Page 48 of My Alpha Stepbrother's Dirty Secret 3

"Yeah‚" I whispered‚ heart still beating hard.

"Just take care of yourself‚ okay?"she said‚ her voice warming up again."That's all I care about."

Before I could even respond‚ I heard Dad's voice in the background.

"Anna‚" he said suddenly‚ as if he'd been waiting for a chance to talk."Stay safe‚ my angel."

Then Mom cut the call.

And I let out a long‚ relieved breath‚ finally able to exhale all the tension that had been crawling down my spine.

CHAPTER 147

Anna's POV

"Anna!You got a tattoo!"

"What?!"I snapped my head up‚ almost dropping the wet shirt in my hand.

"R.Wolfe… is that his name?Your childhood crush?"Sasha's voice was high and loud‚ like she had just discovered the biggest secret in the world.

My whole body went stiff."What?"I repeated‚ but it came out weaker this time.

"You tattooed his name on your neck!Anna‚ what the hell did you do?!"

I gasped and my hand flew to my neck."No—" My words got stuck in my throat as I felt it‚ the faint sting‚ the tender skin.My phone slipped out of my other hand and clattered onto the washing machine."Shit…"

It was Sunday afternoon.After last night with Ryan‚ I'd slept through the morning and only dragged myself out of bed when Sasha knocked on my door‚ asking if I wanted to do laundry with her.I'd said yes‚ grabbed my dirty clothes‚ and even pulled off the bedsheets Ryan had ruined last night‚ but I never expected this.Not this.

My hands trembled as I yanked my phone back up‚ turned on the front camera‚ and tilted it toward my neck.My breath caught.There it was.Clear as day.

R.Wolfe.

His name.Stamped into my skin like ink.Only it wasn't ink.Beside the letters was the outline of a wolf's head.The mark.His mark.

"Oh my God‚" I whispered."Oh my God‚ no—"

I'd seen this before.I'd seen it on Mom and Dad‚ the way his name was etched into her skin and hers into his.I always thought it was some weird tattoo thing they'd done for each other to prove their love.I had never‚ not once‚ imagined it was… this.That it was the result of a mark.

And now… Ryan had marked me.

Sasha was staring at me like I was insane."Anna‚ when did you even have the time to get this done?Yesterday afternoon there was nothing on your neck.Don't lie‚ I would've noticed.Then you've been in bed since… since—" she gestured wildly‚ "—how did you even pull this off?And why on your neck?If you loved him that bad‚ couldn't you have done it somewhere private?Somewhere less… obvious?Anna‚ are you out of your mind?What if you break up?"

Her voice was frantic‚ worried‚ but it only made my stomach twist harder.My hand stayed glued to my neck‚ covering the mark like that could somehow erase it."It's not—" I started‚ then stopped‚ because what could I even say?That Ryan had bitten me in the middle of everything last night and branded me permanently?That I had no choice in this?

I shook my head‚ my eyes burning."Shit!"

She frowned‚ "Anna‚ what's going on with you?"

Her voice faded as my mind spun.Mom.Dad.Oh God.What would they say if they saw this?Mom would panic.Dad would…

I lifted my phone with shaky hands‚ angled the camera at my neck‚ and snapped a picture‚ my chest tightened as I typed fast:

‘What the hell is this?Explain.'

I hit send before I could second-guess myself‚ clutching the phone like it might burn through my palm.My stomach twisted while I waited for the little dots to pop up‚ hoping he'd reply right away.

A buzz rattled the phone in my grip.My heart leapt‚ thinking it was him‚ but when I glanced at the screen‚ my breath caught.