Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother Chapter 150

I keep glancing at Asher as we walk, his broad back moving with each determined step, his left arm still pressed tightly against his side. He’s holding himself in that protective, tense way that makes me worry. Blood sweep, he called it. I have no idea what that means, but it sounds serious.

“Asher,” I say, quickening my steps to catch up to him. My boots crunch against the icy snow. “What do you mean, a blood sweep?”

He doesn’t slow down, his head still angled forward, eyes cutting through the trees like a predator on high alert. “Checking for more wounds. Making sure I’m not leaking blood anywhere I can’t see.”

A sharp chill runs down my spine, and it’s not from the cold. “Are you? Bleeding more, I mean?”

“No.”

“But you could be. I think we should—”

“I’m fine, Penny,” he says, his tone low but firm, cutting off my worry before it can fully form. He glances down at me, his eyes just a shade softer. “I promise.”

I shut my mouth, chewing the inside of my cheek as we keep moving. Max is a few steps ahead, his long legs effortlessly keeping up with Asher’s punishing pace, but I keep falling behind. Asher seems to realize, because he slows down, throwing another glance my way, this one tinged with something I can’t quite name. Guilt? Regret?

I don’t know, and I’m too shaken to try and figure it out right now. My heart is still hammering, my brain replaying the sight of Asher diving between us and that massive wolf, his hand clamping down on its throat like he was born for it. Like it was just another Thursday for him.

I’m still walking a few paces behind them, trying to shake the chill of the encounter, when I catch a bit of their conversation. Asher’s voice, low and steady, just ahead of me.

“Thanks for looking out for her,” he says, his tone quieter than usual, like he doesn’t quite want me to hear.

Max’s response is instant, his voice just as low but with a hint of a grin. “No problem, man. I wasn’t about to let anything happen to her.”

There’s a beat of silence, just the crunch of snow under our boots, before Max adds, “But how did you know? About the wolf?”

Asher hesitates, his broad shoulders tensing. “I wasn’t a hundred percent sure,” he admits, his head turning just slightly, like he’s making sure I’m still behind them. “But I had a bad feeling. And you’re the only one here I trust to keep her safe if I have to step away.”

Max lets out a low, surprised chuckle. “Damn. High praise, Hayes.”

Asher doesn’t respond, just keeps walking, his jaw set, his eyes sharp as ever, his steps cutting through the snow with that unshakeable purpose.

Ahead, the dark silhouette of our cabin finally comes into view, its small windows glowing warmly in the distance. Asher veers toward it without hesitation, clearly intending to go straight there.

“Come,” he says over his shoulder, his tone still sharp, still vibrating with that leftover adrenaline.

I start to follow, but then I remember. “Oh, wait,” I say, slowing to a stop. He turns, his brows knitting together in confusion. “I left my phone at the lodge. And you left your book.”

His jaw tightens, and I can see the internal debate playing out in his eyes. He clearly doesn’t want to let me out of his sight, but he also knows I’m stubborn. “Leave it,” he says, almost a growl.

“I’ll be quick,” I promise, trying for a small, reassuring smile, even though my heart is still racing. “Plus, you need to get that arm cleaned up. I’ll be right back.”

He hesitates, his eyes flicking to Max, who’s still lingering nearby. There’s a brief, silent exchange between them that I don’t quite catch, but it ends with Max nodding and stepping closer to me, his large hand finding my waist. “I’ll stay with her,” he says firmly. “I’ll bring her back.”

Asher’s eyes narrow for a second, but then he just sighs, shaking his head. “Fine. Be quick.” He spins on his heel and marches toward the cabin without another word, the door closing behind him with a dull thud.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and glance up at Max. He’s still got his hand on my waist, his jaw set, his own expression still tinged with concern. “Come on,” he says, his tone a little softer now. “Let’s make it quick.”

We head toward the lodge, the sound of our boots crunching against the frozen snow the only thing breaking the heavy silence. My mind is still spinning, my nerves still on edge. I try to shake off the unease, focusing instead on the warm glow of the lodge lights coming into view.

Inside, the scene is chaotic as ever. People are talking over each other, a few still nervously glancing out the windows, as if the wolf might suddenly burst through the glass. I spot my phone on one of the couches and grab it quickly, the cold metal almost slipping from my still-numb fingers. I find Asher’s book nearby, tucked under someone’s discarded jacket, and snatch that up too.

I’m about to turn back to Max, ready to head out, when I hear it.

A familiar voice.

I freeze, my heart lurching. That… that sounds like Luc? And… Madame Loretto? I blink, my head whipping toward the sound.

“What the…” I mutter, my pulse spiking.

I turn, my eyes locking on Rebecca and another girl hunched over a phone, both of them snickering. “Wait, what is that?” I ask, stepping closer.

Rebecca looks up, her eyes gleaming with a wicked sort of glee. “Oh my god,” she says, leaning back with a smirk. “Penny, look what I just saw online.” She taps her phone, her grin stretching wider as she holds it up. “You’re gonna love this.”

Before I can even process what she’s saying, she swipes her phone screen, and the big TV on the wall flickers to life, mirroring her device.

No. No. No.

It’s… it’s me.

I watch in stunned, frozen horror as a shaky camera focuses in on Luc and me, in the studio, our bodies moving in perfect harmony. I recognize this moment. I remember it. It’s from that night. The night I fell.

The camera angle is tight on us, our arms entwined, legs extended in perfect synchronicity. For a moment, I’m almost mesmerized by it, the dance beautiful and precise, even through the shaky, grainy quality of the video. But then I hear it. The sound that’s been haunting my nightmares.

The ringtone.

Loud and shrill, cutting through the beautiful music like a blade. My heart seizes, my stomach turning to ice. I watch as my body stiffens on screen, my head whipping toward the sound, Luc’s panicked expression as he tries to adjust, the sudden, sickening twist of my body, the snap of my head hitting the floor.

Gasps echo around the lodge, a few people clapping their hands over their mouths. Someone curses. Max shouts, “Turn it off!” but Rebecca just keeps laughing. More guys from the football team are now yelling at her that this is sick, and she needs to stop.

And then the camera shifts.

The person filming is backing up, panning over the chaos, catching Luc’s devastated, tear-streaked face as he shouts, “Why was your phone on? Get out of here!”

The camera turns, just for a split second, catching a face. A familiar, shocked, guilty face.

Zoe.

The room goes deathly quiet. My heart pounds, my knees feel weak, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.

No. No, this can’t be.

Not her.

But it is. It’s her.

Zoe.