THE ROOM NEXT DOOR.
885 Words
I scrambled down from the chair. My short legs carried me straight to my mother, trembling in fear.
“Lykan, this is not how—”
“Aiden, stay the f**k out of my business.” Lykan cut him off sharply, grabbing his plate and storming out of the dining room.
What was the need to chase me away when he wasn’t even sitting beside me? My eyes stung with tears, but before they could fall, Aiden came to my side. He patted my head gently, his voice soft.
“Don’t cry. I’ll talk to him, okay?” He offered me a smile before following his brother.
The rest of my stepbrothers said nothing, focused on their food as though I didn’t exist. My chest tightened, but then Aaron spoke in a warm tone.
“Don’t cry, Wendy. I’ll talk to him too. Alright?”
I nodded quietly, holding onto my mother’s arm. She kept eating, acting as though I didn't press against her.
“Yes, father,” I whispered.
A few minutes later, Aiden returned and motioned for me to follow him. “Come on. Let me show you your room.”
He wiped the last of my tears away, and my heart lightened. Excitement replaced the ache in my chest. The duplex was massive, luxurious enough to house four hundred people, and I couldn’t wait to see the space prepared for me. Aiden carried my luggage as we stopped in front of a door.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a small grin. “I designed this room especially for you. I hope you’ll love it.”
I smiled and squeezed his hand, eager to see what was inside.
But before he could open the door, Lykan appeared from his own room, a plate in hand. He wore silver sweatpants and a black fitted singlet that revealed his sculpted abs and muscles. His tattoos curled along his neck and arms, his flawless skin pale against the ink. His green eyes burned with intensity, and his presence was enough to make my pulse quicken with fear.
So beautiful that his attitude was almost overlooked. His gaze landed on me, and his expression darkened instantly.
“What the f**k is she doing here?”
“This is her new room,” Aiden answered calmly, as if it were nothing. “Come see how cute it is.” He motioned toward the door, but I shrank behind his back.
Lykan scared me. After what he’d done at the dining table, I couldn’t trust what he might do next.
“I don’t care how f*****g cute it is,” Lykan snapped. “I need my space. You know alphas need personal space for their things. If you want to give her a room, pick the next one.”
“She’s not in your room. It’s just next door,” Aiden replied evenly. “That doesn’t mean she’s living in yours.”
Lykan’s jaw clenched. “I don’t give a damn. Give this room to Riot, Gerhard, Donovan… hell, give it to Jaxon or Zane when they come back. Anyone but her.”
“No, Lykan. I decorated this room for her. She’s staying here.”
“She’s an Omega, wet-ass! Why don’t you get that?”
“An Omega who hasn’t even developed yet? She’s ten. She’s just a child.”
“Who cares?” Lykan sneered, shrugging. “An omega is still an Omega. When alphas go into rut, instincts take over. We don’t care about age, we don’t care about consequences, we only care about the scent, the pheromones, the need to f**k. We become animals.” His green eyes burned into Aiden’s. “And don’t pretend you don’t know what that’s like.”
“Shut up, Lykan.”
“Then stop meddling in my business, butt-head. If you keep pushing me, you’ll regret it.”
“No one’s meddling,” Aiden shot back, his patience thinning. “You’ve been throwing tantrums all day since they arrived. Of course, it’s your fault. Can’t you see how terrified she is of you? Even if you don’t like her, you don’t need to show it. She’s our father’s daughter, and her mother is our Luna. Show some respect.”
“Respect?” Lykan scoffed. “Our father’s w***e is not my mother. And this little brat is not my sister. We don’t share blood. I don’t care about titles. If you want to accept them, do it. But don’t include me. I don’t want an Omega anywhere near me. They stink. The more I see her, the more I want to puke.”
He turned his glare on me, his words like venom. “Her mother married our father for money. She’s nothing but a gold digger. Father is the richest Alpha in the world, and she knew exactly what she was doing.”
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. “Lykan… we’ll talk. Privately.”
“Say it here, brother. In front of the brat.”
“Enough.” Aiden’s tone hardened. “She’s staying in this room. That’s final.”
Lykan’s lip curled into a sneer. “You think you’re older than me, Aiden? To tell me what to do. You son of a b***h. I’m f*****g older than you.”
- Writer
