Sinful [malexmale]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

One, two, three, four.

Whack!

I slammed my fist into the punching bag and sent it spiraling out before it came tumbling back. I counted to before I swung my leg around and kicked it away with another loud whack that echoed through the mostly empty training room. I'd arrived early after I got a call from Alex telling me that someone had jammed the signal from one of the cameras in the mountain pass between Helheim and Hell. He'd gotten right on fixing it and in the mean time, I had gone to let loose some steam.

Anger whipped around in me with a fury that put to shame my earlier rage over the whole situation with Julius coming to get me. I had no doubt it was Julius. He'd picked up on me poking around, so he was probably gonna try knocking out all the cameras, but once he got the final camera jammed, I was going send troops in to completely flood the area. See how he appreciates that fun little surprise.

I smashed my fist into the punching bag and sent it spinning before I caught it a foot away from me before it could knock me off my feet. I sensed someone moving toward the room and turned my head in time to see Alaric coming in, all huffy and angry. His cheeks flushed, hazel eyes blazing angrily and his short light-brown, blonde-laced hair pulled into a short ponytail as he stalked towards me. I arched a brow.

"You look pissy." I commented. Alaric shot me a glare that would've made a normal citizen flee, but I took it in stride as I stepped aside to let him take a whack at the punching bag. I watched him, curious by his anger, when my eyes fell on a row of hickeys that dotted his exposed shoulder blade. My eyes widened slightly.

"What are those?" I asked, even though it was obvious. Alaric scowled, stopping punching the bag to look over his shoulder when the bag came slamming into him and almost knocked him off his feet. I caught him under the arms to steady him before catching the bag before it could come back and hit him. Alaric blushed furiously, reaching back to rub at his shoulder blade.

"Nothing." He grunted at last, turning to the punching bag. I frowned.

"You have a girlfriend?"

"No."

"A boyfriend?"

"Absolutely not."

"Did you visit a brothel?"

"Who said they were hickeys?!"

"I'm not stupid, Alaric." I deadpanned. Alaric scowled at me, turning back to the punching bag before landing a hard smack to it that had it spinning out and reeling back in, but he kicked it back before it could hit him. He didn't speak to me now. Just beat the living crap out of it. I couldn't stop staring at the marks on his shoulder, though. They were obviously hickeys, but from whom? As far as I knew, Alaric was as serious about his job as I was. He didn't do dating and I'd never even seen him go to a brothel. Come to think of it, I don't think Alaric even had any friends. He brought a whole new meaning to socially awkward.

But there was no denying those marks. He'd slept with someone, or at least did some hardcore necking. Whoever had done it looked incredibly possessive... and streak of annoyance passed through me. Why wouldn't Alaric tell me if he was sleeping with someone? There weren't any secrets amongst my siblings and I.

Well, aside from mine, but that didn't count. That was a necessary secret.

But if Alaric had a lover, did I have the right to know as his older brother? What if this person was a snake? What if they were just doing it to hurt him? What if he wasn't willing?

That scared me even more. A shudder went through me at the thought of anyone treating my younger brother, or any of my siblings for that matter, the way I had been treated. My stomach churned and clenched to the point where I swore my breakfast would resurface.