsters get him?

“Huh? Do you even hear yourself? The three of you incompetently

stood there while a monster took away dad?” Silas repeated his

concerns, focusing more on blaming his brothers than replaceing a way to locate their father.

“Enough with the blaming. We are as worried. In fact, we might be more concerned. While you, on the other hand,” Ryker finally stepped up and reached his brothers, even pushing Silas back and away from the others. I noticed that Ryker was deeply disturbed too.

“Maybe we should put our energy into replaceing dad,” I meekly mumbled because the minute I intervened, the brothers turned to face me. They seemed so aggressive, with their big bodies looming over me. I wished the world would open and swallow me.

“It’s not the right time to be arguing. We all need to be on our feet to replace dad.” Cain quickly interrupted to steal their attention back to the main subject.

“I will not stay behind this time,” Silas shook his head, passing me a disgusting glare as if I was the reason he had to stay behind. I mean, he was left behind for me, but it’s not like he was left behind for me, but it’s not like he would have been able to save his father. They never truly showed care for him before.

“I am going out to the woods myself,” Nash shrugged, letting them know he wouldn’t be left behind either.

However, I felt like I shouldn’t be left behind either. I wanted to help them replace dad.

“I want to go too,” I said, as I didn’t want them to stay behind because of me. I wanted to do my best to locate him, and I knew I could. I had that power in me.

But the minute they heard it, their grunts turned louder.

“No! You will freaking stay here,” Silas yelled, taking me off guard. At least they should have considered my help, as replaceing their father was important. But instead, they were still making sure they reminded me I am not welcomed.

“But he is my father too-,” I murmured, watching them roll their eyes. Nash was constantly punching his fist against his palm, his eyes at me like he would eat me alive if I insisted on joining them one more time. Silas seemed too disgusted with my existence, even when he was the one sucking my tit not even an, hour ago. Ryker seemed indifferent, and Cain was rubbing his face in his hands when he heard Nash and raised his head.

“He is not.”

Silas seemed to agree with Nash as he nodded.

“You were never his daughter. You are just a burden on our shoulders, and it will be better that you stay here and some monsters come take you away instead,” Nash’s comment broke my heart to the point that I passed them all one glance before turning around and running upstairs in tears.

Even in a situation like that, they wished I was in danger.