MATED TO OUR STEPSISTER

TWO

Nolan’s POV

“Nolan, please, say something.”

The echo of her voice haunted me, clinging to the insides of my skull like music on repeat. Hours had crawled by since we left Avery in that barn, but the image of her face, twisted with fear and glistening with tears, wouldn't fade. I squeezed my eyelids shut, but it did nothing. It was branded there, a constant reminder.

A tremor ran down my spine, a far cry from the satisfaction that had pulsed through me when we'd left her there. Now, it was replaced by a chilling dread that twisted relentlessly in my gut. I hated it. Hated how my fists clenched at the memory of her wide, pleading eyes.

Maybe it was the raw vulnerability in her voice, the way it cracked with desperation, that wormed its way under my skin. Or maybe it was something else…pity? No, that couldn't be it. Not for someone like her. She and her mother were opportunists, barging into our lives and expecting to be equal to us.

Before that awful dinner where Father announced to us that he was marrying Marcella, her mother, I'd seen Avery at school in passing. She and her mother had moved into town after our father rescued them from Edward, Marcella’s abusive husband, who happened to be the Alpha of the Bloodhound pack.

Thick ebony hair that was always in a ponytail, large blue eyes that always looked around like she was searching for something, and curves that shouldn't look that good in jeans and a shirt but somehow managed to.

I remembered the rage my brothers and I felt knowing Marcella was going to be the new Luna and that we’d have a sister that neither of us had planned for or wanted.

Opportunists, that’s what Avery and her mother were, because why weren't they just grateful to be saved and given a home in our pack? Why did they have to become a part of our lives? Ever since they stepped foot into the palace, life had changed for my brothers and me. Father no longer spent time with us like he used to and now we had to share every damn thing. She deserved it, I reminded myself.

But the image of her alone in that darkness, the thought of something actually happening to her…

I shoved the feeling down, forcing myself to focus on the real issue. Tonight was our birthday celebration, a night to celebrate becoming men. There was no time for whatever this disquiet was.

Taking a deep breath, I straightened my tie, the silk feeling rough against my suddenly clammy skin. Maybe a few drinks would help numb this unexpected guilt that was trying to chip at the edges of my resolve.

The door to my room opened, and Tristan and Julian walked in.

“Brother, ready to unleash some mayhem?” Julian drawled, his voice laced with a thrill I couldn't quite share, while Tristan leaned against the door.

I plastered a smile on my face, the booming music from downstairs a physical reminder of the party that awaited us. "Yeah, let's go.”

“We’re about to get so lit tonight, brothers!! Finally free from the shackles of childhood!” Julian declared, pumping his fist in the air with an excited grin.

The word "free" left a bitter taste in my mouth when I remembered that somewhere in the woods, Avery was anything but.

“Do you think we went too far, leaving her there?” The question tumbled out before I could stop it.

Julian snorted, his smile faltering for a brief moment. Tristan, however, raised an eyebrow, his amusement morphing into something colder.

“Seriously, Nolan? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about our little…witch?” he spat the last word with disdain.

“I bet he is. Saint Nolan to the rescue.” Julian responded, his tone mocking “Don’t tell me you’re feeling bad for our enemy.”

“That’s not what this is, I just think that…” I stammered, the words dying in my throat when I noticed that the smiles on their faces had disappeared.

“I think you should stop thinking, Nolan,” Tristan growled.

“This pity that you’re feeling, is it because you like her?” Julian walked over to stand in front of me, his eyes narrowing in suspicion “Do you want to f**k her? Is that it, brother?”

“Of course not.” I stammered, “I just…what if something happens to her and it's discovered that we’re behind it? Father won’t be pleased.”

Their tense shoulders relaxed and Julian slung his arm over my shoulder as we walked out of my bedroom.

“Stop worrying about her, man. Nothing will happen to us.”

“Besides, there'll be plenty of interesting things to do tonight." Tristan winked, a predatory gleam in his eyes, that I suspected was meant to console but all it did was send a fresh wave of unease washing over me.

By the time we got downstairs, the party was in full swing and the house buzzed with energy, laughter, and music filling the air. My brothers, oblivious to my internal battle, made a beeline for a group of giggling girls on the dance floor.

Suddenly feeling parched, I headed for the bar in the opposite direction. Just as I reached for a glass of wine, a gentle hand touched my arm.

Turning around, my heart leaped as I came face to face with my stepmother, her usually vibrant eyes clouded with worry.

“Nolan, have you seen Avery?” Your father’s been looking for her and frankly, and I can't seem to find her in her room.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I met her gaze, praying she wouldn't notice my sweaty palms.

“Nope. I haven’t seen her.”

“Are you sure? I’ve been trying to reach her but…”

She paused when Julian and Tristan appeared, standing on either side of me. “Why, if it isn’t our lovely stepmother. What do you want with our brother?” Tristan asked, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

“I was just asking if any of you know where Avery is.”

Julian raised his brow, his face a perfect mask of confusion. “Why are you asking us?”

Marcella was about to respond when I spotted our Father walking towards us.

“Have you seen her yet?” He asked, placing a kiss on Marcella’s temple and I heard Tristan gag under his breath.

“No, I have not. I was just asking the boys about where she might be and they said they had no idea.”

“Well…” Julian started and I braced myself for the lie he was about to spill. “She did say the last time I saw her that she wasn’t interested in attending the party. I tried to talk some sense into her but she got pissed at me and said she’d rather go back home and be with her father, Edward than pretend to be a happy family here.”

Marcella's face paled at the same time that our Father's darkened in anger. A smirk tugged at Tristan's lips, like a predator that had finally caught the scent of prey.

“She said that?” He echoed, turning to face Marcella, who was shaking her head, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“It has to be some sort of mistake, Arnold. Avery would never say something like that.”

“Then find her and bring her to me, Marcella. If Avery does not show up here by midnight, then perhaps you should leave with her.”

Julian bumped his fist into Tristan's shoulder, a silent congratulations, meanwhile, I felt a hollow ache settle in my stomach, instead of the jubilant victory radiating from my brothers.

As our Father disappeared into the crowd, his hand falling away from Marcella's waist, her eyes welled with unshed tears and she turned, rushing after him.

"Finally!" Tristan crowed, throwing his arm around Julian in a celebratory hug. They both turned to me, hands outstretched for high fives.

The disquiet stirring in my gut must have shown on my face because Julian rolled his eyes. "Don't start, Nolan. We talked about this. Enough with the Mary Magdalene Act."

"But—"

"If you can't stomach it, then maybe you should've been the one locked in the barn instead," Tristan growled under his breath, a pointed look at Julian. They both turned and walked away, leaving me alone with the weight of guilt pressing down on me.