*The Alpha’s Step Sister*

Chapter Two: The Rejection

The word hung in the air between us, heavy and damning.

Mate.

The moment it left my lips, the human part of my brain—the part that had spent nineteen years building the reputation of the untouchable, unbothered Alpha of Northwood High—screamed in absolute terror.

I saw the confusion in her wide, hazel eyes. I felt her soft, trembling hands braced against my chest, right over the spot where my heart was trying to beat its way out of my ribs. The scent of her—warm vanilla and something uniquely, infuriatingly Christabel—flooded my senses, making my wolf howl in triumph.

Ours. Finally. Claim her.

I shoved myself away from her so fast I nearly stumbled backward. The sudden distance between us felt like a physical wound. My chest ached, a hollow, burning feeling that made me want to snatch her right back into my arms.

"Klaus?" she whispered. Her voice was breathless, shaky. It did something dangerous to my insides.

No. Absolutely not.

My father’s warning echoed in my head. The pack's image is everything, Klaus. Your inheritance depends on your control. And this girl—this quiet, ordinary human girl who had just moved into my house because her mother married my father—was the ultimate loss of control. She was my stepsister. She was a liability.

"You heard me," I forced out, my voice coming out as a harsh, cold rasp. I dragged a hand through my hair, trying to ignore the way my claws were threatening to extend. "Don't flatter yourself, Christabel. It’s a wolf thing. It doesn't mean anything."

The confusion on her face melted into a look of hurt, then hardened into a glare. Good. Let her hate me. It would make this easier.

"You're insane," she breathed, pushing off the wall. "Stay away from me."

"Gladly," I snapped. "Keep your head down, stay out of my way, and we won't have a problem. If my father asks, we’re just a perfectly happy family. But don't ever mistake this for anything else."

I didn't wait for her to answer. I turned my back on my fated mate and walked away, my heart hammering a violent rhythm against my ribs. Every step away from her felt like walking through quicksand.

When I finally slammed the door to my bedroom, I leaned against it, gasping for air. My hands were shaking. The golden glow of my eyes reflected back at me in the dark mirror across the room.

You rejected her, my wolf snarled in my mind, a wave of fury and pain crashing over me. You are a coward.

"Shut up," I gritted out, gripping my head. She’s off-limits. She’s a distraction.

But even as I said it, the hollow ache in my chest pulsed with a terrifying promise: I just made the biggest mistake of my life.

The next morning was torture.

I sat at the head of the long mahogany dining table, nursing a cup of black coffee, my jaw clenched so tight it was a miracle my teeth hadn't cracked. The atmosphere in the room was suffocating.

Christabel walked in, dressed in a simple sweater and jeans. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes. Did she sleep at all? The thought made my wolf whine, but I crushed it down. I didn't even look at her. I stared straight ahead at the wall, acting like she was made of glass.

"Good morning, sweetie," my stepmother, Margaret, chirped, entirely oblivious to the warzone she was sitting in. She placed a plate of pancakes in front of Christabel.

"Morning, Mom," Christabel mumbled. I could feel her eyes on me, burning holes into my profile. I took a slow, deliberate sip of my coffee.

"Klaus," my father said, his deep voice cutting through the tension. He was a former Alpha, still built like a brick wall and twice as intimidating. "You’re giving Christabel a ride to school today."

My head snapped up. "Absolutely not. She can take the bus."

"The bus doesn't run early enough for the advanced classes she's taking," my father said, his eyes flashing a warning amber. It wasn't a request. It was a command. "You are the future Alpha of the Blackwood pack. Act like it. Protect your family."

"Protect her," my wolf urged, practically wagging his tail at the idea of having her trapped in my car.

I gritted my teeth, shooting a glare at Christabel. She was staring at her pancakes like they held the secrets to the universe, looking utterly miserable.

Fine," I bit out. "But she waits in the car, and she doesn't speak."

Thirty minutes later, the interior of my blacked-out SUV was thick with tension. Christabel sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clutching her backpack like a lifeline. The scent of her filled the enclosed space—vanilla, anxiety, and that intoxicating mate scent. It was driving me out of my mind.

I turned up the radio, hoping the heavy metal would drown out the sound of her breathing.

We pulled into the Northwood High parking lot. The lot was already packed with luxury cars and cliques forming by the front steps. I parked in my designated spot at the very front.

"Don't get out until I'm inside," I ordered, my voice cold. I grabbed my bag and shoved the door open.

I didn't look back. I walked toward the school, instantly falling into the role of the Alpha. People parted for me. Girls smiled, batting their eyelashes. Guys nodded in respect.

"Hey, Klaus!"

A sickly sweet voice pierced the air. Victoria—a tall, blonde she-wolf from our pack—practically draped herself over my arm. She was a notorious mean girl, but she was exactly the kind of distraction I needed right now.

"Hey, Vic," I said smoothly, letting her link her arm through mine. I forced a smirk, acting like I didn't feel like tearing my own skin off.

"I missed you this weekend," she purred, leaning into me. "Are we still on for the bonfire next Friday?"

"Wouldn't miss it," I lied.

We walked through the double doors, and I didn't breathe until I was down the east hallway, far away from the parking lot. Good, I thought. Distance. That's what I need.

But ten minutes later, when I was standing at my locker with my beta, Liam, I felt it.

The bond tightened in my chest like a physical tether. My head snapped up, my eyes automatically locking onto the end of the hallway.

Christabel was walking in.

She looked so small, clutching her schedule. She was looking around, clearly lost. Then, Victoria stepped out of the crowd.

I watched in frozen horror as Victoria stuck her foot out.

Christabel tripped. Her books flew everywhere, hitting the linoleum floor with a loud smack. The hallway erupted into cruel laughter. Victoria and her friends giggled, whispering loudly, "Watch your step, trash."

A violent, roaring red haze washed over my vision. My hands curled into fists, my claws aching to extend. My wolf lunged at the boundaries of my control, a murderous growl vibrating in my throat. How dare she touch our mate?

I took a half-step forward, ready to rip Victoria's throat out, ready to burn the whole school down if it meant protecting Christabel—

Then Christabel looked up.

She didn't look at Victoria. She looked straight down the hall. Straight at me.

Her eyes were full of humiliation, but beneath that, I saw a spark of absolute defiance. She knew I was watching. She knew I could stop this.

"Say something," her eyes begged. Do something.

But I remembered the rules. I remembered my father. I remembered the word I had thrown at her last night to push her away.

I forced my body to stay still. I forced the golden glow in my eyes to die down. I turned my back on her, grabbing my textbooks from my locker as if the sight of her on her knees meant nothing to me.

I heard her gather her books. I heard the soft, ragged sound of her breathing as she hurried to her first class.

And the moment she was out of sight, I slammed my fist into the metal locker so hard the metal dented.

I was a monster. A coward.

But it was better for her to hate me out in the open than for the pack to know the truth. Because if they found out the Alpha's son had bonded with a human step-sister... they wouldn't just ruin her reputation. They would try to kill her.