CHAPTER TWO: Elena

One minute I was Elena, the tired girl who cleaned floors and served burgers to pay bills. The next minute I was standing in Victoria’s fancy room, looking like her. The silk dress felt cold and slippery on my skin. It hugged my body tight and showed more than I was used to. Victoria had fixed my hair with a blonde wig. It took hours to pin it down right. She kept saying one wrong move and my mom would die. Those words stayed in my head like a warning bell.

I looked in the mirror and did not recognize myself. The dress was short and shiny. My legs looked longer in the heels she made me wear. I practiced smiling like Victoria, tilting my head the way she did. 

“You better not mess this up, Elena,” Victoria said while she watched me. “One slip and Martha gets nothing. No surgery, no medicine. She dies in that dirty hospital bed.”

“I will not mess up,” I said. My voice came out small. “This is for my mom. Our dad’s other daughter. The one he knocked up with the maid and then threw away.”

Victoria laughed cold. “Do not call him our dad. He is my dad. You and your maid mother were the mistake he sent away years ago. Now act like me or forget the money.”

The party was loud and crazy when I got there. Music pounded everywhere. The air smelled like sweat, cheap beer, and strong cologne from all the hockey players. Ryder Knight stood right in the middle of it all. He looked bigger than everyone else. Tall, broad shoulders, and that alpha energy coming off him like heat from a fire. He had just won the big game. Everyone cheered for him like he was a king.

His eyes found me fast. He pushed through the crowd, ignoring his friends who slapped him on the back. 

“Vick, baby,” he said when he reached me. He put his hand on my waist. The touch felt hot. “You look stunning tonight. I have been thinking about claiming my prize the whole game.”

I forced a smile. “You played a great game, Ryder. I am so proud of you.”

He laughed low. “Proud? Come on. You promised me the best night of my life if we won. Do not tell me you forgot.”

My stomach flipped hard. “I... I remember,” I whispered. 

He pulled me close. “Good girl.”

I wanted to pull away but his grip was tight. “Ryder, maybe we can just talk first?” I tried.

“Talk?” He shook his head and grinned. “Later. Right now I need you.”

He dragged me through the noise to the VIP suite in the back. The door shut and everything got quiet. It felt heavy. Ryder turned to me. His eyes looked dark and hungry. 

“You have been acting differently all night,” he said. Then he kissed me hard.

At first I froze. This was Ryder, the alpha son who bullied me for years. But his hands moved on my skin and something changed. A warm golden thread snapped tight in my chest. Heat rushed through me. His scent wrapped around me like it belonged there.

Ryder pulled back. His eyes went wide. The wolf flashed gold. “Mine,” he growled. “What the hell is this feeling? It is like... you are mine.”

“I feel it too,” I said, my voice shaking. Tears came. “Ryder, it is so strong. Like we are connected deep down.”

He did not ask more. He kissed me again. “Then stop talking and show me.”

We moved to the bed. He took off my dress slowly. I let him. The bond made every touch feel electric and right. 

After a long time, after three big waves of pleasure that left me shaking and crying his name, we lay there. Ryder pulled me into his arms. 

“I have not been able to talk to anyone about the pressure,” he said softly. “My father wants me in the pack office right after graduation. Suit and tie. No more hockey. He does not care what I love. He just wants the perfect alpha son.”

“That sounds so lonely,” I said. I ran my hand down his arm. “You should not have to pretend all the time.”

He looked at me. “You really get it tonight, Vick. Usually you push the pack stuff. But right now... it feels real with you. Like I can finally breathe.”

I felt guilt hit my chest like a rock. “Ryder, if things were different... would you still want me?” I asked quietly.

He kissed my forehead. “Right now I do. More than anything. This bond thing is crazy. It feels like fate.”

We talked more. I almost told him the truth about being the maid’s daughter, the secret half-sister Victoria hated. But I held back. The bond felt warm and safe. For a little while I let myself believe he might choose me.

“We should go back out,” he said after some time. His voice was husky. “The guys will wonder where we are.”

“Okay,” I said. My heart felt heavy but full.

I fixed the dress and checked the wig. We walked out holding hands. The party was louder. A reporter came over fast.

“Ryder! Great win. Quick word for the blog?” she asked.

“Make it quick,” Ryder said. He kept his arm around me.

The reporter smiled. “Rivals were tough tonight. Did you feel like you were losing your edge?”

“Never,” Ryder answered. “Not with my girl here.”

Then she turned to me. “Victoria, how does it feel to be the rock for the city’s golden boy?”

“It is a privilege,” I said, copying her tone. “I just want him to be happy.”

“You two look closer than ever,” the reporter pushed. “Wedding bells soon?”

Ryder laughed and pulled me tighter. “We are enjoying the ride. Right, babe?”

Before I could answer, a girl pushed past me hard to get to the dance floor. My hand flew up. The wig pins caught. There was a loud rip. The blonde wig fell to the floor. My real dark hair came tumbling down.

The room went dead quiet. I froze.

Ryder stared at the wig, then at my face. His eyes changed from shock to cold anger. He stepped back. “Who the hell are you?”

Someone shouted, “That is the janitor! The maid’s daughter who cleans the basement!”

Phones came out. Flashes went off. My phone buzzed. I ran outside to the parking lot and answered.

“You idiot!” Victoria screamed. “My reputation is ruined! Everyone is laughing at me online because of you!”

“It was an accident,” I cried. Tears ran hot down my face. “Someone bumped me. Please, Victoria. She is our dad’s other kid too. Martha is your father’s mistake but she is still my mom. Do not pull the money. She will die.”

Victoria laughed mean and sharp. “Fix this mess right now or the deal is dead. Martha gets nothing. You hear me? Nothing!”

“I will fix it,” I begged. “Please. We are half-sisters. Same dad. Do not let her die because of me.”

She was quiet for a second. “One more chance. Screw up again and you both rot.”

She hung up. I sat on the cold ground shaking. The bond in my chest still pulled toward Ryder. It hurt so bad. I felt it snap into place when we were together. He felt it too. I thought he would choose me, his fated mate. But he looked at me like I was trash and took Victoria’s side instead. The alpha son picked his perfect life over the poor step sister he was bonded to.

What had I done? Everything was falling apart and my heart was breaking into pieces.