KASMINE.I couldn't believe it. My brother kissed me?It felt like a nightmare, the kind you can't wake up from no matter how hard you try. My thoughts were a tangled mess, my chest heaving as I stumbled back, pressing my trembling hands to my lips. The taste of him lingered—mint and something darker, something I didn't want to name."I can never be yours, Kester! You're despicable!" I spat, my voice cracking as I tried to push past the storm brewing in my head. My body betrayed me, weak knees wobbling beneath me as I bolted from the bed, needing distance, air—anything to erase what had just happened.He leaned back lazily against the headboard, smirking as if my outburst amused him. The sharp edge of that smirk sent fire racing through my veins, anger, and humiliation warring for dominance."How could you?" I choked, glaring at him through my tears. "How could you even think—" I tried to catch my breath, but my words dissolved into sobs I hated myself for. Stupid, stupid tears, falli
KASMINE."Kester..." His name trembled out of my mouth, barely a whisper, as my wide eyes locked on him. My heart raced like it was trying to escape, drumming frantically in my ears. My fingers curled tightly around the edge of the vanity table behind me, anchoring myself as my knees threatened to give way."I was just... I was just about to get dressed for work," I stammered, forcing the words out. I gathered up the courage, but my nerves betrayed me. Despite that, I still tried to steel myself. I wouldn't let him have the upper hand every time.The room felt too small, too suffocating, as I struggled to steady my breathing.He cocked his head slightly, his deep green eyes drinking me in. A smirk tugged at his lips, cold and knowing, as if my feeble attempt at defiance was amusing to him."I see." His deep, smoky voice slid over me like silk, wrapping around my fraying nerves,His six-foot-five frame was looking as intimidating as ever. He gently closed the door behind him, "It took y
KASMINE.I searched his eyes for any form of understanding, but there was none. All I saw was a cold, unfeeling man. It felt like I was standing before a stranger... Someone who fed on control."Kester!" My voice cracked, raw with desperation, as I tried to twist out of his iron grip. It was useless. He didn't even flinch, his smirk widening as he watched my futile struggle. His calm, collected demeanor only made my panic worse."I'll do anything you want. I swear. Just let me go," I cried.Tears rolled down my eyes.He tilted his head, "Anything?" He asked so casually, and I nodded frantically, my mind spinning."I'll never miss work again," I choked out, the words tumbling over one another in my desperation. "I'll never disobey you, Kester. I'll do your laundry. I'll cook for you... I'll do anything... anything. Please. Just don't do this to me."Tears streaked my face, my chest heaving with sobs. The thought of my mother seeing me like this, of her finding out what was happening, s
KESTER.I couldn't help but tease my little sister. I loved it when she was all trembling and scared. It was so fucking sexy.I was losing my mind. I knew I was. But I found it rather intriguing.When I stepped out of her bathroom, I thought it'd be nice to mess with her emotions a little.The look on her face when she opened her door and saw me in here was priceless. I could put that moment on repeat my whole fucking life."Hello, mum. Welcome to our house." I greeted Jorita, my stepmother.She beamed as soon as she saw me, "Kester," She left Kasmine by the door and hurried toward me with outstretched arms, wrapping me in her motherly embrace.That was one thing I loved about this woman. She was so homely - the first woman that ever made my father act rational since I knew him.She made my childhood worth it - at least, from the point when she came in. Before that, my life was a misery."How are you doing?" She asked, cupping my face in her soft palms and smiling lovingly at me."I'v
KASMINE."Kester? What are you doing here?" I asked. It was such a stupid question. I know."Isn't this the way to the restroom? You didn't tell me it was out of bounds, Mine," he replied with his hands casually in his pockets."Oh. I am sorry. I just... I was surprised to see you here," I swallowed the needles in my throat.The way he stared at me felt like he was seeing right through whatever pretense I was trying to put up.I listened, prayed, and wished that Jake remained in there. If Kester sees Jake and I coming out of the same space, he'd kill us both."So, let's go, then," I said as I made to move past him, but he didn't step aside."I never said I came to look for you. I was heading to the restroom, too," He said, and my heart gave a loud thud. I could swear he heard it.I couldn't let him go in there. He'd see Jake, and he'd know we were in there together."It's a bit messy in there. I'll have the janitors clean up the place before you use it. They seem not to have cleaned t
KESTER."What in Selene's name did I just hear?" My father's voice thundered through the phone, sharp enough to cut through the mounting headache I'd been nursing all day.I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my composure as the words came pouring out.'Here we go,' I thought bitterly, bracing for the inevitable onslaught."Talk to me, Kes! The news is all over the place! How could you lower the price of one of the company's most valued products just to match Kex's games?"I exhaled, staring out the window of my office at the city lights glittering below. My patience was wearing thin, and I had no interest in justifying myself to a man who acted like he would have single-handedly solved all the world's problems if he were still in charge."What would you have had me do, Dad?" My voice was laced with frustration. "Stand back and watch while Kex poached every single one of our clients? Let him tear Zamfort apart while I did nothing?""Over twenty-five purchases have been made
