Desired By My Alpha Stepfather

Mine to take

Nina's POV

Kai wasn't just picky about his food. He was a tyrant. Tonight, his cruelty was more than mere pickiness. It had grown into something monstrous and unsettling.

"This is disgusting," he declared, spearing the limp scrambled eggs with his fork and holding it up to the light like he was inspecting a particularly repulsive bug. "Are you trying to off me with your... culinary... 'skills,' Nina?"

My temper flared.

"No, Kai," I shot back, my voice surprisingly steady. "It's just scrambled eggs and waffles. Not exactly foie gras, but I don't see how it qualifies as attempted murder."

A dry laughter escaped his lips. He raised his cold as steel eyes to my face, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"Scrambled eggs and waffles? You call this... this... breakfast... an acceptable offering for a man of my stature?" Another mocking chuckle escaped his lips. "Nina, honey, even the interns know better than to subject me to such... mediocrity."

"Mediocrity?" I echoed. The word was sharp on my tongue. "Maybe if you spent less time trashing everyone around you and more time appreciating the effort they put in, you wouldn't find everything so... mediocre."

His cruel smile faltered for a moment. I could have sworn that I saw something synonymous to surprise crossing his face. But quickly, the coldness returned, settling in his eyes like frost.

"Effort?" he scoffed. "Effort is for the help, Nina. You, on the other hand, are supposed to provide a certain... I don't know." He wobbled his hands in the air. Did I mean so little to him? He finally found his tongue. "A pleasing aesthetic, not... culinary... offenses."

"And what exactly constitutes a pleasing aesthetic in your eyes, Kai?" I challenged. The stake of anger was burning brighter in me, with every word I spoke. "Is it the ability to turn a blind eye to your cruelty? To swallow your insults and pretend they're compliments?"

He regarded me a smirk, and something akin to... disappointment. "Spirited tonight, aren't we, darling? But remember, a well-trained show dog doesn't bite the hand that feeds it."

I was taken aback. I nearly staggered on my feet, as his words did make me nauseous. I wasn't a pet, a trained accessory. And his words had wiped away every stain of meekness that I had suspected remained in me. The words that threatened to spill wouldn't be easily choked back.

"Maybe I should take your advice, then," I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "Because frankly, being your show dog is starting to feel a lot like being someone's... doormat.

Before he could respond, I pushed myself away from the table.

"You're just a pathetic crybaby, Kai," I spat, the words tumbling out. All of my pent-up frustration was rolling out, and I didn't even try to control it. I just let it all out. "Always picking on people weaker than you. Remember that time you ran crying into the woods because...Goddess knows why? And now you take all your frustrations out on me? Grow up, Kai."

With that, I stormed out of the room, leaving him alone with fumes dancing out of his ears.

The clatter of silverware hitting the floor jolted me back to the present. Kai. He was throwing a tantrum like a child denied a lollipop. The sound of his enraged shouts echoed through the house, coupled with the clatter of chinaware.

"Why the hell did they even have to get married?" he roared. "My life would be so much easier without you in it!"

My heart hammered against my ribs. His hatred was just unexplainable. To think that I did nothing to deserve it. I was the one who was wronged, yet I was the one recieving so much hatred. Those words were a mere confirmation of what I'd always suspected. I wasn't just an inconvenience, a tolerated accessory. He despised me.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. To him, I was nothing but a punching bag, an emotional outlet for his anger.

The words I had said to him, I wouldn't have dreamt of the courage to look even into his eyes. But I had lashed at him. I had put him in his place...well something close to that. It was a new feeling, one I hadn't experienced ever before. It wasn't the desperate hope of placating him, of earning his nonexistent affection. I wouldn't be his doormat any more.

But the anger that had been simmering within me for days, needed an outlet. I wouldn't stoop to his level and hurl insults. Instead, I marched back to the dining room.

I halted as my gaze fell to the ground. It was greeted by the sight before me; shattered china and his dangerous rage.

"Done throwing your little tantrum?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor running through my hands.

He whipped his head towards me, his eyes blazing with fury. I didn't miss the quick flash of surprise that appeared on his face.

"What are you doing back?" he snarled, his forced sophistication crumbling underneath the strength of his rage.

