Hated By My Stepbrother Alpha

Chapter 9

_Raven’s POV_

The wedding ended later than I expected.

The music slowly faded. Guests began saying their goodbyes. Some people hugged my mom. Others shook Lucas’s hand and congratulated him. A few guests smiled at me politely but most of them seemed more interested in the bride and groom.

I stood quietly beside my mom while she spoke to people. My feet hurt. My head felt heavy. The night had been too long and too strange.

I could still see the wolf in my mind. Every time I blinked, the image came back. Cassian standing in the garden. His body twisting. His bones shifting. The sound of tearing fabric...then fur and claws.

My stomach turned again.

I tried to shake the thought away but it stayed inside my mind like a shadow.

Finally, the last few guests left. The lights in the garden dimmed. The workers began clearing the tables. The wedding was truly over.

Lucas looked at my mom and smiled warmly.

“Well,” he said gently, “are you ready to go home?”

My mom’s face softened at once. She looked happy and tired at the same time.

“Yes,” she said quietly.

Then she turned to me. “Raven, sweetheart, are you alright?”

I nodded slowly. “I’m just tired.”

“That’s understandable,” Lucas said. “It’s been a long day for all of us.”

We walked toward the front of the venue together. A black car was waiting for us near the entrance. One of Lucas’s drivers opened the door.

Lucas helped my mom into the car first. Then I climbed in beside her.

The car began to move.

For a while, none of us spoke. I leaned my head lightly against the window and watched the road outside. The night was dark and quiet. Trees passed by in long shadows.

My mom rested her head against Lucas’s shoulder. She looked peaceful now; married and happy.

I wanted to feel happy for her. But my chest still felt tight.

After some time, the car slowed down. I lifted my head and looked outside. Huge iron gates stood ahead of us.

They were tall and black, with twisting metal designs across them. Stone pillars stood on both sides of the gates. Lights glowed softly on top of the pillars.

As the car approached, the gates slowly opened.

My stomach twisted.

Beyond the gates was a long road surrounded by trees and gardens. Small lamps lined the path. They were lighting the way through the darkness.

The car drove forward.

I watched everything carefully.

There were trimmed hedges and wide lawns. I saw a fountain in the distance. Statues stood among the trees. The place was enormous. Then I saw the mansion.

My breath caught.

The building was huge.

It looked more like a palace than a house. Tall stone walls rose into the night sky. Large windows glowed with warm light. Several balconies curved along the upper floors. The roof stretched high above everything.

The mansion looked beautiful. But it also made me feel very small...and uneasy.

The car stopped in front of the entrance.

Lucas stepped out first and helped my mom down the steps. I followed slowly behind them.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up.

“This is your house?” I asked quietly.

Lucas smiled. “Yes.”

“It’s… big,” I said.

My mom laughed softly. “That’s an understatement.”

Lucas chuckled. “It’s old,” he said. “My family has owned it for a long time.”

We walked up the wide stone stairs together. The large front doors opened before we even reached them. Several servants were waiting inside. They stood in a neat line near the entrance hall. One of the older servants stepped forward and bowed his head.

“Welcome home, Alpha.”

The word hit me like a stone.

Lucas stopped walking.

My mom looked confused.

“Alpha?” she repeated.

The servant looked startled, as if he had said something he should not have.

Lucas smiled quickly. “Oh,” he said lightly, “that’s just an old nickname.”

My mom raised an eyebrow. “Alpha?”

Lucas shrugged casually. “Some of my friends started calling me that years ago. It stuck.”

The servant lowered his head again. “My apologies, sir.”

Lucas waved his hand. “It’s fine.”

My mom laughed softly. “Well, it’s certainly a strong nickname.”

Lucas smiled.

But I noticed something strange. The servants were still standing very still....too still.

None of them looked directly at Lucas. None of them spoke. It was as if they were waiting for orders.

Then I noticed something else. Several of them were staring at me....not in a friendly way. Their eyes moved over me carefully and suspiciously.

One of the maids leaned slightly toward another servant and whispered. “So, she is the one…”

The other servant nudged her quickly before she could finish. They both straightened immediately.

My stomach tightened.

