My Stepbrother, My Alpha Mate

RAINEMy body trembled. Not from fear. Not from pain. But from something far stranger, something deeper. Ever since Killian appeared, something within me had awakened. Something that rattled my bones, pushing to break free from beneath my skin. It burned, like a wild surge of energy flooding from my stomach to my chest... then up to my throat.My breathing grew heavier. My nose caught a foreign scent, a mix of forest, rain, and smoldering embers. A scent that sent shivers down my spine.My wolf... she was rising. Or more precisely, she was responding to something.My heart pounded faster. I shut my eyes, forcing down the sudden urge to shift. No. Not now. I wasn’t ready. I had never felt this before. But I knew exactly what this reaction meant. This wasn’t just emotion… this was instinct. The instinct of a wolf who had just recognized the presence of her mate.No way.That’s impossible…Then Killian’s voice rang out, “Everyone, leave.”His voice was low, but carried an undeniable powe

RAINEOne week laterI woke up slowly, as if returning from a formless realm. The air felt heavy in my lungs, and a dull ache pulsed in my head. My vision was blurry. Beside me stood a man I recognized as the healer of this pack.“She’s awake!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the room.Hurried footsteps followed, then my bedroom door burst open. Killian entered first, followed by Alpha Markus and the pack elders. Their faces were tense, their eyes fixed on me.My mother came in right after them and rushed to embrace me.“Raine…” she sobbed. “You’re awake… finally, after a week.” Her tears soaked my shoulder.I was too weak to speak, too confused to ask questions. All I could do was listen as she explained everything—the week of chaos in the Shadowfang Pack. The calamities that came in waves after Killian’s rejection of me. The wrath of the Moon Goddess. The truth that Killian and I were destined mates, bound by fate.I looked at Killian, who stood there, silent, his eyes hollow.

RAINEI sat still at the edge of the bed, my back facing Killian. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling swayed slowly, stirred by the night breeze sneaking in through the small window above the bed. The room felt suffocating. Like a cage.Then I heard Beta Jax's voice delivering news of war to Killian.I froze. War? But... why should I be surprised?I shouldn't be. I shouldn't care. It's not my responsibility.I thought… whatever. Let them go to war. I don’t care.But still, my body couldn't lie. My palms were cold. My back was stiff.I heard Killian's voice, flat and firm—cutting through the night air like a blade."Tighten the palace security. Deploy rogues from the northern clan to guard the borders. If they strike first, we strike back. Until death."Jax answered shortly. "Understood, Alpha."Then his footsteps faded away, fast, firm, disappearing into the hallway.The door was closed again.I took a slow breath, almost as if I was afraid he might hear it.Without a sound, Killi

RAINEI listened carefully. There was no answer from Killian for a long time. Not even the sound of his footsteps. I had no idea what kind of expression he had on his face now, because I was still hiding behind this stone pillar.I held my breath, focusing my ears on catching every voice I could hear.Then Celine’s voice came again. This time, her tone was a little shaky, as if she was trying to hold back her emotions, yet still hoping for something.“I just want to remind you, Killian,” she said softly, but clearly enough for me to hear. “Do you remember? When we were dating at seventeen? When we went to the lake, and you said… you wanted to be with me forever?”She paused for a moment, as if gathering strength before continuing.“You were my first love, Killian. And I believe I was your first love too. I’ve waited for you all this time. I refused to be arranged with other Alphas. I held on, because I believed… one day, you would propose to me.”My heart ached hearing those words. I

RAINE I nodded slowly, just to be polite. No words came out of my mouth, and honestly, I didn’t know what to say. Some of them whispered to each other, and I knew it wasn’t because they were discussing anything important. I had grown up hearing whispers like that. They had never truly accepted me. Among the elders sitting around the long table, there were also ten young warriors. They were the core fighters of the Shadowfang Pack. They had been officially appointed the night Alpha Killian was crowned and, at the same time, when he married me and claimed me as his Luna. The warriors were made up of three women and seven men, all of them children and grandchildren of the Elders seated at this very table. I recognized their faces. They grew up in this house, in this pack and territory, alongside Killian and Jax. Some of them used to be my playmates when I first moved here with my mother, and the rest… were the bullies who used to pull my hair or hide my ballet shoes just to make me c