"Because apparently, this isn't over," I replied, my gaze unwavering. "You want to know why your life would be easier without me in it? Because I'm not the problem, Kai. You are."

The color drained from his face, replaced by a pale fury that seemed to stun him into silence.

But the silence didn't last. He took two menacing steps closer, his knuckles bleaching white. My breath caught in my throat, my back instinctively hitting the wall.

"I hate you, Nina," he spat. "You're a worthless excuse for a human being. Everything you touch turns to garbage, just like this breakfast." He kicked a shard of shattered plate across the room, the sound echoing like a gunshot.

Hurt. That was what his words did to me. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the image of Kai's increasingly deranged form. He was a stranger, a monster I didn't recognize. But I wasn't going to let him see my cry. I wasn't going to let him see me weak. I was nothing but weak. I might not have been the strongest, but I most certainly wasn't the weakest. I was not wolfless; I was not weak.

He inched closer, the floorboards groaning under his weight. With a snarl, he swept his arm across the table, sending the remaining cutlery and glasses clattering to the ground. He was like a predator circling its prey.

The predator?

Kai.

The prey?

Not so difficult to figure out.

I pressed my back against the wall, willing myself to vanish into it. This wasn't the usual Kai, the one spewing cruel insults. This was something, someone terrifyingly unhinged.

"You're insane, Kai!" I choked out.

Without waiting for a response, I spun on my heel and bolted towards my room, the sound of his enraged roar chasing after me. As I ran, the only thought in my head was escape. Kai wasn't just angry anymore. He was dangerous.


****

My heart slammed against my ribs as I slammed the door shut, my breath ragged. I drew in deep breaths, trying to process all that had happened. I hadn't collected every of my thoughts, but one thing was certain.

Kai was crazy!

Then, the sound of the doorknob jiggling sent my pulse running another mile. Kai. I should have locked it. Scolding myself for the oversight, I scrambled back, my breath catching in my throat.

I took a dash back.

But the door creaked open, revealing not Kai's enraged face, but Sue's. Her lava nails tapped against the doorframe, looking nothing like my trembling in my hands.

"Nina," she drawled. I could hear it in her voice...something forced. She was trying so hard to sound non-chalant, but she failed in hiding the amusement. That one escaped the pretense. "Heard the little tantrum downstairs. Care to enlighten me?"

The fear, that gripped me seconds ago had subsided, replaced a stronger feeling. Resentment. "Oh, your crybaby boyfriend came tattling," I said, my voice flat with exhaustion.

"Crybaby?" Her brows shot up, a flicker of something akin to offense crossing her face. "Is that what you call Kai after that little... disagreement?"

"Disagreement?" I scoffed. "He practically declared war on the breakfast spread."

"Well, someone had to," Sue said, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Honestly, Nina, why even bother cooking when the maids are perfectly capable?"

I refused to go into the whole tale about Kai asking me to make breakfast...nicely. Sue didn't deserve my explanation. Sue was a joke.

"Because maybe," I spat, the anger rekindling, "some people appreciate a home-cooked meal once in a while, even if it's just scrambled eggs and waffles."

"And apparently," she countered, "those people don't live here." She said, her voice pitched with false sympathy.

"So he had you for breakfast, just like he said he would?" I asked.

Again, Sue was a joke. I didn't owe her a serious conversation.

Sue's smile faltered for a moment. Confusion. I beat her to it. "Excuse me? What are you talking about?" She said, furrowing her brows.

I burst into a humorless laugh, the sound echoing hollowly in the room. "That's what I thought."

Her confusion soon grew into annoyance. "Nina, if you're going to be cryptic, then maybe this isn't the best time."

"Cryptic?" I echoed, my voice rising. "You waltz in here after Kai throws a fit worthy of a toddler and then act like you have no idea what happened? Did he forget to mention the part where he declared his hatred for me and wished I'd never been born?"

"Hatred? Nina, honey," Sue cooed, "don't be so dramatic. Truth be told, he most certainly doesn't feel anything less than hatred, for you." She said, admiring her nails. "But I doubt, he'd allow you get on his nerves. For the record, Kai was just letting off steam. You know how he gets when... well, you're just being you."

"Letting off steam?" I spat, the fury bubbling over. "He was a man possessed, Sue! And frankly, it wasn't even a convincing performance."

