Evil Stepbrother

Lily’s POV

I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ryder—his smirk, his threats, the way he had kissed me like he owned me.   

By the time the sun rose, I felt drained, but I forced myself out of bed. I couldn’t afford to show weakness. Not now. Not ever.  

When I walked downstairs, the house was eerily quiet. Too quiet. My mother and Alpha Damien had already left for some pack business, leaving me alone with the twins.  

Great.  

I grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen and tried to eat, but my stomach was in knots.  

Then, just as I feared, Ryder strolled in, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud.  

“Morning, little lamb,” he said smoothly, reaching for the coffee pot.  

I ignored him.  

He chuckled. “Silent treatment, huh? Cute.”  

I tightened my grip on my toast, trying to control my temper. “What do you want, Ryder?”  

He sipped his coffee, watching me with amusement. “Who said I wanted anything?”  

I rolled my eyes and turned to leave.  

But in a flash, he was in front of me, blocking my way.  

“You’re in my way,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.  

He smirked. “Am I?”  

I took a deep breath. “Move.”  

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “Or what?”  

Before I could answer, another voice cut through the tension.  

“Move, Ryder.”  

I turned and saw Hunter standing in the doorway, his jaw clenched.  

Ryder sighed dramatically. “You’re always ruining my fun, brother.”  

Hunter’s eyes darkened. “Find another hobby.”  

Ryder rolled his eyes but stepped aside, giving me a mock bow. “After you, princess.”  

I didn’t hesitate. I pushed past him and walked straight upstairs to my room, slamming the door behind me.  

I hated him. I hated that he got under my skin.  

And I hated that, deep down, a part of me feared what he would do next.  

Later that night I thought I was safe in my room, but I should have known better.  

It was past midnight when I heard a soft click.  

My heart stopped.  

The door opened.  

I sat up in bed, my pulse racing. “Who’s there?”  

The moonlight cast a long shadow on the floor. And then I saw him.  

Ryder.  

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.  

My throat went dry. “Get out.”  

He didn’t answer.  

I scrambled to my feet. “I swear, if you don’t leave—”  

“You’ll what?” he murmured, taking slow, deliberate steps toward me.  

I backed up until my legs hit the bed. “Why are you here?”  

He tilted his head. “You’ve been avoiding me.”  

I scoffed. “Maybe because you’re a psychopath?”  

Ryder smirked. “Now, now, Lily. That’s not very nice.”  

I clenched my fists. “What do you want?”  

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. I flinched.  

His smirk faded slightly. “Why do you hate me so much?”  

I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”  

He studied me, his eyes unreadable. Then, without warning, he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.  

“You think you have me figured out, don’t you?” he whispered.  

I shoved his hand away. “I know exactly what you are, Ryder.”  

He chuckled darkly. “Do you?”  

I glared at him. “A bully. A liar. A coward who hides behind threats because deep down, you’re just—”  

I didn’t get to finish.  

Because suddenly, his lips crashed against mine.  

I gasped, pushing against his chest, but he was too strong.  

His grip tightened around my waist, pulling me closer, and for a split second, I felt the heat of his body, the way his heart pounded just as fast as mine.  

Then, just as suddenly as it started, he pulled away.  

I slapped him. Hard.  

His head snapped to the side, but when he looked back at me, he was grinning.  

“Now that,” he murmured, “was interesting.”  

I wiped my mouth in disgust. “Stay away from me.”  

He leaned in one last time, his breath warm against my ear. “We both know that’s not going to happen.”  

Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.  

I stood there, my body shaking with rage.  

I hated him.  

But what scared me the most… was that I wasn’t sure if I hated the kiss.

I barely slept after Ryder left. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—rage, confusion, and something else I refused to name. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine, the way he had smirked after.  

I hated him.  

But more than that, I hated myself for letting him get to me.  

By morning, I had made a decision—I would not be Ryder’s plaything. If he thought he could control me, he was dead wrong.  

I stormed into the dining room, my fists clenched. Hunter was already there, sipping his coffee. Ryder sat across from him, looking as unbothered as ever, twirling a spoon between his fingers.  

His eyes flicked to me the moment I entered.  

"Morning, little lamb," he greeted smoothly.  

I ignored him, walking straight to the kitchen counter to grab some food. But I could feel his gaze burning into my back.  

Hunter frowned. “You okay, Lily?”  

I forced a smile. “Fine.”  

Ryder chuckled under his breath. “She’s lying.”  

I whipped around, glaring at him. “Shut up, Ryder.”  

His lips curved into a smirk. “Feisty this morning. Did you dream about me?”  

I nearly threw my plate at him. “I hate  you.”  

He sighed dramatically. “You keep saying that, yet here you are—standing in front of me, giving me all your attention.”  

Hunter slammed his cup down. “Ryder, enough.”  

Ryder just laughed, stretching his arms lazily. “Relax, brother. I’m just having a little fun.”  

Hunter turned to me, concern in his eyes. “What did he do?”  

I shook my head. “Nothing.”  

Ryder tsked. “Lying again, Lily?”  

I sent him a death glare. “Unlike you, I have better things to do than play mind games.”  

He smirked. “Oh, but you love my games, don’t you?”  

I clenched my jaw and turned on my heel. I needed to get out of here before I did something I’d regret.  

Later that day I decided to go for a walk outside to clear my head. The pack grounds were quiet, most of the warriors out training, and the fresh air helped settle my nerves—at least for a while.  

Then, I heard footsteps behind me.  

I turned quickly, expecting Ryder, but it was Hunter.  

“You shouldn’t be alone,” he said, falling into step beside me.  

I sighed. “I can take care of myself.”  

“I know.” He hesitated. “But I also know Ryder. And whatever he did last night—”  

I stiffened. “Who said he did anything?”  

Hunter’s expression darkened. “I heard him sneaking into your room.”  

I swallowed hard. “It was nothing.”  

“Lily—”  

“I said it was nothing.”  

He exhaled, clearly frustrated. “You don’t have to deal with him alone.”  

I looked at him, really looked at him. His brown eyes held nothing but sincerity, but I couldn’t afford to trust anyone. Not even Hunter.  

“I’m fine,” I lied.  

He studied me for a long moment, then sighed. “Alright. But if he ever crosses a line, you tell me.”  

I nodded, even though we both knew I wouldn’t.  

Because if I was going to survive Ryder’s games, I needed to handle this my way.  

And that meant playing just as dirty as he did.