Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother

Aria's POV

Moonlight poured in through the cracked window of my tiny room, painting the walls silver.

Morning already? My heart sank.

I threw off the thin blanket, grabbed my towel, and rushed into the bathroom, shivering as cold water hit my skin.

"Oh God..." I said under my breath.

"I'm already late."

Today was my stepfather's Pack Mating Ceremony, and I was supposed to be at the hall early, helping the other omegas clean and set up. But here I was, just now getting dressed.

I dashed out of the bathroom, still dripping, and flung open my wooden wardrobe. Its doors were barely hanging on, termites long since making a meal of it. I grabbed the only dress that could possibly pass for the day. It had a small hole in the back.

Whatever. No one would care. No one ever did.

Just as I was pulling it over my head, the door to my room slammed open.

"Orphan!"

His voice struck like a whip.

Alpha King Lucien Thorn, my stepfather.

"What the hell are you still doing in here?"

"I-I'm so-" I stammered, barely able to speak.

"Get out of this house and go join the other omegas.

Stupid orphan."

Orphan.

You heard him right. That's the name he calls me every single day.

The man my mother gave her life for, this is who he is.

I didn't even realize when I burst out of the room, legs moving on instinct, running my ass off toward the traditional hall where the Mooncroft Pack holds its mating ceremony every year.

"Maybe the Moon Goddess will bless us with a mate this year," my wolf whispered, a tiny spark of hope in her voice.

"At what age?" I mumbled back. "I'm just eighteen."

Everyone knew the rule in the Mooncroft Pack, if you weren't at least twenty, you couldn't be mated. Not officially.

Besides, who would want to be my mate in this pack?

"Dirty-ass omega."

"Alpha Lucien's family errand wolf."

"The omega whose wolf isn't even strong."

"The girl with no traceable origin."

Their voices echoed in my head, over and over, like a cruel chant.

I didn't know when the tears started. I just felt them sliding down my cheeks.

By the time I got to the grand hall, it was still covered in dust. I wiped my face quickly and headed straight for the rag stand.

Grabbing one of the worn-out clothes, I began to dust the tables and chairs in silence, like always.

"Look at her dress," one of the omegas whispered behind me, just loud enough for me to hear.

I acted like I didn't.

Like I hadn't heard the sneer in her voice. Like it didn't sting.

I kept dusting the chairs, eyes down, fingers trembling around the rag.

The omegas who were supposed to be my friends, but no, they weren't friends at all. Their words cut deeper than anything the high-ranking wolves ever did to me.

Their laughter rose behind me, cruel and familiar.

And still, I said nothing.

I just kept wiping. Like I always did.

After a while, the hall began to fill. High-ranking wolves trooped in, one after the other, their expensive colognes overpowering the lingering scent of dust and sweat.

I wiped my hands on my dress, trying not to flinch every time someone passed by me with a disapproving glare.

It was time to join the gathering.

"Good day, everyone," the Master of Ceremony announced, his voice sounding through the tall hall. "We are gathered here to honor the sacred tradition of our Pack-our annual Mating Ceremony."

Whispers buzzed through the crowd. Omegas stood at the edges, heads bowed. The ranked wolves took their seats in the front, their mates beside them, all dressed in silks and gold.But the Alpha and his mates from previous years were nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, he'd find someone new to be mated to this year-again.

I stepped back, hoping no one noticed me. I wasn't supposed to be seen. I was just an extra shadow in the corner.

The door to the big hall swung open, the guards led the way, followed by the Alpha and his Lunas, everyone in the hall rose to their feet.

"Let's welcome the royal family as they join us in this ceremony."

Once they were seated, the rest of the pack followed suit, and the ceremony continued.

"May all our she-wolves who are of age move to the right side of the hall," the Master of Ceremony announced, his voice steady and formal.

Chairs scraped the marble floor as the chosen ones began to rise. The hall filled with the rustling of silk and chiffon. Omegas and high-ranking wolves' daughters, all of them who had turned twenty stepped to the right side, their expressions a mix of excitement, nerves, and pride.

I stayed rooted in place, my hands clasped tightly in front of me. I didn't qualify. Not yet. But watching them move... it made something ache deep inside me.

"And now, all unmated he-wolves seeking their fated partners should step to the left side," the MC continued.

Movement shifted across the room again. Young warriors, battle-scarred sentinels, and noble sons all hopeful, some desperate as they walked with measured steps to the left.

And then I saw him.

My stepfather.

Alpha Lucien Thorn.

