Claimed by My Stepbrothers

Smells Like Trouble

Saoirse

It’s supposed to be a family dinner, yet it feels more like a masquerade—one where I’m expected to smile and pretend. But it’s just me, my mother Brooke, and Alpha Callum. No matter how hard I try, the tension gnaws at me like an uninvited guest.

“So, where are your sons?” my mother asks while slicing her meat.

“Well, they’re gonna be here—” Alpha Callum’s voice falters as a shadow falls across the room.

Cyrus shows up at the top of the stairs, looking sharp in black and maroon like he owns everything. My eyes catch the flash of his silver watch—everything I want but’ll never get.

For a second, I wanna grab it right off his wrist and bolt outta this toxic pack.

“Where do you think you’re going, Cyrus?” Alpha Callum growls, his voice low and simmering with barely-contained anger.

Cyrus doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t even look at Callum, instead shifting his gaze to me. His eyes slowly trace the curve of my neckline, lingering just long enough to make my skin crawl. A smirk spreads across his face.

“Sorry, I’m about to party with my girlfriend. Maybe if my sister actually wanted to have some fun, I’d reconsider this boring dinner.” His words hit me like a slap. I glance at my mother, but she’s smiling—a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes—while Alpha Callum’s nostrils flare in irritation.

“Where do you think you’re—” Alpha Callum starts, but Cyrus cuts him off with a snarl, his voice icy.

“Maybe if you want to, bring your sister—”

“I don’t have a sister. And anyone with a low rank doesn’t belong here.” Cyrus snapped. I drop my spoon with a clatter.

“I’m sorry, Risey…” Alpha Callum murmurs, but there’s a strange hollow tone to his apology.

“Don’t call me that,” I snap bitterly, avoiding their gaze.

“Saoirse,” my mother scolds, but the name feels like a reprimand wrapped in velvet.

“What?” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “What’s this for? So I can sit here like some princess when the real sons don’t even care about me?” I gasped, dropping the fork and clenching my jaw.

“Well, don’t worry,” Alpha Callum says with a soft voice. “They’ll adjust. I’m sure Cain will be different—”

“Different, my ass!” I stand up from the table, my chair scraping against the floor.

“We just want to talk about your 18th birthday… It’s 2 days later, right?” My mother’s sudden change in tone catches me off guard. “I haven’t forgotten about it.”

I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. It’s bitter, like old wine gone sour. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re about to set me up with some rich guy just to get your hands on his money again. Is that what this is all about?” I yelled, pointing her with my finger.

“So, you look at me as low as that?” Her voice cracks and continues, “I’m trying to fix everything, Risey. I hope you know that.” she whispered under her breath.

I wanted to snap at her, but instead, I let the words slip out with a cold smile. “Thanks, but I don’t need you to win me over.” With that, I turned on my heel and walked away, not sparing another glance at the woman who had ruined my life for the past decade. But as I reached my door, something stopped me—a noise, a sound that made my blood run cold.

The unmistakable sound of heavy breathing, skin slapping against skin, and curses.

I pushed the door open without thinking. And then, I froze.

Cain. Naked. His body slick with sweat, his eyes wild with lust. And the girl—God, the girl—screaming with pleasure, like it was the most natural thing in the world. I should’ve turned away, I should’ve, but I couldn’t.

“Faster…ugh…”

“f**k you, b***h…” he grunted between breaths, his eyes catching mine for a split second before he smirked like the bastard he was.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened, my fists clenched. “Are you f*****g kidding me!?” I yelled, standing over them and of course, I won’t leave. I can’t let him feel satisfy.

His movements stopped. He turned, still inside her, his lips curled in that sickening smile. Sweat trickled down his neck, his necklace dangling like a twisted decoration against the woman’s bare back.

“Leave,” he ordered the girl, as if it was nothing. The girl scrambled off the bed, covering herself with the thin sheet as she darted out of the room.

“Good choice,” I muttered, though I didn’t mean it.

The scent of him, that damn intoxicating scent, was overwhelming again. A mix of danger, heat, and… something darker. Was it just me? Was I the only one who could smell it?

“You’re doing this in an underage room, by the way,” I managed to say, my voice a bitter edge.

But his eyes, those damn smoldering eyes, didn’t even flicker with guilt.

“Get out then,” he sneered, his tone mocking. “I have every right to be here, but I guess you’re the one who’s uncomfortable. Are you enjoying the show, little b***h?”

My heart hammered in my chest, my blood rushing in my ears. “For your information, I’m about to turn 18 in two days,” I shot back, my voice tight with restraint.

He didn’t even flinch. He smirked, that arrogant, infuriating smirk that made me want to punch him in the face. “So? You think I care?”

I clenched my jaw, fighting to keep control. “Why do you have to be such a d**k on my first day?” I tried to sound nonchalant, but the way he was pulling his boxer shorts up, the way his muscles rippled beneath his skin—it made my throat dry, my stomach knot.

“Am I required to be anything else?” He was now only topless, his body lean and lethal, like something dangerous waiting to snap.

He walked toward me slowly, my eyes betraying me as they followed the sharp angles of his abs, the strong lines of his chest.

Without warning, he gripped my chin, his fingers rough but not unpleasant. His smile was predatory, his eyes locked on mine with a deep, unrelenting intensity. And that scent—God, it was so strong now, so overwhelming. My body felt weak under the weight of it.

“You should know this,” he whispered, his voice a deep growl. “You’re not welcome here. Neither is your mother. You don’t have the blood to be part of this world. You’re weak, and nothing more than a gold digger. A slut, just like your mother.”

The words hit harder than I expected. My skin burned with rage, with disgust. I slapped him across the face before I could stop myself. The sound of my hand against his skin echoed through the room, sharp and loud, but it didn’t faze him. His expression didn’t even change. He was too f*****g big, too f*****g strong for a slap to make a difference.

“So, you disagree, huh?” He chuckled darkly, brushing his hair back with a single swipe of his hand. “You really think you can take me down?”

I was seething, my whole body vibrating with anger. “You don’t know me, asshole,” I spat, trying to stand my ground.

He leaned closer, his lips barely brushing my ear. “We’ll find out.” His eyes flickered down to my cleavage, the subtle movement enough to make me flush, to make me regret every second of standing there. His eyes darkened. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”