LET GO OF ME STEPBROTHER! I'M NOT YOUR LUNA

Carol's world shattered as the pack doctor's words echoed in her mind.

"We are very sorry, we tried our best, but it was too late."

Lockhart , the Alpha of the powerful Moonlight Pack, was gone.

Carol's heart ripped apart, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She stared down at the blurry ground before her and wished there was something she could do.

As a Salutar werewolf, gifted with healing abilities, she was useless and couldn't help him at all.

As a werewolf born to a wizard, she only had limited powers, and they were not strong enough to save Lockhart.

Even the powers of the witch doctors couldn't save him.

Noah's expression transformed from anguish to icy coldness, and he continued to listen to the doctor who suggested notifying everyone in the pack about his passing immediately so they could move on fast and secure the pack.

Carol's tears fell like rain as she listened; Lockhart was like a father to her. Actually, the father she never had.

She fled the hospital, seeking solace in the quiet night air.

Bending down, she wept bitterly, mourning the loss of the only person who cared about her in the whole world after her mother.

Despite the fact that she was just a stepdaughter to him, the daughter of his first love, he protected her, loved her, and accepted her as one of his own.

Now, she would be at the mercy of Noah, Lockhart 's heir and her cold-blooded stepbrother.

Carol's thoughts spiraled into despair.

Noah's hatred for her was no secret, and she also hated him a lot for making her life miserable.

Now that Lockhart was gone, he would definitely send her packing from the house and the whole pack.

She would be completely at his mercy when he was crowned Alpha in a few days.

As she cried, Carol's mind flashed back to the day her mother had called her.

A few days after her failed mating with her boyfriend Ian, after her eighteenth birthday, her mother dropped the bombshell.

She had gotten married to Lockhart , the powerful Alpha and reclusive billionaire of their pack.

Carol was in disbelief and resisted, especially after finding out the man she had a one-night stand with a few days ago was Noah Lockhart , her new stepbrother.

Without listening to her reasons, her mother made them move in immediately.

Carol was confused at first about how to treat Noah, the man she lost her virginity to, but after he shamed her at a social gathering, her hatred for him doubled, and they both couldn't stand the sight of each other.

The enmity was known by everyone in the pack, and after three years, her mother died from an old illness.

Lockhart became her legal guardian immediately, but now, just four months after, he was also dead.

Carol's tears soon turned into a silent sob, and she realized that nobody was around her.

They seemed to have forgotten about her and left her there to nurse her wounds.

With wobbly knees, she stood up and went back to the moon pool house.

The news of Lockhart 's death circulated throughout the pack before morning, and a burial was arranged for him.

Carol hoped that she would be given the privilege to see his body one last time before they sent his body off with the ocean, and luckily, Noah allowed her.

The ceremony was quick, and immediately he was sent off to meet with his ancestors, moves were made to crown Noah as the new leader of the pack.

Because of the situation surrounding Lockhart 's death, the burial was solemn, and everyone chatted in a whisper, guessing who caused his death, and Carol stayed away from it all.

After everything had ended, Carol returned to the house, expecting to be already thrown out or for Noah to have given the order, but it seemed he was still busy with the whole ascension.

The house remained the same, but the people in it had changed in just a few months.

Tired, Carol tried to take a nap, but her restless mind kept her awake as she kept seeing Lockhart everywhere and stood up to gather her things instead.

After packing all her things, Carol realized she didn't own much stuff.

She always refused Lockhart 's kind gestures to spend money on her to avoid more criticism from Noah and others like Riki, Noah's cousin, who viewed her as a gold digger.

She made sure to drop everything that was bought with Lockhart 's money, including his gifts, and only had a small bag in her hand at the end to leave with.

She went into her mother's room also, the one she shared with Lockhart , and cried her eyes out before picking a few important things, then stepped out.

Carol looked around the living room as she made her way out and stared meaningfully at the mansion that had accommodated her for the last three years, then sighed sadly.

Turning the door knob to go out, someone pushed the door on the other side, and Carol jumped backwards.

Noah's long face appeared in front of her, and she moved back in fear, almost falling into the chair behind her.

"You scared me!" she said, gripping her bag tightly and turning to him.

He looked exhausted, and his handsome face seemed to have shrunk in the last few days.

Carol relaxed her face, seeing it was only him, and moved to step out, but he stopped her with a demeaning gaze.

