MY STEPBROTHER IS MY FATED ALPHA

Selina Hale ran her fingers along the edge of the mahogany desk, her eyes scanning the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Hale estate. The world below bustled with traffic, noise, and chaos, but up here, in her father’s penthouse office, everything felt carefully controlled, perfectly ordered—just the way her father liked it. “Selina! Dinner in five,” called her mother from the grand dining hall, her voice tinged with impatience. “I’ll be there, Mom!” Selina replied, forcing a smile. She loved her family, but sometimes the luxury and rules of her life felt like a gilded cage. A shadow moved across the room, stretching long and silent. “You’re thinking too much again,” a familiar voice said. Selina turned, and there he was, Liam Hale. Her stepbrother, adopted when she was eight. Tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that seemed to see everything, sometimes too much. Even after all these years, his presence still made her heart race in ways she would never admit. “I wasn’t thinking about random things,” she replied quickly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Liam smirked. “Right. You always say that. But your shoulders tell a different story.” Selina rolled her eyes, but inside, she felt the warmth that always came with him being near. Liam had been her protector, her confidant, the brother she never had to worry about , the only person in her suphocating family and social circle that she could rely on irrespective of the fact that she had a boyfriend whom she well, loved. And yet… something unspoken lingered beneath the surface—a tension neither of them had named and both ignored. "Why do you always think you've got me figured out Liam? " She asked Smirking at the question, Liam replied" well , I am your brother, and I'm older and wiser so..." Selena rolled her eyes again " ugh whatever" she said “Your father wants you at the board meeting tomorrow,” Liam said, breaking her reverie. “He’s… concerned about your internship. You’re ready for it, you know.” Selina nodded. “I know. But sometimes I feel like I’m living in someone else’s life. Sometimes I feel like I have to be perfect and be what I am not. I'm not perfect I am human and have flaws and I.." Liam stepped closer, his gaze intense. “You’re not. You’re Selina Hale. You make your own choices. Don’t ever forget that. And you've got me always . In life and in death ” " Pinky promise?" Asked Selena in a cute voice " Uh yeah whatever that is " Liam said Selena scowled " Ah yes haha pinky promise " said Liam not wanting to get into trouble with the sister he cared about His words, simple as they were, made her heart skip. She looked away, pretending to examine a file on the desk. Liam’s closeness always had that effect;.safe, magnetic, impossible to ignore. And somewhere deep inside, something stirred. Something primal, silent, waiting something pushed away maybe? Yes, something pushed away . A faint growl rumbled in the distance, a sound only Liam seemed to notice. He stiffened for a fraction of a second, as if recognizing a call only he could hear. Selina didn’t see it, but Liam’s jaw clenched ever so slightly, and for a brief moment, the boy she had grown up with seemed… different. “Dinner,” she reminded him softly, breaking the moment. He nodded, masking the flicker of something wild beneath his calm exterior. “alright let's go, we better not keep mom waiting And as they left the office together, their laughter and bickering echoing down the halls, neither could know that their bond, once purely familial , was about to be tested by desire, danger, and a destiny they could never have imagined, something beautiful and yet full of trials. The grand dining hall was a world of its own, gold chandeliers, a crystal-clear view of the night city, a table long enough to seat a small army. But tonight, only four people sat at it: Selina, Liam, her parents, and the silence that always filled the space before the first argument of the evening. “Finally,” her mother sighed, adjusting her diamond bracelet. “Selina, darling, posture.” Selina straightened reluctantly. Her father looked up from his tablet. “Liam, I assume you’ve updated her on tomorrow’s board meeting?” “Yes, sir,” Liam replied respectfully. Her father nodded approvingly. “Good. Selina needs guidance. She gets… distracted.” Liam’s jaw tightened. “She’s not a child, sir. She’s capable.” Selina felt her cheeks warm at the unexpected defense. Her father frowned. “Capable, yes. Focused? Questionable.” “Dad..” “Let him speak,” her mother interrupted, sipping her wine. “We all know Selina’s heart is still… idealistic. Romantic. That boyfriend of hers, what was his name again?” “Ethan,” Selina muttered. “Yes, that one,” her mother said flatly. “He’s a distraction, dear. You cannot build a future on childish attachments.” Selina clenched her fork. “He’s not childish.” Liam’s jaw twitched dangerously. Her father sighed, dismissing Ethan entirely. “Anyway, the company banquet is next week. Selina needs to appear… presentable.” Liam shot her a small glance under the table ,a silent, Ignore them. Selina breathed out slowly. Midway through the meal, the chandelier flickered. Once. Twice. Liam’s head snapped upward instantly, too sharply. Selina whispered, “You okay?” “Yeah,” he lied, though something inside him shivered. The moon was rising. He could feel it in his blood. Her father continued talking about stocks and expansions, oblivious to the way Liam’s pupils briefly narrowed, a touch too wolf-like. When dessert was served, Selina accidentally brushed Liam’s hand as she reached for her spoon. The jolt between them was electric. She pulled back, heart racing. Liam swallowed hard, fist tightening under the table. Something was changing. Something invisible but powerful. Something neither of them could name. And as dinner ended, as they walked side by side toward their rooms, Selina felt a weight settling deep in her chest,a sense that life as she knew it was about to shift. That their bond,once innocent was on the verge of becoming something forbidden, dangerous, and inevitable she kept tossing in her bed thinking of Liam " Oh gosh, what am I doing? I must be tired I've got to sleep" she said to herself and drifted off to sleep .