Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 265

"You lost the right to say all that to me the moment you-

"The moment I what?" he growled, tightening his grip just slightly. Those to protect you in a way you didn't understand? Chose to do the right thing in order for me to finally be able to keep you?"

God. His voice. So calm it was maddening. So sure, so steady. As if he truly believed he was doing the right thing

But I wasn't a child. And I wasn't weak. Not anymore.

I swallowed the storm rising in my throat and slowly pried my wrist from his grasp.

"You need to go."

Kester tilted his head and gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Eat something first." He gestured to the bag.

"I'm not eating anything you bring me," I said, but even a child would see that I was sincerely hungry for whatever was contained in that bag.

As if he sensed the cracks spiderwebbing through my pride, Kester dipped his hand into the bag with that maddening calm of his.

I watched him, arms crossed tightly over my chest, trying to suppress the groan in my stomach that had turned vicious the moment the scent of food hit me.

And God, it hit like a storm.

He pulled out a small, rectangular box wrapped in clean parchment paper. The scent hit me first-rich, buttery, smoky, with the faintest trail of herbs and roasted meat.

My stomach growled loudly.

It was mortifying.

wasn't now eyeing the contents of the bag like a starving woman eyeing her

did. His smirk deepened as he set

unwrapped it, and the

Meat pies.

floury ones Jake had been trying to convince me were

No.

tender venison slow- cooked in a peppered gravy, bits of roasted sweet onion, and crushed coriander

voice

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Chapter 265.

he said. "From Elowen's. You always used to say they

afford.

I swallowed hard.

the bag

chilled linen.

My heart stopped.

"You didn't," I whispered.

me to see the label, and

you like it strong, not

sides, droplets clinging to the rim like dew on morning grass. My hand twitched

reach for it.

He knew.

swallowing around the lump in my throat. "You're leaving as soon

once and stepped