Ice Trial: Mated To My Nerd Stepsister

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Castle

She stares at me, as I approach her, and I can see the rise and fall of her chest. Irritation washes over me. She’s not wearing glasses today, but there’s no way I can’t recognize her. I just spoke to her barely an hour ago. And now she’s seated on one of my couches, watching me with a cornered expression.

I open my mouth to question her once more, when I sense my father walk into the room. A woman is draped against him, his hand on her shoulder, a pretend smile on his face. I know my father well enough to know that he never smiles except during a successful pack deal.

“Father, what is–” I start to say, when he cuts me off.

“Son, meet your new stepmother, and stepsister,” he introduces, and I blanch, just the same moment I hear a soft gasp from behind me.

I don’t care much about who he decides to get married to, even though she’s human. I don’t know what his ulterior motives are, but I want to know. What I do care much about, is the fact that the nerd currently seated behind me, is about to become my stepsister.

I turn to glare at her, then spare a polite smile at her mother. She’s a beautiful woman, but that should not be enough to rouse the interest of Zander Raemon to the point of marriage. Something is going on.

I press my lips into a thin line. “Father–” I begin, heading out of the room. “–a word.” I finish off, heading to one of the nearby music rooms. My father joins me minutes later.

I cross my arms, and watch him silently. “What are you up to?”

He chuckles, a warning I know all too well. “Do I need to report my every move to you now, Son?” He asks, his eyes flaring.

“I can’t be stepsiblings with that girl. They’re humans, and they’re poor,” I add, driving my point across.

“I had no idea. Thank you for informing me,” he retorts sarcastically.

I groan. “Father–”

“Not a word of complaint from you, Castle,” my father warns, and I shut up. “Focus on the upcoming competition. You know what it means for you. And–” he pauses, regarding me with a hard expression. “–I’m getting reports that your school work is terrible. You’re not fooling anybody with that act. Pull yourself together, and join us for dinner in the next two hours.” He leaves the room, and I sink into a chair, with my thoughts for company.

I am filled with the urge to hit something, to smack at something and let out my pent-up anger. Of course, I know what the upcoming competition is about. Everyone thinks it’s just a casual ice hockey game, but I know better. I know that my ascension as the next future Alpha of my pack, is tied to it.

I remain in the music room for the next hour, thinking about nothing meaningful, until I think I’d lose it, then I stumble out of the room.

An hour later, I sit on one of the chairs around the large dining table, boredom filling me, as I try not to intrude in their conversation. But my father wouldn’t let me be.

“Castle is the captain of his ice hockey team,” he says to his wife-to-be, and her eyes twinkle. She praises me, and I feel awkward. I want to get away from here. I lost my mother when I was eight, and haven’t had any motherly presence since then. This is all new to me, and I don’t like it all.

I stab furiously at my steak, and lift it to my mouth without a word. I feel a stare on me, and I swerve my eyes in that direction, catching Sloane as she ducks her eyes in embarrassment. I scoff. Pathetic. I don’t like timid girls. Never have, never will. She has changed from the blue dress she arrived in. She’s now wearing simple joggers, and a white shirt.

I swallow down a glass of wine, and excuse myself. Although I feel my father’s hard stare digging a hole through my head as I leave the dining room, I pay no heed, as I hurry out. My main room is on the other wing of the castle, but I have a spare room in this section. That’s where I head to, in an attempt to cool my head.

I need to have a run in the woods. The thoughts are barely done forming before I leave the room. I see her walking towards me, her hands clasped in front of her, her steps tentative. She nods at me, and tries to continue on her way. On impulse, I grab her and sandwich her in between the wall and my hands. Her breaths turn raspy as she stares up at me, anger flickering in her eyes. I am taken aback by her reaction. I never thought she had it in her to be angry.

I stare into her eyes. They’re a glaring brown, with flickers of gold in them. And she has freckles. I didn’t know she had them.

“What are you doing?” She demands, her chest heaving.

“If you breathe a word about this to anybody in school, I’ll make your life a living hell,” I threaten. I don’t want to be associated with her in any way, other than a superior and inferior. Being siblings makes us equal. I’d never be an equal to a girl such as Sloane.

Something akin to pain flashes in her eyes. It is momentary, before it disappears. Her lips compress with a firm resolve.

“I have no intention of telling anybody,” she whispers. I let go of her, and she moves away. “I hear your birthday is tomorrow,” she continues in a timid voice that irks me. “Happy birthday in advance.” She says, and doubles her steps away..

…

The forest behind the castle is an isolated place that’s limited only to my father and I. I strip off my clothes and lay them beneath a tree. I crouch and shift, the earth coming into clear focus. My ears rustle and my vision gets sharper.

“I thought you’d never run again,” my wolf, Alex, grumbles as he takes the reins.

“Don’t be dramatic,” I sneer.

I take off, feeling the sharp sting of the wind through my fur, the earth beneath my paws, and trees running past as I scoot forward. My thoughts thin slowly with each distance I cover, and soon, all I can think of is my run, and how free I’m feeling.

Just then, my wolf scents something.

“Human,” he growls.

I come to a stop, my ears pricking as the footsteps draw closer.

An annoyed grumble sounds low in my chest. The servants know better than to come to this part of the castle. It’s forbidden.

But as a figure walks into the clearing, where I am standing, I go still.

It’s Sloane.

“What the hell?” She breathes.