Off-Side Love With My Best Friend's Brother
My best friend had one rule: stay away from my brother. But what he didn't know was that his brother kept me up all night.
Wren Mercer had spent years being just Ross's best friend. Fine with holidays at the Calloway house, years of watching Dani, Ross's older brother, move through life like nothing could touch him, fine with the fact that he never once looked at her like she was worth the trouble.
So she did what any sensible girl would do, she found someone else.
Blake Hendrix was everything that made sense on paper. Charming, attentive, and most importantly, not Dani Calloway. She told herself it was moving on. She told herself it was working. What she didn't know was that Blake had his own reasons for getting close to her, ones that had everything to do with the brother she was trying so hard to forget.
When Ross invites her to move into their off-campus apartment, she tells herself it's still fine. She has Blake. She has a plan. Dani barely registers her existence anyway. She can handle proximity.
She's wrong. Because Dani does notice her. He always has.
What starts as tension becomes stolen moments, a secret neither of them planned, and the slow terrifying realization that this is the most real thing either of them has felt in years. But Ross is right there. Blake is closer than she thinks. And secrets don't stay hidden forever.
She fell first. He fell harder. And what breaks between them might not be fixable.
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Chapter: Chapter 35Chapter 35Wren’s POVThe car rolled to a stop in the driveway and I had my door open before he cut the engine.“Wren.” “I’m tired, Dani.”“Two minutes.”I stopped with one foot on the pavement. The night air hit my face, cool and sharp. I turned back.“Why did you go out with him?” His hands were still on the steering wheel. “You don’t even know him.”I laughed, short and humourless. “I know him enough.”“You met him two days ago.” “And I’ve known you for years.” I held his gaze. “Look how much good that’s done me.”I got out and he followed, coming around the front of the car faster than I expected.“That’s not fair.”“No?” I turned around fully. “You walked into my dinner, Dani. You threw a punch at someone who hasn’t done a single thing to you and then tried to drag me out like I was something that belonged to you.” I kept my voice low. “Don’t talk to me about fairness. Don’t you have one of your girls to call? Go bother one of them.”“Wait a minute, did you follow us to the res
Last Updated: 2026-06-11
Chapter: Chapter 34Dani’s povI saw her the second I stepped onto campus.She was walking with Anna near the east entrance, head tilted back, laughing at something, her hair loose around her shoulders. The mini skirt. The same one from this morning that had made me stand in the kitchen with my arms crossed like some kind of idiot while she looked straight through me and ate her eggs.She’d used my body wash. I’d noticed it the second she came downstairs. Didn’t say anything. Couldn’t.I was still thinking about it.“Dani.”I turned.Sienna was walking toward me from the parking lot, bag over her shoulder. She stopped in front of me and tilted her head.“You didn’t call,” she said.“I know.”“Not even a text.” She crossed her arms. “You called me someone else’s name and then let me walk out and didn’t say a word.”“Sienna, I’m sorry. What happened was…”“I’m not here for the apology.” She cut me off, but not angrily. “I’m telling you I’ve forgiven you. People have off nights.” She shrugged one shoulder.
