56.Amari's POV.I stood in the dimly lit room, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from my chest. The air was thick with tension, cold and suffocating, wrapping around me like an invisible grip. I barely had time to steady my breath before his deep voice cut through the silence. “Strip.”My fingers trembled as I reached for the clasps of my dress. I didn’t hesitate, I couldn’t. I let the fabric slide off my shoulders, pooling around my feet in a whisper of silk. My undergarments followed, leaving me bare under the weight of his scrutiny. The air was cold against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine, but I didn’t move to cover myself. That would only make things worse.Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. The longer it dragged on, the more my stomach twisted into tight, painful knots.Then, finally, he spoke again.“Look at you,” he said slowly, his tone laced with disappointment, almost mocking. “This body. This face. And yet, after almost two m
Ivy's POV.The silence in the car was suffocating.Brandon sat beside me, his gaze fixed out the window, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t looked at me once since we got in. No smirk, no teasing remark, not even that usual air of control he always carried whenever we were in the same space.It was like I wasn’t even there.I was supposed to be fine with it. I should have been fine with it, especially after last night, after what I overheard coming from his room.But I wasn’t.I hated this cold, detached version of him more than anything. And before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out of my mouth.“I’ve noticed something about you,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.Brandon didn’t react, didn’t even blink.I clenched my jaw, gripping my bag a little tighter. “You have powers that aren’t normal werewolf powers.”Still, nothing.I inhaled, forcing myself to keep going. “Like that time in my mom’s kitchen when you choked me. Or when you made me lock my door against my wi
Brandon's POV The door creaked as I pushed it open, and the familiar mix of cigarette smoke and old books hit me right in the face. The abandoned classroom was the place I and Liam had turned to our spot for as long as I could remember. No one ever came here except us.The first thing my eyes met was Liam, leaning back against the teacher’s desk, his head tilted back as he let out a deep breath. His fingers were tangled in the hair of some junior kneeling between his legs. The girl noticed me the second I walked in and practically shot up from the floor, her face turning red as she wiped her mouth in a panic. She didn’t even bother to look back as she bolted out the door.Liam didn’t even flinch. He just exhaled slowly, eyes rolling as he adjusted himself. I shut the door with a sharp click behind me and gave him a look of disgust. “Do you ever keep it in your pants?”“Not when I don’t have to,” he replied like it was the simplest thing in the world. Stretching his arms out behind
IVY I stared at the score on the top-right corner of the script, willing the scores to change but it didn't. The 98 remained there while my stomach churned. I looked through the script, searching for a mistake from the teacher. There was a mistake quite alright but it wasn't from the teacher. It was from me and that stupid miscalculation had caused me two whole marks! "Careful Ivy," the voice that always annoys me and makes my skin crawl said. I didn't need to look up at him to see the taunt in his eyes. "Glaring at your scores won't make it change," he leaned over to peer at my script. "98. Not bad. From there to 70 to 40 and finally, the zero that you deserve so you'll be forced to withdraw. Who knows, I might be kind enough to employ you as a cleaner here." I looked up at him. If it was another person, I'd have been shocked at the intensity of the hatred in their eyes. But this was Brandon Castle. He hated me more than anything. And I hated him thrice as much.
IVYI was frozen throughout dinner. Mom and her husband, my new stepfather, and also Brandon's father chattered all through it while my sense of doom increased by the minute.Brandon and I were now stepsiblings?I refused to believe it. But he was sitting right beside me and his father across from me. I've never seen Mom laugh as much as she did in the 30 minutes he has spent here.She was happy, free, and light. She was all of the things Dad stole from her. But how? How could she possibly find all of that in Brandon's father?How could Brandon be my stepbrother out of the blues?No no no. No way!"Evelyn!" Mom's loud voice jolted me out of my reverie. They were both staring at me."Sorry. What?""I've been calling your name for the past 2 minutes. Are you okay?""Yeah," I faked a chuckle, "I was just lost in thoughts. I can't believe the Alpha King is now my stepfather.""Ohh," Alpha Castle chuckled, "I can't believe you're my stepdaughter too. I mean, I've been observing your progre
IVYMom was pregnant. That was the recurring thoughts in my head as I dressed up for the date with Demi. She has apologized profusely for keeping it away from me. I've accepted her apology but I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed.She was pregnant. She was expecting another baby. I guess I should be happy for her.Because of the crowd that came to protest, we were all advised to stay back at home so I couldn't make it to the date with Demi. I texted him, then switched my phone off because I didn't want to receive his cars. I spent the morning in my room, setting things up and feeling a slight gratitude that I now had a bigger lunch. After lunch, Alpha Castle suggested that Brandon show me around the castle. I tried turning it down but Brandon surprisingly agreed. Now, I'm stuck with him. He led me far away from the main building. Barely showing anything to me. It was only after the main house was almost out of view that I started feeling a creeping sense of dread. "Where are
