Marked by my Alpha Stepbrother

chapter nine

Chapter nine

Killian’s pov

Jacob finally walked into the room carrying another box filled with files while Gabriella and I immediately stepped away from each other like we hadn’t just been seconds away from tearing into another argument. Unfortunately for her, the slight redness still sitting on her cheeks made the whole thing even more obvious, and judging from the way she refused to look in my direction, she knew it too.

“You both look suspicious,” Jacob said slowly while dropping the box on the bed.

Gabriella grabbed her suitcase quickly before answering. “You say that every time we’re in the same room.”

“Probably because every time I leave you both alone, one of you looks ready to commit murder.”

A laugh almost escaped me because honestly, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Relax,” I said lazily while leaning against the wall. “Your wife is just naturally violent.”

“She’s surviving you,” Jacob corrected with a grin.

Now that sounded far more accurate.

Jacob checked the time on his phone before sighing tiredly. “It’s confirmed, looks like I’ll have to meet you both at the pack house later tonight after all.” His eyes shifted toward Gabriella apologetically. “Work won’t let me breathe today.”

Something changed in her expression immediately after that, except it was small enough most people would miss it. The disappointment flashed through her eyes for barely a second before she buried it again under that calm neutral look she kept forcing around me.

That was interesting.

“No problem,” Gabriella replied quietly while adjusting the suitcase handle.

The drive to the pack house stayed painfully silent after that, and somehow that silence felt louder than every argument we’d had all morning. Gabriella sat beside me staring outside the window almost the entire ride, like she was trying to mentally place herself anywhere except inside my car with me.

Unfortunately for her, silence only made people think louder.

Every few minutes her heartbeat shifted slightly, especially whenever the car got too quiet or my attention lingered on her too long. Meanwhile, she kept pretending nothing affected her, which honestly would have worked better if her body didn’t betray her every five seconds.

“You know,” I murmured casually while turning the steering wheel, “normal people blink eventually.”

Her eyes narrowed instantly even though she still refused to look at me directly. “Normal people also learn when to shut up eventually.”

There she is, a grin slowly pulled at my lips.

“You’ve been quiet for almost thirty minutes,” I said lazily. “Starting to miss me already?”

“I’m enjoying the silence.”

“Ouch.” I pressed a hand against my chest dramatically. “Your cruelty genuinely hurts me.”

“You’ll survive.”

“Hopefully.” My eyes flickered toward her briefly. “You still owe me a proper rejection speech though. The earlier one upstairs lacked passion.”

That finally got her attention as she turned to face me.

“You are unbelievably annoying.”

“Yet your heart keeps racing every time I talk to you.”

The irritation that flashed across her face instantly almost made me laugh. Gabriella looked away again afterward, but not before I caught the frustration in her eyes, and for some reason that tiny reaction entertained me far more than it should have.

The second we arrived at the pack house, my attention immediately locked onto the red sports car parked outside the mansion. Every relaxed thought in my head disappeared almost instantly because there was only one person dramatic enough to park like that in front of the house; Vanessa.

Perfect… just perfect.

Gabriella climbed out of the car quietly while I grabbed the bags from the trunk, and before either of us could even process the situation properly, my mother appeared at the entrance looking happier than I’d seen her in weeks.

“There you are!” she exclaimed warmly before pulling Gabriella into a hug so quickly the poor girl barely had time to react.

Meanwhile I stood there holding bags like hired help. Even in my home I am not treated fairly.

“I’m so happy you’re finally here,” my mother continued while holding Gabriella’s hands affectionately. “Breakfast is almost ready and everybody’s excited to finally meet you.”

“Everybody?” she asked with a worried smile before looking at me and shooting a deadly glare.

“ Yes honey, I invited a few other family members to meet you… they will be here this evening”

“Is all that really necessary mom?” Why does she have to always be this extra?

