Chapter 11

Chapter 11: “Not Your Brother”

Kieran’s POV…

I got dressed fast, barely remembering to shove my shirt over my head before I was storming out of the mansion. Lucas, my Beta, was already outside waiting, standing like he knew something was about to go down.

He fell into step beside me, quiet, like always. But I stopped and turned to him before I even reached my car.

“I need you to stay here,” I said. “Watch over Ava. No matter what happens, she doesn’t leave this place unless I’m with her. Got it?”

Lucas nodded once. “Got it. You sure you wanna go alone?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “This is personal.”

He didn’t argue. Just gave me a look that said be careful, and stepped back.

I slid into the driver’s seat, slammed the door, and peeled out of the driveway. My knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

Who the hell did Demon think he was?

He knew Ava was mine. He knew she was my mate. And yet he was still out there, making plans like he had a chance. Like I wouldn’t tear the whole world down to protect her.

I kept my foot pressed to the gas, cutting through the backroads until I reached the edge of town. There it was—the old house, falling apart, surrounded by nothing but dry weeds and rusted cars.

Of course Demon would be here. Creepy, dramatic, and way too into the whole ‘bad guy’ aesthetic.

I parked a little ways off and walked up. He was already waiting outside, sitting on a cracked chair like he didn’t have a care in the world. A glass of something in his hand, acting like this was just another lazy afternoon.

He saw me and smiled. Not the friendly kind. The kind that made you want to break something.

“Look who decided to show,” he said, lifting his glass in a lazy mock-toast.

I didn’t return the smile. “Cut the crap. What do you want?”

He stood up slowly, brushing dust off his shirt like we were about to shake hands or something. “Relax, bro.”

I growled at the word. “Don’t call me that. We’re not brothers. We can never be brothers.”

He stepped closer, that same smug look still plastered on his face. “Sure we are. Pack-born, blood-bound, fated and raised—”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “You’re nothing to me.”

The guards—his guys, three of them in black—watched from a distance, but they didn’t move. Not yet.

“I asked you a question,” I said through my teeth. “Why Ava? What the hell are you doing sniffing around her like a freak?”

He chuckled and tilted his head. “Because I want her. You know me, I always get what I want.”

I stepped forward so fast he barely flinched before I shoved him back. “She’s not yours to want. She’s my mate.”

“Really?” he said, like it was a joke. “So what—you claim her and suddenly she’s off-limits to the rest of the world? Come.on brother, I thought you were smarter than this. Don't tell me this is how it is.”

“That’s exactly what it is.”

Demon just shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. “See, I’ve been waiting for this. For you to finally crack. I thought you’d have snapped sooner, honestly.”

“I’m warning you,” I said, my voice low.

“And I’m telling you,” he said, stepping right into my space, “I’m gonna have her. Nothing’s gonna stop that.”

Behind him, his pack of wolves guys shifted, getting ready. I saw one of them start to move, and before I could blink, Demon raised a hand without even turning around.

“Stand down,” he ordered them.

They froze immediately.

He looked back at me, grin spreading wider. “See? I don’t want a fight. Not today.”

I clenched my jaw, fists at my sides. “Then why poke the bear?”

“Because it’s fun,” he said, laughing.

I lost it.

My hand flew to his collar, yanking him forward as I slammed my fist into the wall beside his head. He didn’t even flinch.

“I swear, if you go near her—”

“You’ll what?” he interrupted, grinning like this was the best day of his life. “Kill me? Declare war? Come on, Kieran. That’s what brothers do, right? Fight over girls.”

I shoved him back, breathing hard. “We’re. Not. Brothers.”

He straightened his shirt and gave me that infuriating shrug again. “Of course we are. You just don’t want to admit it.”

I stared at him, my eyes burning, my wolf pressing harder against my skin. I could feel it trying to claw through, begging to take over, to end this now.

But I held it back.

Barely.

“Ava is mine,” I said, voice tight and dangerous. “And soon, she’ll be Luna. She’ll be known across every pack, every clan.”

He laughed again. “You say that like it’s already true.”

“It is,” I growled.

“But how do you know she’ll choose you?” he asked, stepping close again. “You’re not even human. You’re not some normal guy she met at school or work. You’re a monster. An Alpha. You think a human girl like that is gonna accept you? Just like that?”

His words hit harder than I expected.

Because yeah, sometimes I thought the same thing. I knew Ava hadn’t seen the full truth yet. She didn’t know what I was—what we were. How could she love someone like me when I hadn’t even told her who I really was?

But I couldn’t let him see that doubt. Not for one second.

So I stepped forward, real slow, until I was close enough that my whisper would hit like a punch.

“She is mine.”

Before he could react, I slammed a hand into his stomach, knocking the breath right out of him. His body flew backward, crashing into the wall behind him. The old wood shattered on impact, splinters exploding across the porch.

He slumped to the floor, coughing.

And I stood there, breathing hard, staring him down.