Last Updated: 2026-06-10
Chapter: Chapter 33Wren’s POVMy alarm went off at six forty-five and I was already half awake, staring at the ceiling.I slipped from my bed and grabbed my phone, opened Spotify, picked up the loudest playlist, and went to brush my teeth.The music helped, I felt almost like a person again. I turned on the bathroom shower and waited.Nothing came out right. The pressure sputtered, dropped to a trickle, then died completely. I stared at the shower head as it had personally wronged me.“Are you serious right now?”I wrapped a towel and went downstairs.Ross was already in the kitchen, which shouldn’t have surprised me. He was cracking eggs into a bowl when I appeared in the doorway, hair still wrapped, playlist still running from my phone in my hand.“Good morning.” I walked over to him and hugged him.“Good morning.” He replied.“The shower is broken,” I announced.He looked up. “Which one?”“Mine.”“Yeah, the pressure’s been off on that side of the house. I keep meaning to call someone.” He tilted his
Last Updated: 2026-06-09
Chapter: Chapter 32Wren’s POVI closed the bedroom door, pressed my back against it, and stood there for a full minute.The sounds from Dani’s room had stopped by the time I stepped into the hallway. But I'd heard enough before that. The door wasn't fully shut. The voice that wasn't mine.I pushed off the door and crossed to my bed and lay down on top of the covers, staring at the ceiling“Playboy.” The word settled into my chest like something I’d always known but let myself forget for one stupid, unguarded afternoon. That was Dani. That had always been Dani. Girls in and out of his life like revolving doors, never staying, never meaning anything, because nothing ever had to mean anything to him.I thought about what happened at the pool.I squeezed my eyes shut.It meant nothing. The kiss we almost had meant nothing. His hand brushing my wet hair from my face meant nothing. The way he’d looked at me in the water like I was the only thing worth looking at absolutely, meant nothing.I grabbed my phone
Last Updated: 2026-06-07
Chapter: Chapter 31Dani’s POVShe ran.One second she was right there, water dripping from her lashes, cheeks flushed and her lips parted like she wanted to say something, and then Ross came downstairs and broke whatever spell that had settled over us, and then she bolted. Climbed to it and wrapped her towel around herself and disappeared through the sliding doors without looking back.I stayed in the water for a long moment, staring at the space she’d left behind.“Too fast, I moved too damn fast,” I mumbled to myself.After everything that had happened yesterday, Blake, the police station, the hospital, the stitches behind her ears, I was out here pulling her into the pool and brushing her hair out of her face like we were in some movie. Like she wasn't in pain from her injuries.I pulled myself out of the pool and grabbed the towel from the lounge chair. Sat down on the wooden bench by the fence, water still dripping from my hair.The back door slid open a few seconds later.“What happened?” Ross sto
Last Updated: 2026-06-07
Chapter: Chapter 30Wren’s POVI opened the bathroom door and stepped out, my damp hair falling softly around my shoulders. The steam followed me into the hallway for just a second before dissolving.The apartment smelled warm and alive. Fresh coffee. Something sweet is sizzling on the stove. Cinnamon, maybe. My stomach stirred despite itself.Ross stood at the stove, stirring a pan, humming something low under his breath. He glanced over his shoulder with a small smile.“Morning, figured we could all use a decent breakfast after last night.” He tipped his chin toward the stove. “Eggs and French toast sound good?”“Yeah,” I nodded. “Perfect.”My voice came out a little hoarse. I cleared my throat and looked around the room. The blankets from last night were folded neatly on the couch. Snack wrappers gone. Pillows fluffed and back in place. Not a single trace of the two of us tangled together in the dark.“Where’s Dani?”Ross nodded toward the sliding glass doors. “Out there working out. You know him. Can
Last Updated: 2026-06-06
Throne Of The Broken Bonds
"You can never marry the heir,”
She was the servant who loved him in secret, while he was the prince who once marked her under a blood moon and then looked her in the eye years later and lied like she was nothing.
Then one night he screamed “mate” and collapsed at her feet, and everything they buried came roaring back.
Now her quiet heart has awakened with revenge. Wolves drop to their knees when she passes, the crown that should’ve always been hers is burning in her blood, and he’s on his knees in the snow, begging for the girl he destroyed.
An enemy Alpha is already riding to claim her in chains.
He’ll crawl through hell to get her back, she’ll have to decide if love is worth the ashes, and somewhere between the begging and the burning, a rejected mate becomes the most dangerous queen alive.