His dark robes swayed as he joined the line of unmated males, like this wasn't the fifth time he'd done this ritual. Like my mother hadn't died loving him.

Of course he did.

A bitter laugh clawed at my throat, but I swallowed it down.

How many more would he choose? How many mates would be discarded like broken toys once he got bored?

My nails dug into my palms as I looked away, the air suddenly too heavy.

I wasn't here for love or hope.

I was here to work.

To clean their messes and fade into the shadows.

But still... a tiny part of me, my wolf watched the ceremony with silent longing.

"Now, to the Moon Goddess, we ask that each of these wolves standing be blessed with their destined mate," Elder Joe said, raising the ceremonial candle in both hands.

He blew out the flame.

A soft hush fell over the room. Then a low hum began, an ancient magic weaving through the air. Suddenly, sparks flew. Around the hall, wolves stiffened as the mate bond snapped into place, pairs locking eyes, marking each other with joy, tears, trembling hands. Some ran into each other's arms, others stood frozen in awe.

And me?

I wasn't even supposed to be part of this. I was eighteen. Below the age. Invisible.

But then I felt it. A jolt.

The unmistakable heat crawled up my body . The tingling flare of the bond awakening.

My heart ached.

No. No, it can't be.

I felt it again, a pull, undeniable and strong. I turned slowly.

Someone stood in front of me. My breath caught.

Mate.

The word sounded through my soul like wildfire. I looked up and the world tilted. Alpha King Lucien Thorn. My stepfather. Standing in front of me as my mate.

Aria's POV

My mind raced. My body froze as I saw him standing in front of me, his face twisted into a smirk. His eyes gleamed with a predatory light, and that smile... it made my skin crawl.

Why is he smiling?

He's mated to his stepdaughter.

The daughter of his late wife.

"You are my new mate," Alpha Lucien's said

"Ah!" The sound tore from my throat and a raw cry of disbelief. My mouth dropped open, wide in shock.

But I wasn't even of age to be mated. This... this wasn't supposed to happen.

The hall, once filled with murmurs and shifting feet, now felt suffocatingly silent or maybe it was just me. Everything sounded distant, like I'd slipped underwater. My heart pounded like a war drum, but my feet refused to move. Tears slid down my cheeks before I could stop them; hot, bitter, shameful.

What have I done to deserve this?

To be mated at eighteen... to my cruel stepfather?

This... this was a taboo.

In a blink, his wolf surged to the surface. Without warning, his fangs sank into my neck, sharp and unforgiving.

A cry, raw and primal, tore from my throat. Pain exploded through me, burning, vibrant, blinding. I could feel the bond pulling at me, pulling me to him like chains. The coldness of his touch spoke of something darker than I could understand. The tears came harder now, falling like rain from a broken sky.

"Our Alpha has claimed another Luna," Elder Joe's voice rang across the hall.

Another Luna.

My mother had once stood beside this same Alpha. She bore his child before she was torn from this world, killed by an arrow meant for him.

You might be wondering: What was my mother doing on the battlefield?

Alpha Lucien never fought without her. Her wolf was the strongest among us. Fierce. Untamed. Respected.

"Orphan, you are mine," his voice dragged me back to the present.

Orphan.

Even now, he calls me that.

We, as werewolves, live long lives. But eventually, we all return to the Moon Goddess. To him, though, "orphan" isn't just a title. It's a stain. A reminder of how little I mean to him.

"No... no," I said, my voice trembling like a leaf in a water.

But no one moved to stop him. No one questioned the bond.

Instead, the crowd murmured. Gasps. Whispers. Some wolves looked away in shame. Others stared at me like I had committed a crime.

"Is that even allowed?" someone whispered in disbelief.

"She's too young," another murmured.

"Alpha Lucien's stepdaughter?"

My wolf stirred inside me, restless and agitated.

"This isn't right," she whispered. "We're not ready. We're not safe."

"I reject this," I said louder, my voice shaky but firm, sounding through the murmurs. "I reject this mate bond."

Lucien's head tilted slightly. That smile is a no, that smirk curled cruelly at the edge of his lips.

"You don't get to reject me," he said coldly, his words dripping venom. "The bond is sealed."

"No!" I shouted, chest tightening as I stumbled backward. My hand flew to the bite mark on my neck. It burned like fire. Like shame. The bond pulsed inside me like a curse and I hated it.

He stepped closer. I flinched.

His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "You're mine now. The Moon Goddess chose you. Even she can't undo what's been done."

I turned and ran, legs trembling, heart racing. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. But no miracle came to save me.

