“She wouldn't play with Dad like that, would she?” His question made me uncomfortable because Mom was doing exactly that. She was with Derek because of his money and she claimed he knew that too and was fine with it, but I didn't know if I could pass that information to Leo or not. Whatever agreement they had was between them, and I believed it wasn't my place to share that with his sons. Thus, I hid the truth but didn't tell him lies about Mom either. “I don't know her enough to comment about that. She hasn't been around much and you know she dated a lot of men between my Dad and yours.” “Still, she's your mother,” Leo tried to pull out any information, it was understandable that he was worried about Derek. “You must know something.” “I know that she's not the most responsible person on the planet, and didn't care about her daughter for years,” I said, remembering how I wanted to leave with her when Dad and her divorced. “Apart from that, she's just a stranger to me. I guarant
I hated my family. And even more than that, I hated the fact that I had no other choice but to leave behind the town I grew up in and move to Washington, to live with my mom's new family. While I knew Washington would be a lot different from Texas, yet, my mind was consumed by the thought of living in a house filled with strangers. I blamed my poor state on my father, for not loving or caring about me. For calling me after years, only when he learned that I was going to live with mom's new family. I hated him for not coming to my graduation or calling me to tell me that he was proud of me. I hated him for choosing a man over me, his flesh and blood. I also blamed my mother and her habit of jumping from one man to another. However, I was also a little impressed by her, because this time, she hadn't gone after a carpenter, a chef, an author, or a musician. This time, she managed to catch a big fish. Her sixth husband was the owner of a multinational tech company and the sixth ric
“Having fun, little wolf?” The words echoed in my head. I was still puzzled by the new feeling erupting in my body when he brushed his lips against my neck. No one had ever done something like that to me before. I had no idea how to react. So, I closed my eyes and forced my brain to stop thinking and let my body move on its own. Our bodies moved in unison. He grabbed my hand, which sent shivers down my spine, and swirled me around. That's when I got to see him for the first time. He stood tall over me, with dark blonde hair and forest green eyes. He had me completely enthralled. I couldn't take my eyes away from him, and he was staring at me like I was a food item. He was simply stunning. I inspected his body, letting my hand roam over his wide shoulders, strong chest, and torso. He was gifted with a good amount of muscles that complemented his physique. I also noticed a tattoo peeking through the opening of his shirt when he moved. “What are you looking at?” he whispered in my
We kissed all the way to the hotel he was staying in, and I cherished every moment his lips were on mine. The hotel was one of the luxury ones and his suite was enormous, though I didn't get to see much because he carried me bridal style and took me into the bedroom. I saw the bed in the middle of the room and tensed up. However, he didn't take me to the bed. Instead, he tossed me onto a couch near the entrance and began unbuttoning his shirt. I quickly got rid of my dress and shoes, thanking Camilia in my head for buying me a pair of black lace lingerie and convincing me to wear it that night. I looked at him as he threw his shirt on the floor, and fell back onto the soft furniture, arching my back- just like I'd seen in a movie. It looked so sensual that I had wanted to try it ever since. He groaned as he knelt, pressing soft kisses to my stomach. One hand gripped my ass while the other played with my breasts. I had never felt anything like that before. Everything about him
Lucas was huge. "What happened? You look scared, little wolf," he said, making me raise my head to look him in the eyes. "I-I-I don't think this is going to work," I breathed out, pulling myself to sit up. "I haven't done it with anyone and you're... like this." He smirked and once again picked me up in his arms. "Don't worry, I'll be slow and careful not to hurt you." He carried me to the bed, and after placing me softly on the mattress, he climbed on top of me. Both of us were naked; no piece of fabric separated us, and I could feel his erection on my stomach. I tried looking away, but he grabbed my chin and moved my face so that we were staring into each other's eyes. He licked his lips and then slowly rubbed them against mine. The action sent electricity throughout my body, and I grabbed his arms, trying to rub my waist against him like before. He smirked and once again came down for my lips. I reached forward, but he pulled away. "I thought you didn't want this," he teased,
Three Days Later, “Miss Katherine! We’re going to be there in five.” The old chauffeur said, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. I gave him a weak smile when our eyes met, but it quickly faded as soon as he turned his attention back to the road. I sighed, trying to quell the nervous flutters in my stomach. My fingers fiddled with the hem of my shirt, and I looked out the window, trying to absorb the new environment. Washington was much greener and wetter than the dry town where I spent my teenage years. The lush trees lined both sides of the winding road, their leaves glistening under the soft drizzle that had begun to fall. The air was cool and smelled of pine, a stark contrast to the dry, sun-baked earth I was used to. I’d always dreamed of visiting a place like that, but now that I was here, all I could feel was dread. My heart pounded against my chest as the feeling of unease consumed me. I was moving in with seven stepbrothers, none of whom I had ever met, and w
“Little sister!” I thought about the word and repeated it in my head, but it never felt authentic. It was weird listening to him call me ‘little sister’ when we were not siblings. While it was true that our parents got married, I never gave much thought to that new relationship. Frankly, I didn't know if I wanted to because I wasn't blood-related to them. The whole idea of being part of a family I barely knew still felt foreign. “Yeah, that’s Katherine,” Dev replied, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. He then turned towards me and added, “And this lazy guy over here is Neel.” Neel sat up, rubbing his brown eyes before offering me a lopsided grin. “Welcome to the madhouse, Kat. Can I call you Kat?” “Y-yeah,” I said hesitantly, feeling a bit awkward under his sleepy gaze. “Relax, we’re not murderers here—well, apart from Ian.” “Neel,” Dev warned, glaring at his brother, who looked exactly like him. They had the same facial structure, height, complexion, and eye colour.
