MY STEPFATHER'S SON IS MY FATED ENEMY

The moving truck rumbled up the mountain road, and Lily pressed her face against the window. Tall pine trees stretched toward the cloudy sky, and somewhere in that forest, wolves were running. Real wolves. Pack wolves.

Her stomach twisted into a tight knot.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Her mother, Sarah, smiled from the driver's seat. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, the kind Lily hadn't seen in years. "Kane says the cabin has a huge backyard. You and Luna will love it."

Lily glanced at the silver-white wolf sleeping in the backseat. Luna's ear twitched, sensing Lily's worry even in sleep. They'd been hiding for three years, staying away from other packs, living quietly in their small apartment. Now Mom was marrying an alpha, the leader of the entire Silver Creek pack, and everything was about to change.

"Mom," Lily said quietly, "are you sure about this?"

Sarah reached over and squeezed her hand. "Sweetheart, I know this is scary. But Kane is a good man. And his son will be a wonderful brother to you."

Brother. Lily's chest tightened. She didn't want a brother. She didn't want a new family. She just wanted things to stay safe and simple.

But she couldn't say that. Not when Mom looked so happy.

The truck turned onto a long driveway, and Lily's breath caught. The cabin wasn't small at all, it was huge, built from dark wood with a stone chimney and wide windows. Gardens surrounded the front, and the forest pressed close on all sides. It looked like something from a storybook.

"Welcome home!" A deep voice called out.

A tall man stepped off the porch, and Lily recognized him from the wedding photos. Alpha Kane, soon to be her stepfather, had graying black hair and kind eyes. He looked strong and important, the way alphas were supposed to look.

Mom jumped out of the truck and ran into his arms. They kissed, and Lily looked away, her cheeks warming.

Luna woke up and pressed her cold nose against Lily's neck.

"I know," Lily whispered, scratching behind Luna's ears. "We'll be okay. We have to be."

She opened the door and climbed out. The mountain air smelled like pine and rain. In the distance, she heard a river flowing.

"Lily!" Kane walked toward her with a warm smile. "I'm so glad you're here. Come inside, Derek's been waiting to meet you."

Derek. The son. The future alpha who would one day lead this whole pack.

Lily forced a smile and followed them toward the house. Luna stayed close to her side, as always. They'd been through everything together, Luna had been a gift when Lily turned thirteen, a magical companion that bonded with her soul. Most werewolves didn't get companions anymore. They were rare, special, and that made them valuable.

And dangerous to have.

The inside of the cabin was even more beautiful than the outside. Wooden beams crossed the high ceiling, and a stone fireplace took up most of one wall. Comfortable furniture filled the space, and stairs led up to a second floor.

"Your room is upstairs, second door on the right," Kane said. "Derek's room is at the end of the hall. The bathroom is between you two, you'll have to share, but it's big."

"Thank you," Lily said softly.

"Derek!" Kane called up the stairs. "Come meet your sister!"

Lily's heart pounded. She heard footsteps, slow and heavy, coming down the stairs.

And then she saw him.

Tall. Black hair. Gray eyes that looked like storm clouds. Broad shoulders. A scar on his left hand.

No.

No, no, no.

Lily couldn't breathe. The room spun. Luna growled low in her throat.

Because she knew that face. She knew that scar.

Three years ago, in the forest, when Luna was bleeding and crying, when Lily thought her best friend was dying, this boy had been there. This boy with the gray eyes and the cold expression. This boy who had hurt Luna.

And now he was her brother.

Derek stopped at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes met Lily's, and something flickered across his face, recognition. He knew her too.

For one long moment, nobody spoke.

"Derek," Kane said, "this is Lily. Your new sister."

Derek's mouth curved into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He walked forward and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Lily," he said smoothly. "I'm sure we'll get along great."

His voice was deeper than she remembered. Colder.

Lily stared at his hand, unable to move. Luna's growl grew louder.

"Lily?" Mom touched her shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

She had to respond. Had to act normal. She couldn't ruin Mom's happiness, couldn't cause problems on the very first day.

Slowly, Lily reached out and shook Derek's hand.

His grip was strong and warm. His gray eyes held hers, and in them she saw a warning: Don't say anything.

"Nice to meet you too," Lily whispered.

Derek released her hand and looked at Luna, who bared her teeth at him.

"Beautiful wolf," Derek said. "What's her name?"

"Luna," Lily managed.

"Luna," Derek repeated. "I'll remember that."

The threat was clear. He remembered Luna. He remembered everything.

Kane clapped his hands together. "Well! Let's get your things inside, Lily. Derek, help with the boxes, would you?"

"Of course, Dad," Derek said.

He walked past Lily toward the door, and as he did, he leaned close enough that only she could hear.

