13. A (Blank) Box
Just as Micah's foot hit the last step, there was a knock on the door, but Iri already knew that it was Ivan, she felt his presence when he was down the street.
"Iriye?" Ivan's voice sounded as he appeared behind her after the door had opened, a worried current seeping into his tone, "What's wrong?"
She sighed, and folded her arms across her chest, just as Micah walked to her, and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to her forehead as he spoke over her, "Nothing's wrong with her, that you need to worry about,"
Iriye could see the way her brother's dark eyes flashed as he leaned against the island, staring at her mate in complete disdain before overlooking him and letting his hard gaze fall on Iri. His eyes softened the second he looked at her, "You were really upset. I got worried. What happened?"
"Nothing, I was just being stupid, Ivan, it's fine. Micah and I were-"
"It's not any of his business, Iri." Micah cut her off, his voice low in her ear. He was talking through her teeth, and it sent a shiver of something between lust and intimidation down her spine.
Her neck strained as she looked over at him. His lips were pulled down, eyebrows almost touching, and casting a dark shadow over his eyes, making his long lashes seem darker than they really were as he stared at Ivan, then spoke to him after a lapse filled with silence, "Ivan, you're bringing up shit that has already been resolved. She's not upset anymore, so please drop it."
"Look, Micah, I wasn't talking to you," Ivan snapped, "I was talking to my sister, who is a grown woman who can speak if she wants to fucking speak, so-"
"Ivan, it's fine, drop it," Iri cut in with a tired sigh, "And don't speak to him like that. The both of you need to be respectful to each other."
His mouth snapped shut audibly, but even as he glared at her, his voice let her in on how he really felt, "You're alright?" She nodded, "Promise me,"
"I promise, Ivan," Iri murmured as she walked to her older brother, pulling him into her arms, and pressing her lips to his cheek, "I'm fine."
The two had a strange relationship. Ivan was twelve years older than her, and Iri swore that he barely knew who she was until she was four years old, and their parents had left the two at home, with Ivan in charge. She remembered how much older than her he was, and even though he was her big brother, and sometimes he would slip her some of the canned blackberries Momma had made with everyone's breakfast but hers because she was too high strung, she didn't think that he really liked her. When their parents left Iriye with Ivan that night to visit with some friends, it was the first time Iriye had ever been separated from her Momma in her four short years of life. She had only stopped nursing her some months earlier, so Iriye was scared out of her little four year old mind.
Candice stayed at home, and did all the housework, and Iri was always less than a half step behind her, and Ivan was out with Papa helping with the land, or with his friends, so the two only crossed paths at meals.
She tried to be a big, strong girl like her Momma had made her promise she'd be, but the second she couldn't hear Candice's heartbeat, Iri crawled into her parent's bed, and cried her little heart out.
Ivan had found her, and held her, and told her that she didn't have to cry with him.
"I'll protect you, Punkin," She remembered him promising her as he rocked her in his arms. He told her that it was his job as big brother to make sure she was safe, and that she didn't have to be scared or sad whenever he was close, and he loved her.