“You guys know each other?” Leo questioned, looking between the two of us, unaware of the storm raging in my heart. The moment Lucas' eyes met mine, something unspoken passed between us—a flicker of recognition that sent a jolt through my entire body. The memory of that night came rushing back, the way he had made me feel both exhilarated and terrified at the same time. I never imagined I’d see him again, much less in my new home, as my stepbrother. For a few agonizing seconds, we just stared at each other, both too stunned to speak. His expression shifted from confusion to something darker, his gaze narrowing as if he were trying to piece together the situation. “What happened? Are you guys going to answer me?” Leo's voice cut through the tension, oblivious to the atmosphere between us. He tilted his head, eyes darting between Lucas and me. Lucas recovered first, masking whatever thoughts were running through his mind with a charming smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah
“She wouldn't play with Dad like that, would she?” His question made me uncomfortable because Mom was doing exactly that. She was with Derek because of his money and she claimed he knew that too and was fine with it, but I didn't know if I could pass that information to Leo or not. Whatever agreement they had was between them, and I believed it wasn't my place to share that with his sons. Thus, I hid the truth but didn't tell him lies about Mom either. “I don't know her enough to comment about that. She hasn't been around much and you know she dated a lot of men between my Dad and yours.” “Still, she's your mother,” Leo tried to pull out any information, it was understandable that he was worried about Derek. “You must know something.” “I know that she's not the most responsible person on the planet, and didn't care about her daughter for years,” I said, remembering how I wanted to leave with her when Dad and her divorced. “Apart from that, she's just a stranger to me. I guarant
“Leo likes Kat's friend, and we just had a little disagreement about it,” Derek explained to Mom while she came to stand behind him. He was still sitting on the stool idly tracing a pattern on the marble top while trying to gather his thoughts. He looked older that morning, weighed down by the events that took place the night before. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes were fixed somewhere far beyond the kitchen. “Oh! you didn't tell me about him?” Mom turned to look at Leo with curled lips. “Wait, is he the guy you've been texting recently.” Leo looked away, embarrassed. “And you told me it was someone from the class.”“You knew about it, yet didn't tell me anything?” Derek said suddenly and his voice carried that heavy, parental mix of frustration and concern. Though he didn't sound angry. “You should have told me earlier.”“I wasn't sure about it myself. Besides, I thought he was someone Kat was interested in,” she said, turning to look at me. “I
“Actually, Dad, I like Diego.” “No, you don't!” Derek almost laughed as he said those words. “You are too young to understand love.” “I'm an adult, and I'm talking about liking him and not being in love with him.” Leo walked to give Caspian a side hug and stood by his side instead of looking at Derek while he spoke. “I can do what I want.”“You don't have my permission to date some random guy you picked from the roads.” The kitchen felt like a pressure cooker, the air around us suddenly became too thick for comfort. I could feel it—the tension that hung between everyone, and how each breath sounded heavier than the last.I was standing by the island, pretending to look at the coffee mugs lined up on the shelf, but my mind was a swirl of thoughts. I could feel the shift, the quiet unease. Something was wrong, and it wasn’t just the way Derek responded to Leo, but something else was going on. I didn't know what it was, but I could feel it in my bones. The moment had been creeping u
My eyes fluttered open slowly, and I saw the sunlight streaming through the balcony in my bedroom. I groaned tiredly, my whole body was heavy with exhaustion from the previous night. For a brief, disoriented moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream—the party, the argument, the fight, the tension hanging so thick in the air it almost made me feel suffocation. My heart lurched as a thought shot through my mind. Caspian. ‘Is he still here?’ I questioned myself and turned my head quickly, scanning the room for any sign of him. The bed beside me was empty. No lingering warmth, no trace of his presence anywhere. I once again melted under the covers as a wave of relief washed over me. Though it mingled with a strange, inexplicable disappointment. I wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger; the relief of not being caught with him or the disappointment of not waking up in his arms. I touched my lips, remembering the way he kissed me in the tree house. His hands tenderly played with my
