Claimed by My Alpha Step Brother

chapter 8. phyna POV

The next morning, the bond felt heavier.

It sat under my skin like a second pulse, constant and demanding. I had spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, replaying the moment Tristan’s hand had rested against my cheek and the way my body had betrayed me by leaning into it. The memory made my chest ache. The worst part was how much I already missed the relief that single touch had given me.

I stayed in my room until the last possible second, hoping the house would empty before I had to face anyone. It almost worked. When I finally came downstairs, my mother and Tristan’s father had already left. The kitchen was quiet.

Almost.

Tristan stood near the counter with his back to me, pouring coffee into a second mug. He didn’t turn around when he spoke.

“You didn’t eat last night.”

I stopped in the doorway. “I’m not hungry.”

“That’s a lie.” He turned then, eyes steady on mine. There were faint shadows under them, like he hadn’t slept much either. He held the second mug out toward me. “Drink it. You look like you’re about to fall over.”

I hesitated, then took the mug just to end the moment. Our fingers brushed. The contact was brief, but the bond flared so hard I nearly dropped the coffee. Tristan’s eyes darkened. He felt it too.

I stepped back quickly. “Thank you.”

He watched me for a long second. “You’re still asking for time.”

“Yes.”

“And if time only makes it worse?”

I didn’t have an answer for that. I drank the coffee in silence, set the empty mug in the sink, and left the house without another word. His gaze followed me all the way to the door.

School felt like walking into a trap.

The whispers were no longer quiet. They followed me through the hallways, sharp and pointed. Lila and her group made sure of it. Every time I passed them, their voices rose just enough for me to hear.

“She’s only here because her mother married the Alpha.”

“Tristan’s just bored. He’ll drop her the second someone better comes along.”

“Imagine thinking you could be with the future Alpha when you’re just a Beta from some weak pack.”

I kept my face blank and my head down. Reacting would only feed them. I had learned that the hard way in my old pack.

By lunch, I couldn’t take the noise of the courtyard. I slipped away toward the back of the school, looking for the empty classroom I had used before. I never made it.

Lila stepped into my path near the stairwell, flanked by two other girls. Her smile was sweet and poisonous.

“You know, Phyna, people are starting to talk about how often Tristan looks for you,” she said. “It’s getting embarrassing. For him.”

I tried to move around her. She blocked me again.

“I’m not doing anything,” I said quietly. “Just leave me alone.”

“Or what?” One of the girls laughed. “You’ll run and tell your stepbrother?”

The word hit harder than it should have. I clenched my hands at my sides and forced myself to stay calm. “Move.”

Lila stepped closer. “You’re out of your depth. Tristan is ours. He always has been. Whatever little game he is playing with you will end, and when it does, you’ll still have to walk these halls. Remember that.”

I opened my mouth to answer, but a familiar voice cut through the air behind me—low, cold, and dangerous.

“That’s enough.”

Tristan stood at the end of the hallway. He wasn’t walking. He was stalking forward, every line of his body radiating Alpha authority. The two girls behind Lila immediately lowered their eyes. Even Lila’s confidence faltered for a second.

He stopped beside me, close enough that his shoulder nearly brushed mine. His scent wrapped around me, and my wolf calmed instantly despite the tension in the air.

“Is there a problem?” he asked, eyes locked on Lila.

She forced a smile. “We were just talking.”

“It didn’t sound like talking.” His voice dropped even lower. “Stay away from her.”

Lila’s eyes flicked between us, calculation clear on her face. “She’s your stepsister, Tristan. People might get the wrong idea if you keep defending her like this.”

“I don’t care what ideas people get.” He took one more step forward. The air seemed to tighten. “If I hear you corner her again, you’ll answer to me. Clear?”

Silence.

Lila’s jaw tightened, but she nodded once. “Clear.”

She turned and walked away with the others. Only when they disappeared around the corner did Tristan look down at me. His expression softened slightly, but the gold still flickered in his eyes.

“You’re shaking again,” he said.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” He glanced around the still-empty hallway, then nodded toward the side exit. “Come with me.”

“Tristan—”

“Five minutes. That’s all.”

I should have said no. Instead, I followed him.

He led me behind the school building, where the noise of the courtyard faded and the air felt less heavy. Once we were out of sight, he turned to face me fully. For a moment he just looked at me, like he was checking for damage.

“I told you I would try to give you space at school,” he said. “But I’m not going to stand there and watch them treat you like that.”

“You made it worse,” I whispered. “They’re going to talk even more now.”

“Let them.”

“You don’t understand—”

“I understand perfectly.” His voice was rough. “I understand that you’re my mate and every instinct I have is screaming to protect you. I understand that watching you shrink yourself to avoid attention is driving me insane. And I understand that the longer you keep fighting this, the more it’s going to hurt both of us.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “I’m scared, Tristan. If this becomes real—if people find out what you called me—there is no going back. Our parents. The pack. Everyone. They will tear it apart.”

He stepped closer. This time I didn’t move away. The bond wouldn’t let me.

“Then we face it,” he said. “Together.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Nothing about this is simple.” He lifted a hand and rested it against the side of my neck, thumb brushing gently along my jaw. The contact sent a wave of warmth through me so strong my eyes fluttered shut for a second. “But it’s real. And I’m done pretending I can stay away from you.”

My voice came out barely above a whisper. “You’re making it harder to fight.”

“Good.”

The honesty in that single word cracked something inside me. I opened my eyes and found him watching me with an intensity that made it difficult to breathe. The gold in his irises was brighter now. His wolf was close to the surface.

“I keep telling myself I can control this,” I admitted. “That if I just stay away long enough, the bond will quiet down. But it doesn’t. It only gets louder.”

Tristan’s thumb stroked my skin once more. “Then stop fighting it alone.”

For a moment, the world narrowed to the space between us. My wolf pushed forward, desperate and needy. I wanted to lean into him. I wanted the relief that came with his touch. I wanted to stop carrying the weight of this secret by myself.

Instead, I forced myself to step back.

His hand fell away. Frustration flashed across his face, followed quickly by something softer. Understanding, maybe. Or patience that was rapidly running out.

“I need more time,” I said.

Tristan exhaled slowly. “I’m not a patient person, Phyna. But for you… I’m trying.”

He glanced toward the building. The next bell would ring soon.

“Go to class,” he said. “I’ll stay away for the rest of the day. But tonight… we’re talking. No running. No locked doors.”

I nodded once, not trusting my voice.

He watched me walk away. I felt his gaze until I turned the corner and stepped back into the crowded hallway. The noise of the school rushed over me again, but it felt distant compared to the storm inside my chest.

All afternoon, the memory of his hand on my neck lingered. The warmth. The rightness. The terrifying comfort of it.

By the time I got home, my resolve was thinner than it had ever been.

I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the door, knowing that in a few hours Tristan would knock. Knowing that this time, I might not have the strength to keep him on the other side.

The bond didn’t care about my fear.

And more and more, neither did I.