“ yes it is you fool.. I now have another daughter”

Gabriella smiled politely, though the exhaustion behind her eyes was still obvious enough for me to notice. Honestly, between me, the forced move, the mate thing, and now the pack house, the little fox probably felt like the universe was personally targeting her.

Unfortunately for her, things were only getting started.

“Sadly,” my mother continued suddenly, “your room isn’t completely ready yet.”

That immediately got my attention. “You can stay in Killian’s room for now until everything is finished.”

Silence settled between us instantly. Gabriella looked horrified beside me while my eyes snapped toward my mother because surely she couldn’t be serious. But judging from the completely innocent expression on her face, she was very serious.

This whole setting is like playing with fire and that was very dangerous, but interesting.

“Mom,”

“Oh stop,” she interrupted immediately while waving dismissively at me. “You’re family.”

Family? right.

But i dont think families get wet for their relatives or also have thoughts of ruining them or using them to exact revenge..but if that’s the new definition of family, then who am I not to accept?

“Killian,” my mother continued casually, “help her upstairs while I check on breakfast.”

I grabbed the bags automatically while Gabriella followed beside me looking emotionally exhausted already. The tension returned almost immediately the second we stepped inside the house alone together again, and judging from the way she kept avoiding eye contact, her thoughts were probably just as chaotic as mine.

“You look stressed,” I murmured while leading her upstairs.

“You look like a problem.”

“I’m starting to think you secretly enjoy my company.”

“I’m starting to think you secretly enjoy hearing yourself talk.”

God, she was fun. I pushed my bedroom door open carelessly before my entire body went still.

Vanessa stood inside my room butt naked with her n*****s pointed out while casually fixing her hair in front of the mirror like she owned the place. The second Gabriella saw her, the atmosphere around us changed instantly, and some instinctive part of me reacted before my brain could fully process it.

I slammed the door shut immediately.

Unfortunately, the slow look Gabriella turned toward me afterward already told me this situation had officially become a disaster.

Before I could say another word, the bedroom door suddenly burst open hard enough to slam against the wall, and the next second a blonde blur launched herself straight at me like a damn missile.

“Killian!”

Vanessa wrapped herself around me instantly before crashing her lips against mine without warning, her fingers tangling into my hair like she still owned me. If it was any other day trust me, i would have f****d her brains out but right now she is lowkey getting on my nerves

Gabriella stood frozen near the doorway holding her suitcase with a look that could probably kill people on sight.

Well, this was about to become a disaster.

I grabbed Vanessa by the waist quickly before she climbed me completely and pulled her back just enough to breathe. Regrettably, the damage was already done because the second I glanced toward Gabriella, the look in her eyes nearly made me laugh.

It wasn't anger or shock, it was more of annoyance and something dangerously close to jealousy. She was trying hard not to react, but I could clearly see it dancing in her eyes.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked Vanessa while she still clung to my arm like an oversized problem refusing to go away.

Vanessa barely looked sorry as her eyes slowly drifted toward Gabriella standing near the door with her bright red hair and annoyed expression. The second their eyes met, the atmosphere in the room shifted so fast it almost felt physical.

“Oh,” Vanessa murmured slowly. “Who’s the b***h with the attitude?”

Gabriella’s brows lifted instantly. “Excuse me?”

God; women really enjoyed violence.

“Vanessa,” I warned calmly, already feeling a headache forming.

“What?” she asked innocently while still staring directly at Gabriella. “You disappear for weeks and suddenly there’s a redheaded Barbie standing in your room looking like she wants to stab me.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Is she the reason you’ve been avoiding me?”

Gabriella scoffed loudly before I could answer. The sound instantly pulled Vanessa’s full attention toward her.

“Oh, she makes sounds too.”

Gabriella crossed her arms slowly while looking Vanessa up and down with the kind of fake smile women used right before ruining somebody’s confidence permanently.

“You know,” Gabriella said casually, “for somebody begging for attention this early in the morning, you’re surprisingly loud.”

Vanessa blinked once before laughing sharply. “Oh, I definitely hate her already.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Gabriella replied immediately.