KESTER."Mine? Is everything okay?" The man, who would be dead before the day breaks, asked, with concern lacing his sorry tone, "Mine!"He yelled into the phone, obviously worried something must have happened to his precious Kasmine, before dropping the call abruptly. I guess his slow brain finally processed what the situation might be right now.The bastard had the audacity to use that word... the one only I was allowed to use. Mine.I felt my anger spike. My jaw clenched hard enough to ache as I held the phone, waiting for him to say more so I could confirm who he truly was.My body trembled, and I didn't even realize it as I stood, looking at her with a blank expression.I brought the phone to my face and looked at the caller ID, but it wasn't a number that was saved.Smart of her.I immediately smashed the phone into pieces. I wanted to break something else—anything. She flinched, recoiling into the bed as if she could dissolve into the wall behind her.I took a step closer to he
KASMINE.Today was the day I was meant to die from a heart attack.I had pleaded with Jake to let me get off the call and that we would speak more about this 'surprise' he said he had for me over lunch tomorrow, but he refused. Now, imagine the surprise I got when Kester barged into my room unannounced.It was almost as if he had heard or seen me talking to Jake with the way he barged in.Now, here I was, kneeling and crying at his mercy to save the one I truly loved.But what did he want from me? What would he have me do to prove all he just said?I wasn't his. I'd never been his. I didn't want to be his. I want to be Jake's.Whatever delusions or fantasies he harbored about us in that dark, possessive mind of his, none of them were real.Kester remains my stepbrother, and no matter what he says or thinks, calling me MINE doesn't make me HIS.But the way he looked at me now, as if I was something he'd already claimed, made me doubt if I could escape his reality.I was still trying so
KESTER.June's laughter followed after the silence.I didn't react.But I felt the slow burn crawling up my spine. It wasn't anger or fear. Just a quiet, dangerous fucking fury that pressed like cold steel behind my ribs."You think I'm stupid?" she asked, lifting her head, chin tilted with a smirk that told me she thought she'd won.I didn't answer. I just looked at her."I've seen the signs for months, honey," she continued. "Hell, I saw the signs long before you can ever even imagine. But I said nothing."I tilted my head just slightly. "What signs?"She laughed again, slowly walking away from the table, pacing like she was giving a TED talk about betrayal. "Don't play dumb, Kester. You know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about."My silence was its own kind of answer.She turned sharply. "You've been fucking your stepsister."I didn't flinch. I didn't give her the satisfaction. But my hand curled into a fist by my side."I saw you," she continued, almost as if she was cutting he
KESTER."What's going on, Kes?" June's heels clicked on the marble floor as she walked toward the mini bar, her reflection glinting off the glass cabinetry as she poured herself into the room like she had truly become a part of the home.I didn't even turn to face her. I didn't look up. My fingers curled around the crystal glass of whiskey, my eyes fixed on the ice slowly melting inside it with lethal quietness.I was thinking of when would be the best time to go and get my mate and take her back home. When would the best time be to shatter the illusion of freedom she thought she had? This afternoon? Or tonight?June was just one final piece on the board. One final checkmark before I cleaned the house.Karina - check.Wescor and Belinzo - check.Kex and the fake Elvris - double-check.Ongoing deal with the real Elvris - check.Alpha Mellors' irrevocable contract - check.June - about to be checkmated."I just saw the news about Karina. This is... Who would have ever thought?" She drop
KESTER.Her eyes darted from the screen to Jorja, to Dad, to me. Searching for a reaction or for someone to tell her this was all just a bad dream.No one said a word.Not even Jorja—Queen of Constant Commentary. She stood frozen, one manicured hand on her chest, the other under her chin as she watched the show."Here." She said, regaining some boldness. "You can check my phone. I never sent such a text to anyone." She handed the phone over to Lance, who navigated through her text messaging app. After a few seconds, he flashed the screen in her direction, and I swear, her eyes almost fell out of their sockets.The text messages were there on her phone. The dates showed that she had sent the text just two days ago."No. No." She shook her head, "There is... There is a mix-up here. I can't recall doing any of these... No." She was trembling, taking slow steps backward. "Someone must've… drugged me or set me up or something. This isn't—this isn't fair."Fair?I almost laughed.She looked
