His Breeder, Not His Mate

3

ANASTACIA

“Ouch! That hurts!”

I flinched, biting my lower lip as mom pressed a cotton ball soaked in betadine against the cut just below my mouth.

I knew she did it on purpose. She was still furious after finding out I got into a fight on the very first day of school. And worse? I’d gotten myself into trouble again.

I was on my way home when one of Charina Willow’s loop dogs ambushed me. She’s the leader of Black Spider, a notorious gang in the second district. No doubt she thought she could humiliate the queen of the third district—me.

The Silver Crest Pack was one of the largest and most powerful packs, divided into three districts:

First District: Where the high-ranking officials, the wealthy, and the influential lived. They contributed the most to the pack through money and investments.

Second District: Known for intelligence, skill, and combat expertise. Their inventions and advanced technology made them second to the First in contributions.

Third District: Branded the Worst District. Poor living conditions, low-ranking families, and weak abilities meant most of its people were ignored by the rest of the pack.

Alpha Caspian had been trying to improve life in the Third District, but the arrogance of the upper districts only put his life in danger again and again.

“Mom, stop it—you’re only making my wound worse,” I muttered.

She looked up at me, her brows furrowed.

“You should’ve thought about that before jumping into another fight. When will you stop this nonsense? You’re not in grade school anymore—and not even in high school, Anastacia!”

She pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled heavily.

“Tash, you’re in college now. How many times must I remind you that you’re a woman? I don’t want the day to come when you return home to me, not breathing.” Her voice wavered as she sat in front of me, massaging her temples.

“What exactly is your plan? Because honestly, I don’t know what to do with you anymore. I’ve done everything I could to set you straight, but you’ve only gotten worse. Don’t you have any plans to change?”

Her eyes searched mine, pleading.

“Mom, you know me, don’t you?”

“That’s the problem—I know you too well. You won’t stop until you’ve broken someone’s face. You’re even worse than your brother when it comes to brawling.”

I sighed deeply, sitting beside her, gently holding her hands.

“I promise I’ll try to stay out of trouble.”

“Try? When have you ever kept a promise?”

We both froze at the sound of a voice. My brother stood in the doorway, his face blazing with anger. He just got home from school.

“You’ve promised that a million times, yet here you are, still stirring up chaos!”

His lips trembled as he hurled something at my feet—the dagger I had used earlier.

My eyes widened. A cold wave of tension crawled up from my toes to my chest.

How the hell did my brother get my dagger?

Shit!

Did I drop it on the way home with Katie? Impossible. But if I did—how would my brother have picked it up?

Unless… someone told him. One of Zevy’s thug , maybe?

My fists clenched.

Damn it!

If that guy hadn’t shown up, Zevy and her gang would already be lying cold in their graves.

“So that’s your promise? To change?!” my brother roared.

I flinched.

I had never seen him this furious. He looked like a beast about to devour me.

“Dear God! Since when did you learn to use that thing?” Mom gasped, her body weakening as she clutched her chest and leaned back into her chair.

“I don’t even know what’s happening to you anymore.”

Her heavy breathing trembled with fear, disappointment, and sorrow.

“I feel like I failed as a mother.”

I bowed my head, pressing my palms together. Tears slipped down my face before I even realized it.

“Believe it or not, I tried to change, but…” My voice broke, my words swallowed by sobs.

“You couldn’t? If you truly wanted to, you would’ve. But you didn’t. You chose fighting over studying. Do you think you’ll ever get anywhere like this?”

His disappointment cut deeper than any punch or blow I’d ever taken.

“If you can’t think about yourself, at least think about mom—all the sacrifices she’s made for you,” he added.

“S-sorry…” It was all I could manage.

For the first time in my life, the pain I felt was worse than a hundred fists slamming into me.

***

“Forget it.”

I sighed, staring at Katie’s number on my screen.

I’d wanted to call her, but she was probably busy. With both her parents working, house chores always fell on her.

I slid the phone back into my pocket and flagged down a taxi.

“To town,” I told the driver.

The only place I wanted to go was the nearest bookstore—quiet, spacious, perfect for anyone who wanted to read… or someone desperate for peace of mind.

“Looks like there are more customers today,” I muttered as I got off in front of the bookstore.

Strange. Was there a sale?

Most of the customers were students. I’d never been much of a reader. I only came here to kill time—or whenever Katie dragged me along, the certified bookworm she was.

