The Broken Angel & Her Overprotective Brothers-Chapter 364: Emily’s Twenty-Third Birthday

Without even realizing it, the time passed quickly and the joyous day arrived.

The air buzzed with excitement as Emily’s friends and family gathered to celebrate her twenty-third birthday. The cozy backyard was adorned with fairy lights, and a long table boasted an array of delectable treats, from savory appetizers to a towering birthday cake.

Emily, radiant in a satin emerald gown, laughed with her brothers who were looking as dashing as possible. While some of them warmed her heart with their warm words, there were others who teased her about the inevitable aging process.

Crist grinned. "Em, remember when you thought turning twenty was ancient? Now look at you, practically a grandma."

Emily rolled her eyes, swatting his arm playfully. "Speak for yourself, old man."

"Mind your words, sis. If you declared me old then what will you say about Nick and Daniel?" Crist took the chance to turn the conversation toward their two eldest brothers’ ages, something he had been doing a lot ever since the two of them entered their thirties.

"Not again, Crist." Domenic looked done with his brother but the slight curve of his lips failed to hide the humor he too found in their playful remarks.

The gathering was diverse, a reflection of the eclectic friendships Alessandros and Emily had fostered over the years. The Evans were there as well as the Sullivans. Shane was present with his mate, Sera. Annika and Claire had also arrived.

Then there were the employees of Emily’s company, and finally, there was one more person whose appearance surprised everyone except Emily, the one who invited him.

"You seriously invited him?" Domenic asked Emily, his eyes betraying just how much he was affected by that person’s presence in the party.

Emily shook her head as she let out a small sigh. "Nick, he’s my teacher. How can I not invite him?"

Domenic opened his mouth to say something but then stopped. He looked as if he was trying to calm himself down.

"Why are you this worried? Do you think he will try to cause a scene for you?" Emily asked as she spared a quick look in the Fae King’s direction who was enjoying a drink with Shadow as the two were involved in a hushed conversation.

Domenic didn’t reply immediately and it only made Emily more curious about what was going know between her brother and his mate. "Nick, you know that you can tell me anything, right? Even if I can’t give you a solution, I will be a good listening buddy."

Domenic looked at her with hopeful eyes. There was no denying that something had been taking a toll on him but he failed to reveal it to anyone. As he looked at his little sister, he saw the same person who had been the most understanding toward his beliefs and actions despite being the youngest in the family. She was the one who always made him feel protected.

Taking hold of her hand, he pulled her to a secluded corner of the garden and settled down on the couches that were placed around the garden for the guests to sit and relax. He didn’t speak for a while and just played with the gold rings that Emily was wearing.

"Don’t tell me one of these is given by Kaiden." He suddenly spoke once he was done expecting the rings of her both hands. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Emily smiled at her brother’s thought process before she answered, "Don’t worry. He said that he would do it in front of you all instead of behind your back."

A chuckle escaped Domenic’s lips and he just shook his head before saying, "Of course, he will. He’s not the sneaky type... like mine."

"Like yours?" Emily didn’t let the chance go.

"No. What I mean is-"

"I know what you mean. Now, tell me exactly what is going on between you and Aleron." Emily didn’t give her brother the chance to beat around the bush and just went straight to the main point.

Domenic hesitated for a moment before he finally released a deep sigh and whispered - "We slept together."

Emily almost squealed, almost. It took her a few moments to get herself together before she asked, "And why is that an issue? You think you did it under the influence of the mate bond?"

Domenic hurriedly shook his head, dismissing the idea. "I’m old enough to separate my personal feelings from the pull of a mate bond. I won’t deny that I do feel attracted to him. I never forgot about him all these years."

"Can you share exactly what past you two share? I know a little bit but not enough to know exactly what happened." Emily asked carefully. She was happy that her brother was finally opening up to her with his worries but at the same time, she worried that she might end up pushing him too hard for answers and he would just stop sharing any further.

Domenic let out another sigh before he nodded his head and began - "It happened a decade ago. We met at a club and had a one-night stand. Everything was perfect until I got a cut on my lips from... from his kisses and he sensed the mate bond as soon as he tasted my blood. While he was extremely happy, it scared me, and I left that city that very night."

Emily nodded her head, understanding why her brother, who was in his early twenties back then, felt afraid. He was already holding so much on his plate, a mate was the last thing he would have wanted.

"Why did you believe that his presence in your life will cause you trouble? Why didn’t you think that his appearance might provide you the supporting hand you needed so much back then when you were left to handle everything on your own?" Emily asked as he studied her brother closely.

"He was a total stranger. How could I have trusted him with my family? Everyone was eyeing our family back then since we were at our lowest. A single mistake from my side would have cost us everything. I was unable to trust anyone with my family back then, not even my shadow." Domenic answered.

Emily looked at her brother with warmth as she spoke - "How come you never prioritize your own happiness over ours even for a second, Nick? Why do you always have to think about us first?"

A soft smile bloomed on Domenic’s lips as he answered, "Because you all are just not my siblings, but like my own children. I have been more of a parent to you than just your eldest brother. Of course, I will always prioritize the six of you over everything, even myself."

Emily wrapped her arms around her brother’s broad shoulders and pulled him into a tight and warm hug. She never met her father, but throughout these years, Domenic never let her feel the absence of their parents at all. He was indeed the father of their family.

Pulling away from the hug a couple of moments later, she asked - "I can understand why you didn’t choose him back then, but what about now? Why are you still trying to run away from the person who seems to be head over heels for you and you also seem to like him, even if just a little bit?"