"Where are you going with that bag?"

His words echoed in Carol's ears, and she shuddered a little at his intimidating voice.

Her brain froze for a few seconds, closing her eyes briefly before her heart jumped out of her chest, and she moved away from him.

"I am just about to leave," she said with sarcasm, already feeling upset listening to him.

"Leave?" he raised a brow. His sentence carried few words but much fear in her heart.

Carol wondered why he always spoke to her in such a harsh tone and more about the reason she feared his scary gaze.

"Where are you running to?" he questioned again, impatiently.

"Where I am going doesn't concern you," she replied, more firmly and with the same tone.

A look of anger slowly appeared on Noah's stoic face.

The tone of his phone broke the tense air between them, and Noah picked the call without lifting his eyes from her.

After saying a few words, he lowered his eyes to stare at Carol's bag, then gave another instruction to the caller.

"Make sure my stepsister doesn't leave this house without my permission and knowledge."

Stepsister?

Carol blinked, stunned to hear such a word that seemed forbidden from his lips.

"If she resists, tie her up," he added with a grin, and Carol scoffed in disbelief.

Noah ended the call, and ignoring Carol's attempt to question the decision he just made for her, he walked right into the wine cellar and picked up a bottle for himself. He raised it to his lips without a glass.

Carol stared blankly at the empty space in front of her and took a quick seat as her legs could no longer hold her empty stomach.

What did he mean she was not allowed to leave the house?

Was she a prisoner now?

Gathering up the little strength left in her body, Carol made her way inside the cellar to confront him. Her anger boiled over when she saw him drinking leisurely.

"What are you trying to do? You hate me, so why stop me from leaving?"

Noah turned to her, his eyes blazing with intensity.

"If you are bothered that I might have taken things that don't belong to me in the house, then you can inspect my bag and see for yourself," she went on, breathing hard.

"I left everything behind," she told him, assuming it could be a reason he was keeping her.

Noah raised his eyes away from his glass the second time, his face held the usual cold demeanor, and he got close to her faster than Carol's brain could process her escape from the room.

He stopped an inch close to her, and she held her breath.

"Go back to your room, sister."

The word hung in the air like a challenge, and Carol's heart skipped a beat from the fear of getting hit.

Noah stepped away from Carol when he was sure she got his message and strode towards the door with the bottle still in his hand.

A loud sound from Carol's stomach defiled the atmosphere.

"Remember to eat something before going to bed," he added, and Carol's mind whirled.

Was this a trick? Or had his grief momentarily softened his heart? He even called her sister-twice!

Carol made her way back to her room and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

Her packed bag remained beside her.

Once Noah came back to his senses, he would throw her out in the cruelest way possible.

It would be a hassle to unpack before then.

Ignoring her grumbling stomach crying to be fed, she let the darkness claim her.

Noah made his way into the large office, the bottle of wine still in his hand, and he dropped it on the big table before proceeding to sit in his father's seat he had been occupying for a few months now.

Picking his glasses from the table, he put them on and turned on his computer. Numerous messages filled his email.

He had left work for the past three days to attend to a lot of other emergencies that came with Lockhart 's death.

He had been dealing with issues regarding the company for a while, so it wasn't much work, but the pack issue required more.

Lockhart 's leadership had maintained peace among the various factions.

He needed to carry on that duty now along with maintaining order at the company and controlling several other outlets.

Noah's phone beeped to notify him of an incoming call, and he answered it quickly.

"It appears the Shadow Pack is really responsible," Cole said immediately the call connected, and Noah nodded knowingly.

It wasn't a coincidence that his father was poisoned, and no cure could be found to save him after a hunt with the Alpha of the Shadow Pack.

If it was really the doing of the Shadow Pack, then he couldn't let them go scot-free with their actions.

"I will deal with them when things are settled down in the pack," Noah told Cole, then added,

"Make sure you follow everything that goes on in the Shadow Pack from now on," he instructed and went quiet for a while.

"Should I arrange a meeting with the shareholders tomorrow?" Cole asked, sharing his concern about handling everything all at once, and Noah affirmed, then ended the call.

His stomach grumbled in protest of the alcohol he had fed it for two days, and he stood to find something good he could eat from the fridge in the room and found doughnuts.