"We need to talk," he whispered. "Tonight. Alone."

Then he was gone, heading outside to the truck.

Lily stood frozen in the entry hall. Her whole body shook. This couldn't be happening. Of all the boys in all the packs in all the world, why did her mother have to marry HIS father?

"Sweetheart?" Mom bent down, concerned. "Are you feeling sick?"

"Just tired," Lily lied. "Can I go see my room?"

"Of course! Go ahead, I'll bring your bags up in a bit."

Lily practically ran up the stairs, Luna racing beside her. She found the second door on the right and stumbled inside, closing the door behind her.

The room was perfect, big windows looking out at the forest, a comfortable bed with a blue quilt, shelves for her books, and a desk by the window. Any other day, she would have loved it.

But today, all she could think about was Derek.

Luna whined and pushed against Lily's legs.

"I know," Lily said, sinking onto the bed. "I know, girl. He's here. The boy who hurt you. And now we have to live with him."

Luna's blue eyes were full of fear and anger. She remembered that day too. The pain. The blood.

Lily hugged Luna close, burying her face in silver fur. "We'll be careful. We'll stay away from him as much as we can. And maybe... maybe we can convince Mom to leave. Somehow."

But even as she said it, Lily knew it was impossible. Mom loved Kane. Really loved him. And Lily couldn't break her mother's heart just because of something that happened three years ago.

Something nobody else knew about.

A knock on the door made them both jump.

"Lily?" Derek's voice came through the wood. "I brought your suitcase."

Lily's hands clenched into fists. "Leave it outside."

"We need to talk. Now."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Yes, you do." His voice dropped lower. "Open the door, Lily. Or I'll tell my father that your mother never registered you with the pack council. Do you know what happens to unregistered wolves?"

Lily's blood went cold.

He was right. Mom had been scared to register them officially after what happened with Luna. She'd been protecting them, hiding them. But if the pack found out...

Slowly, Lily stood and opened the door.

Derek stood in the hallway, her suitcase in one hand. He looked bigger up close, stronger. He'd grown a lot in three years. His gray eyes swept over her, taking in every detail.

"Come in," Lily said, her voice barely a whisper. "But Luna stays between us."

Derek nodded and stepped inside. He set the suitcase down and closed the door quietly behind him.

Then he turned to face her, and his expression was hard as stone.

"You owe me a life-debt, omega," he said. "And it's time to pay."

Lily's hands curled into fists at her sides. "I don't owe you anything."

Derek leaned against her door, blocking the only exit. In the afternoon light streaming through the window, his gray eyes looked almost silver, wolf eyes, even in human form. "Pack law says different."

"Pack law?" Lily's voice rose. "You attacked Luna! You hurt her so badly she couldn't walk for weeks!"

Luna growled, positioning herself between them. Her hackles rose, and her lips pulled back to show sharp white teeth.

Derek's gaze dropped to the wolf, and something flickered across his face. Not fear, regret, maybe. Or something else Lily couldn't name.

"I know what you think happened that day," he said quietly. "But you're wrong."

"I saw you!" The words burst out of Lily before she could stop them. "I saw you standing over her with blood on your hands!"

"You saw half the story." Derek pushed off the door and took a step closer. Luna's growl deepened, but he ignored her. "Three years ago, in the north forest, you found your wolf wounded. You saw me nearby. You assumed I was the one who hurt her, so you attacked me with a branch and ran away. That's what you remember, right?"

Lily's throat tightened. That was exactly what she remembered, the worst day of her life, finding Luna bleeding in the leaves, seeing this boy standing there with his hands covered in blood.

"But here's what you didn't see," Derek continued. His voice stayed low, controlled, but intensity burned underneath it. "Two rogue wolves attacked Luna first. They were trying to kill her because companions are valuable, worth a fortune on the black market. I heard her crying and came running. I fought them off, got bitten and clawed in the process. When you showed up, I'd just finished driving them away. The blood on my hands was mine and theirs, not Luna's."

"Liar." But Lily's voice wavered.

Derek held up his left hand, showing her the scar that ran from his thumb to his wrist. "One of them bit me here. I needed twelve stitches. I still have the hospital records if you want proof."

Lily stared at the scar. It was deep, vicious, the kind of wound that would have bled heavily.

"You're making this up," she whispered.

"Am I?" Derek tilted his head. "Then explain why Luna's injuries were claw marks from multiple wolves, not from me alone. Explain why I never reported you for attacking me, even though you left me bleeding in the forest. Explain why I convinced my father not to hunt down the 'rogue omega with an illegal companion' when the pack doctors started asking questions about my wounds."

