*The Alpha’s Step Sister*

There was a specific kind of silence in the Blackwood mansion. It wasn’t peaceful. It was the heavy, suffocating kind of quiet that waited for you to make a mistake. I pressed my back against the cold, expensive wallpaper of the second-floor corridor, holding my breath. Downstairs, the clinking of silverware against fine china echoed up the grand staircase. My mother was laughing at something. It was her nervous laugh—the high-pitched, eager-to-please sound she made whenever she was trying too hard to play the role of the perfect new wife. I was supposed to be down there, smiling next to her. But I couldn't breathe in that dining room. The wealth, the marble floors, the sheer, overwhelming power of the Blackwood family—it felt like a gilded cage. And then there was him. I had not even met my new stepbrother yet, but I knew exactly who Klaus Blackwood was. Everyone at Northwood High knew. He was the undisputed king of the school, the captain of the lacrosse team, and a notoriously arrogant playboy. He was also, apparently, the son of the man my mother had just married. I had spent the last three days successfully avoiding him. I stayed in my new room, unpacked my meager belongings, and mapped out the quickest routes to the kitchen so I wouldn't have to cross paths with the monster of the manor.Tonight, I wasn't so lucky. The air shifted. It was subtle at first—a sudden drop in temperature, a faint scent of cedarwood, damp earth, and something wild that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I froze. I knew, with a sinking, primal instinct, that I was no longer alone in the hallway. Lost, little mouse? The voice was a low, rough baritone that slid down my spine like ice water. I turned slowly. Klaus was leaning against the doorframe of the master wing. He wasn't wearing his school uniform. He was dressed in a dark, unbuttoned shirt that hung open, revealing a stretch of tanned, muscular chest. His dark hair was messy, falling over eyes that were so dark they looked almost black. But as he pushed off the doorframe and took a step toward me, the dim hallway light caught them, and I saw a flash of something else. Something gold. My heart slammed against my ribs. Run, my brain screamed. But my feet were rooted to the floor. I asked you a question, he said, his voice dropping into a low, vibrating growl that made my stomach flip. He stopped barely a foot away from me, towering over my five-foot-four frame. I'm not lost," I managed, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I just needed some air. Klaus tilted his head, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. He looked at me like I was a stain on his perfect Persian rug. "So you decided to wander the halls of my house in the dark? Not very smart. You never know what kind of monsters live here. Are you referring to yourself? I shot back before I could stop myself. His smirk vanished. The air around him seemed to thicken, pressing down on my chest. He closed the distance between us in a single, predatory step. His hand shot out, slamming against the wall right next to my head, caging me in. I gasped. The scent of him—pine, rain, and raw, unmistakable dominance—flooded my senses. It was dizzying. It made my skin prickle and my pulse hammer in a way that had nothing to do with fear. You have a smart mouth, he murmured, his face inches from mine. His gaze dropped to my lips, then slowly dragged back up to my eyes. The gold in his irises was glowing now. "I wonder what it would take to shut it up." I should have pushed him away. I should have ducked under his arm and run back to my room. But I was paralyzed. There was a magnetic pull between us, an invisible tether that felt heavy and hot in my chest. Klaus leaned in closer. He didn't touch me, but his breath fanned across my cheek, and I felt his chest rise and fall in a ragged rhythm. He was breathing hard. His jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin. His hand on the wall curled into a fist, his knuckles turning white. Stay out of my way, Christabel, he whispered, my name sounding like a curse on his tongue. I didn't even remember telling him my name. He pushed off the wall and turned away, walking down the hall like a predator who had decided to let its prey live for the night. But just before he disappeared around the corner, he stopped. His shoulders were rigid, his head bowed, looking like he was fighting an internal war. Don't let your mother down," he said, his voice flat and cold. "She wants a happy family. Try not ruin it. Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the oppressive silence of the hallway. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, feeling my heart thunder against my palm. My skin felt too tight. The air still smelled like him—pine, rain, and raw dominance. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shake the dizzying heat pooling in my stomach. I had promised myself I would survive this year. I would keep my head down, get through senior year, and save enough money to move out. I just needed to avoid him. Pushing off the wall, I turned to hurry back to my room, desperate to put a locked door between us. I made it exactly three steps. A sudden, heavy rush of air hit my back. Before I could gasp, a hand clamped around my wrist, spinning me around so fast my hair whipped across my face. I slammed back against the wall, the breath knocked clean out of my lungs. Klaus was back. But he wasn't the cold, mocking boy from a minute ago. His chest was heaving, his breathing ragged and animalistic. His eyes—God, his eyes—were glowing. Not just a faint glimmer, but a blazing, molten gold that seemed to illuminate the dark hallway. Klaus— I started, my voice barely a whisper. He didn't let me finish. He stepped into my space, his body radiating a dangerous heat. He didn't just cage me in this time. He locked his arms around my waist, yanking me flush against his hard chest. I gasped, my hands flying up to brace against his shoulders, feeling the corded muscle beneath his shirt. He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I felt his nose graze my pulse point, inhaling deeply. A low, guttural vibration rumbled through his chest, vibrating against my own. Klaus, what are you doing?" I whimpered, though my body was betraying me, melting into his grip instead of pushing him away. He pulled his head back, his golden eyes locking onto mine with a ferocity that made my knees buckle. His grip on my waist tightened, almost bruising. He looked like he was fighting a war inside his own head, and losing. He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear, sending a violent shiver down my spine. Mine, he growled, the word sounding less like a human voice and more like a wild beast breaking free. "Mate."