Semua Bab Mate Me Before You Become My Stepbrother: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Ella’s POVI grabbed Mom's arm and pulled. Hard. "Mom. We need to talk.""Ella, what.." She didn't get to finish. I was already dragging her toward my room, my heart beating so hard in my chest.I shut the door and turned to face her. "Are you seriously getting married right now? Like... tonight?"Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, that warm smile she always gave me whenever I had nightmares and crawled into her bed. “Yes, Matthias is a good male, darling. He cares for me very much, and I know you’ll love him too.” She reached out, touching my face warmly. “And think about it, his sons are around your age. You’ll finally have friends..”I scoffed. Friends huh? What would she say if I told her that I just kissed that “one of friends” and that he was also my mate?"Mom. Why? You never... you didn't even look at anyone after Dad."She reached for me and pulled me into a hug, one hand in my hair. "I know baby, I know but we need protection now more than ever. Especially since you don't have

Ella’s POVTwo hours later, I sat at the dining table, doing my best not to glance at Alpha Kane who sat right across from me.The long table was set with more food than I had seen in months. Soft light from the chandelier made everything look warm and expensive.Matthias sat at the head of the table, smiling like this was a normal family meal. My mother sat beside him, looking happier than she had in years.Alpha Kane sat across from me, silent with a straight look. His younger brother, Elijah, lounged in his chair with a lazy smirk. Looking like trouble.I kept my eyes on my plate. The awkwardness still hung between Alpha Kane and me like a living thing. Every time I accidentally met his gaze, the memory of his mouth on my neck flashed through my mind. From the tight line of his jaw, I knew he was remembering it too.If I weren't the one involved, I would've found the look on his face pretty damn funny. I turned my attention back to Mom. Matthias and her were talking about something

Ella’s POVOne slow pull and everything would end and the red velvet stranger would vanish. The girl he ordered from his room would stand exposed in her place, with nothing left but pathetic lies and cruel absurdity.My head spun so fast the room blurred, and for a second, my knees threatened to buckle. My hand shot out to stop him before my brain could even register the movement, but a sharp, feminine voice sliced through the low music just as my fingers reached for his “There you are.”Alpha Kane froze and his hand dropped from my mask as he turned. Stella stood a few steps away in a shimmering silver dress that left almost nothing to the imagination. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves. Her eyes locked on me, cold and assessing.She closed the distance and slid her arm through his without hesitation. “Who is this? Your mate?” Her gaze sharpened. “Her? She’s so plain. I’m obviously the better choice. We’ve been sleeping together for so long.” My blood ran cold. I kept my mouth

Alpha Kane’s POVThe glass of whiskey sat untouched on my desk. Condensation had already begun to form around the base, a thin ring of water slowly spreading across the dark wood. I leaned back in the chair and stared out at the black expanse of the estate grounds. My mind was still trapped in the ball, still feeling the soft press of her body against mine, the way her fingers had curled into the fabric of my jacket like she was afraid of falling.“You’ve been staring at that wall for twenty minutes,” Alex said from the armchair across from me. He closed the perimeter report he’d brought and set it carefully on the side table. “What happened at the ball? You’ve been distant since you walked through the door.”I didn’t answer immediately. The words felt heavier than they should have.“I found her,” I said at last, voice low. “The one we’ve been waiting for.”Alex’s eyebrow lifted. “Your mate?”“Yes.” I turned my head toward him slowly. The image of the truck surfaced again, and with

Ella's POV The afternoon sun beat down on the gravel, making the air in the ring hot. My ribs still throbbed in sharp warning every time I twisted too fast, but I refused to stay in my room. I had wrapped my wrists fresh, determined to work on my balance before my body stiffened up from yesterday.I threw a quick jab into the wooden post, forcing my breath out through my teeth."Still trying to break that poor piece of wood?"I paused, dropping my hands, and turned around.Elijah stepped over the wooden perimeter of the ring. He was wearing a black compression vest that showed off the lean muscle of his shoulders, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he tossed a small towel over one shoulder. He looked too relaxed for someone stepping into a training ring."I'm working," I said, my tone flat as I turned back to the target. "Go find an enforcer to bother, Elijah.""Other enforcers are boring," he said, taking a step closer as he unbuttoned his wrist guards and let them drop to the di