Each word hit like a physical blow. Lily's mind raced, trying to remember details from that awful day. Had there been other wolves? She'd been so focused on Luna, so terrified, that everything else had blurred together.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth then?" she demanded.

"You were gone before I could speak. By the time I tracked down where you lived, your mother had already moved you both into hiding." Derek's jaw tightened. "I've spent three years making sure no one connected you to that incident. Three years keeping your secret."

"Then why bring it up now? Why threaten me?"

"Because..." Derek stopped himself. He turned away, running a hand through his black hair in frustration. When he faced her again, something dangerous glinted in his eyes. "Because pack law is clear. I saved Luna's life. Whether you believe it or not, that's the truth. And that means you owe me a life-debt."

"That's not..."

"It is." His voice went hard. "My father is Alpha. If he finds out about this, he'll have no choice but to enforce pack law. The life-debt is real, Lily. You can pay it willingly, or I can make it official."

"Why do you even care?" Lily's voice cracked. "What could you possibly want from me?"

Derek crossed the room in two long strides. He stopped close enough that Lily could see gold flecks in his gray eyes, could smell pine and something wilder on his skin.

"One year," he said. "You serve as my assistant for one year. You do what I say, when I say it. In exchange, I keep your secrets, all of them. Your mother's failure to register you. Luna's existence. What really happened that day in the forest."

"Assistant?" Lily's mind reeled. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you help me with pack duties. School projects. Whatever I need." Derek's expression gave nothing away. "It's better than exile, which is what your mother faces if the council finds out she hid you."

The threat landed like a knife between Lily's ribs. Mom. Derek wasn't just threatening her-he was threatening the one person Lily loved most in the world.

"You're a bastard," she breathed.

"I'm a realist." Derek stepped back, giving her space again. "Our parents just got married. We're family now, whether we like it or not. This arrangement keeps everyone safe and happy. You do what I ask, and no one needs to know about the past."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then tomorrow I tell my father everything. He's a fair man, he'll investigate. He'll find out your mother never registered you with the pack council, which is a serious crime. He'll discover you have an illegal companion. Best case scenario, you both get exiled. Worst case..." Derek's eyes flickered to Luna. "Unregistered companions are usually confiscated for the pack's safety."

"No." The word tore out of Lily. "You wouldn't."

"I don't want to." For the first time, Derek's cold mask cracked slightly. "But I will if you force my hand. Pack law exists for a reason, Lily. I can't ignore it, even for you."

Even for you. The words hung in the air, strange and weighted with meaning Lily didn't understand.

Luna whined and pressed against Lily's leg. Lily's hand dropped to her companion's head, fingers tangling in soft fur. Without Luna, she was nothing. Without Mom, she had no one.

She was trapped.

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" she asked quietly.

How do I know you won't tell them anyway?"

"You don't." Derek's brutal honesty cut through the room. "You'll have to trust me."

"Trust you? I don't even know you!"

"Then get to know me." Something shifted in Derek's expression, a challenge, maybe, or an invitation. "One year, Lily. It's not forever. And who knows? Maybe you'll realize I'm not the monster you think I am."

Lily wanted to scream. She wanted to grab Luna and run away, back to their old life where things were small and safe. But she couldn't. Mom was happy here. Mom loved Kane. And if Lily destroyed that...

"What kind of tasks?" she asked, hating how defeated she sounded.

"Nothing that will hurt you." Derek's voice gentled slightly. "I need help managing pack social events. Research for my alpha training. Dealing with pack members who are..." He paused. "Difficult."

"You want me to be your servant."

"I want you to be my partner." The correction came swift and firm. "There's a difference."

Lily laughed bitterly. "Partners don't blackmail each other."

"No," Derek agreed. "But stepbrothers who share dangerous secrets do."

He had her, and he knew it. Lily could see it in the set of his shoulders, the calm certainty in his eyes. He'd thought this through, planned it out. He'd been waiting for this moment.

"Fine." The word tasted like ash in her mouth. "One year. But I have conditions."

Derek's eyebrow rose. "You're not in a position to negotiate."

"Yes, I am." Lily lifted her chin, forcing steel into her spine. "You need me to do this willingly, or it won't work. Our parents can't suspect anything. That means I get conditions."

A slow smile curved Derek's mouth-the first real expression she'd seen from him. It transformed his face, made him look younger, almost approachable.

"I'm listening."

"First, you don't touch Luna. Ever. She stays with me, and you keep your distance."

"Agreed."

"Second, nothing illegal. Nothing that puts me or my mom in danger."

"Agreed."

"Third..." Lily swallowed hard. "If I complete this year, the debt is paid. Forever. You never use this against me again."

Derek considered this. Outside, she heard voices, their parents laughing downstairs, unpacking boxes, building their new life together.

