LOGINAshley Carter spent years surviving Stoneridge Academy by staying invisible, keeping her head down, and pretending Ryder Knight did not exist. That last part was impossible. Ryder was every dangerous thing she should have avoided… hockey captain, future Alpha heir, and the cruel rich boy who made her school life miserable with a single look. He was cold, untouchable, worshipped by everyone, and completely out of her reach. Until the night Ashley walked into her house and found Ryder standing beside her mother with a wedding ring on his finger. Now trapped inside Ryder’s mansion as his new stepdaughter, Ashley quickly realizes the hatred between them was never simple. The closer they become, the more dangerous the tension turns. Every stare lasts too long. Every touch feels forbidden. Every fight burns with a heat neither of them can control. But the mansion hides secrets far darker than obsession. Ashley was not brought into Ryder’s life by accident. Powerful wolves have been watching her for years, waiting for the hidden power sleeping inside her bloodline to awaken. And Ryder may know far more about her role in their world than he admits. When a forbidden mate bond begins forming between them, the entire pack threatens to collapse into chaos. Because loving her could destroy Ryder’s future. But losing her might destroy him completely.
View MoreASHLEY;
I shoved open the front door, my shoulders heavy from another long day at Stoneridge Academy. The weight of my backpack dug into my skin as I kicked off my sneakers. School had been its usual nightmare. Ryder had been there, of course… tall, broad, and radiating that annoying arrogance. His cold stares following me through the halls again, those dark eyes lingering on my body just long enough to make my skin flush with unwanted heat. One muttered comment in the hallway… “Still hiding in the shadows, Carter!?”… had cut deeper than usual. He was the hockey captain, the future Alpha everyone whispered about, built like a god and twice as cruel. I just wanted a quiet evening, a shower and maybe some food if my mom had bothered to cook, but the house wasn’t quiet… From upstairs, the sounds hit me like a wave. The steady creak of the bed frame, my mother’s breathy, broken moans floating down the hallway and deep, masculine groans that vibrated with raw pleasure… the unmistakable wet slap of skin meeting skin, hard and rhythmic. My face burned as I realised what sound that was, heart pounding. The moans grew louder, more desperate. My mother cried out sharply, “Oh god… yes, harder…” Disgust twisted in my gut, but beneath it, a traitorous warmth spread low in my belly, maybe because I already knew who the man was. I tried to block the images, but they came anyway… same man from the previous weeks, pounding into my mother with force. “Mom?” I called out loudly, my voice cracking through the house. “I’m home!” Just maybe she would hear me and tone down her loud voice. It worked! The sounds stopped abruptly. The creaking halted. Silence swallowed everything. I rolled my eyes at the ceiling, finally the torture was over…. For a few seconds, at least. I waited, my breath caught in my throat, as footsteps and rustling came from upstairs. Then they appeared. My mother descended the stairs first, looking freshly fucked… cheeks glowing, lips swollen, hair wild, her silk robe pulled hastily around her flushed body. But it was Ryder who stole every ounce of my breath. He followed her down, shirtless and towering, his powerful torso gleaming with sweat under the hallway lights. Every hard muscle was on display, the deep cuts of his abs, the broad chest dusted with dark hair, the tattoos that seemed to shift with his breathing. His low-slung sweatpants hung dangerously low on his hips, the thick ridge of his still-hard cock clearly visible, pressing insistently against the fabric. His dark eyes locked onto mine, his gaze dragging down my body like a physical touch, over the swell of my breasts in my modest blouse, down my waist, lingering on the curve of my hips. “Ashley, sweetheart!” Mom beamed, reaching the bottom with a satisfied sway. “I have the most amazing news. Ryder and I got married this afternoon!” The words hit me like ice water. Married. Ryder… my tormentor, the arrogant hockey god—was now my stepfather. I mean, I knew she mentioned it, but this quick?I had expected she would give me the time to adjust He stopped right in front of me, towering over my five-foot-five frame. Up close, the scent of sex clung to him, musky, masculine, mixed with my mother’s perfume. His chest rose and fell, still slick with sweat, a bead of it trailing down between his pecs. My wolf stirred violently inside me, drawn to the raw Alpha power rolling off him in waves. Heat flooded between my thighs, my nipples tightening painfully against my bra. I hated it. Hated how my body reacted to the man who had made my life hell. “Surprised, princess?” he