Chapter 4 : A Challenge Between Brothers

Eleonore’s POV

My heart was thrumming uncontrollably in my chest. It was so loud I could have sworn the twins behind me must have heard it before I left. The reason for my quick departure stared at me in the form of wide beady eyes behind round black-rimmed glasses.

I walked up to the librarian at the front desk as she finished stamping some books in front of her. Looking up from her current task she nodded her head towards me and pushed the books towards me.

“Shelve these with the rest of your load,” She said, and then reached down to gather some more books from a crate at the bottom of her feet. “—and these too. Can you carry it all?”

I stared at the large crate of books as I judged its weight and my ability to carry heavy loads-which was sorely lacking-and calculated the distance to the shelves in my head.

It wasn’t too far a journey, so I think I could make it if I—

“I’ll carry them for her.” A voice interrupted my thoughts and I watched as a pair of strong arms reached past me to grab the crate of books. When I looked up I came face to face with one of the twins—Rhett, judging from the longer hair.

I immediately moved to protest, but judging from the look in his eyes I doubted he would let me get very far in that regard. So I just sent him a grateful smile and took the smaller pile from the desk before leading him back to where I had left the two of them earlier.

My entire body was aware of Rhett following closely behind me, even more so when we had to squeeze between the shelves of the books, but what shocked me more was the sight before me. It was Hayden picking up books from the floor.

I realized it was the same books I had knocked over in my fall with the rude patrons and a sigh left me when I realized just how much work I had.

Placing the books I had in my hand on top of the cart I began swatting his hand away from the pile, trying to tell him that this wasn’t his job to do.

Hayden looked up at me at my actions and gave me a quizzical look, then turned to his brother who was still holding the crate of books and back to me. “So Rhett can help you but I can’t?” His question caused my eyes to widen. “Do you have a favourite already?”

Woah, is he usually this bold? He had asked the question with a laugh and a humorous tone, but why did I get the sense that he was somewhat serious about it?

Offering him an awkward smile I got up with some of the books in my hand and watched as they began to come slightly more closer to me.

Rhett’s calming voice broke the silence first. “I wanted to apologize for our behaviour the previous night.” He said as he placed his hand above his heart. The gesture was strange to me and yet... somewhat endearing.

He seemed like the shyer of the two, but boy did he know what to say when he did speak.

I tilted my head at him in confusion, wondering what exactly it was that he was referring to. I tried to wrack my brain for any misdeeds they might have done but only remembered them being nice and offering me a lift home.

“For barging in when you were about to close up.” Rhett clarified, taking note of my confused expression. “It must have been a tiring day if those are the sort of patrons you have come in here.”

I felt my eyebrows pull together as I shook my head, my expression telling him that it wasn’t anything. Although my wrist and ankle still stung a bit it was slowly beginning to fade away.

It’s true that they were harsh, but that was the most extreme case I had ever endured so far.

“Did you know any of those people?” Hayden asked, his somewhat angry voice a harsh contrast to what Rhett’s calming one was. I shook my head and took out my phone.

[One of them was here yesterday, he was angry about something.]

“So he takes his frustrations out on the staff?” Hayden demanded and I noticed the harsh grip he was holding on one of the books. Smiling cautiously at him, I reached forward and grabbed the book gently from his hand.

Jesus, how strong was this guy? It felt like the book almost had a dent in it.

Taking the book I re-shelved it and turned back to the cart as the two of them continued to have their conversation.

“Is your wrist and ankle alright?” Rhett asked moving even closer, reaching out lightly in question for my wrist and I, surprising even myself, gave it to him willingly. A small smile splayed across my face at how gently he held my wrist and I twisted and turned it in his grasp to show that it was fine.

A slight shuffle sounded from behind me, and I turned around to notice Hayden had gathered a large number of books and set them down roughly on one of the higher shelves. It was a duty I would have had to get a stepping stool for and I was grateful for him then.

I told him as much with a low nod of my head and he sent a wink my way as he continued to work on the books labelled for the higher shelves. Rhett, on the other hand, continued to inspect my wrist.

“You should put some ice on these at least.” Rhett murmured as he looked at the light purple bruising that was forming on my wrist. “Do you have a staff room here where you could do that?”

I shook my head dejectedly.

“No staff room?” He asked wisely, “Or no ice?”

I rose two of my fingers, indicating the second option.

“Still...” He continued to run his finger over the light purple marks, “Even some cold water would do.” And then he looked up at me and I was floored with the expression in his eyes. “Could you do that?”

I nodded slowly, taking a while longer to come back to my senses than necessary as he looked at me.

Maybe I should go, I thought to myself, if only to take a break from whatever was going on here. With a wave to both of them with my uninjured wrist I made my way out of the aisle and towards the staff room.

Rhett’s POV

I took a deep breath as she left us in the middle of the aisle, her scent and perfume still lingering in the air behind her was causing me to react in ways I had never felt before.

“Jesus,” Hayden groaned as he jumped down from one of the shelves and landed next to me, I could sense just how tense he was just from standing next to him. “That was brutal.”

I couldn’t agree more. If we had thought meeting her for the first time was like being hit with a truck, seeing her again was worse. It was like her allure and presence had grown over the past twenty four hours and we were powerless to stop its spread.

I turned to look at my twin at my side and wasn’t at all shocked to see that he was looking at me with that familiar fire in his eyes that was always burning there. I noticed that look as soon as I saw it; it was the look he got whenever there was a challenge in front of him.

What caused the shocked look on his face to form was the fact that his expression was mirrored on my face, too. There was no way I was going to let her go.

“Hayden,” I warned slowly as he began backing away from me, “We have to talk about this.”

He raised a brow at me and I was quickly growing frustrated with his rash behaviour. “You’re going to scare her off. We have to discuss this and—“

“Discuss what?” Hayden asked me as he stopped, causing me to stop walking too. “We both know what she is to us, problem is, there’s only one of her and two of us.”

He shrugged as he continued. “I say let the best man win, no?”

There was a feral look to him then, a downward look and threatening smile escaped his lips. I felt my own wolf stir in me, the alpha gene wanting nothing more than to accept this so obvious challenge from my brother.

I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. “If we both act like animals there’ll be nothing left of her.” I tried to reason with him, but I could tell his mind was far away from my words of reason.