As he took a bite, his mind contemplated what Lockhart could have possibly left in his will for Carol, knowing how much he adored her, especially after losing her mother.

He almost felt like the stranger in the family.

Whatever it was, he wouldn't hesitate to throw Carol out once it's clear.

---

Carol woke up in the middle of the night from dreaming of a memory that had now turned into a bad memory for her.

She couldn't believe Noah would even come to torment her in her dream. She shook her head furiously as she remembered the content of the dream again.

Maybe it was because that night was her first and last night with a man, she couldn't get it out of her mind, and as always, every time Noah taunted her, she ended up dreaming about the night they shared together, but it always ended in a way that terrified her.

Her wolf had never harmonized with anyone, even her ex-boyfriend, but it easily accepted Noah that night...

like he was her fated mate.

Carol's body shuddered as she thought of it now that she was awake and immediately shook it off and got out of bed.

Feeling thirsty after such a nightmare, she walked straight to the fridge to get some water to clear her head.

She was probably too hungry.

Carol gulped down some water, but after drinking, the images refused to clear from her head.

Deciding not to go back to sleep again or she might end up having a heart attack in her dreams, she grabbed the remote and sat down to find something on the television to distract herself.

It only took a few minutes before the television started to watch her instead, and she dozed off till daybreak on the sofa.

The noise of plates being set on the dining table and feet moving woke Carol from her slumber four hours later.

She opened her drowsy eyes to see it was morning. She looked over her shoulders and saw that the maids were back in the house again,

including Riki, whose voice she could hear giving orders in the kitchen.

It seemed the house had changed in the few hours she was asleep.

Carol got up slowly, ready to return quickly to her room, but was taken aback to see Noah standing near the fridge.

"You are awake," Noah muttered, and Carol rubbed her ears to be sure she didn't hear wrong.

His gaze on her was different from last night when he threatened to lock her in.

"Morning," she responded, knowing there was nothing good about this morning, and turned to see Jane and Mary bowing respectfully to greet her.

"Carol," she heard another voice and turned to see Paul, Lockhart 's best friend and beta, sitting on another couch.

"Seems you had a good night's rest," Paul greeted with a smile, and Carol returned the same gesture.

"Good morning," Carol greeted.

Everyone that went away immediately after Lockhart 's death seemed to have returned.

Picking up the bottle of water she didn't finish before falling asleep, Carol turned to leave the room.

"I will be in my room," she said, but Paul stopped her.

"I am here to speak to the both of you," he told her, and Carol raised her brows, puzzled.

"Both of us?" she repeated, and Paul nodded positively.

"I will get dressed first then," Carol replied and went up to her room, brushing her teeth and washing her hair before taking a shower and picked a shirt from her packed bag, with a black trouser.

She returned looking quite different from earlier, and the little water in her hair made them dampen and lie flat on her face.

Carol noticed prying eyes on her as she made her way down and saw Noah staring sharply at her.

His eyes followed her moves, and she almost mistook the look in them for tenderness, but his icy stare followed, and she hurried over to join Paul on the couch.

"Before Alpha Lockhart died, he left a will," Paul began, going straight to the point, and Carol looked on.

She placed her hand on her elbow and rested it on her chin, not fazed. Without much guessing, everyone could figure out what the will entailed.

"Alpha Lockhart made some changes regarding the title of the next Alpha and ruler of the pack before passing away," Paul continued, and they both listened quietly.

"You are named as the new Alpha of the pack, Carol Lockhart ."

What!

Carol yelled in her head, trying to understand what he had just said.

Alpha?

Carol repeated the word in her head and tried to find another meaning for it. Her body suddenly turned cold, and she moved her head to see Noah's darkened gaze on her.

"Noah Lockhart , you are to be conferred the title of the Alpha's guardian," Paul went on to give more details.

Noah's head turned to Paul, who tried not to look scared and quickly reminded him that it was his father's will.

He was only doing as told.

"Let me see that." Noah grabbed the papers from Paul, his expression shooting fire as each second passed.

"You get to manage all the businesses, though," Paul said, hoping it pacified him, but silence ensued.

Cursing under his breath, Noah threw the papers to the floor and stormed away from the room.

Paul and Carol held their breath until he was out of the room and sighed in relief that he didn't tear them apart.

"Did Lockhart really..." Carol's words trailed off as she turned to confirm from Paul again.