KESTER.I didn't waste a single second. The moment Jorja spun on her heel, I was right behind her.She was fuming, and that said a lot.Jorja valued image above breath itself. Her obsession with appearances had governed every move she'd ever made. She hated anything that would ruin her image or that of her family.So, if she looked like she wanted to throw someone through a window, I knew the situation was beautiful.No wonder Kasmine was really scared about our secret. With a mother like this? Shame was a goddamn religion."Good morning, Alpha," The five men greeted in unison.I peeped outside and caught sight of two matte-black vans and a Hilux parked on the driveway.A few more men flanked the vehicles, securing the perimeter. And, of course, a curious audience who wouldn't miss the spectacle for anything in the world had begun to form.The icing on the cake? The news reporters were here to cover the spectacle. I'm certain her mate, Alpha Wes, would have a wonderful time watching h
KESTER."Kester? Aren't you concerned that your sister just left without a word?" My father said to me as soon as I stepped into the house.I'd spent the night in my office, tying up every thread, smoothing out every wrinkle in my plan. Today was execution day. Every piece was falling neatly into place—Karina included. And once that was done, my company and my Alpha title would be secured, solidified, and untouchable. Then I can go get my mate and take her back to our home, and we'll live in peace.Things had never been this perfect before.Everything was aligned, gliding forward on greased rails.Suspiciously perfect? Maybe.But perfection isn't impossible—not when you have the right brain and a flawlessly loyal right-hand man like Norlan. With Norlan, even impossibilities get scheduled and signed off.The intervention team should be pulling up any minute now. And June proposed to visit tomorrow. I didn't stop her. She had to be here for me to end things with her."She's fine. No one
KESTER.The one thing the Moon Goddess had ever done right was chaining Kasmine to me with something she couldn't undo. Something she didn't choose and didn't have a choice in.Fate.I should worship the Moon Goddess for it. For once, she wasn't playing games. She gave me the one thing I ever wanted, the one thing that was mine.And Kasmine… sweet, confused, little Kasmine… she still thought she had a say in all this.I know exactly what's spinning in that pretty head of hers. She thinks the next step is rejection. She thinks that the bond we share is something she can sever with a few muttered words and teary eyes.That has to be the funniest fucking thing I've ever imagined. Because let the world split open, and the Draegor himself crawl out of the pit of hell to rule this earth—I would never reject my fated mate.Fuck.'My. Fated. Mate.' The sound of it made a dance erupt in my stomach.I couldn't believe this was happening, in all honesty.I didn't plan on telling anyone yet. We
KASMINE.My legs propelled me before my brain had the time to think. I ran as fast as I could into the crowd.All I could feel was him. That magnetic, horrifying pull closing in like a vice around my ribs.I reached for Jake and pulled him by his arm. He was the closest person I could find. Claire was nowhere to be found."Jake. Jake. Come." I couldn't even form the words I wanted to say."What—babe, what's going on?" he stammered, confused, half-turning toward me.I didn't answer. I just yanked him with everything I had, dragging him out of the crowd and into the parking lot like the devil himself was behind us.Because he was.I felt Kester's presence closing in on us like smoke. It was so fast that my heart almost jumped out of my mouth.His scent grew stronger, too. And it was mixed with fury and danger.Panic clawed up my throat."Jake!" I practically threw myself into the passenger seat of his car—the old, beat-up piece of junk his uncle barely lets him drive. I didn't care. I s
KASMINE.The crowd grew still.I tilted my head back and stared up at the sky. The moon was almost there—gliding slowly and painfully toward the center of the heavens. It wasn't full tonight. Just a gentle crescent. But that didn't matter. Everyone knew—on your twenty-first birthday, the second the moon touched the center of the sky, the magic awakened. The wolf either came—or it didn't.My chest rose and fell quickly.Almost there.Almost.Then—It happened.A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my spine like lightning. My legs buckled. I hit the ground hard, knees slamming into the grass as my hands dug into the earth.A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it.It felt like fire was eating me from the inside out. Like my skin was being peeled, my bones shattered and glued back together wrong. I could hear them—cracking, shifting, snapping—over and over again like a thousand sticks breaking at once.I couldn't breathe.I couldn't even think.I was writhing and gasping, my body
KASMINE."Hey babe," A voice sounded behind me as a warm hand wrapped around my waist from behind.I almost jumped out of my skin."Jake! You scared me!" I sighed, placing my hand against my chest.He chuckled softly, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. "Why would you be scared in a hall full of people?" he teased, cocking his head with that soft smirk he always wore when he was trying to make me forget how broken things really were. "No one can hurt you here. Relax."I tried. I really did.He looked cute tonight, in that signature Jake style—white trousers, snug black T-shirt... Casual. Clean. Boy-next-door handsome. The kind of look that once made me feel butterflies just from catching his scent.Now? The butterflies were barely breathing. Limp-winged. Exhausted.I forced a smile. Forced the ache in my gut to turn into warmth, to find something—anything—in me that still fluttered for him."Cheer up, babe," he said gently, his thumb brushing the side of my arm. "You look go