I burst into my room, slammed the creaky door behind me, and locked it tight.

Tears blurred my vision as I collapsed onto the filthy bed, clutching my chest as though I could rip the bond out with my bare hands. The bite mark throbbed in time with my heartbeat.

What was I supposed to do now?

Why was I suffering like this?

My wolf growled weakly beneath my skin. "We need help."

"I can't stay in this pack. I can't!" I shot up from the bed, voice choked with tears.

"I have to run away."

"I don't care if I become an outcast... or if I'm killed by a rogue wolf."

"I just have to leave."

I staggered toward the wardrobe and yanked it open. Clothes spilled out, but I didn't care. I grabbed anything I could find, shoving them into a black polythene trash bag, the same one meant for discarded clothes.

The bag reeked of plastic and dust. I didn't care.

The clothes weren't even folded. They felt like weights in my hands, which reminded me of a life I couldn't escape fast enough.

I had to leave.

As I tied the bag shut and headed for the door, I twisted the knob with trembling fingers, only to find him standing there.

Alpha Lucien.

My heart sank like a stone in my chest.

"To where?" he asked, voice low and menacing.

"I-I..." My voice failed me. I didn't even know what to say.

But he didn't wait for words. He shoved me back into the room.

I crashed to the floor, pain flaring across my ribs.

My heart ached, not just from the fall, but from the violation. The shame. The fear.

"You think you can run away?" he growled.

"You think you can disgrace me in this pack?"

As he stalked toward me, something inside me snapped.

I didn't know where the energy came from. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was rage.

But I jumped at him. And he fell hard.

His back slammed against the ground, and for the first time, I saw something flash in his eyes like a surprise.

"No!" he shouted.

But I was already on my feet.

I darted for the door, my hands shaking as I yanked it open. I didn't look back. I ran.

Through the hallway. Down the stairs. Past confused pack members who stepped aside, unsure of what they'd just witnessed.

I didn't care. My legs moved on instinct, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I had to get out.

The air slapped my face as I burst out of the packhouse and sprinted toward the entrance gate of the territory.

Almost there. Almost,

Thwack!

A sharp pain ripped through my shoulder.

An arrow.

I stumbled, gasping, but I kept going.

Another thwack, but this time, my leg.

I screamed and crashed to the ground, blood seeping through my torn dress.

My vision blurred, the world spinning. Through the haze, I saw two of Alpha Lucien's guards.

They were running toward me, eyes locked, expressionless and lethal.

No. No, no, no.

I tried to crawl, to move, to do anything but my limbs refused to respond.

"No... please..." I choked out, my voice barely heard.

My limbs were useless. My wolf whimpered, weak and fading inside me.

"We... we almost made it," she said, her voice flickering like a dying flame.

"What's going on there?"I Heard a voice from behind.

The guards paused.

I turned my head, vision blurry with tears and pain, but I saw him, a stranger. A warrior, tall and fierce, stepping into the pack grounds like he belonged there.

His eyes locked on mine, and something in them made my heart stutter.

"She's a she-wolf," he said, his voice smooth, deep... commanding.

"Treat her gently," he added, gaze sharp and unwavering. "No matter what."

Kael's POV

My heart ached as I watched those warriors drag her, the she-wolf with no care, as if she were nothing more than an object. No matter the situation, no matter what the laws of the pack dictated, a she-wolf should always be treated with care, especially one in her condition. The arrows lodged in her legs, two arrows-the pain she must be enduring right now... It had to be unbearable.

"Help," she whispered, the word barely escaping her lips, strained and full of desperation. Her head lifted just enough for me to catch her pleading eyes, and in that moment, everything else faded. The world, the pack, even the warriors around me, all seemed distant. It was just her eyes, filled with pain, pulling at something deep inside me.

When I saw her face, something tightened in my chest, almost painfully. There was a pull, a tug at something within me that I couldn't explain; something I couldn't ignore. The bond and the connection was too strong to deny.

Without thinking, I stepped forward, my instincts roaring louder than any logic or reason.

"Stop!" I commanded, my voice rough, torn between anger and something far more primal, something raw and unfamiliar.

The warriors froze, glancing at each other, confusion and reluctance flashing in their eyes. But they could feel it. The authority in my tone left no room for debate.

I couldn't tear my gaze from her. Her eyes, wide and full of fear, held something more... something familiar. The pain in them resonated with me. It felt like I had known this she-wolf, known her in some life I couldn't remember. The bond was undeniable.

