All Chapters of My Step-Brothers’ Forbidden Addiction: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Delilah’s POV“Just looking out for my friends,” Mateo said easily, like he was doing everyone a favor. “Theo deserves to know what he’s dealing with before he catches something from trash like her.”Trash.The word hit harder than all the others combined, and something inside me cracked.I stood there with my face burning and my hands shaking while surrounded by people who moments ago had been praising my work, who’d made me feel welcome and included and like I might actually belong. Theo had moved back another step, putting clear distance between us now, and the warmth in his eyes had been replaced with wariness.Stella opened her mouth like she might say something, then closed it again while looking away. Cara busied herself with papers that didn’t need organizing. Even Margaret, who’d been so firm with Mateo about his recovery, said nothing about this.Because he was the Beta’s son. Because defending me meant going against pack hierarchy. Because I was nobody and he was everything

Delilah’s POVI barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Dante’s hand on my shoulder and heard his voice promising tomorrow would be entertaining. When my alarm went off at seven, I was already awake and staring at the ceiling.The healing center. I still had to go to work. Margaret expected me at eight, and missing would only prove what Mateo had said about me being unreliable.I dragged myself out of bed and got ready, pulling on clean clothes and braiding my hair back. My reflection looked hollow with dark circles under my eyes.The walk to the healing center felt longer than usual. When I pushed through the door at seven fifty-five, the atmosphere hit me immediately.Stella and Cara were already there organizing supplies. They looked up when I entered, and I saw the exact moment they remembered yesterday. Stella’s smile died and Cara turned back to her work without greeting me.“Morning,” I said quietly.“Morning,” Stella replied, her tone professional and dist

Delilah’s POVI kept counting down in my head, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but he seemed sincere. His eyes held actual sympathy and his body language was open and apologetic.“It’s fine,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.“It’s not fine,” Mateo said firmly. He turned back to Dante with clear anger in his voice. “You went way too far. Bringing up her rejection? Calling her diseased? That’s fucked up, Dante, even for you.”Dante’s jaw tightened but he didn’t argue, just looked away with something that might have been shame crossing his face.Mateo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I know you’re protective of the pack, but there are lines you don’t cross. She’s family now whether we like it or not, and Dad would skin us both alive if he knew you were treating her like this.”Family. He called me family.“You’re right,” Dante muttered, still not looking at me. “I went too far.”“Yeah, you did.” Mateo turned back to me and his smile was warm and genuine. “Ser

Delilah’s POVSitting with wolves my age meant sitting with people who’d heard Mateo’s accusations at the healing center. People who thought I was diseased and contaminated and not worth knowing.“Actually,” I said quickly, “I was thinking I could help serve instead.”Mom’s smile faltered. “Serve? Why would you want to do that?”“Because I’d feel more useful that way. More like I’m contributing.” I scrambled for a believable excuse. “Sitting at a table making small talk with people I don’t know sounds awkward. But serving means I’m doing something, helping make the night special.”“Honey, you’re not staff. You’re family. You should be enjoying the celebration, not working it.”“I’d enjoy it more if I was helping. Please, Mom. Let me do this.”She studied my face and I could see her weighing the request, trying to figure out what was really going on.“Is this about yesterday?” she asked gently. “About the kitchen staff?”“No. I just want to feel useful.” Which was partially true, even

Delilah’s POV“Right in the middle of the Alpha’s announcement,” another voice said with barely concealed laughter.“Classic. Can’t even walk straight.”The whispers spread like wildfire, moving through the crowd faster than I could process. But these weren’t concerned whispers asking if I was okay. These were mocking, degrading, and vicious.“Bet she liked getting poked in the ass like that,” a male voice said from somewhere behind me, followed by snickering. “Probably creamed herself from it.”My face burned with shame so intense it felt like fire.“Slut probably did it on purpose. Wanted attention, couldn’t stand that Vivienne was getting the spotlight.”“Did you see how she fell? Legs spread and everything. Probably hoping someone would get a good view up her dress.”No. No no no this wasn’t happening.I tried to push myself up but my hands slipped in the champagne and broken glass, cutting deeper. Blood mixed with alcohol on the floor and my vision started to blur with tears I co