"Oh, come on now," she said, her hand fluttering dismissively. "Don't try to paint yourself as the victim. We all know Kai has a passionate side. A little outburst now and then is just... him. Besides, are you really going to take those words to heart? Wishing you were never born, calling you worthless – that's just a typical Kai- Nina conversation, wouldn't you say? We've all heard it before. Look, maybe things got a tad messy, but let's be honest, Nina, you weren't exactly making his life a fairytale, were you? Neither are you...useful around here. You're not exactly irreplaceable, Nins."

Her smile turned predatory.

"Kai needs someone who appreciates him, someone who caters to his every need. Someone who understands that his occasional emotional displays are just a blip. And frankly, darling, that someone isn't you. A little outburst now and then is just part of the package."

"The package I should have returned unopened," I muttered.

"Look," Sue said, her voice firm now, the playful facade completely gone. "If you're thinking about getting back with Kai after this little episode, then disabuse yourself of the notion. He's mine now."

"Yours?" I managed, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "Since when did we start playing musical chairs with men, Sue?"

"Since you decided to play the victim for too long," she replied. "He needs someone who appreciates him, someone who understands him, someone who does more than make out with him, someone who caters to his... particular needs."

"And you think you fit that description?" I asked, a humorless smile playing on my lips.

"Better than you ever did," she said, her cold eyes glinting.

Sue stepped closer till she stood a hair's breadth away, her nails digging into the worn leather of the barstool. Her scarlet lipstick seemed to have smudged slightly at the corners of her mouth.

"Stay off Kai's radar," she warned. Ugh, her possessiveness seemed to make my skin crawl. "If you do anything to anger him, I'll make sure he does worse to you than... whatever it was he did to you today. Whatever drama happened."

"Drama?" I scoffed, a humorless laugh bubbling up from my chest. "This was barely a blip on his radar, Sue. What are you even worried about?"

Her perfectly arched brows furrowed, eyes narrowing into slits of icy blue. "You're right. You have nothing to offer him. You can't let possibly let him have you, can you?" she trailed off with a whisper.

Her words did their job. Hurt me. But I would show it. I saddled an armour made of thick skin, raising my gaze to meet hers.

"You think that's a flex?" I shot back. The whole thing was absurd. The sheer audacity of her words struck me as darkly funny. "The only thing he does with you is screw you, and have you for breakfast," I added, throwing air quotes around the last phrase. One could detect the sarcasm from a mile away. "Don't think you're worth so much."

Sue's jaw clenched, her perfectly painted face marred with veins popping. "Shut up," she hissed, her voice tight. "You don't know anything."

"Oh, I know so much more," I countered

Sue scoffed, but the dismissive sound did little to mask the tremor in her hands. "You wouldn't know the first thing about Kai," she spat, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Wouldn't I?" I challenged, stepping closer. "I know he uses you. I know you're just another conquest, another notch on his bedpost."

Sue's face paled, the color draining from her perfectly applied makeup. Her smugness faltered for a split second. But just as quickly, the mask snapped back into place, her jaw setting in stubborness.

"He likes me," she declared. "And you're just jealous."

"Jealous?" I laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. "Of you? Please. The only thing I envy is your ability to delude yourself."

Sue lunged forward, her nails aimed for my face. I sidestepped the attack with ease. I was so used to ducking attacks at school.

"Get a grip, Sue," I said, my voice surprisingly calm despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. "He doesn't care about you. He never has."

My breath hitched. I had had enough Sue for today.

"Get out," I said with a bored tone.

Sue's blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"

"My room," I clarified."Get out."

"Fine," she hissed, "But don't come crying to me when you realize how boring your life is without me in it."

She stalked towards the door, gracing me with her parting shot  "Don't worry, I won't be far. Just close enough to hear you crumble."

The door slammed shut, and as she called out, "Kai, honey. Kai, berry," I couldn't help but yell back,

"At least they're not having me for breakfast!" This wasn't just about her anymore. This was about me.

Wait, what in the world was Kai, berry? Kai allowed this?

****

I found myself wandering the pack grounds. Familiar faces greeted me with curious glances, whispers following me. Had they heard Kai's outburst? I wondered.

Maybe the problem wasn't boredom, but worry. Kai's behavior had thrown me off kilter, leaving me shaken.