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Chapter: Chapter 35 : Safe Harbor FadesElara’s PovI stayed in the garden corner, leaning against a stone bench that felt cold through my leggings. Marcus hadn’t left. He was standing near a rose bush, pulling at a loose leaf. He looked like he had a lot on his mind, but he wasn’t rushing me to speak. I liked that about him. He never pushed."You're thinking about what I said," Marcus finally said. He didn't look up from the plant."I am," I admitted. I looked at my hands. They were steady for once. "You said you're developing feelings. Real ones.""I meant it, Elara." He let the leaf go and turned to face me. "I’ve watched you for a long time. Even before you started breaking floorboards and scaring the guards. I liked the way you never let them see you cry in the kitchens. I liked that you were stronger than all the Alphas combined, even when you were just scrubbing floors."I looked at him, really looked at him. Marcus was handsome, but it was more than that. He was safe. "You aren't afraid of me, are you? Even after wh
Last Updated: 2026-05-26
Chapter: Chapter 34: Whispers of the QueenElara’s PovI walked through the hallway toward the dining hall, and the silence followed me like a shadow. It wasn't the kind of silence where people ignore you because you're a servant. It was the kind where they stop breathing because they're afraid you’ll notice them. "Is that her?" a girl whispered behind a pillar. I didn't look, but I heard her heart rate spike. "Yeah," a boy answered. "Jax says she didn't even touch him. He just hit the dirt like he’d been shot. They’re calling her the awakening queen.""Shut up," the girl hissed. "She'll hear you."I kept walking. My back was straight, and I didn't pull my collar up to hide the faint scar on my neck anymore. If they wanted to stare, they could stare. I reached the double doors of the training center. Usually, I’d wait for a guard to open them for me. Today, I just pushed them open myself.The room went quiet. About ten warriors were in the middle of a sparring drill. Miller was leading them. When he saw me, he stopped mid-sw
Last Updated: 2026-05-23
Chapter: Chapter 33: Silver PulseElara’s PovThe ground was cold against my cheek. My lungs felt like they were full of dry sand, and every time I tried to pull in a breath, my ribs felt like they were rubbing together. I didn't move. I just lay there, staring at a single piece of gravel an inch from my eye. The silver heat was still humming in my ears, but it wasn't a roar anymore. It was a dull throb.Aiden was groaning nearby. I heard him roll over, the dirt crunching under his weight."Elara?" he croaked.I didn't answer. I was busy checking my own body. My fingers twitched. My legs felt heavy, but they weren't broken. I pushed myself up, my palms stinging from the scorched earth. I sat on my heels and looked at him. He looked like he’d been hit by a truck."That... that wasn't supposed to happen," Aiden said. He was sitting up now, holding his chest. "The bond wasn't supposed to have that much kick.""Everything your father told us was a lie, Aiden," I said. My voice was flat. I didn't feel sad. I didn't even fe
Last Updated: 2026-05-21
Chapter: Chapter 32: The True NameElara’s PovI didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The air changed. It got heavy and smelled like copper and expensive soap. I kept my back to the entrance, my hands tightening on the grip of the staff."Go away, Aiden," I said. My voice was steady, but my heart was starting to thump against my ribs. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.He sounded different. His voice wasn't thick with whiskey anymore. It was sharp and raw. I heard his boots crunching on the dirt, getting closer. I spun around, raising the staff to chest level.I stopped. He looked like he’d been in a car wreck. His jaw was swollen and turning a nasty purple color. His lip was split, and there was a dried smear of blood on his chin. His shirt was torn at the collar, showing the frantic move of his chest as he breathed."What do you want?" I asked.Aiden stopped about six feet away. He didn't look like he was going to apologize. He looked like he was vibrating with a fever. His eyes were dark, and they were fi
Last Updated: 2026-05-14
Chapter: Chapter 31: Bloodline LiesAiden’s PovI didn't knock. I just pushed the heavy oak doors open and walked into my father’s study. Rowan was sitting behind his desk, looking over a map of the northern territories. He didn't look up when I came in."You're late," he said. His voice was like a saw hitting a stone. "And you look like hell, Aiden. Wash your face before the council sees you.""The council isn't here," I said. I pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. I didn't ask for permission. "And I don't care how I look. We need to talk about the vials I found in your desk."Rowan finally looked up. His eyes were sharp, scanning me for weakness. He leaned back and folded his hands. "You've been snooping. That’s a dangerous habit for a boy who can barely hold his liquor.""I’m not a boy," I said. I leaned forward, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. "You've been putting that stuff in the Omegas' tea for years. You’ve been putting it in mine, too. I checked the logs from the healer’s wing. It’s a suppre
Last Updated: 2026-05-11
Chapter: Chapter 30: Faint TremorElara’s POVI walked down to the secluded training area behind the old barracks. I didn’t want to see anyone. I had already had enough of Aiden’s drama.I picked up a heavy training staff and swung it hard against a wooden post. The sound was like a bone breaking."Damn it," I muttered.I swung again. And again. I wanted to hit something until I stopped thinking. "You're going to break that pole," a voice said.I spun around, my staff raised. It was Jax. He was standing a few feet away, holding a water skin. He looked nervous. Ever since I’d stood up to Rowan, the warriors looked at me like I might explode."Maybe the pole needs to be broken," I said. I lowered the staff, but I didn't relax."You look like you're trying to kill the air, Elara," Jax said. He took a cautious step forward. "Marcus told us to give you space, but the guys are worried. You haven't eaten since yesterday.""I'm not hungry, Jax. I just want to move.""Is it true?" he asked, his voice dropping. "What they're s
Last Updated: 2026-04-30
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