MATED TO THE ALPHA STEPBROTHER

The first time I saw Aiden Cross, he was standing at the top of the staircase in our new house like he owned the world. Maybe he did. My mother squeezed my hand. “Be polite, Aria.” Polite? The boy staring down at me didn’t look like someone who understood the meaning of the word. He was tall—too tall. Broad shoulders stretching the white fabric of his shirt. Dark hair falling over sharp, unreadable eyes. There was something dangerous about the way he leaned against the railing. Like a predator observing prey. “So,” he said slowly, voice deep and smooth, “this is her?” Her. Not Aria. Not my name. Just her. My stepfather, Mr. Cross, cleared his throat. “Aiden, this is Aria Bennett. She’ll be living with us from now on.” Aiden’s gaze dragged over me lazily. I felt it everywhere. My cheeks burned. I hated that. “Welcome to my house,” he said. Not our house. My house. I forced a smile. “Thanks.” His lips twitched like he found that amusing. That was the moment I knew one thing clearly— This boy and I were going to be enemies. --- Silvercrest Academy was worse. Much worse. The moment Aiden stepped through the gates, the entire school shifted. Girls whispered. Boys stepped aside. Teachers pretended not to notice when he ignored rules. He wasn’t just popular. He was untouchable. And unfortunately for me, I had his last name now. I kept my head down, hoping no one would connect the dots. That hope lasted exactly twelve minutes. “Aria Bennett?” my homeroom teacher called. “Yes, ma’am.” Before I could sit, the classroom door opened. The air changed. I didn’t have to look to know it was him. Heavy footsteps. Confident. Slow. “Aiden Cross,” the teacher said, softer than she had spoken to anyone else. “Glad you could join us.” A few girls giggled. I stared at my desk. Please don’t sit near me. Please don’t sit near me. The chair beside mine scraped across the floor. Of course he did. I didn’t look at him. But I felt him. Heat radiated from his body. “New girl,” he murmured under his breath. I stiffened. “Don’t talk to me.” A quiet chuckle. “That’s not very friendly, little step-sister.” My heart slammed against my ribs. “Lower your voice,” I hissed. His knee brushed mine under the desk. Not accidental. “Why?” he asked softly. “Scared they’ll find out?” Yes. If the girls here discovered I lived in the same house as Aiden Cross, my life would be over. They worshiped him. I would become Public Enemy Number One. “I don’t know you,” I whispered firmly. “At school, we’re strangers.” Silence. Then— He leaned closer. Too close. His scent wrapped around me—dark, intoxicating, something wild beneath it. “You can pretend,” he said quietly. “But I don’t pretend.” I swallowed. What was that supposed to mean? --- By lunch, the rumors had already started. “Did you see how he sat next to her?” “Maybe he’s bored.” “She’s not even that pretty.” That one stung. I pushed my tray aside and stood up. The cafeteria suddenly went silent. I didn’t need to turn around to know why. He was behind me. “Walking away from me?” Aiden’s voice carried easily across the room. “I have somewhere to be.” He caught my wrist. The entire cafeteria gasped. His grip wasn’t painful. But it was possessive. Electric. “Let go,” I said through clenched teeth. Instead, he stood. And that’s when I saw it. His eyes. For a split second, they weren’t dark brown. They shimmered. Gold. My breath hitched. No one else reacted. Did I imagine it? He leaned down, his lips almost brushing my ear. “Run from me again,” he whispered, voice rougher now, “and I won’t be this gentle.” Gentle? This wasn’t gentle. This was madness. I pulled free and walked away as steadily as I could. But my hands were shaking. Golden eyes. No one’s eyes change color. Unless— Unless he isn’t human. --- That night, I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw gold. I needed water. The house was quiet when I stepped into the hallway. The lights were off. But something felt… wrong. A sound echoed from the backyard. Low. Animalistic. Curiosity pulled me toward the glass doors. And that’s when I saw it. A wolf. Massive. Black as midnight. Standing in the garden. Its golden eyes locked onto mine. My heart stopped. The wolf didn’t move. It just stared. Recognition flickered in its gaze. Impossible. Then the back door creaked open behind me. “You shouldn’t be awake.” I spun around. Aiden stood there. Barefoot. Shirtless. Calm. I looked back at the garden. The wolf was gone. I looked at him again. His hair was slightly damp. Like he’d just come in from outside. My voice trembled. “There was a wolf.” “I know.” My blood turned cold. “You know?” He stepped closer. Too close. “You saw it.” It wasn’t a question. “You’re not human,” I whispered. Silence. His jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he might deny it. Instead, he did something worse. He reached for me. I tried to step back. But he caught me easily, pulling me against his chest. My back hit the wall. My pulse went wild. His eyes— They turned gold. Right in front of me. No hiding it now. “No more pretending,” he said, voice deeper, layered with something not entirely human. I should have screamed. I should have fought. Instead— I froze. Because despite the fear… I felt something else. A pull. A connection that made no sense. He lowered his head until our foreheads touched. His breathing was unsteady. Like he was fighting something inside himself. “I tried to ignore it,” he muttered. “I don’t understand,” I whispered. “You’re my mate.” The word hit me like thunder. Mate? “That’s insane,” I breathed. His grip tightened. “You moved into my house. Into my territory. And the moment I saw you, I knew.” “Knew what?” “That you belong to me.” Anger flared through my fear. “I don’t belong to anyone.” For a second, something fierce flashed in his expression. Then— Something softer. “Good,” he said quietly. “Because I don’t want someone weak.” My heart skipped. “This is wrong,” I said. “We’re not blood-related,” he replied instantly. “And you weren’t raised with me. The law of my kind doesn’t care about human labels.” My kind. The wolf. The golden eyes. It all crashed together. “You’re a werewolf,” I whispered. He didn’t deny it. Instead, he brushed his thumb against my cheek. “You’re in danger now,” he said softly. “From you?” His expression darkened. “From everyone who’ll want to take you from me.” --- And in that moment, I realized something terrifying. The forbidden part wasn’t that he was my stepbrother. It wasn’t the school. It wasn’t the rumors. It was this— If what he said was true… If I really was his mate… Then walking away from Aiden Cross might not just break my heart. It might start a war.