My Stepbrother My Alpha My Man

Selena

The house was too quiet.

I sat on the rug, my tiny fingers tracing circles on the cold marble floor. My doll the one with the missing eye and frayed dress lay forgotten beside me. Something felt wrong.

The door creaked open. A man stepped inside. He always visited my father, always with a smile. But today there was no smile. Just the heavy sound of his boots.

My heart thudded in my chest.

"Where's my father?" My voice was small, almost swallowed by the silence.

The man crouched, fingers brushing my hair. The touch was gentle, but it didn't ease the fear curling inside me.

"Selena..." His voice cracked.

I swallowed. "Where is he?"

His eyes darkened. "Your father is watching over you from above."

A chill ran down my spine.

I knew those words. My father had once told me the same when I asked about my mother. She's watching us from above, Selena. But no matter how hard I searched the skies, I never saw her. Not once.

Tears blurred my vision. "He's lying to me too?" The words slipped out, broken. My father always came back. He never broke his promises. He couldn't be gone.

Alpha Kingsley pulled me into his arms. "I promised your father I would protect you. No one will ever hurt you, Selena. Not while I'm here."

I clenched my fists. "When is my father coming back?"

Silence.

His arms only tightened.

I didn't want comfort. I wanted answers.

Finally, he pulled back, his gaze steady. "For now, you'll stay with me. You won't be alone. I have a son four years older than you. He'll be your playmate."

Playmate. The word twisted my stomach.

"I don't want to leave," I muttered. "This is my home."

His expression softened, but the decision had been made. "It isn't safe here. We'll visit every weekend. But you belong with me now."

Not safe.

I understood. My father wasn't coming back. Just like my mother never did.

Numbness spread through me as Alpha Kingsley carried me outside. The gates to my real home groaned shut behind us.

From the car window, I pressed my fingers to the glass, watching until the mansion until everything I loved disappeared into the distance.

And then it was gone.

♦♦♦

The car rolled to a stop in front of a massive estate. Its walls soared high, jagged tops crowned with iron spikes. Guards stood at the gates like statues, eyes cold and unreadable.

"Welcome to your new home, Selena," Alpha Kingsley said as he carried me inside.

Home? No. It felt like a fortress. A cage.

The air inside was colder. The ceilings stretched endlessly. Everything smelled of polished wood and smoke. Nothing of my father. Nothing of safety.

Footsteps echoed.

At the top of the grand staircase stood a boy. Dark-haired, about nine, with piercing gray eyes that locked onto me like a predator.

I shrank back under his gaze.

"Who is she?" His voice cut like steel.

"She's your new sister," Alpha Kingsley said firmly. "She's Beta Luca's daughter."

The boy's jaw tightened. His eyes flickered with something sharp and unkind.

"She's not welcome here."

The words sliced through me.

I bit my lip, gripping my dress to stop my hands from trembling. My heart hammered, but I refused to cry.

Because I knew, in that moment, my life in this house would never be easy.

Never.

Selena

"Watch your tone, boy!"

Alpha Kingsley's voice cracked like a whip, slicing through the heavy silence. "You will respect my late friend's daughter. She is your sister now, and you will treat her as one."

Stephen stood rigid, jaw locked, eyes burning into me with a look that made my stomach twist. The air between us was charged-anger, grief, something I couldn't name-but one thing was clear.

He didn't want me here.

"I will never take her as my sister," he spat, his voice thunderous. "Her father killed my mother!"

The words hit like a blade. My legs froze. No. That couldn't be true. My father-my kind, gentle father-who taught me to braid flowers and carried me on his shoulders. He wasn't a murderer. He couldn't be.

A cold weight pressed into my chest.

I staggered back, instinctively pressing behind Alpha Kingsley. Stephen's fury was suffocating, and in that moment, reality sank in: this wasn't my home.

"Enough, Stephen!" Kingsley's command rolled like thunder. "Your mother's death was not his fault. Luca was my Beta. He carried out his duty. And as the future Alpha, you'd better start acting like one."

But Stephen's glare never left me. Hatred smoldered in his eyes. Then, without another word, he spun on his heel, boots pounding the staircase until the slam of his bedroom door rattled the walls.

I flinched.

Kingsley's hand closed over mine, firm but gentle. "Don't mind him," he said softly. "He'll come around."

I wanted to believe him. But how could I live under the same roof as someone who despised me for who my father was?

"Selena?"

I blinked up at him, realizing a tear had slipped down my cheek.

Kingsley crouched, brushing it away with a thumb. "What's wrong?"

My throat tightened. "Is it true? Did my father kill her?"

His gaze hardened, unreadable for a heartbeat. Then he shook his head. "Your father was no murderer. He was my warrior, my friend, my Beta. He gave everything for this pack." His grip on my hand tightened. "Don't let anyone take that truth from you."

I clung to his words, but Stephen's accusation dug deep. Doubt gnawed inside me like a shadow that wouldn't let go.

Kingsley rose to his full height. "Take her to her room," he ordered.

An older maid stepped forward, bowing.

