My Stepbrother's Secret Obsession

Chapter One 

 

 


Ella POV

 

The whistling kettle reminded me I was still in the kitchen, preparing dinner, a wide smile plastered on my face at the thought of my husband, Luciano.

My wolf tried whispering to me, startling me a little, but I immediately shut it off. It was supposed to be silent—silent for good. I had silenced it three years ago because I wanted to be human, purely human, just for Luciano.

 

Six years ago, I was nineteen and in a white dress when Luciano told me I was his princess, so I made sure to play right into his fantasy. Luciano’s world and mine were completely different, but I never cared. I left my pack, the throne, my life as the only heiress of the Silver Fang Pack—to love Luciano.

 

My father, Alpha Dracula of Silver Fang Pack, taught me to rule with power and brains, not love and heart. He taught me how to take the measure of a man by the set of his jaw and the way he held a weapon, not how to fall in love. He had told me the pack came before everything: blood, law, survival. He said love was a softness a leader could not afford.

 

He had always told me love never existed, only power and death did, and that I had to focus solely on my responsibility as the ascending female Alpha. But I proved him wrong when I left on my crowning day, the day I was supposed to choose my mate at the banquet. Instead, I stood before the pack and the elders and announced that I was in love, and that I would marry a pure human, Luciano disgracing my father in front of everyone.

 

My father hated humans. He detested them. But I never cared. I defied his rules and warnings. Luciano was my world, even though he never knew my real one. I never told him of the sacrifices I made just to be with him. I had told him I was an orphan, and yet he loved me nevertheless. Leaving the pack and choosing Luciano had felt like the best choice I had ever made.

 

I glanced at the wall clock and quickly packed his dinner, knowing I was already running late for my husband’s party. It was my long-awaited day. Even though Luciano and I had been married for three years, we had only been secretly married because of his career.

 

To the world, the most popular actor—Luciano—was single. But he had promised to reveal me after the launch of his biggest movie at the celebration party. He was finally going to introduce me to the whole world tonight.

 

The smile on my face couldn’t be hidden the moment I stepped out of the cab. I paid the driver and hurried toward the door, but I was stopped abruptly by two bulky guards who looked at me with thinly veiled disgust.

 

“If you’re here to beg for a penny, that won’t be allowed here,” one of them said rudely.

 

I was annoyed, but I refused to show it.

 

If they had known who stood in front of them, even as the Dracula princess, they wouldn’t have dared. My sharp claws would have dug straight through their hearts. But I had left that life behind.

 

“I’m on the guest list,” I said, keeping my voice light.

 

They exchanged a look and the same smug chuckle. “This isn’t a place for people like you.”

 

“I was invited,” I repeated calmly.

 

“And where is your invitation?” the other asked.

 

I had clearly seen some ladies walk in without showing any invitation. If only they had known who I was to Luciano… but I said nothing.

 

I reached into my bag and produced the invitation card. Luciano had sent it himself.

Even though we hadn’t seen each other in a month, his invitation had arrived right on time, just like clockwork.

 

The men looked at each other in shock, then back at me, their surprise obvious. I didn’t say a word. Instead, I grinned and lifted my chin high as I swept past them.

 

When I stepped into the party hall, the room buzzed with activity. Men and women filled the space, but they weren’t ordinary people. They were elites and celebrities I had only seen on TV in the human world.

The ladies wore long, shimmering evening dresses.

 

I stood out.

 

I was the only one who looked different—in a simple short dress, clutching the dinner box I had made for Luciano as if my life depended on it. I had prepared it because it had been so long since he’d eaten real home-cooked food. Maybe that was why I was getting so many stares, but I didn’t care.

 

Maybe I would have liked to wear one of those beautiful gowns, but in his message, Luciano had told me to keep it simple. Maybe he had a grand plan.

 

I pushed the thought away and made my way through the crowd, searching for Luciano, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find him.

 

Suddenly, a sound came from the microphone on stage, and everyone’s attention turned. I looked up, and there he was. My human husband, Luciano.

 

He stood in a black suit that shimmered under the lights, obviously expensive. His sharp eyes pierced through the crowd; I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful they were. And his black curly hair? It gleamed under the bright lights focused on him. Even from where I stood, I could smell his cologne—sharp and intoxicating.

 

The ladies around me gasped, wishing they had been his woman. I knew it was because of his riches, his fame, his power. But I had never loved Luciano for his wealth, power, or popularity.

 

When I had met him six years ago, he had nothing. He was just an aspiring actor, hoping to be great one day. I had seen potential in him, and we had struggled together. I had helped him pursue his dream, taking part-time jobs to support us. Those years of hard work were why I lost my pregnancy but I never told Luciano about it.

 

Luciano cleared his throat, and all eyes turned perfectly toward him. “Thank you all for coming here tonight and honoring my invitation. Thank you for your support, and my special thanks to someone so dear to my heart,” he said with a wide smile.

 

My face immediately flushed. I knew he was speaking about me. Did he know I had already arrived?

 

“And tonight,” he continued, “I want to introduce the one who holds my heart to the world.”

 

The room gasped.

 

My mouth curved into a smile I had practiced in front of mirrors. This was it—the moment I had waited for, my happy ending with Luciano.

 

The ladies’ faces fell in disappointment and murmurs rolled across the room. To everyone, Luciano was one of the most eligible bachelors—rich, handsome, famous, and desirable and now, he was finally off the market.

 

I adjusted my dress and took a deep breath. This was the moment. Luciano was finally fulfilling his promise and showing he really loved me.

 

“Amanda Smith, will you please come on stage, my love?” Luciano said and the smile vanished from my face.

 

I froze. That name wasn’t mine. Amanda? That had never been my name.

 

Amanda had never been my name. Could there be a mix-up? It sounded foolish to wonder if the man who had known me for six years could forget my name.

 

Amanda... the name sounded familiar.

 

In the blink of an eye, the same woman who had been frequently appearing on TV with Luciano stepped onto the stage. She wore what was possibly the most expensive dress in the hall, glimmering under the lights. Her smile was blinding as she swayed toward Luciano, and they began to pose as if they were lovers in front of everyone.

 

Love? Luciano was in love with someone else?

 

“I told you the rumors were right! They’re dating! No wonder their chemistry felt so good, it’s too real to be fake!” whispers spread across the room.

 

As they displayed their affection and the paparazzi flashed, I should have been by Luciano’s side as his wife. Instead, someone else stood there.

 

I felt the urge to storm the stage, to make a scene, to hit them, to curse them, but I stayed still, calm and composed. Like the perfect, good wife I had always been to Luciano.

 

“I told you, didn’t I?” my wolf growled quietly inside me.