บททั้งหมดของ Reborn for my Step brother: บทที่ 81 - บทที่ 90

MAYAI sat on the edge of my bed that night with every light turned off and stared at the dark wall across from me. The argument with Tristan in the old storage building kept playing inside my head like a movie I could not turn off. I remembered the cold look in his eyes. I remembered the way his voice stayed steady even while he talked about throwing people away. I remembered how he looked at me like I was only something useful for as long as I stayed obedient.For the first time I let myself say the truth out loud in the quiet room. Tristan would sacrifice anyone if it helped him reach his goals. He would sacrifice me without even blinking. The thought made my stomach twist so hard I had to press a hand against it. I could not stay unprepared any longer. If he ever decided I was in his way, I needed something strong enough to protect myself.The next afternoon I left campus and walked to a small electronics shop on the far side of town. It was the kind of place no one from Winterrid

MAYAI sat on the cold stone steps outside the library and stared at my phone for a long time. The screen stayed dark no matter how many times I checked it. I had sent Tristan three messages that morning. The first one asked if we could talk. The second one said I was worried about him. The third one simply asked him to answer me. None of them received a reply. The same thing had happened the day before and the day before that. Weeks had passed since our argument in the old storage building, and every single day he grew colder toward me. He only answered when he needed something done. The rest of the time he treated me like I had already disappeared.My chest felt tight and heavy. For years I had stood beside him through every plan and every lie. I had hurt people for him. I had stayed quiet when he asked me to stay quiet. I had believed that one day he would look at me and see more than a useful pair of hands. Now even that thin hope was slipping through my fingers. Fear pushed hard

ARIAI pushed the wooden door closed behind us and turned the lock with fingers that would not stop shaking. This small room at the back of the old gardener’s cottage had become ours over the past weeks. No one from the pack ever came here. Thick curtains covered the windows. A single soft lamp glowed on the table beside the narrow bed. The air smelled like clean sheets and the faint scent of the pine trees outside. In this quiet place we could finally stop pretending.Trenton stood near the bed watching me. The look in his eyes was the same one he always wore when we were alone—surprised, careful, and full of the same deep want that lived in my own chest. Months of supporting each other through pain and fear, of pulling away because of guilt, of wanting something we both thought we were never allowed to have, filled the space between us until it felt hard to breathe.“Are you sure about tonight?” he asked in a low voice. He kept his injured shoulder still against his side. “We can wa

ARIAI sat wrapped in a thick blanket on the edge of the bed, my knees pulled up to my chest, staring at nothing. My body was human again, but it didn't feel fully mine anymore. Every few seconds my mind replayed the same pictures, fur pushing through my skin, my spine bending wrong, those glowing amber eyes staring back at me from the dark window. My hands shook a little even though the cabin was warm.Trenton sat close beside me, one arm wrapped around my shoulders, not saying much, just letting me breathe. The fire had burned low, casting soft orange light across the floor. Outside, the night was quiet except for the wind brushing against the windows.A soft knock came at the door.Trenton stood up fast, moving between me and the entrance without even thinking about it. "Who is it?""It's me," came an old, careful voice. "Elder Marlow. I need to speak with Aria. Now, if she's able."Trenton glanced back at me. I nodded, even though my stomach twisted with nerves. He opened the door

ARIATrenton's dorm room felt like the only quiet place left in the whole world. The council hall, the whispers, Corwin's cold eyes, all of it stayed outside the door when he closed it behind us. He dropped onto his bed with a tired sigh and patted the space next to him."Come here," he said. "Before I fall asleep sitting up."I sat down next to him and pulled my knees up to my chest. The blanket under me smelled like him, warm and a little like pine soap. For a second I just let myself breathe."So," Trenton said, turning to look at me with a small smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. "Amber Wolf. First bloodline. Terrifying prophecy girl. What else can you do?"I laughed, even though I didn't feel like laughing a few minutes ago. "I don't know. Nobody gave me a manual.""Well, let's test something," he said. "Elder Marlow mentioned that the first bloodline could always tell when someone was lying. Some kind of truth sense."My stomach did a small flip. "You want to test that? O