God help me.

Part of me genuinely wanted to sit back and enjoy this because watching Gabriella get irritated over another woman touching me was becoming way more entertaining than it should have been. Unfortunately, if my mother walked in right now and saw Vanessa trying to fight Jerold’s daughter inside the pack house, my funeral would probably happen before lunch.

“Okay,” I cut in quickly before things escalated further. “Ella, this is Vanessa. Vanessa, this is Gabriella.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened dramatically.

“Wait.” Her head turned toward me slowly. “This is the little stepsister?”

Gabriella’s expression hardened instantly, meanwhile I was already regretting every decision that brought me to this moment.

Vanessa suddenly looked offended as she slapped my chest lightly. “You replaced me with your stepsister?” she demanded. “Wow, you’re actually sick.”

“I did not replace you.”

“Emotionally you did.”

“There was no emotion involved.”

Gabriella choked on absolutely nothing, while Vanessa gasped loudly before looking between us again like she had just discovered a crime scene.

“Oh my God.” Her eyes widened. “Are you two hooking up?.”

“I am literally married, you slut,” Gabriella snapped immediately.

Vanessa looked at the ring on Gabriella’s finger before slowly turning toward me again.

“Oh.” She paused briefly. “ So that's the cover you two use to do your nasty movements?”

I rubbed my temple slowly while wondering if death would finally take me today. How can a b***h with a body like this have no brain whatsoever.

“What are you even doing here?” I asked Vanessa again, already annoyed. “Who let you into the pack house?”

“That is not the bone of concession right now,” she replied proudly before turning back toward me with a softer expression. “I came to fix things between us.” Her fingers slid slowly across my chest. “Didn’t you miss me?”

She leaned up trying to kiss me again.

Gabriella scoffed so loudly this time even I looked at her, that got Vanessa’s attention as she slowly pulled back.

“Oh my God,” she whispered dramatically. “She’s jealous.”

Gabriella looked genuinely offended. “I would rather eat broken glass.”

“Damn,” Vanessa muttered. “She even sounds possessive.”

At this point, I was dangerously close to laughing.

Gabriella grabbed her suitcase tightly before shaking her head slowly like she was physically tired of both our existence.

“You know what?” she said flatly. “This is officially your problem now.” Her eyes slid toward Vanessa dismissively. “Let me know when you finally take out the trash because I skipped breakfast for this nonsense.”

Vanessa gasped loudly.

“Excuse me?!” She grabbed her suitcase, opened the room door and went in.

The bedroom door slammed shut behind Gabriella before Vanessa could continue yelling after her, leaving silence hanging heavily outside the room while I stared at the closed door slightly longer than necessary.

Vanessa finally grabbed my face roughly enough to force my attention back toward her.

“You’re seriously just going to watch her walk away after she insulted me?” she demanded.

I sighed tiredly, because I wasn't ready for a vannessa right now.

“Vanessa, I really don’t have the energy for,”

“You have been avoiding me for weeks!”

“Because we broke up.”

“You never said it officially.”

“We both knew.”

“No.” Her voice cracked slightly this time. “You pushed me away and disappeared.” Her eyes searched mine desperately now. “You don’t even look at me the same anymore.”

God; I hated emotional conversations.

“Vanessa, ”

“No,” she cut in immediately before suddenly grabbing my wrist tightly. “You don’t get to avoid this conversation anymore.”

Annoyance started rising inside me quickly, but what was more annoying was that i was hard as f**k but f*****g Vannessa right now is like proving miss grumpy pants in my own bedroom right now totally right.

It was as though my head and d**k were at war for total control and this crazy b***h knew exactly how to get me laid.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

Vanessa stared at me for one long second before her expression suddenly changed completely. She had that look of vannessa happy which meant this crazy b***h had done something that will get in the way of my plans.

Her grip tightened around my wrist, as she brought one hand down to her tummy.

Hell no.

“You’re going to be a father.”