All Chapters of FATED TO HER CURSED HYBRID STEPBROTHER : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

MAEVELucien finished dressing like nothing had happened.Like the last hour hadn’t cracked something open in me that I have been trying so hard to seal shut.I stayed on the floor, wrapped in the couch blanket, knees pulled to my chest. My body still felt warm, overstimulated, too aware. I hated that part the most. How my skin remembered him even when my mind knew this had to stop.“You missed that, didn't you?” he muttered, teasing like he didn’t understand the gravity of what just happened between us. Either that, or he didn’t care. “This can’t happen again,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt, pushing myself up on one elbow. The blanket slipped a little, but I didn't care. Modesty felt pointless after what we'd done. “I have a boyfriend now,” I went on calmly. “And unlike you, loyalty isn’t a foreign concept to me.”He paused, zipping up his fly with a low chuckle that grated against my nerves. Turning to face me, his eyes gleamed with that mocking glint, the one that always

MAEVEMy blood froze in my veins. The car hummed along the empty street, streetlights casting flickering shadows across John's face, but I could barely process it. My mind raced, trying to catch up to what he just said. Fucking Lucien? How did he know? I have been so careful, or at least I thought I had.“What... what are you talking about?” I stammered, my voice coming out higher than I intended, quivering like a leaf in the wind. I forced a laugh, but it sounded fake even to me, brittle and unconvincing. My hands clenched in my lap, nails digging into my palms.John let out a low chuckle, the sound dark and twisted, like something scraping against gravel. It slithered down my spine, raising goosebumps on my arms despite the car's heater. He didn't look at me, just kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.“Oh, come on, Maeve,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, each word laced with venom. “Don’t play dumb with me. I know you've been

LUCIENI hated every damn second of that dinner. I hated the way my father laughed at John’s lame jokes, like he had known him for years, hated how he said that he and Maeve were a good match. I hated how easily Maeve slipped into the role, smiling, nodding, playing the part of the woman in love. I hated how natural it looked to anyone watching.Everyone except me, of course, because I knew she was just faking it. But it didn’t stop the knot of jealousy and frustration that twisted up in my chest. And I hated him.John.Something about him had always been wrong. Not loud enough to point at. Not obvious enough to call out. Just… off. He has rubbed me off the wrong way from the very beginning. There was this jittery vibe around him, like a man constantly listening for footsteps behind him. His eyes kept darting to the corners of the room, scanning shadows that weren't there, sweat beading on his forehead even in the cool dining hall.Paranoid. Unhinged.I could smell the fear rolling

MAEVEMy eyes felt like lead when I tried to open them, but I immediately shut them back when the morning light sliced through and hit me.My body was heavy. My limbs ached in that dull, unpleasant way that came from exhaustion, not sleep. When I opened my eyes, the room felt unfamiliar for a second, like I was waking up in someone else’s space.But it wasn’t someone else’s space, it was my bedroom… and I was in my nightdress.Only that, I couldn’t remember sleeping here last night.The hell…I frowned, pushing myself up on my elbows. My head throbbed lightly, not a sharp pain, just a steady pressure, like something was pushing from the inside. I tried to think back to the night before.The last clear memory was dinner at the Mansion, the Alpha and my mum questioning us, John's hand warm on mine, Lucien's foot nudging my leg under the table in that secretive way, the awkward laughter over dessert. Then John and I walking out to his car hand in hand.But after that… there was nothing.

LUCIEN“I will not do it,” The words came out sharper than I intended, clipped with restraint that was already running thin. My father looked at me like I had just spoken a foreign language.“Excuse me?” His brow cocked up in question. “I won’t do it, father,” I repeated. “I refuse to marry someone I don't love. It's not just about politics; it's my life you're gambling with.”“Love,” he scoffed. “That’s what you’re choosing to prioritize now?” He laughed humorlessly. “You’re a prince, Lucien,” he went on. “Not some lovesick pup chasing tail in the woods. Love is a weakness the council exploits. Prioritize the pack. It is your duty over some fairy-tale nonsense.” He threw his hands out in frustration.“That's exactly their game, father!” I shot back, pacing the room. “This isn’t even about romance. The council wants me tied to one of those women so they can watch and monitor me. They want someone who will watch my every move and report back. Whoever I marry becomes their eyes and