said, voice low and husky, still rough from fucking. “Things are about to change around here.” Mom kept talking as she moved things around the house, oblivious to the tension crackling like lightning. “We’re moving into Ryder’s mansion tomorrow. No more scraping by, honey. This is our new life!” Ryder’s lips curved into a slow, dangerous smirk. “I’ll take good care of you both,” he murmured, the words dripping with double meaning. I pushed past them, mumbling an excuse about homework, and fled to my room. I slammed the door and leaned against it, breathing hard. I slid a hand down my stomach, pressing against the ache between my legs, then yanked it away in shame. Down the hall, the bedroom door clicked shut again. Soft laughter turned into fresh moans within minutes… He was clearly finishing what he’d started. I buried my face in my pillow, the boy who tormented me in two different ways, was now my stepfather.ASHLEY;The bar was alive with loud music. Bass thumped through the floor and up my legs. Dim colored lights flashed across the crowded room. I sat at a small table with Irene, my best friend, nursing a cold drink in my hands. The glass felt slippery from the condensation.Irene leaned closer, her voice cutting through the music after I had explained everything that happened earlier at school. “Come on, Ashley. Lila has always been a killjoy. You know that. She’s just mad because she can’t have Ryder wrapped around her finger anymore.” Irene said, already swaying to the rising tune of the music.“I know, but…”“No buts, Ash,” she cut in. “Everyone in the Crestwood pack knows Irene grew up around Ryder, and somehow, the girl is hoping for more… Who wouldn't? Have you seen your new stepdad?” Her laughter rose small in my ears.I shrugged and took another sip. The drink burned a little as it went down. Irene had a point. Lila had always been like that… mean and possessive. Irene was ri
ASHLEY;I grabbed my bag from the table, but Ryder’s thick, warm hand caught mine in mid-air. His grip was firm but not painful. It sent a strange jolt up my arm, my gaze landed on his face.“Don’t listen to her,” he said quickly, keeping his voice low so only I could hear.I looked straight into his eyes, my throat tight and aching. “Why shouldn’t I?” My voice cracked on the last word.He swallowed hard. His blue eyes softened in a way I had never seen before. “Because she’s making this up to get to you. She’s from the Silverpine pack. They’re very close to the Crestwood pack. She probably knows the old stories about your dad going missing. And now…”He paused. His throat moved again like the words were stuck.“Now what?!” I pressed, my heart beating faster.“And now she’s using it against you,” he said quietly. “Against us.”I stared at him for a long moment. His eyes looked almost honest. Almost. I turned my head and watched Lila’s back as she walked out of the cafeteria with her
ASHLEY;“Spill,” he commanded, like he was all ears.I shifted in my seat, suddenly feeling too warm under his stare. The cafeteria noise buzzed around us, but it felt far away. All I could focus on was Ryder leaning forward, his thick arms still resting on the table, those dangerous blue eyes fixed on me like I was the only person in the room. And the heavy standing fan did its thing, subtly pulling on his shirt, enough to show off the tattoo covering one side of his chest.I took a slow breath and started. “First condition… You don’t touch me. No grabbing my hand like you did earlier. No pulling me close in front of people. Or standing too near to keep me uncomfortable. This is just tutoring, nothing else.”A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he played around with the glass in his hand, but he didn’t argue. He simply nodded once, like he was filing it away.“Second,” I continued, “you actually show up for the sessions. No skipping because of hockey practice or… what
ASHLEY;The waitress placed our orders on the table and left quickly. I stared at the simple cheese sandwich and cold apple juice in front of me. I had barely paid any attention when he ordered for the two of us, and now the orders were here. Great choice though.Ryder had ordered something stronger, a dark drink in a tall glass, and the same cheese sandwich. He rested his thick arms on the table, leaning forward. His blue eyes locked onto mine like he could see straight through me.I gulped hard. The sobs I had fought back in the bathroom still pushed at my throat, wanting to break free again. I looked down at my hands instead, curling them on the table.“Still sobbing?” he asked. A smirk played on his lips as he slid a paper towel across the table toward me.I gawked at him. That ugly smirk on his face made my blood boil. I pushed the paper towel back to him.“Thanks, but no thanks,” I snarled, turning my eyes away. But instead of looking somewhere safe, my gaze landed on Lila. She


















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