Forbidden Mate- A Step-brother Romance - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

~APOLLO~
I almost killed the bastard for laying a hand on my mate. I've never felt such rage before. All I wanted to do was protect Lana after seeing what he'd done to her.
Since Isabella was around, I could not show my true emotions. I did not want her to have the slightest clue that Lana was my mate.
But fuck, it was hard to pretend that I was okay.
I wanted to pull her in my arms and tell her that I was sorry for not protecting her. If I hadn't stopped to talk to my father about my mother, I might have gotten here in time to stop everything from happening.
"I can't believe that actually happened," Isabella whispers, tears flowing down her face. “You took all the attacks to protect me. I am so sorry I did not protect you, too."
She definitely felt guilty that Lana was injured from trying to protect her.
"No!" Lana whispers as she hugs her sister. "You do not need to apologize. I am the one who told you not to interfere. Do not blame yourself. This is definitely not your fault at all."
"I don't understand," Isabella whispers. "Who was that man? What did he want? And why did he keep asking for Apollo?"
I close my eyes as I feel the pain from her question travel within my body. This was all my fault. We defeated the White Wolves clan and didn't think they would come for revenge.
I never had something like this happen in the past. No one has ever come for my step-sisters or any of my family members, for that matter. The last thing I expected when I came looking for Lana was to see her on the ground being assaulted by an asshole.
Damn it. I should have killed the bastard instead of calling my pack fighters to hold him hostage.
"I'm sorry." I apologize sincerely. "This is my fault. My pack recently defeated the White Wolves clan. I didn't think they would seek revenge like this, but they were obviously plotting this for a while. Or maybe it was just him since he came alone. I can't tell for sure until we torture the truth out of him."
It hurt to know that this could have been avoided. I should have been more prepared for something like this.
I would never be able to forgive myself for making such a mistake. As soon as Lana got home, I would meet with my pack. I needed to make sure that there were no more threats surrounding my family.
"It is not your fault," Lana whispers. "It isn't anyone's fault."
I wasn't sure why she was defending me. I've been a complete asshole towards her. She shouldn't be trying to make me feel better.
"Look at what happened to you," I growl. "That bastard hurt you. How is it not my fault? He wanted revenge on me! Why did he need to take it out on you?"
"I barely got any injuries." She lies. "I am fine."
My jaw clenched, "you are bleeding."
She gets quiet, and I look at her from the rearview mirror. It bothered me a lot more than I ever knew it would. I cared plenty about Lana; I've just gotten so used to pretending that I didn't care about her that part of me didn't even acknowledge just how much she meant to me.
She catches me looking at her, and I turn my attention back to the road.
My hand tightens on the steering wheel. I felt like I could break it with the kind of rage I still had bottled up inside of me from seeing that asshole hurt my mate.
The second I pulled up to the house, I jumped out of the truck and searched the perimeters, ensuring it was clear of all danger.
Then I returned to the vehicle and opened the door so that Isabella and Lana could exit.
"It feels so good to be home," Isabella says as she rushes inside without another word.
Lana stays back, and I see she has plenty on her mind.
"Aren't you heading inside?" I ask her.
I couldn't leave unless I were sure she was safe and away from danger.
"I just wanted to say—" she pauses and looks around like she's nervous about saying whatever is on her mind.
"What is it?" I ask gently, worried that she is hurting somewhere. I would never be able to get over this. Seeing her this way made the guilt much worse.
"Thank you." She whispers as she rubs her arms without looking me in the eyes.
Why the fuck was she thanking me? I was the reason that everything happened to her in the first place. I didn't deserve any thanks from her.
I take a step closer to her, "Do you understand that everything that happened to you was because of me?" I ask her. "Why are you thanking me when this was all my fault?"
She bites her lip and finally looks me in the eyes. "I wish you would stop blaming yourself. You not only protected me today but also protected my younger sister. If you didn't show up when you did, there is no telling what could have happened to both of us."
I knew that once again she was only trying to make me feel better. Why was she trying this hard for someone that didn't deserve it?
My eyes are suddenly drawn to her bruised lip. The lips I was lucky enough to kiss just a few days ago. My eyes darken as I lift my finger and gently rub it over the bruise.
Lana gasps from the contact.
I could feel my control beginning to slip once more. I had to get out of here immediately. We were home and I didn't need our parents seeing us this close. I shouldn't even be touching her lips out in the open like this.
"I have to go," I tell her as I rush back into my truck.
That was too risky.
It couldn't happen again.