Twisted Fate: My Stepson Is My Mate

this castle

Penelope

The chambers they assign me are familiar.

I stand in the center of the room, taking in the heavy curtains, the furniture and the windows that are meant to look decorative but serve a darker purpose.

In my past life, I spent two years in these walls, clawing my way through the harem's brutality until I earned the title of Luna.

A title that had meant nothing in the end.

Memories of my past crawl back to me.

I remember when I had first heard Aaron's name after arriving at this castle.

"The bastard son attacked another of the Alpha's supply routes," one had said. "It’s the third one this month.

The Alpha is furious. He's demanding Aaron's head on a spike."

Judging from the past events, that's when Aaron started his plans to overthrow the Alpha.

Graham being the self conceited and egoistic man he was never took those attempts seriously.

If my guess is right, that's when everything changes. If I have to change my fate, that's around the time I should ally with Aaron.

I had admired him from afar, even got inspired by him to fight against the harem.

I'd done the right thing back then, but with no allies.

When he took over the pack, I had stupidly thought that everything was over.

Turns out I had forgotten one crucial detail: I was Alpha Graham's Luna, his chosen mate,his property.

In Aaron's eyes, that made me as guilty as his father.

He accused me of things I didn't understand and in the end, his sword drove straight to my chest.

He killed me,a sinner who needed to be eliminated in his righteous purge.

"Princess?" Mia's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

I blink, realizing that my hands are trembling.

“ You seem lost.” Mia points out. Lost is a better way to describe my situation.

"I'm fine," I lie, turning away from the window.

“ You should start unpacking.

We will be here for a while." I inform her.

At least until I can figure out how to survive this undeserved fate.

The mate bond pulses in my chest, a constant reminder of the connection I'd fled from last night. Does Aaron feel it too? Is he trying to forget about me the same way I'm trying to process him?

A sharp knock sounds at the door.

Mia moves to answer it, but I wave her off and open the door myself.

A young man stands in the hallway and I recognise him immediately.

Kieran, the watchdog Graham assigned to me in my past life.

I remember him as the loyal guard who did everything the Alpha asked.

When Aaron had launched his coup, Kieran had fought to the death defending the tyrant.

I had never understood why someone so young would die for a monster like Alpha Graham.

Now I know the truth: his loyalty had been bought with lies.

“ I'm Kieran, the watcher assigned to you by the Alpha.” He announces. There's no respect in his eyes. After all, I am not a Princess here but another one of the Alpha's collection.

"A watcher," I repeat, stepping aside to let him enter.

“How straightforward.

Should I assume you will be reporting my every movement to the Alpha?"

"That's exactly what you should assume." Kieran's eyes scan my chambers, taking in every detail. "Alpha Graham doesn't trust new acquisitions.”

There's a faint hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"And what about you, Kieran?" I ask, closing the door. Mia looks nervous at my actions, but I ignore her.

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone." He turns to face me fully. "My job is to make sure you don't cause trouble. As long as you follow the rules, we won't have a problem." He replies.

“The rules,” I echo, now the one amused.

“Tell me something, Kieran. How long have you served Alpha Graham?"

Kieran’s brows furrow and he seems to be considering if to answer or brush me off.

“Five years. Why?"

"And in those five years, has he ever lied to you?" I ask a question instead of answering.

Kieran's eyes narrow dangerously. "Careful. You are implying treason." His hand moves to the weapon at his belt. "I could report you for that alone."

"But you won't. You're curious now, wondering what I know." I say confidently.

"I'm wondering if you have a death wish." Kieran fires back but I catch that fleeting expression on his face — curiosity.

I smile because I have him where I wanted.

"Do you have siblings, Kieran?"

The question catches him completely off guard. His hand falls away from his weapon.

For a moment, genuine emotion flickers across his face.

"Why?" His voice is suddenly guarded.

"I am trying to figure out why someone like you would serve a man like Alpha Graham." I pause to let my words sink in.

“ You don't look like a cruel person, which means either you're being paid very well, or he has leverage over you."

My words hit the nail and Kieran takes a step toward me, his expression darkening. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you have a younger brother," I say,watching his face carefully.

“ His name is Marcus and you care about him.

He is the reason you are here against your conscience.”

His jaw clenches. "How do you…"

"Does Alpha Graham tell you where your brother is?" I interrupt. "Does he let you visit? Or does he just assure you that as long as you are loyal, your brother stays safe?"

Kieran's silence is answer enough.

I take a breath and prepare to drop a bomb that will either turn him into an ally or get me killed.

"In three weeks, during the lunar eclipse, Alpha Graham is going to trade Marcus to the Shadowfang Pack as a hostage. A peace offering to secure their alliance, just like I was brought here." I reveal.

Kieran's face goes pale. He takes a step back.

"You're lying."

"Am I?" I meet his eyes without blinking.

Then tell me, when was the last time you actually saw Marcus? When was the last time Alpha Graham let you speak to him directly?"

"The Alpha said it was safer if we didn't communicate. That enemies might use Marcus to get to me." He replies but I catch it – the doubt in his voice.

"And you believed him?"

I move closer, lowering my voice. "The Shadowfang Pack doesn't treat hostages well, Kieran. They torture them, break them and use them to send message of what happens when you cross them." I pause, letting that sink in.

"Marcus will die screaming while you serve his killer."

"Stop." Kieran's voice is raw. "Just stop."

"I can't. If you do nothing, your brother will be sacrificed for Alpha Graham's political ambitions and you'll never even know it happened."

Kieran staggers back, his hand gripping the edge of a nearby table for support.

"How do you know this?" he demands.

"Does it matter?" I counter. "What matters is whether you're going to save him or not."

"I don't believe you.” Kieran says in a small voice. Maybe he doesn't believe me,but his trust in Graham has been swayed. That's a good development.

"I am not asking for your trust, I am just asking you to verify what I have told you. Demand to see your brother and see how the Alpha reacts.”

Kieran stares at me for a long moment as if considering everything.

Finally, he straightens. "If you are lying to me…" he warns.

"Then kill me," I say simply.

He turns and walks away but pauses at the door.

"Why tell me this? What do you gain?"

‘ I change my fate and protect my loved ones.’

I consider telling him that but I don't.

"Maybe I just don't like seeing people used as pawns. Or maybe I think you deserve better than dying for a man who never valued you." I say.

Kieran doesn't respond. He just leaves, closing the door quietly behind him.

The moment he is gone, Mia rushes over.

"Princess, are you insane?" she hisses. "If he reports this to Alpha Graham…" she cries.

“ We die. But he won't.” I say with more confidence than I feel.

“He will verify what I said and when he discovers I am telling the truth, he will have to decide who his real enemy is."

That's the first crack in Alpha Graham's armor and my first piece in my chessboard.

“Princess, I don't know if I am allowed to say this but you seem different.”