It hurts,” I pointed to Lord Atwood, my lips downturned. I wasn’t

se s of an up to see in Bu

stepbrother of mine who had made me suffer so much the other night.

“I didn’t twist it too hard,” Nash complained while his father

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“You lay a finger on her again, and I’ll have her slap you,” Lord

puļu zupport in die pan oomy

knocking some ego put of him. But then again, he looked so strong that he might break my bones if I ever provoked him.

በሆ

“Why is she back, Dad? Didn’t she embarrass us enough the other day?” Nash circled back to the initial topic.

“Stop lying now. I’ve found out the truth, and the truth is that my son deceived me. How dare you lock her in the bathroom and then steal her speech? Did you really think that would b nough for me to kick her out? Haven’t I forgiven you and the others for worse things?” Lord Atwood’s voice wavered a bit as he recalled their actions.

“Ugh! Come on, aren’t you too old to be acting so needy?” Nash rolled his eyes at his father’s emotions. It really bothered me to see him dismiss his father’s feelings so harshly

“That’s why I need her in my life. Ineed a daughter who treats me like family,” there it was, Lord Atwood was in need of a family just like I was.

It is true that sometimes, even though blood is thicker than water, water is the only thing that can quench your thirst. We were thirsty for a family that treated us well.

“And you think we’ll accept her back into our lives?” Alpha Silas entered the mansion with his lab coat under his arm.

“You’ve got no choice,” Lord Atwood stated firmly, stretching his neck.

Silas briefly locked eyes with me, almost like he was threatening me through his gaze.

“Why are you staring at her? I’m the one who brought her back,” Dad intervened, stepping between us to shield me from Silas’s dark glare. His silence and aura were unsettling. He hardly spoke, but the way he stared at someone was enough to make

25 Gor The Pere

their breath catch in their throat.

“Uh, why?” Alpha Cain entered the mansion and paused, throwing his head back and sighing in frustration.

“Why do you hate us so much?” he groaned under his breath, tossing the bag full of new paints onto the couch and leaning down to rest his hands on the back of the couch.

Ryker followed behind him, but he was the only one who didn’t comment. He simply slid his hands into his pockets and leaned against the wall.

“Now that you’re all here, I want to remind you that this mansion is mine. Even the packs are mine, and I have the power to decide if you four are eligible to be the alpha kings of the north, south, east, and west. Maybe you all forgot that you’re still under the trial period, but no worries, I’m here to remind you of it,” Lord Atwood spoke in his commanding tone this time.

“After how you all treated her last time, I’ve decided to give her a status that will make it hard for you four to bother her again,” Lord Atwood not only made them share a glance, but even I frowned at the choice of his words now. What was he planning to do?

“Dad! What do you mean? Don’t tell us you’re going to marry her and make her our mother,” Nash scoffed, mocking his father and sort of challenging him that no matter what, they will never be nice to me.

*Jokes on you! I’m making her the Luna Queen, the one in charge of your trial period and the only one who will decide if you four are good enough to take the crowns. Even I was left with my mouth agape. Me? In charge of their crowns and

BON

status?

H 253 Womers

Vereterned to my bedroom after their father announced that now the power to determine if they deserve the crown or not know if would cause a lot of utt between them, but hey! I

gift

couldn’t stop laughing when I watched their faces, Akira secke up happily as twisted the ring on my finger

know right? They were so shocked. I replied, happily jumping up and down. It was a stark difference from the last time Rash had really upset me in this room te wouldn’t dare mess with

Uwas

west escorted to my room so the brothers could throw a

trum at their father and Lord Atwood could make them understand that they cannot act like that with me.

After two hours, when I had already unpacked and settled in for the rest of my stay here, I heard a knock on the door. Without thinking too much about it. I opened the door to find Ryker ready to barge in. As soon as he pushed me inside and locked the door, held my breath

“What are you doing?” I panicked at his sudden arrival

“What the heck did you do? You lied to me,” he began to walls towards me, and I started taking stops back from him.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Luttered. I didn’t know dad would give

me that power” I shrugged but immediately put on a proper posture before I pissed him off

“Then you will go tell dad that you are interested in this po er else” He waved his finger at the, and my eye twitched,

“Or else what?” I straightened my back and got on my tiptoss to reach his face, a failed attempt since he was still tall enough for me not to reach his face.

“Or else you’ll tell them that I have a wolf?” I inquired, pointing while he kept watching my face with a little hint of a frown on his face.

“Go ahead, do it,” I shrugged, and he grunted, “but I will also tell them that we felt the mate bond.” It was awkward, but it was time to leave all awkwardness behind and use all means to stay here. “That you are my mate and can’t stop thinking about you That ever since I saw you, my wolf has been going into heat-” As I tried to annoy him and also scare him about what his father would do, he groaned and stepped back from me.

His cheeks turned red. It was a cute sight, but also inappropriate given our relationship tag.

“You will not do that. You are not… in heat,” he kept his face turned away and muttered before steadily looking at me and whispering, “Are you?” It gave me enough strength to

seductively drag my body closer to him and run my finger up and down his chest.

“I can always lie, and then your father loves me so much that he wouldn’t mind accepting me as his daughter-in-law instead of a stepdaughter.” As soon as I said that, he pushed me, and I

– landed on the bed.

22.369

[11

trading an

down his throat. Wow! So he was more thirsty for a crown?

“Hm! But our crown ceremonies will keep delaying if we mess up,” he was no longer hissing at me. He shrugged and pointed, watching me for a response that he was expecting.

“So what? Yours won’t get affected, and neither will it get delayed. Just be on my side and don’t help your brothers in their plans of kicking me out of here, I watched him stare into space and then nod very steadily.

“Done. That crown is mine, and you can be the stepsister you have always wanted to be,” he smiled finally at the thought of becoming the first alpha king before his brothers because he knew they wouldn’t keep themselves from messing up one way or another in terms of business and pack matters. But his position was now secured.

“Oh, by the way, as he was about to leave after being satisfied, he turned around briefly to announce, “you will be heading out with Nash tonight since one of us has to take your responsibility every night.”

I was not at all happy with the news. Anyone but Nash at the

moment.

“Ugh!” I groaned, “he is going to eat me alive tonight.”