The one what?

I looked at them.

They avoided my gaze at once.

Lucas turned slightly. “Bring Miss Raven’s luggage upstairs,” he told them.

“Yes, sir,” they answered together.

Again, they moved too quickly...like soldiers following commands.

Lucas turned back to us with a warm smile.

“Come,” he said. “Let me show you the house.”

We stepped farther into the mansion. The entrance hall was huge. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling. Its crystals reflected light across the polished marble floor. Tall paintings covered the walls. Expensive furniture stood neatly arranged along the sides.

My footsteps echoed softly as we walked across the floor.

“This place is incredible,” my mom whispered.

Lucas looked pleased. “I’m glad you like it.”

A large staircase curved upward in front of us. We began climbing the stairs. The steps were wide and covered with soft carpet. My hand slid along the wooden railing as we walked.

At the top was a long corridor.

Soft lights glowed along the walls. Thick rugs covered the floor. Doors lined both sides of the hallway.

Lucas walked ahead of us. “Our room is at the end of this corridor,” he said to my mom.

She smiled warmly at him. I followed behind them quietly.

Lucas stopped at a door and opened it. “This will be your room, Raven.”

I stepped inside. My eyes widened immediately. The room was beautiful. It was large and elegant. A huge bed stood in the center with soft white sheets. There was a fireplace near one wall. A sitting area with a couch and small table stood near the windows.

A bookshelf filled one corner. A vanity stood near the wardrobe. Soft lamps gave the room a warm glow.

“It’s lovely,” I said quietly.

My mom looked relieved. “I’m so glad you like it.”

Lucas nodded. “I wanted you to be comfortable here.”

Then he added calmly, “Cassian’s room is right next to yours.”

My stomach dropped.

“Next door?” I repeated.

Lucas nodded.

“Yes. My room and Elena’s are just down the hall.”

I forced a small smile. “Oh.”

Inside, I felt uneasy again. I did not want to be near Cassian. Not after everything that had happened.

My mom touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she said gently. “Cassian wasn’t feeling well tonight. Lucas said he took some medicine and went to bed.”

Lucas nodded. “Yes. He had stomach problems earlier. Probably indigestion.”

I stared at him for a moment.

Indigestion.

That was what he thought had happened.

I looked down at the floor.

“Alright,” I said quietly.

My mom kissed my cheek. “Get some rest, sweetheart.”

“I will.”

Lucas smiled politely.

“Goodnight, Raven.”

“Goodnight.”

They left together. The door closed behind them. I stood in the middle of the room and looked around slowly.

The room was beautiful. But the wall beside my bed separated me from Cassian’s room. That thought made me uncomfortable.

I sat down on the edge of the bed.

What had really happened tonight?

Had I imagined everything?

Was I just tired?

Maybe Cassian had played some kind of trick.

Maybe it had been a prank.

Maybe he was some strange magician.

The ideas sounded ridiculous.

But they were easier to believe than the truth.

I sighed.

Whatever the answer was, one thing was clear. I needed to stay away from Cassian.

A knock came at the door. Two servants entered carrying my luggage. They placed the suitcases beside the wardrobe.

“Your bags, miss,” one of them said.

“Thank you,” I replied.

They bowed slightly and left the room. Again, they avoided looking at me.

I felt too tired to unpack. My body felt heavy. So I changed into my night clothes and climbed into bed.

The mattress was soft. The room was warm. But sleep did not come easily. My thoughts kept returning to the garden...to the wolf....to Cassian.

Eventually, exhaustion pulled me into sleep. I don’t know how long I slept. But suddenly I woke up. My eyes opened slowly. The room was dark now. Only faint moonlight entered through the curtains. For a moment, everything was quiet.

Then I heard it.

A long sound in the distance. It was low, deep and haunting.

A howl.

My heart jumped. I sat up slowly in bed. The sound came again. It was longer this time.

It echoed through the night air. It was surely a wolf.

My hands tightened around the blanket.

Another howl rose into the night. Then another answered it from farther away.

My breathing became shallow. I looked toward the window. The night outside the mansion felt dark and endless. And somewhere in the distance, the wolves were still howling.