Claimed by my stepbrother

Chapter 8: The Bond Tightens.

I didn’t move from the backyard for a long time.

The night felt colder without Kai standing in front of me. Every sound from the trees made my body tense. I kept replaying the fight over and over in my head — the way he moved, the power behind every hit, the glowing gold in his eyes when he looked at me afterward.

I’m going to kill anyone who tries.

He had said it so calmly, like it was already decided.

After what felt like forever, I finally forced myself to go back inside. The house was still quiet. My mother and Richard had no idea that three werewolves had just attacked their backyard. I walked upstairs on unsteady legs and locked myself in my room, sitting on the edge of the bed while my heart refused to slow down.

Almost an hour passed before I heard the soft sound of the back door closing downstairs.

Then footsteps.

I knew they belonged to him.

A few seconds later, Kai stopped outside my door. He didn’t knock this time. He just spoke in a low voice.

“Open the door, Lila.”

I hesitated, then unlocked it.

Kai walked in looking worse than before. There was more blood on his knuckles, a few new scratches along his arm, and his black shirt was slightly torn near the shoulder. His eyes had returned to their normal dark color, but the intensity in them hadn’t faded.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment, watching me.

“They’re gone,” he said. “For now.”

“For now,” I repeated quietly. “That’s not very comforting.”

Kai pushed off the door and walked closer. The mate bond reacted immediately, pulling tight in my chest the moment he got near. I hated how much stronger it felt after what happened outside.

“You did well,” he said. “You didn’t panic.”

“I was terrified.”

“But you still listened.” His eyes moved over my face, checking for any sign of injury. “That’s what matters.”

I looked at the blood on his hands. “You’re hurt.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Something flickered across his expression — surprise, maybe, that I cared. He looked down at his knuckles, then back at me.

“Come here,” he said.

“Why?”

“Lila.”

The way he said my name left little room for argument. I stepped closer. Kai took my hand and guided me into the small bathroom connected to my room. He turned on the tap and began washing the blood from his hands in silence.

I stood there watching him, the bond between us throbbing like a second heartbeat.

“Those wolves,” I said after a moment. “They called me your mate like it was already decided.”

Kai turned off the water and dried his hands. “Because it is.”

“You keep saying that, but I still don’t fully understand what it means for me.”

He turned to face me fully. In the small space of the bathroom, he felt even bigger, more overwhelming. The air between us grew heavier.

“It means my wolf has claimed you,” he said quietly. “It means every part of me recognizes you as mine. It means I will protect you even if it costs me my position, my pack… or my life.”

My throat tightened. “And what if I don’t want to be claimed?”

Kai’s eyes darkened. He stepped forward, forcing me to back up until I felt the cold edge of the sink against my lower back. He placed both hands on either side of me, caging me in without touching me.

“Then I’ll wait,” he said. “But I won’t leave. And I won’t let anyone else have you.”

The honesty in his voice was almost more intense than the violence he had shown earlier.

“That’s not fair,” I whispered.

“Nothing about the mate bond is fair.” His gaze dropped to my mouth for a brief second. “Do you think I wanted this? To find my mate in the girl who just became my stepsister? Do you think I wanted to feel like this every time you’re near me?”

“Like what?”

Kai leaned in slightly, his voice dropping even lower.

“Like I’m starving.”

My breath caught.

The pull between us surged so strongly that I had to grip the edge of the sink to steady myself. Kai noticed. His hands tightened on the counter, and I could see the fight for control playing out across his face.

“You should go to sleep,” he said suddenly, stepping back as if he no longer trusted himself. “You need rest.”

“I don’t think I can sleep after everything that happened.”

Kai looked at me for a long moment. Then he made a decision.

“I’ll stay,” he said.

I stared at him. “What?”

“I’ll stay in your room tonight. On the floor. Nothing more.” His tone left no space for negotiation. “Those wolves might come back, and I’m not leaving you unprotected.”

“Kai, if my mom finds you in here—”

“She won’t.”

He walked past me and into the bedroom before I could argue further. A moment later, he came back with a pillow and dropped it on the floor near the wall. He sat down with his back against it, long legs stretched out, eyes already watching the window.

I stood there awkwardly.

“You’re really going to sleep on the floor?” I asked.

“I’ve slept in worse places.” He glanced at me. “Get in bed, Lila.”

There was no point fighting him tonight. I climbed under the covers, still fully dressed, and turned on my side so I could see him in the dark. Kai kept his eyes on the window, but I knew he was aware of every move I made.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then his voice reached me, quiet and rough.

“If anything happens… if you hear something, or feel something wrong… you call my name. I’ll hear you.”

I swallowed. “Okay.”

Silence settled again.

I thought sleep would be impossible, but the exhaustion from fear and adrenaline slowly pulled me under. The last thing I felt before drifting off was the constant, steady presence of the mate bond… and the knowledge that Kai was only a few feet away, refusing to leave.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the feeling of being watched.

When I opened my eyes, Kai was no longer on the floor.

He was sitting on the edge of my bed, close enough that I could feel the heat from his body. His eyes were glowing faintly in the dark, fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart stop.

“Kai?” I whispered.

His hand slowly reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. His fingers lingered against my skin longer than necessary.

“My wolf is getting restless,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Being this close to you… and not touching you the way he wants… is harder than I expected.”

I stayed completely still.

Kai’s glowing eyes met mine.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold back, Lila.”