Semua Bab Initiated by my Alpha Stepbrother's Mark: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Chapter OneKaireen’s PovMy father's words kept replaying in my head, over and over like a song I couldn't turn off."You are not fit to be among the pack warriors."I'd stood in his office just two hours ago, my medical degree clutched in my sweaty hands, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest. I'd practiced what I was going to say the entire drive from the city. Had the words memorized."Father," I'd said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Even if you're not going to let me work in the pack hospital, at least when the warriors are wounded, I could treat them. I'm trained for this. I'm certified. I can help—""No!" He roared in disgust and I trembled."But I studied for five years—""Do you remember what you are?" His eyes had finally lifted from his paperwork to look at me, and the contempt there had felt like a physical slap. "You are a stain on this family, Kaireen. And now you want to do what? Become a pack healer?" He'd actually laughed. "The only t

Chapter three: Kaireen’s PovI stood there like an idiot, staring at the sea of masked faces in the arena, trying to make sense of what I'd just walked into. The arena was massive, too massive to exist inside Rhia's house, and yet here it was. The banner hanging overhead said BRIROYALS INITIATION in letters that seemed to glow and pulse, and I had no idea what that meant.People were moving now, forming lines near the walls. I didn't know what else to do so I joined one of them, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. I cleared my throat and turned to the person next to me, someone in a blue mask. "Why are we all standing here? What are we supposed to do?"The blue mask tilted toward me and I heard a woman's voice, cold and suspicious. "Do you know the rules or are you just trying to strike conversation to get a strike?"Strike? "What's a strike?"Someone behind me laughed, low and dark. "A strike means you leave the game before it starts. And you might not actually

Kaireen's Pov I stood there in the middle of the arena, my body still trembling from what had just happened in that room, my jeans still unbuttoned, my skin still burning from his touch. People were scattered everywhere, some celebrating, some nursing injuries, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do next. "Kaireen!" I spun around and saw Rhia pushing through the crowd, her face flushed and worried. The moment she reached me she threw her arms around me, squeezing so tight I could barely breathe. "Where the hell have you been?" she demanded, pulling back to look at me. "I've been searching everywhere for you. I heard you got pulled into the game and I was so worried and—wait." She stopped, her eyes scanning my face. "You're wearing a green mask. That means you won." I blinked at her. "Won what?" "The initiation! You actually won!" She laughed and grabbed my shoulders. "Oh my God, Kai, do you know how rare that is? Most people don't make it through their first time." I

Kaireen's Pov The hospital was massive, all glass and steel and modern architecture that screamed money and prestige. Kingspins Medical Hospital. One of the best in the entire city, and I was about to interview for a position here. I should have been nervous, but I wasn't. I was confident. I'd worked my ass off for my medical degree, had graduated top of my class despite everything my family had put me through. I knew I was good at what I did, knew I could handle whatever they threw at me. I just wished my original plan had worked out. The plan where I came home with my degree and dedicated my skills and my life to the Ironwood Pack, where I proved to my parents that I wasn't useless, that I could contribute something meaningful. But that dream had died the moment my father decided I was worth more as a bargaining chip in a marriage to an asshole old enough to be my father. The receptionist was kind, a middle-aged woman with warm eyes who smiled at me when I approached her de

Kaireen's PovEverything I said fell on deaf ears. Rowan slid back into the driver's seat like I hadn't just told him to get the fuck out of my life, like I hadn't made it crystal clear that I wanted nothing to do with him or his precious pack. The engine roared to life and my panic spiked."Rowan, stop!" I grabbed the door handle again, pulling with everything I had. Nothing. Still locked. "Let me out!"He didn't even look at me. Just put the car in drive and pulled out onto the main road.Fine. If he wanted to play it this way, I'd make his life a living hell.My eyes scanned the car frantically, looking for anything I could use. The window. I could break the window. There had to be something in this car I could use to smash through the glass. My hand shot out to the center console, yanking it open."Don't even think about it," Rowan growled, his voice dropping to that Alpha tone that used to make me cower but not anymore."Or what?" I shot back, my fingers closing around something