FATED TO MY LOVER’S BROTHER.

CHAPTER ONE ANDREA’S POV I knew deep down that tonight, my life was going to change. I knew it because I could feel it. I could see it. I could sense it. I didn't even know how, but I felt it so much in my spirit as certainly as I would if I had stumbled on a stone or a rock. I had just come of age… and now I stood, awaiting my fate like the other ladies who, like me, were dressed in flowing lavender silk that clung to our bodies like gum glues. My feet were bare against the cold marble floor and my hands were clenched tightly at my sides. I was nervous. Really, I was. Around me, the scent of anticipation lingered in the air mixed with the heavy scent of Pineapple and bergamot. The predictable fragrance of young women waiting to be chosen. But none of their scents were as potent as mine. I felt it. And I knew it. And strangely enough, I could tell he felt it too. Stefan. Our soon-to-be Alpha. The man who was going to ruin me. A shiver ran down my spine as my wolf stirred inside me at that thought. She was restless, and… excited, even. Unlike me, she didn’t understand the depth of what this meant… And Stefan was the one that embodied them all. His eyes were sharp and piercing, their color resembling dark pebbles. He was devastatingly beautiful in the way all Alphas were. Strong. Commanding. Dangerous… But then again… when was he not? His lips that were sculpted into a very fine shape barely moved as his Beta leaned in to whisper something to him. And then, a slow, deliberate smile curved his lips in a way that reminded me of a wolf that was ready to prey. His gaze turned over to me from head to toe and such... intense stare set goosebumps thrumming in my skin. I swallowed hard, fighting the instinct to lower my gaze. But I didn't. ‘Good girl’, my wolf purred. She was reckless! Foolish. Tempted. And heightened. But goddess, so was I! The room hushed, thick with expectation as he c****d his head… in consideration? He was weighing his options. Unlike me, almost every other single lady here had spent years preparing for this moment. Hoping, praying… to be noticed by their future Alpha. Because as far as I could tell, Stefan never kept a woman for longer than that. He had a reputable reputation. Deep down, I was afraid. I didn't want such a fate for myself either, but…I could no sooner deny the heat in my belly than I could deny the fact that I was still… embarrassingly, a virgin. I was in for a load of hurt. His eyes narrowed on me again, and they did something strange. His right eye darkened even more and his nostrils flared ever so slightly. Oh no, I knew what that look meant. He’d caught my scent. And I knew… I just knew… that my fate was sealed. He leaned forward, his gaze, slightly unreadable. A silent wave passed between us, and then, as I let out a slow exhale, a finger of his lifted. And it pointed at me. He'd made his choice. I didn’t move; Because I too was stunned. Not until the guards stepped forward, their firm hands guiding me toward the throne, toward him. Because I knew the truth. He may take me. Claim me. But come morning, he would cast me aside. * My heart pounded so loudly I feared he could hear it. I was here. In his room. He'd chosen me and before the night ended, I'd be his in every way that counted. Stefan stood near the bed, his silhouette tall and imposing. A predator at ease in his domain. He had picked me from the parade, singled me out with nothing more than a tilt of his head and a wordless command. And now, I was his for the taking. I swallowed hard, my throat dry. My hands clenched the silk fabric of my nightdress in a feeble attempt to ground myself, but it did little to steady my racing heart. The tension was suffocating. I had known this moment would come, been prepared for it almost all my life yet, standing before him now, I felt so small. So… breakable. "Undress," he said, promptly. There was no hesitation or softness in his tone and the authority in his voice was even harder to ignore. My breath caught. There'd be no delays, then. I bit my lips indecisively, my traitorous wolf whimpering, likely torn between submission and the sharp thrill of being desired by someone like him. He was power incarnate Alpha-to-be, ruthless, untouchable. And yet, tonight, he had chosen me. Fingers trembling, I reached for the ties of my gown. The silk slid down my arms, pooling at my feet in a whisper of fabric. A finger lifted my chin, forcing my gaze to his. "You smell sweet," he murmured, voice deep, threaded with approval. He leaned in, his lips barely ghosting over the shell of my ear. "Are you afraid?" Yes! No. I didn’t know. "I don’t…" My voice wavered, my throat thick with unspoken words. I shook my head no. He chuckled, dark amusement curling in his tone. “Liar.” His hands framed my waist, pulling me flush against his body, the hard ridges of him pressing against my softness. A gasp spilled from me at the sudden contact, heat pooling low in my belly. My wolf stirred again, this time with hunger. A foreign, aching need that wasn't completely mine unfurled inside me, something primal and instinctual. “Your body knows who I am,” he murmured against my throat, his breath hot on my skin. “It recognizes mine.” A shiver racked through me as his lips pressed just beneath my jaw, slowly, testing. I should feel ashamed. Or frightened. Instead, all I felt was him. His fingers skimmed down my spine, sending jolts of pleasure through me, and I arched into him, helpless to the sensations unraveling inside me. “Good girl,” he breathed, the praise igniting something hot and reckless in my core. Then, suddenly, I was airborne. A startled yelp escaped me as he lifted me effortlessly, carrying me to his bed. The furs beneath me were warm, plush against my fevered skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of his body as he settled over me. Stefan’s eyes held mine as he parted my legs, his hands rough yet reverent as they mapped my body. He moved with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the moment, drawing out the tension until I was trembling beneath him. And then, finally, he claimed me. Pain and pleasure collided in a sharp, dizzying sensation, and I cried out, my nails digging into his back. He stilled for a moment, his breath ragged, giving me time to adjust before pulling back, then thrusting again. Deeper. Harder. I broke. “Mine,” he growled against my lips, swallowing my gasps, my cries. It sounded like more than a claim. It was also a warning. He was relentless, unyielding, driving me toward something vast and shattering. And when I came undone beneath him, his name spilled from my lips… breathless and broken. For a moment, there was only silence, our breaths mingling, our bodies tangled. And then, just as I thought the night was over, Stefan’s lips found my ear and his voice was a promise, a demand. “Let’s go again.”