"Treat her gently," I said again, my voice hardening, demanding respect. "She's not to be handled like this. She's a she-wolf."

They hesitated for a moment longer, but eventually, their grips loosened, though I could still see their reluctance written on their faces. My heart thudded heavily in my chest, and I couldn't tear my gaze away from her. The way her body trembled, the way her pain seemed to echo inside me, it was more than I could bear.

"Who are you?" one of the warriors demanded, his voice laced with anger. "You can't dictate to us in our territory."

I opened my mouth to respond, but then I saw him.

My father.

He emerged from the house, his posture rigid, holding his head as if it weighed a thousand pounds. His presence was commanding, and it caused a knot of dread to tighten in my gut.

"Daddy," I said, but before I knew it, I was already running toward him. No matter what he had done, no matter the bloodshed or the consequences of his choices, he was still my father. The man who had brought me into this world.

And yet, I couldn't shake the bitter truth that my own father had killed my mother. He had sent me to the most dangerous northern part of the kingdom, where survival was a matter of life and death. He did it knowing full well that I would have to fight for my life every single day. It was as if he wanted to break me.

"What are you doing here?" Alpha Lucien said, his tone cold.

"I'm back," I answered, my voice sharper than I intended.

"For what?"

"You didn't inform me," I said, the anger creeping into my tone. I was ready to confront him about everything, but right now, something else felt more pressing.

"Before anything, Alpha, let's take care of this she-wolf," I said, my eyes softening as I looked at her in pity.

"She is one of my Lunas," Alpha Lucien responded, his tone final.

I turned my face to look at the she-wolf on the ground, very young, but with a beauty that screamed to be admired. Her long hair fell in waves around her shoulder, and despite her condition, she still looked like someone meant for something more than this.

"H-mm," I murmured, unsure of what to say. The situation felt surreal. This she-wolf was far too young to be mated to my father.

As I stared at her, something about me felt inexplicably drawn to her. My gaze shifted, and I caught sight of something on her neck which was a fresh mark, one that revealed she had just been marked as a mate by my father. It was a painful reminder of how this pack operated, and my heart sank.

"Why is she shot with an arrow?" I inquired, my voice laced with a mix of concern and confusion.

But no one answered. The warriors, without hesitation, dragged her out of my sight, and Alpha Lucien followed.

I knew my father despised me, but at least he should have given me a welcoming look, a sign of acknowledgment. It stung more than I'd like to admit.

I continued walking after them, not knowing where to go, my mind racing. As I walked past the developments within our pack, I couldn't help but notice how much it had changed since I had left. Seventeen years had passed since I last saw this place, when I was just nine years old and it was unrecognizable now.

People looked at me with strange faces, whispers filling the air. I could almost hear the questions on their lips:

"Who is this?"

"He looks like Alpha."

"How is he related to him?"

"Kael." I heard a voice calling from one of the houses in the compound.

As I turned, I saw a girl running toward me. The girl I recognized as my father's beta's daughter.

I was still trying to process how she recognized me, given how much I had changed since I left. But there she was, a familiar face in this strange new world.

"Gracie," I said, a rush of emotion flooding me as I held her tightly.

"You're back."

"You look like a real warrior now."

"Let me show you to your room."

As she said the word "room," my wolf growled happily beneath me. Finally, I had someone acknowledge me and treat me like a visitor. Like I mattered.

I followed her as she walked toward one of the buildings in the pack.

She looked beautiful, her black skin glowing in the night, her body elegant and strong. There was a graceful confidence in her every step.

As we reached one of the houses, she halted and turned the knob, opening the door.

The room looked pristine, as if it were meant for someone special, someone royal.

"I prepared this room for you," Gracie said, her face lighting up with a smile.

"Prepared?" I asked, my brain processing the word.

"Yes, I prepared this room for you."

How did she know that I would be back today?

"How did..." Before I could finish the question, she had turned and left.

What is going on here?

The last time I checked, I hadn't told anyone about my return to the pack. No one knew the real reason I was here.

I left the entrance and proceeded to the sitting room. Set on the table were plates of food. I opened the bowls and found my favorite meal inside.

Nobody knows this is my favorite food. Not even my wolf companions up north knew that. And yet, here it was warm and waiting.

I sat on the chair, still wondering how Gracie knew about my coming when my mind drifted to the she-wolf from earlier, stuck with arrows in her legs, and my father said she's his Luna.

Something about her... Something about her scent lingered in my mind like a song I had forgotten, but never truly lost. It smelled like something familiar but I couldn't process what it was yet.