BRANDONI hate Ivy with every fibre of my being. I hate that lousy human being with everything in me. She should be nothing more than a slave, a servant at my beck and call. Humans shouldn't be more than that. Their kind was just inferior but Ivy? No one has caused me greater headache than her. My academic prowess has never been challenged until her. Most humans cower when I speak to them but Ivy always speak back. No one has disrespected me more as an Alpha Prince. No one has made me that infuriated. No one has spent that much time in my head. No one... My movements grew more frantic. I could feel my body spasming. My breathing was ragged and my up and down movement of my hand was so fast it was uncontrollable. In my mind, she was on her knees, hands tied behind her, my dick pumping in and out of her mouth. In my mind, she was talking back to me. She was just on her knees, eyes dripping with tears from the intensity at which I was fucking her mouth. Now, her mom was married to
IVY.The school’s library has been my only source of solace these days. In between adjusting to my new life in the palace, Bran making good on his promise of making my life a living hell if I didn't make my mom leave, and avoiding Demi, the library was the only place where I could lose myself in a book and be okay.The library was just a few steps away when a hand grabbed me and before I could process what was going on, I was being yanked into a semi-dark empty classroom and shoved forcefully to the floor. Pain spread through every single part of my body at the force at which I hit the floor. It was so intense that I couldn't help but wince in pain. I tried to stand. “Stay down,” a cold, familiar voice ordered.I froze, my heart slamming against my ribs as I slowly looked up. My stomach dropped.Demi.Of course, it was Demi. No one else would do this to me in school, not even Brandon. His dark eyes bore down on me, glinting with a sharp, cruel edge. His lips curled into a smirk, bu
Brandon's POV The door creaked as I pushed it open, and the familiar mix of cigarette smoke and old books hit me right in the face. The abandoned classroom was the place I and Liam had turned to our spot for as long as I could remember. No one ever came here except us.The first thing my eyes met was Liam, leaning back against the teacher’s desk, his head tilted back as he let out a deep breath. His fingers were tangled in the hair of some junior kneeling between his legs. The girl noticed me the second I walked in and practically shot up from the floor, her face turning red as she wiped her mouth in a panic. She didn’t even bother to look back as she bolted out the door.Liam didn’t even flinch. He just exhaled slowly, eyes rolling as he adjusted himself. I shut the door with a sharp click behind me and gave him a look of disgust. “Do you ever keep it in your pants?”“Not when I don’t have to,” he replied like it was the simplest thing in the world. Stretching his arms out behind
Ivy's POV.The silence in the car was suffocating.Brandon sat beside me, his gaze fixed out the window, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t looked at me once since we got in. No smirk, no teasing remark, not even that usual air of control he always carried whenever we were in the same space.It was like I wasn’t even there.I was supposed to be fine with it. I should have been fine with it, especially after last night, after what I overheard coming from his room.But I wasn’t.I hated this cold, detached version of him more than anything. And before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out of my mouth.“I’ve noticed something about you,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.Brandon didn’t react, didn’t even blink.I clenched my jaw, gripping my bag a little tighter. “You have powers that aren’t normal werewolf powers.”Still, nothing.I inhaled, forcing myself to keep going. “Like that time in my mom’s kitchen when you choked me. Or when you made me lock my door against my wi
56.Amari's POV.I stood in the dimly lit room, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from my chest. The air was thick with tension, cold and suffocating, wrapping around me like an invisible grip. I barely had time to steady my breath before his deep voice cut through the silence. “Strip.”My fingers trembled as I reached for the clasps of my dress. I didn’t hesitate, I couldn’t. I let the fabric slide off my shoulders, pooling around my feet in a whisper of silk. My undergarments followed, leaving me bare under the weight of his scrutiny. The air was cold against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine, but I didn’t move to cover myself. That would only make things worse.Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. The longer it dragged on, the more my stomach twisted into tight, painful knots.Then, finally, he spoke again.“Look at you,” he said slowly, his tone laced with disappointment, almost mocking. “This body. This face. And yet, after almost two m
