The Alpha Who Engineered My Murder

Chapter Three: Exile and Echoes

“Pack your bags, Lisandra.”

My mother’s voice broke the heavy silence of my room, pulling me away from the detailed contingency lists I had been drafting.

I whipped around, blinking in confusion. “What? Why?”

“You are going to spend the summer with your father. I have already secured the Alpha’s permission.” A soft, knowing smile touched her lips. “Come on, sweetheart. Pack your things and get ready.”

I sprang from the stool, crossing the room to wrap my arms around her. “I’m actually allowed to leave?”

“Only for the summer, darling. You must return here afterward—that was part of my agreement with the council,” she said, smoothing down my hair.

My expression soured instantly. “Mom, I honestly don't want to come back here.” I wanted to dismantle Matheus and Yara’s entire world brick by brick, but staying within striking distance before I was strong enough risked exposing everything.

“It’s alright, baby. You will understand once you are away from this suffocating place,” she soothed, pressing a warm kiss to my cheek. “Now, hurry and finish packing.”

“Okay, Mom.” I kissed her back before she slipped out the door.

Locking my phone, I hurried back to my closet, tossing my essentials into a duffel bag. I was halfway through sweeping my vanity items into my backpack when the front door slammed against the foyer wall with a deafening crash.

“I f*****g knew it!” Yara’s hysterical shriek echoed up the stairwell.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her tantrum as I grabbed my laptop, chargers, and toiletries, shoving them deep into my bag before lugging my heavy suitcase down the steps.

“Yara, what on earth are you screaming about?” Morgan looked up from his morning coffee at the dining table, while my mother darted anxiously around the kitchen island.

“I am not Matheus’s true mate, Daddy!” Yara wailed, storming into the room and flinging herself into Morgan’s arms.

“How can you possibly be certain?” Morgan stroked her hair, wrapping a protective arm around her.

I couldn't help it—a dry, snorting laugh escaped my lips.

Yara’s head snapped up. Her tear-streaked face twisted into raw venom, and she lunged across the room toward me. “You! It’s you, you wretched little w***e!”

She clawed wildly for my face, but I didn't flinch. With a cold, calculated flick of my wrist, I caught her momentum and sent her crashing backward across the room with a sharp backhand.

“Lisandra!” Morgan shouted, surging to his feet.

My mother clicked her tongue, stepping smoothly between them. “Morgan, do not yell at Lisandra for defending herself. Yara attacked her unprovoked.” She set a plate of breakfast in front of me. “Sit, Lisandra. Eat. You have a long journey ahead.”

Morgan blinked, staring between us. “Wait... why does Lisandra have a suitcase?”

“She is spending the summer visiting her father’s territory,” my mother replied evenly, turning back to me with a reassuring smile.

I sat down at the table and dug into the food, though my mind was racing. I had no idea what this sudden exile to my father’s pack would entail, but getting out of Matheus’s line of sight was precisely the sanctuary I needed.

“Why is she running off to her father’s now?” Morgan grumbled, walking over to help Yara back to her feet.

“She simply wanted to reconnect before heading off to university, and who am I to deny her?” My mother beamed at me.

“Exactly. My dad called me out of the blue this morning, and since it’s been months since we last spoke, I jumped at the chance,” I added, offering Morgan a sickly sweet, innocent smile.

Yara stumbled upright, her eyes wide with shock. “You’re leaving?”

“Sure am. Gone for the entire summer,” I purred, flashing a smug grin. “Though my bedroom door is locked tight, and it’s staying that way.”

My smile vanished instantly. I locked eyes with my step-sister and flooded my voice with heavy, suppressive Alpha command. Stay out.

“Lisandra!” Morgan roared, slamming his hand on the table. “You know full well you aren't permitted to use Alpha commands on your step-sister!”

“And I wouldn't have had to, Morgan, if I hadn't caught her snooping through my private closet this morning, trying to steal my belongings,” I retorted sharply, turning an icy glare toward Yara, daring her to deny it in front of her father.

Morgan looked down at Yara, his expression hardening. “Is that true?”

Yara opened her mouth to lie, but the sheer force of my glare stopped her.

“Fine! Yes!” she shrieked, stamping her foot in a childish fit of rage. “Are you happy now? I went into her closet because I wanted her clothes, because he smells her on them!”

“How?” I threw my hands up in mock bewilderment, playing the ignorant card to perfection. “How could Matheus possibly associate my scent with yours? Neither of us has ever crossed paths with the future Alpha.”

“Because he scented you on the dress I borrowed last month!” Yara’s voice hit a grating, hysterical octave that made my teeth ache. “He told me I smelled divine—but the second I wear anything else, he won't even look at me!” She crossed her arms, pouting furiously.

“So he likes a particular fabric softener or perfume. That doesn't make us fated mates,” I replied coldly, actively and deliberately severing any metaphysical connection in my own mind.

If I refused the bond, the universe could not force it upon me. Brandon—Matheus—would remain a stranger. He would be the absolute last male I ever allowed near my skin in this lifetime.

“Stop being so utterly dense, Lisandra! We all know what it means when an Alpha wolf catches your scent!” Yara buried her face in her hands, bitter tears streaming down her face. “He’s the only male I want, Daddy. The only one I will ever accept. But he’s obsessed with her!” She pointed a shaking finger straight at my chest.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “You can keep your sloppy seconds, Yara. Even if he were my destined mate—and let me make this crystal clear, he is not—it would be a cold day in the deepest pits of hell before I submitted to him. Frankly, I’d rather take the Lycan King as a mate.”

I threw my head back and let out a bright, ringing laugh at the absolute horror that washed over Yara’s face.

The Lycan King was the dark folklore of every pack nursery—a solitary, feral sovereign living deep in the untamed wilderness, a mythical apex predator whose face was said to be seen only by the high council.

Yet, I wasn't exaggerating. I would willingly offer my throat to the monster of the woods before I ever let Matheus touch me again.

“You’re out of your mind,” Yara choked out. “He is the Alpha heir!”

“And?”

“Every female in the region wants to be his Luna.”

“Only fools chase crowns steeped in blood,” I muttered, finishing the last bite of my meal as Morgan rushed over to comfort a sobbing Yara.

My mother glanced toward the front window as a low engine rumble vibrated through the driveway. “Your ride is here.”

I stood up, sliding my backpack over my shoulders, and leaned in to press a lingering kiss to my mother’s cheek. “Goodbye, Mom. I’ll call you when I arrive.”

Without sparing Yara or Morgan a single parting glance, I grabbed my bags, walked out the front door, and stepped into a future entirely of my own making.