Once Rejected: A Slave To My Alpha Stepbrothers

Rebel

Hunter.

The rebellious brother.

That's what people call me because I don't follow rules. I never have. I never will. Rules are made for the oppressed. The poor. Never for the elites.

The pack expects that term to shame me; unfortunately, I bask in it. If any of them grew up the way I did, being oppressed by laws that should defend you but never did, then they'll understand my desire to step on the laws, crush them beneath my feet until my will stands.

I don't care about the consequences, no matter how dire.

But beyond meaningless pack laws that do nothing but oppress the poor, another thing that grates on my nerves most is getting stuck in the alpha family with these shitty ass people I call siblings.

Traitors, that's what they are.

Especially Veil.

She pretends not to remember. Acts if she's innocent and kind, but behind that façade is a spoiled brat who takes advantage of others.

I hate them all. I hate her.

The girl who ruined my life and took the only person that mattered most to me.

And I swore my revenge on her, Veil Nightsaw.

Back in Halesbridge Academy, the boys sang her praise, fighting to be noticed by her, while I, on the hand, was plotting for revenge.

Just one opportunity that'd enable me to show her what pain feels like.

I wasn't even a student yet as of then, just a wretched nobody she wouldn't have spared a second glance for.

That was fine by me. It gave me the chance to study her routine until I could get her somewhere alone and take my revenge.

Unfortunately, things didn't go the way I planned.

I got sold, offered to become Alpha Moon stepson by my mother.

No, she never legally married the alpha like the other lunas did. Their marriage was purely business, a means to pawn off the boy who was nothing but a burden to her.

Getting into the family, into my enemy's abode, with her flashing those crooked smiles, pretending to be warm and kind to me, ruined my plans.

I became helpless. Incapacitated from taking revenge on my supposed stepsister.

The only option was to withdraw from them, from the so-called family. I found interest in things the law forbids, and took my chances on them.

That's how the Iron Claws MC was born, with a group of rebels like me.

Our goals are clear: to protect the poor.

The opportunity to take over the pack security presented itself when that she-devil, Veil, stole the pack's moonstone, making the pack prone to external attacks.

We doubled our defenses even as other problems presented themselves.

The Shiftbane.

A situation where most of the pack members are unable to shift into their other forms. Those who could shift suffered innumerable pains.

It became rampant, making it difficult for ruts to be sated during a full moon.

But that gave me the opportunity to rise to wealth, given that I don't depend on my inheritance as Alpha Moon's stepson.

I introduced the Ashblood to those who wanted to shift, no matter how temporarily, and get their rut cravings satisfied.

Ashblood not only triggers a shift but boosts the s*x hormones, and many are secretly buying it, especially the elites. Those very people who adamantly opposed the MC and the introduction of Ashblood.

Of course, they get it in secret.

This transaction has been going on smoothly until this motherfucker, Rio, decided to destroy my shipment.

He has made several attempts to ruin the MC in the past, which has led to some of our fights. I've equally countered his attempts to destroy my shipments in the past.

That tension led us to draw a truce until he destroyed it today.

To think he even left a note for me, telling me to f**k my ass.

The rage I felt when I saw the burnt shipment was so raw, rising like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

No one has the right to do so, especially Rio.

That's why I'm here to show him how violent I can be.

And we've been at it, punch for punch, hit for hit.

I don't bloody care that the servants and guards are watching. I hit Rio in places I shouldn't.

He attacks with practiced fists, launching blows on my face and belly, knocking the wind out of me.

He's a lycan alpha, just like me, and our beasts are of equal strength.

My beast howls inside me, wanting to surface and challenge Rio's beast that is clearly on the surface.

However, I push him down, wanting to be the one who ruins him.

"The f**k is your problem, huh?" Rio barks, the veins on his forehead protruding as I tighten my hold around his neck, pressing tight against his windpipe even as I'm lying beneath him.

His eyes are red with anger. Not that I care.

He tucks his hands tight around my neck, too, holding me in a chokehold.

"When in blue heavens will you stop this...madness?" He grits out again.

Our hard breaths fall in sync. I curl the corner of my lips in a wicked smirk and gruffly let out. "The f*****g day you stop messing...with me."

He forces out a snort, but it sounds muffled.

"f*****g bastard!"

My claws slip out automatically at what he just said, and I sink them into his neck. Warm trickles of blood coat my hands, satisfaction clear on my face, seeing him struggle above me.

His hand comes up to my nose as he tries to crush it, and I catch the lingering scent of wildflower and lavender on him.

It's faint, but it's there.

Only one person has that combination of destructive scent.

Veil.

Something stabs my chest at that realization, and my brows curl.

Oh, he's already bonding with the witch?

Ah, he's given me more reason to beat the hell out of him.

And I do.

Flipping us around, I twist his arm, and satisfaction blooms inside me at the crunch of bones as they pull out of their sockets.

The bastard doesn't even flinch. Only the onlookers do, begging us to separate, but far be it from me to stop, especially now I've scented her on him.

No one expected that witch to return after what she did, but surprisingly, she returned.

Something squeezes inside me as I remember how nonchalant she looked that day I saw her crossing the border as though she didn't commit a heinous crime against the pack.

I seethed with rage, eager to blow up her brains and make her suffer for what she did to me. Unfortunately, Jasper, my vice president, intercepted through the mind-link.

That was her saving grace.

I handed her over to the pack against my will.

I've been restless ever since. The desire to end her burning through my veins.

The other day, I felt like smothering her with a pillow at the hospital, but I held back at the last minute.

Killing her like that gives her a chance at escape, an easy way to death, hence my desire to hold off.

I need to make her death grueling.

"Tell me, who's the bastard now?" I mock with a bitter laugh. He grabs the collar of my leather jacket and head-butts me again.

Blood pours out of my nose in a frenzy.

Just as I'm about to hit him back, we hear gasps and screams echoing as someone rolls down the front staircase.

We pull away from each other and hurtle forward to break the fall. My hands and Rio's land simultaneously on the person's arms, holding them up.

Her wince sears through me as I hold her protectively long before her scent hits my nostrils.

The witch herself, Veil.

"Veil." Rio calls, tone endearing.

My body grows taut immediately, and without thinking twice, I let go of her, watching my hands as if they've been burned.

Rio uses that opportunity and pulls her deeper into his chest as he snarls.

"Who amongst you pushed her down!?"

Tbc.