Brandon's POV.The moment our fathers disappeared into my father's study, Amari wasted no time turning to me, her eyes glinting with that familiar mix of curiosity and amusement.“So,” she said, tilting her head slightly, “can I see your room?”I gave her a flat look. “Why?”“Why not?” She grinned up at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why can’t I see my future husband’s room?”I sighed. “Amari, there’s no need for that. Staying here in the living room is fine.”She pouted dramatically, stepping just a little closer. “Are you hiding something?”“No.”“Then let’s go! Please?” She clasped her hands together, batting her lashes like she was asking for the biggest favor in the world.I knew Amari well enough to understand that once she set her mind on something, there was no talking her out of it. And honestly, I was too drained to argue.I exhaled through my nose, rubbing a hand over my face. “Fine. Come on.”Amari’s face lit up, and she practically bounced as we got
Ivy's POV.Dinner felt suffocating.I sat at the long dining table, my plate barely touched, watching as the conversation flowed easily around me, full of laughter and admiration, all directed at Amari.Even my mother wasn’t immune to her charm. She watched Amari with something close to adoration, nodding along as she spoke, occasionally reaching over to touch her arm in approval. It wasn’t surprising. Amari was the perfect daughter anyone would wish for, beautiful, graceful, and poised. They were all treating her like the perfect future Luna.And why wouldn’t they?She was everything I wasn’t. She fit into this world so seamlessly, like she was made for it. And me? I was just… here. Out of place.I knew this was how things were supposed to be. Amari belonged with them, with him. And yet, the longer I sat there, the tighter the knot in my stomach grew. The guilt pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake.Because I had been with Brandon.Because I had touched him and let him t
Brandon's POV.Winning was expected. There was never a doubt in my mind that we would. But what I hadn’t expected was the way Ivy’s face lit up the moment our school was announced as the winner. She looked radiant. Alive in a way I’d never seen before. Her eyes were bright with something I didn’t think I had ever seen on her before. Pure, unfiltered joy. It was weird. I had never seen her like this. So full of life, so happy. And it did something strange to me. It tugged at something deep in my chest, something I didn’t fucking like.I shook it off, letting the feeling of being the winning school sink in. I should have been thinking about that. Not about Ivy. Not about how I had never seen her smile like that. Not about how, for some stupid reason, it made my own chest feel lighter.The feeling didn’t fade, not even when we were in the plane, heading back. She was beside me, phone pressed to her ear, practically vibrating with excitement as she talked to her mom.“We won, Mom,” she s
53.Ivy's POV.I kept my voice low, barely above a whisper. "It's none of your business if we kissed."Brandon leaned back in my chair, completely at ease, like he had all the time in the world. "It is my business," he said, then his eyes flickered with something dark, something almost amused. "Because I’m the only one who knows what you taste like."My breath caught, my stomach twisting into a tight knot. A wave of panic washed over me as I darted a glance toward my roommate, still curled up in her bed. "Brandon," I hissed, my voice sharp and urgent. "My roommate—""Won’t wake up, and won’t hear a thing." he cut in easily, his tone casual, almost lazy.Something about the way he said it made my skin prickle.I turned to look at her again, my pulse picking up. And that’s when I noticed the way she was lying.Her breathing was steady. But her posture, something about it wasn’t right. It was too still. Almost unnatural.My heart pounded as I snapped my gaze back to him, my throat tigh
Ivy's POV Brandon's sudden change in behavior continued for the next three days, and I didn’t know what to make of it.He was still Brandon, cold, unreadable, but he hadn’t made a single obscene request, hadn’t smirked at me in that knowing way, hadn’t so much as hinted at what we did before. He showed up to every study session on time, contributed like a normal person, and even tolerated the other students without making a scene.It was unsettling.Aaron Vaughn on the other hand still refused to leave my side.He was always there, pulling out my chair, making me laugh, giving me words of encouragement here and there. And maybe it was because he was the only one actively being nice to me, or maybe it was because I was trying to ignore the mess in my head, but I could feel myself warming up to him.The day before the last stage of the competition, we were sitting with the others in the dining hall when he suddenly turned to me.“Ivy,” he said casually, flashing a small smile. “I was
51.Ivy's POV.Telling Brandon off was a stupid decision. Reckless. One made in the heat of the moment, driven by anger instead of logic. Because at the end of the day, I knew exactly how this would play out. I was the one who would lose.I lay in bed all night, staring at my phone, debating whether to call him, text him, anything to smooth things over. But every time my fingers hovered over his contact, I forced myself to put the phone down. I wasn’t going to be that desperate. I refused.Morning came, and I dragged myself to the dining hall, my stomach twisting in anticipation. I expected to see Brandon already there, sitting in his usual spot with that unreadable expression, waiting for me to break first. But when I reached the table, his chair was empty.My heart sank.Was this his way of punishing me? Not showing up at all? Letting me sit here and overthink everything? What if he was planning to sabotage the next round completely? What if he threw the whole competition just to ge