I turned towards the woods. The dense foliage felt like an escape from the prying eyes. Sunlight dappled the forest floor as I found a secluded clearing, the perfect spot for my book and a much-needed escape.

As I settled down, the rustling leaves and chirping birds became the only sounds that filled my senses.

I pushed through the undergrowth, the damp earth squelching under my boots.

My senses were more alert. My wolf grew more alive. And well, my body grew more sensitive.

No, this couldn't be happening. It could only mean one thing.

Vince.

He was here.

My wolf perked up.

Go to him. He's yours. You're his. Take him. Now.

Take him? This was absurd. I didn't even know how to be taken. How was I supposed to take a full-grown man?

The urge to obey was terrifying. It was a delicious brand of terror that had me whimpering internally. But the sight that greeted me when I emerged from the treeline stole the breath from my lungs.

Vince stood bathed in the sunlight. He was breathtaking, his powerful form clad only in a pair of shorts that did little to hide the play of muscle beneath. His back was bare, the sight of it sending a jolt straight to my core.

My breath hitched. How had I never noticed how perfectly his body was sculpted? The way the sun glinted off the sheen of sweat on his skin, the way his hair, usually tamed, curled damply around his forehead. My wolf whined. I knew it at that moment. I wanted him.

My breath caught in my throat. He was dangerously captivating.

Heat crashed through me, pooling between my legs in a way that both terrified and thrilled me. My wolf kept pleading, or commanding?

Take him. Now. He's yours for the taking.

My body ached for him. The forest seemed to shrink, the world fading away until all that existed was him and me.

He didn't see me. Of course not. My wolf would have thrown a parade if he had. My heart hammered against my ribs. It was ridiculous. I was Nina, the epitome of control...excluding the clumsy part. Yet, my wolf practically drooling at the sight of Vince's bare back.

I swear I could almost hear my wolf whimpering, a needy sound that embarrassed me

This wasn't me. This wasn't the controlled, cautious Nina I knew. This was an untamed need, a hunger that threatened to consume me whole. And as Vince continued to stand there, my wolf's pleas turned into a desperate chant.

He would take you. He's yours for the taking.

The words echoed in my mind,  the heat pooling in my core. My self-restraint was melting like butter on a hot pan.

Go to him. Now.

This wasn't about logic or control anymore. This was about the tug of the mate bond.

He shifted, the movement sending a jolt right between my legs. My breath hitched, and a strangled moan escaped my lips. What was I supposed to do? Just walk up and demand he ravish me under the sunlight? The very thought was absurd, yet my body ached for him.

He would take you. He's yours for the taking.

The words echoed again.

Then, a thought recurred to me.

What if I got caught?

The implication of what I'd just done slammed into me. My stomach did a somersault, and visions of exile, of becoming a lone wolf banished to the fringes of pack territory, danced in my head like fireflies. He wouldn't do that, would he? Banish me? Either way, I had to get away.

Stepping away from the tree, I inched towards the clearing, hoping to melt into the trees like a puddle. My heart hammered against my ribs. My foot snagged on a stray branch with the grace of a newborn giraffe on roller skates. The crack echoed, making me yelp and nearly topple over.

Three

Two

One

My eyes squeezed shut.

I slowly eased them open. I still hadn't met the ground.

Before I could perform an impromptu face-plant, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, steadying me like an overzealous bookshelf. My head whipped up, and there he was, Alpha Vince.

Alpha Vince! My wolf whined.

His gaze was intense enough to melt a glacier.

"Careful, little wolf," he murmured. His voice sent a shiver down my spine, despite the fact that I was currently on the verge of hyperventilating.

Careful wasn't the word that described myself, at that reckless moment. The anger, the fear, the desperate urge to escape – it all got into me. I couldn't stay, not with him looking at me like that, knowing what I'd just done.

With a choked sob that sounded suspiciously like a strangled goose, I tore myself from his grasp and bolted. My legs pumped, the forest floor. I didn't care where I was going, only that I put as much distance between him and I as possible. The sound of my ragged breaths filled my ears.

Somewhere between tripping over a root and nearly colliding with a startled owl, a thought struck me. In my haste to escape, I'd managed to snag a sizable chunk of Alpha Vince's short.

Maybe exile wouldn't be so bad after all. At least I'd have a souvenir.