Caspian’s hand was warm as he took mine in his own and led me through the creeping shadows of the forest. The branches of the trees above us whispered secrets to each other. And our only companion in that dark night was the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the branches that swayed under the spell of the wind. The sounds of the birthday party faded behind us; the hum of voices and the music became a distant murmur that we couldn't hear anymore. I felt a strange sense of anticipation, like we were sneaking away to a place that existed just for the two of us. He stopped in front of a large oak that stood tall near their house. Its branches stretched in all directions, and the trunk was so wide that it would require at least seven people standing hand in hand to fully encircle it. The bark of the tree was rough and weathered, telling stories of countless seasons that had passed. A ladder was nailed into it, and it disappeared into the darkness above. Caspian’s lips curled
The music from the sound system thumped gently in the background, blending with the laughter and chatter that floated through the cool, soothing air of Lake Willow.The fairy lights strung along the trees cast a warm, golden glow across the boathouse and the surrounding clearing. Everything was perfect, in a way I hadn’t expected it to be. But then again, it wasn’t the beautiful decorations or the tasty cake that made the night special. It was the people—my brothers, my family—finally feeling like they had a place to just be.I watched Harry moving through the dance floor, surrounded by his friends, with joy in his eyes. He was laughing; his arms were flailing in a carefree rhythm that made me smile despite the fear of what Dad might do tomorrow, eating away my brain cells. If he decided to throw us out, I had to take care of my brothers and provide them with necessities. To most of their cards, Dad still had access, and he could freeze their account whenever he wanted; thankfully,
I already knew about the surprise party; Harry did too. The way Kat, Dev and others had tried to be subtle, sneaking around and exchanging knowing glances, was almost comical. Leo couldn't be sneaky, even if it cost him his life. I heard him speaking about the surprise on the phone more than once, while Harry guessed it seeing the way others interacted with each other. Both me and Harry figured it out days ago, but neither of us said a word to anyone. Pretending not to know felt easier than watching their faces fall, realizing all their hard work would go to waste. They wanted the day to be special—for us. Despite everything—the strained dinner conversations and the silences that cut sharper than words—we didn’t want to ruin it for them. We didn’t want to ruin their mood and take away the one thing they thought would make our day special. They were already going against Dad by planning the surprise. As we walked toward the boathouse, the air was still dense due to the argument
“A surprise?” I nodded my head, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, a surprise for you and Harry. Come with us and I promise you, it will be better than this.” He laughed, “Anything in this world is going to be better than this.” Dev looked down to lock eyes with Ian and, in a soft, love-filled voice, said, “I am sorry for not doing anything and letting you go through all of this; let me and the others show how much we love you.” “Y-you don't have to show me anything, I know,” Ian took a shaky breath and nodded before wrapping his arms around Dev. Just then, Caspian and Lucas appeared with Harry in tow. They were laughing about something, but when they noticed Dev and Ian, they stopped. A veil of confusion covered their faces as they tried to figure out what happened. “What’s going on?” Harry’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flickered between us. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, it was Alaric, forget about him,” Ian said, pulling away from Dev and then turned towards the others. “Did they
I saw Diego standing near the entrance with a small bag in his hand as I tried not to look at the people checking me out. He had a tense smile on his lips and looked lost, I almost laughed seeing him looking for me. He pulled his phone out and stepped to the side, hiding away from the stolen glances he received from ladies near him. He looked sharp in the blue suit he was wearing and had his hair slicked back. My phone started to ring and I realised he was calling me. I was about to pick up the call when he looked in my direction, and our eyes met, I waved my hand, and with a faint smile, he walked towards me. He had a little jump in his steps that he was trying to hide, but when he looked at me completely, his jaw was on the grass. All the nervousness due to being in an event like that and the unease from before was gone. His eyes sparkled and I felt Caspian turning towards him. “Wow,” he said, mesmerized as he looked up and down. Weirdly, with Diego, I didn't feel creeped out li