"I am as surprised as you," Paul told her, and Carol's heart dropped.

She tried to understand why Lockhart would do that, but it just didn't make sense.

"Then I will reject the will. I don't want to be the Alpha," Carol said firmly.

The last thing she wanted right now was something that would cut her life short.

"You can't reject the Alpha's will, Carol," Paul told her.

"It can only be as he decided," he added.

"But no one in the pack will accept me as their Alpha," she voiced with worry.

"Do not worry about that. I will handle it," Paul assured her and stood up to leave.

"I will advise you to stay out of Noah's sight, just to be safe," Paul warned, then made his way out of the house.

With her head spinning from the unexpected news, Carol made her way into the kitchen, deciding to eat first before her body fainted.

She stopped at the door, hearing whispers between Mary and Riki.

"Will Alpha Lockhart really do something like that to his own son?" Mary's eyes shot out in surprise, while Riki clenched her fist in anger.

She had just broken off her engagement with the hope of marrying Noah and becoming the Alpha.

"If Carol really becomes the Alpha, then what will happen to us?" Mary questioned. They had always acted horribly toward Carol because of Noah. Having a mere Salutar rule them was a disgrace!

"No one will ever agree to make her the Alpha," Riki said firmly. Not even Noah would accept it, talk less of the rest.

"She is really a parasite who reaps where she doesn't sow," Mary hissed, and Carol stepped in.

Shocked, they stopped talking and turned away, but Carol ignored them and found some bread and meat with a glass of milk to eat.

When she was done, she picked up the plate to return to her room but bumped into Riki, staring daggers at her.

"Do you have anything to say?" Carol asked, knowing she was looking for trouble, and Riki scoffed.

"How shameless," she remarked and walked away in anger.

Carol sighed, wondering why all their anger was directed at her instead of the person who wrote the will.

How she wished she had known about it beforehand and convinced Lockhart not to.

...

A few hours later, Carol received a call from Paul and answered it.

"Can you make it over to the resort right now? There are some things you need to do," Paul asked, and Carol nodded positively.

"Of course," she answered and finished her meal quickly, then went over to the resort.

Carol had only visited the resort once but still found her way easily, and someone walked up to her.

"Hello, I'm Lisa. I will assist you from now on," Lisa introduced, and Carol took her hand, then followed her to a room where she waited for Paul.

Paul read out the will to everyone in the room, and their voices of disapproval rose high.

"How come the Alpha expects someone of low status to rule us?" Flynn was the first to speak.

All of them in the room had a relationship with Lockhart , either close or distant, and they stood as the council in the pack. Flynn had recently taken over from his father, hence the youngest.

"She is the late Alpha's legal daughter," Paul reminded him, but he scoffed along with a few others.

"Everyone knows she is a Salutar, and her biological father isn't from this pack," Flynn dissed.

"How is someone without much power going to keep the pack safe?" Dylan, another member, questioned.

He was slightly older than Paul and also Lockhart 's close friend.

"Alpha Lockhart already stated that Noah will guide her for the time being, and when it's time, she can get married to any of the male members in the extended family," Paul answered, and they kept quiet at the mention of marriage.

If allowing a Salutar as the Alpha meant an opportunity for one of them to rule, then...

"That could do, then," Dylan said, and others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Does she get to handle the big chain of businesses as well?" Flynn chipped in with another question.

"Just this resort," Paul replied.

Flynn let out a grin.

The resort was said to be losing profit in recent months and didn't earn much yearly, but that was enough.

Plus, all he needed was the position that followed the mate of the Alpha.

"What about Noah?" someone else mentioned, and others turned to Paul for answers.

With Noah's pride, there was no way he would allow Carol to take over the throne without a revolt.

"I will handle that," Paul assured them, and they ended the meeting quickly.

They all stepped out of the room, but Dylan stayed behind to speak with Paul.

"The mention of the new Alpha's marriage will definitely create an uproar in the pack," Dylan noted, and Paul agreed.

"The likes of Flynn are already thinking about it," he said.

Apart from Noah, there were five other male members who qualified to be the Alpha, and Flynn was one of them.

Although two among the five were already old and could no longer fight, there were still three others.

"We will handle that when the time comes. First, we have to make the announcement to the whole pack far and wide and also pick a date for the coronation," Paul said, and then Dylan also left.