"Forever is a long time," Derek said slowly.

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Their eyes locked. Lily refused to look away first, even though her heart hammered against her ribs. She'd learned long ago that showing weakness to predators was the fastest way to get hurt.

And Derek was definitely a predator. Future alpha. Top of the pack hierarchy. Someone who could crush her with a single word to his father.

But she wouldn't make it easy for him.

"Deal," Derek said finally. He held out his hand. "One year. You help me, I protect your secrets. After that, we're even."

Lily stared at his outstretched hand. The same hand that had been covered in blood three years ago. The same hand that had just trapped her in an impossible situation.

She took it.

His palm was warm and rough with calluses. His grip was firm but not crushing. The moment their skin touched, something strange flickered through Lily's chest, a spark, like static electricity, that made her gasp.

Derek felt it too. His eyes widened fractionally, and his fingers tightened around hers for just a second before he let go.

"What was that?" Lily breathed.

"I don't know." Derek stepped back quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. For the first time, he looked unsettled. "Must be... pack magic. Recognition of the bond."

"What bond?"

"The life-debt." But he wouldn't meet her eyes. "It's sealed now. You'll feel a pull toward me when I need you. It's normal."

It didn't feel normal. It felt like someone had tied an invisible string between them, connecting her to him in a way that made her skin prickle.

"When do we start?" Lily asked, trying to ignore the sensation.

"Tomorrow. First day of school." Derek moved toward the door. "We're in the same grade, so we'll share some classes. I'll find you at lunch."

"Everyone will see us together. They'll ask questions."

"Let them." Derek's hand closed around the doorknob. "We're stepsiblings now. It's natural for me to show you around, introduce you to people. No one will think twice about it."

He opened the door, then paused.

"Lily." He didn't turn around. "I meant what I said. I don't want to hurt you. This doesn't have to be a bad year."

"You're blackmailing me."

"I'm protecting my pack." Derek's shoulders tensed. "Sometimes those things look the same."

Then he was gone, closing the door softly behind him.

Lily stood frozen in the middle of her new room. Luna whined and nuzzled her hand, seeking comfort.

"What did I just agree to?" Lily whispered.

Luna had no answer. Outside the window, the sun was setting behind the mountains, painting the sky in shades of orange and red. In the forest, she heard wolves howling, pack members running together, free and wild.

She'd never felt more trapped in her life.

A knock made her jump.

"Lily?" Mom's voice, bright and happy. "Dinner's ready! Kane made his famous pasta!"

Lily forced her voice to sound normal. "Coming!"

She checked her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. Her face was pale, her green eyes too wide. She looked scared.

She pinched her cheeks to bring color back, smoothed her hair, and practiced a smile. It looked fake, but it would have to do.

"Come on, Luna," she murmured. "Time to pretend everything's fine."

Luna pressed against her leg as they headed downstairs. The smell of garlic and tomato sauce filled the cabin. In the kitchen, Kane stood at the stove while Mom set the table. They moved around each other easily, comfortable and in love.

Derek sat at the table already, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when Lily entered, and for a moment, their eyes met.

Then he smiled, that same fake smile from before, and gestured to the chair across from him.

"Saved you a seat, sis."

The word felt like mockery. But Lily sat down, Luna settling at her feet under the table.

"This looks amazing, Kane," Mom said, bringing over a big bowl of pasta. "Lily, honey, you're going to love his cooking."

"I'm sure I will," Lily managed.

Dinner was torture. Kane asked about her old school, her interests, her favorite subjects. Mom told embarrassing stories from Lily's childhood. Derek sat silent mostly, but every time Lily looked up, she caught him watching her with those unreadable gray eyes.

"So, Derek," Mom said brightly, "why don't you tell Lily about the school? I'm sure she's nervous about starting somewhere new."

"Of course." Derek set down his fork and turned to Lily. "Silver Creek High is small, only about two hundred students total. Most of them are from the pack, but there are some humans too. The staff knows about us, so you don't have to hide your wolf nature completely, but be careful around the human students."

"Derek's one of the most popular kids there," Kane said proudly. "Captain of the lacrosse team, honor roll student, and next in line to be alpha. Everyone respects him."

Great, Lily thought. So he's not just blackmailing me, he's also Mr. Perfect.

"I can show you around tomorrow," Derek continued. "Introduce you to people. Make sure you feel welcome."

"That's so sweet of you," Mom gushed. "See, Lily? I told you Derek would be a wonderful brother."

Lily's stomach churned. She pushed pasta around her plate, unable to eat.

Under the table, something brushed against her foot.

She jerked, but it was just Derek's shoe. He pressed his foot against hers deliberately, getting her attention. When she looked up, he mouthed two words: Play along.