The Alpha’s Brother
1032 Words
I woke up tangled in sheets that weren’t mine.
For one heartbeat, I forgot everything — the rejection, the humiliation, the kiss.
Then it came crashing back like a tidal wave.
I sat up too fast. My head spun, and the blanket slipped off my shoulders. I was still fully clothed — thank the Moon Goddess — but I remembered every detail of what happened last night.
Not s*x.
But something just as intimate. Something far more dangerous.
That kiss.
Darian hadn’t pulled away. In fact, he’d deepened it — strong, hungry, like he’d been holding back for years. And when I finally gasped for air, he’d just rested his forehead against mine, whispering things I hadn’t let myself remember.
“Kael’s a fool.”
“You were never meant for him.”
“You deserve to be wanted.”
And I had wanted to believe him. Even if just for one night.
I heard the kettle whistle from the kitchen.
Darian.
I jumped off the bed and ran my fingers through my wild hair. My cheeks were flushed. My lips still tingled. I couldn’t let this happen. It wasn’t just wrong — it was dangerous.
He was the Beta. Kael’s brother.
If anyone found out what we’d done — hell, if Kael found out — I’d be exiled. Or worse.
I stepped into the small kitchen.
He was already there, shirtless, his muscles flexing as he poured boiling water into two mugs. When he turned around and saw me, he didn’t look guilty.
He looked like a man who knew exactly what he wanted — and wasn’t about to apologize for it.
“Sleep okay?” he asked casually, sliding a cup toward me.
I wrapped my hands around it, mostly to give them something to do.
“We shouldn’t have kissed.”
“I disagree.”
“Darian—”
“Elara,” he interrupted, taking a step closer. “You didn’t stop it.”
“I was emotional,” I said. “Confused. Hurt.”
“And I was angry. Watching Kael throw you away like you were nothing made me see red.”
“You’re his brother.”
“And I’m not him.”
His voice dropped, low and intense. “I would never reject my mate. Never make her feel unwanted. You could’ve been mine.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why? Because it’s forbidden?”
“Yes!” I snapped, the pressure boiling over. “Because this could ruin everything. Kael may have rejected me, but he’s still the Alpha. He could—”
“He doesn’t deserve you,” Darian growled. “He made his choice. Now let me make mine.”
I stared at him. My body ached to lean into him again, to forget the past twenty-four hours, to let someone — anyone — choose me for once.
But I was too scared.
Too broken.
“I need air,” I whispered, grabbing my coat.
—
The woods behind Darian’s cabin were quiet, except for the crunch of frost beneath my boots and the distant call of a mourning bird.
I walked deeper, heart pounding with every step. My wolf stirred inside me, restless, still mourning the mate we’d lost. I reached a clearing and collapsed to my knees, staring up at the cold morning sky.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
The Moon Goddess promised balance. Fated bonds. Mates that healed each other.
So why did it hurt this much?
Why had she paired me with a man who didn’t want me?
I pressed a hand to my belly.
Something felt… off.
A twist in my gut. A dizzying wave of heat.
It passed quickly, but I frowned.
Was I just stressed? Tired?
I hadn’t eaten in nearly a day.
I shook my head and stood.
But as I turned to head back, a familiar scent hit my nose.
Spiced pine. Leather. Male dominance.
Kael.
I barely had time to brace myself before he emerged from the trees, tall and furious.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he barked.
I folded my arms, masking the tremor in my spine.
“I could ask you the same.”
“This is pack territory. You don’t wander off like that without notifying the Alpha.”
“Oh, is that what I am now? A pack member? Not the rejected girl you humiliated in front of your Elders and future Luna?”
His jaw clenched. “Elara—”
“Save it,” I said, stepping past him.
But he caught my wrist.
The touch was electric — not with warmth, but tension.
“You kissed my brother,” he said, voice low and dangerous.
My heart stopped.
“How do you know that?”
“Does it matter?”
I yanked my hand free.
“You made your choice. You rejected me. You don’t get to police who I talk to now.”
“You think Darian gives a damn about you?” he hissed. “He’s just angry at me. He’ll use you to get back at me.”
“And you used me to build your damn image as Alpha,” I snapped. “So don’t pretend to care now.”
His eyes flashed gold.
“You’re still my mate,” he growled.
“No,” I said coldly. “You made sure I’m not.”
I turned and walked away.
He didn’t follow.
But I knew then… this wasn’t over.
Kael still felt the bond. The rejection didn’t sever it completely.
And worse — neither did I.
—
Back at Darian’s, I paced the small bedroom, my thoughts spiraling.
The dizziness returned.
And then the realization hit me like a truck.
My hand flew to my stomach again.
No. No, no, no.
I counted the days.
I hadn’t shifted in over a week. My last heat. That night. With Kael. Just before the mating ceremony.
I ran to the bathroom, fell to my knees, and vomited.
Pregnant.
I was pregnant with the Alpha’s child.
And no one could ever know.
Especially not Kael.
Especially not Darian.
- Writer