“Good afternoon, ma’am!” TJ greeted, the security guard, flashing his usual mischievous smile. He was a friend of mine, and my brother’s.

My brother was a regular here, so most of the staff knew him well. Rumor had it one of the clerks even had a crush on him, but he turned her down.

Mom and I had been thrilled at the thought of him finally getting a girlfriend, but no—he seemed terrified of women.

Either something in his past scared him off, or his standards were just impossibly high. Honestly, with someone as brilliant as him, I wasn’t surprised.

“I’m not a teacher, i***t! Don’t mess with me!” I smacked TJ on the shoulder.

“Relax, it’s just a joke! You’re a customer, so of course I’ll call you ma’am.” He rubbed his shoulder dramatically.

“By the way, isn’t your brother coming today? We got new arrivals. He’d love them.”

“Maybe not.”

“Why not?”

“How should I know? If you’re curious, go ask him yourself.”

“That’s odd.” He leaned closer, scrutinizing me.

“Wait—don’t tell me your brother finally got a girlfriend? Is that why he hasn’t been coming? Come on, admit it…”

I pulled away, glaring at him.

“Girlfriend? Seriously? Maybe he’s just busy! And back off, your breath reeks like a sewer!”

“Ouch, harsh! I brushed my teeth five times this morning!” He sniffed his own breath.

“Smells like toothpaste,” he muttered, though he didn’t sound convinced.

“Well, if it smells like toothpaste, why did you react like it was worse than sewage?” I teased.

He scowled.

“Anyway, why so many customers? Is there a sale?” I asked, glancing at a group of girls crowding by the entrance.

“There was almost a riot earlier. Good thing I stopped it,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because of some handsome guy walked in. The girls went crazy—some even called their friends over.”

I arched a brow.

“No wonder. Guess I’ll see if he’s really as good-looking as they say.”

“Don’t you dare start trouble, Tash,” TJ warned.

I smirked.

“Relax. I just want to see if someone can actually outshine you, TJ!” I teased with a wink.

“Fine, I’m going in.”

“Behave, or I’ll tell your brother,” he threatened.

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, stepping inside.

My brows furrowed as I spotted three women in their early forties, dressed in elegant corporate gowns. Their lips—bloated with fillers—looked like they’d been stung by a thousand bees.

I grimaced.

God, so full of themselves.

Their lips probably weighed as much as a sack of rice. Good thing I was born poor, or I might’ve been tempted to get fillers too.

Just kidding.

I scanned the room. Nearly every seat was taken. Clearly, most people weren’t there for the books.

Says the girl who only came to waste time.

I made my way to the back, where the action and sci-fi books were displayed. Not that they were my favorites—I wasn’t really into reading.

I just found them more tolerable than romance. Less cheesy. Less cringey.

My face lit up when I saw the section was empty. Hardly anyone ever came here, which was exactly why I liked it.

“Oh, new arrivals,” I muttered, spotting fresh titles on display.

I skimmed through, but I wasn’t in the mood. I just needed a place to breathe. My chest felt unbearably heavy today.

Slowly, I sat on the floor, leaning against the shelf, closing my eyes, until a noise snapped them open.

Damn it.

So much for peace and quiet.

Annoyed, I stood and headed toward the sound.

I froze.

A boy leaned against the shelf, looking pale, almost unconscious. I rushed over.

“Wait, I know him.” My heart dropped. It was Katie’s brother, his face ghostly white.

Panic rose in me.

“Damn it! What do I do? Of all people, why me—the one with zero experience, seriously?” Frantically, I pulled out my phone.

I was about to call Katie when his hand shot out, yanking me against his chest.

“What the—let me go!”

So he wasn’t unconscious at all. The bastard was pretending!

“I didn’t know you were still a virgin, Tash…” he whispered hoarsely.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, my ears burning.

Damn it.

Why do I feel like I’m about to get a fever?

“W-what the hell are you talking about, jerk?!” I struggled.

“You’ll stay here until I say otherwise. Or else—”

I arched a brow, glaring.

“Or else what?”

His grin turned mischievous.

“Or else I’ll kiss you, just to test if you’re really still a virgin.” His arms tightened around my waist.

“Anastacia Sylwen!”

We both turned at the booming voice that called my name.

“B-brother?” My eyes widened. It was my brother.