Semua Bab MATED TO HER ALPHA STEPBROTHERS: Bab 81 - Bab 90

BROOKSThe pack house was restless that night.Because it was the night of the full moon. Tradition dictated that every wolf in the city be here, every ranked wolf, every pack member who could shift. It was easier to shift in the stone fortress that sat deep in the forest, far from human eyes. It was a way to safeguard the human world and keep them oblivious to the supernatural side of it.It was my first full moon as a Romano. My mother and the Alpha weren’t here, choosing to spend it together, somewhere private. That meant I was on my own.Well, not exactly, because the Princes were here too. Stephan was outside, directing the wolves, speaking with so much vigor, they penetrated the stone walls and met me inside. I rolled my eyes. Alpha prince duties. Even from a distance, I could feel his authority coil through the night. I avoided the windows, focusing instead on folding towels neatly on the benches near the back door.Everyone who could change was already moving toward the

BROOKSStephan’s gaze was sharp, tight with irritation, the kind of look that could slice through skin. Heath’s expression, as always, was harder to read. Calm, measured, as though he were weighing the scene instead of reacting to it.I didn’t even know what to say. My throat worked uselessly, words choking at the back of it.And then, right on cue, Zade stirred. His lashes fluttered, a soft groan slipping past his lips as he blinked awake. The focus shifted instantly to him.“Zade,” I breathed, leaning toward him, my concern spilling out before I could stop it. “Are you okay?”He nodded faintly, still groaning as he rubbed at his temple.“You good, Zade?” Heath’s voice broke the silence, calm and even, and pretty concerned too, if you ask me. Zade nodded again, slower this time, eyes downcast.No one said anything else, but the room was stifling. Three brothers, me, the memory of last night pressing against the walls. I couldn’t stay in that space a second longer, not with Stephan

BROOKS. “Someone’s here for you, waiting at reception.” Betty announced as she poked her head into my office, her red lipstick catching the light as she grinnedI frowned, closing my laptop. I wasn’t expecting anyone. “Who?” I asked“I don’t know, but he is extremely hot,” She shrugged with a knowing smile. “Go see for yourself.”Suspicion tugged at me as I made my way down the hall. The moment I rounded the corner, my steps faltered.Ashar Vale.He was leaning lazily against the reception desk as if he owned the building, perfectly tailored in slate-gray, his watch gleaming like a quiet statement of power. Heads turned as they always did around him. And then, when his gaze found mine, the corners of his mouth lifted.“Brooks.” He crossed the space smoothly, like he had been waiting for me all day. He kissed my cheek lightly, lingering just long enough to unsettle me. “There you are.”“What are you doing here?” I asked. “In New York?”“Business meeting in the city,” he said easily,

BROOKS. The closer I crept down the hall, the clearer the voices became. Sharp edges cutting through the thick silence of the mansion.They were coming from Stephan’s room.I shouldn’t. I knew I shouldn’t. But my feet carried me anyway, slow and quiet until I was right outside the door, my back pressing against the wall.“…what the fuck were you thinking, Venita?” Stephan’s voice was sharp, furious. I have heard him angry before but I have never heard him quite like this.“Don’t start with me,” Venita’s reply came quickly, haughty. “It’s my wedding too, Stephan, and I refuse to be embarrassed with anything less than perfection.”“You charged fifty grand to my card.” Stephan’s tone was lethal, each word heavy. “For flowers. Flowers, Venita. They’ll be dead before the reception’s over.”I clamped a hand over my mouth, eyes widening. Fifty grand?“You’re exaggerating,” Venita scoffed dismissively. “And besides, we’re rich, Stephan. Or have you forgotten? Money isn’t an issue for us.”S

BROOKS. His expression was unreadable, almost bored. The indifference in his face only made my blood boil hotter. I was there a week ago when Venita stormed out of Stephan’s room, her voice dripping venom, her eyes wet and wild. I heard the cruel things he said to her. And now? They looked like the perfect picture of devotion, selling a fairy tale to the world.I swallowed hard, nails digging into the pillow I hugged against me. I knew it was all for show, but the way Stephan touched Venita’s hand, the way he let that word “love” slip from his lips like it meant something, it was painful. It made me feel ridiculous for every stolen moment I shared with him. The balcony, which was the last time we were “intimate”. God, I hated myself for feeling anything at all.And I hated him even more. Stephan was a terrible person. I needed to remind myself of that.Zade’s jaw twitched, and without a word, he picked up the remote and snapped the TV off. The silence that followed was sharp.