My Brother’s Forbidden Alpha

1

Chapter 1

The drums pounded against my chest, a war-beat that set my nerves on fire. Firelight danced across the clearing, casting long, jagged shadows as the pack swirled around me. I kept my smile plastered on, even though my face hurt. I was being spun across the grass by Damon, my arranged fiancé. His hand on my waist felt like a brand,heavy, possessive, and suffocating.

Twenty-one years old. This was supposed to be my big night, my formal entry into the politics that held our pack together. It was just a fancy way of saying I was being sold off to keep the alliance strong.

You look radiant, Jessica, Damon murmured, his breath hot and damp against my ear.

He was the Beta heir from the Riverstone Pack. Safe. Predictable. About as exciting as watching paint dry. My brother, Marcus, had been the one to set this up, convinced this was the only way to keep us all protected.

It felt like a cage.

I looked over Damon’s shoulder, scanning the crowd by instinct, and then it hit me.

Cedarwood and storm rain.

The scent didn’t just reach me; it slammed into me, knocking the wind out of my lungs. My knees buckled and the world blurred into a wash of heat. Deep inside, my wolf didn't just wake up—she screamed. ‘Mate.’

I gasped, my fingers digging into Damon’s shoulder. He just chuckled, completely oblivious. Easy, love, he whispered. The night is just getting started.

I wasn’t listening to him. My eyes were locked on the other side of the fire.

Philip stood there, towering over the elders. The Alpha of Blackthorn. My brother’s best friend since we were pups. The man who had spent his life pulling me out of the mud after fights, the one who had growled at every boy who dared to look my way for too long.

Our eyes met.

His nostrils flared. His gray eyes went dark, shifting into that sharp, hungry focus that made my skin crawl and my blood boil. The bond snapped into place like a metal trap. It wasn’t a soft, romantic thing. It was violent. A pull in my marrow that felt like it was going to tear me apart.

No. Gods, not him.

I thought of the old stories. The ones the elders whispered about in the dark. An Alpha and his Beta’s sister. It was the ultimate taboo. It had started wars before. It was the kind of thing that ended with blood in the dirt and graves in the forest.

Nearby, Marcus slapped Philip on the back, laughing. Philip, you brooding bastard, loosen up! It’s Jess’s night.

Philip’s jaw tightened so hard I saw the muscle pulse. He didn't look at my brother. He kept his eyes locked on mine. His scent was everywhere now, wrapping around me, choking out the smell of the fire and the food. ‘Mine’, my wolf snarled.

I couldn't handle it. I spun around and pushed through the crowd, heading for the trees. I needed air. I needed to get away before I did something that would ruin everything.

I made it to the edge of the clearing when a twig snapped behind me. I whirled around.

Philip was standing in the shadows, his massive frame looking like it was carved out of the night itself. He looked like he was vibrating with the effort of not moving toward me.

Jessica, he growled. The name sounded like a threat. What the hell is this?

I backed up, feeling the bark of a pine tree dig into my spine. You feel it too, I whispered. Don't lie to me.

Shut it down. He stepped closer, bracing a hand against the tree above my head. He didn't touch me, but the heat coming off him was almost physical. You’re Marcus’s sister. You’re Beta blood. If the council catches wind of this, they’ll kill us both.

Screw the council! I snapped, my control finally snapping. My wolf doesn't want safe. She wants you.

His eyes flashed pure black, the wolf had taken over. His hand hovered just inches from my waist, shaking.

Then, all hell broke loose.

A scream pierced the night, followed by the sound of glass breaking and wet thuds. Rogues. They poured from the trees, blades glinting in the firelight. Gunshots shattered the music.

A rogue lunged at me, eyes wild, smelling the blood before he even reached me. I opened my mouth to scream, but everything happened in a blur.

Philip hit me like a landslide. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his hard, burning chest. The moment we touched, a shockwave of electricity ripped through my body. The bond locked into place, deeper and more terrifying than before.

Mine, he snarled, his voice vibrating right against my neck.

He shoved me behind him just as a blade slashed through the air where I had been standing. As the chaos turned into a slaughter and I heard my brother’s voice screaming my name in the distance, I realized something.

If Philip claimed me, we were dead. The pack would turn on us. Marcus would turn on us.

But as his scent filled my lungs and his body shielded mine from the blades, I knew one thing for sure. I didn't care.