Knot Me, Stepbrother

2: Whispers Behind My Back

The pack kept staring at me like I was some kind of sideshow. My legs finally started working and I turned away fast, head down, trying to disappear into the crowd.

The whispers followed me the whole way back to the pack house.

“His stepsister? That’s messed up.”

“The Goddess really screwed that one up.”

“Reagan looked disgusted. Can you blame him?”

I pushed through the front door and went straight upstairs to my room. The second the door closed, I let the tears fall. Hot and ugly. I dropped onto my bed and pressed my face into the pillow so no one would hear me.

My phone started buzzing like crazy. I grabbed it even though I knew it was a bad idea.

The pack group chat was exploding.

Mia: Did you see Reagan reject his own stepsister tonight? Wild.

Jax: He shut that down fast. Good for him.

Lila: Taboo alert. Imagine being attracted to your brother. Ew.

Tyler: Irene must feel like trash right now.

I kept scrolling, stomach twisting tighter with every message. Some people felt sorry for me. Most were laughing or calling it gross. One girl even posted a meme with two wolves labeled “step-siblings” crossed out in red.

A new message popped up and my heart dropped.

Sarah: Reagan is already outside with Lila. He’s laughing with her. Looks like he’s moving on quick.

Lila. Twenty-five, tall, confident, with long dark hair and a smile that made guys stare. She had been hanging around Reagan for months. The pack always whispered that she would be a perfect match for the future Alpha. Now they were saying she could be his second chance mate since the Goddess clearly made a mistake with me.

I wiped my eyes and went to the window. From the second floor I could see the side yard lit up by string lights. Reagan stood there with Lila. He was smiling…actually smiling...something he almost never did around me. She said something and he laughed, leaning in a little closer, his hand brushing her arm like it was the most natural thing in the world.

My chest hurt worse than the bond pulling at me.

He had just rejected me in front of everyone, called me his sister like the idea of us was disgusting, and now he was out there being nice to her. Friendly. Relaxed. Like nothing had happened.

Lila touched his shoulder and he didn’t pull away. Someone nearby laughed and said loud enough for me to hear through the open window, “See? Lila’s perfect for him. The Moon Goddess must have mixed up the names. Irene was obviously a mistake.”

More voices joined in from the yard below.

“Yeah, Reagan and Lila make sense. Same age group. She’s strong. Not some quiet little stepsister.”

“Poor Irene though. Getting rejected and then watching this? Rough night.”

Humiliation burned through me so hot I felt sick. I stepped back from the window, tears blurring everything. Reagan had barely spoken to me in four years unless it was an order, but with Lila he looked comfortable. Happy even.

A soft knock sounded on my door.

I quickly wiped my face, but it was too late. The door opened and my mom stepped in. She looked tired and worried, her eyes soft but serious.

“Irene,” she said quietly, closing the door behind her. “I heard what happened. The whole pack is talking about it.”

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. “He rejected me in front of everyone, Mom. Called me his sister like I was something dirty.”

Mom sighed and sat down next to me. She put her hand on my knee. “Honey, I know it hurts. But Reagan did the right thing. This bond is totally forbidden. You two grew up in the same house. His father has called you daughter for four years. I call Reagan my son. The pack sees you as real siblings. If the Goddess really meant for this to happen, it would tear everything apart. People would fight. Some families would leave the pack. Reagan knows that. He’s the future Alpha...he has to put the pack first.”

Her words hit harder than the gossip. Even my own mom was saying Reagan was right to reject me.

“So I’m just supposed to pretend the bond doesn’t exist?” I asked, my voice cracking.

Mom squeezed my knee gently. “Yes. For now. Give it time. These feelings will fade. You’re only nineteen. You’ll find someone else. Someone who isn’t… family.”

She stayed a few minutes longer, murmuring that everything would be okay, but her words only made the shame sink deeper. When she finally left and closed the door, the room felt even smaller.

I curled up on my bed again. The ache low in my belly was getting stronger now, warm and insistent, mixing with the humiliation until I couldn’t tell which was worse. The bond still pulled toward Reagan, quiet but steady, like it was laughing at everything my mom had just said.

Down the hall I heard Reagan’s door open and close with a heavy thud. He was home, but he wasn’t coming anywhere near me.

I whispered to the empty room, “Just stay away like you said you would.”