"She is my daughter now," Kingsley warned, his tone lethal. "If so much as a strand of her hair is harmed, you will answer to me."

The maid paled. "Yes, Alpha."

I followed her down endless marble halls. The eyes of painted Alphas seemed to follow me, stern and cold, as though weighing my worth.

At last we stopped at a door. She opened it, and my breath caught.

The room was beautiful. Soft pink drapes spilled from the canopy bed, fairy lights sparkled above, plush animals lined the sheets. A dream room.

But it didn't feel like a dream.

It felt like a cage gilded in gold.

"Ma'am?" the maid's hesitant voice broke my thoughts.

"My name is Selena," I said quickly.

She shifted uneasily. "I... I cannot call you that. You are Alpha Kingsley's daughter now. To do so would risk punishment."

Her words stung. I was only a child, but even I could see the fear in her eyes.

"Then let it be our secret," I whispered, managing a small smile. "When it's just us, you can call me Selena."

Her lips curved, just slightly. "Alright. I will."

I climbed onto the enormous bed, feeling swallowed by the silk and space. My fingers traced the pillows, but my mind was restless.

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered.

She hesitated. "Of course."

I swallowed. "Why does Stephen believe my father killed his mother?"

The room fell silent.

The maid's eyes darted to the door. Then, lowering her voice, she said, "That is a story only Alpha Kingsley can tell."

Her words hollowed me out. I curled into the bed, hugging my knees tight. My father had always told me to be strong, but tonight I couldn't. Not with Stephen's hatred echoing in my ears.

And the worst part?

Tomorrow, I would wake under the same roof as the boy who wanted me gone.

Selena

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, warming my face. I groaned and rolled over, only to have the soft sheets ripped away. A shiver ran through me.

"Wake up, sleeping princess. It's almost noon."

My eyes snapped open. A woman stood at my bedside, dark hair neatly tied back, brown eyes amused.

"Good morning, ma'am," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

She laughed. "My name is Elizabeth."

Heat crept into my cheeks. I should've asked sooner.

"What time is it?"

"Late enough for the Alpha to think you're part vampire. It's noon."

Noon? I bolted upright. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"Because Alpha ordered us to let you rest. But now that you're up get dressed. Lunch is waiting." She paused at the door, lowering her voice. "Stephen's already there. If you take your time... he'll be gone."

Relief washed over me. She knew. She knew I was avoiding him.

I lingered in the bathroom, scrubbing too hard, rinsing my hair three times anything to delay. When I finally emerged, a pale blue gown waited on the bed. I slipped it on, but my hands trembled as I reached for my hair.

It was a tangled mess.

Dad used to brush it for me. He'd hum while his fingers gently teased out every knot. My chest tightened. Tears blurred my vision before I could stop them.

"Need help with that?"

The voice froze me.

Slowly, I turned. Stephen leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips.

"For a moment," he drawled, "I thought you were dead. When you didn't show all morning, I hoped you'd vanished like your father, after he killed my mother."

My pulse thundered.

"My dad is not a killer!" I shot to my feet.

His smirk sharpened. "Says who? I was there, Selena. I saw him rip her throat out while I begged him to stop." His voice cracked just barely before hardening again. "And now his daughter lives under my roof. Do you think I'll ever let you feel safe here?"

I shook my head, refusing to believe it. Dad would never

Stephen strode forward. Before I could move, his hand clamped my shoulder, pushing me back onto the stool. My breath hitched.

"Relax," he murmured, gathering my hair. His touch was unexpectedly gentle as he wove it into a bun. "I won't hurt you... not yet. But one day, when the time is right, I will." His breath brushed my ear. "When my father isn't here to shield you, I'll tear your throat out-just like your father did to mine."

He stepped back, his boots echoing across the room until the door slammed.

My chest heaved. My heart wouldn't slow.

I had to get stronger. If I didn't, Stephen would kill me.

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

Fifteen years since that threat. Fifteen years since I last saw him.

I wasn't the same girl anymore. The whispers had faded. I had trained harder than anyone, honed my body into a weapon. But still

I had no wolf.

Without her, I was nothing. No match for Stephen.

And he was coming back.

Alpha Kingsley walked beside me through the garden, his presence steady. "Your father was stubborn," he said fondly. "Too proud to admit when he was wrong."

I forced a smile. I'd heard this story a hundred times.

"Sir," I said quietly. "I think I'm ready to leave."

He stopped, turning sharply. "Why?"

"I'm twenty now. I want to see the world."

"Where?"

"The human realm."

His expression darkened. "Absolutely not."

"I've trained, I can fight"

"Fighting isn't enough," he snapped. His grip tightened on my shoulder. "You have no wolf. You'd be defenseless. If you want freedom, prove yourself. Go to the academy. If your wolf awakens there, you can leave."

The words knocked the air from my lungs. "The academy?"

He nodded. "You leave tomorrow."

My blood ran cold. The academy was Stephen's world. His hunting ground. And I was walking straight into it-without a wolf.

No power. No escape.

And Stephen was waiting.