Desired By My Alpha Stepfather

Caught in the act

  Nina's POV
  
  Exile didn't seem so far now.
  
  My heart slammed against my ribs. I practically sprinted away from his touch, away from him, the wolf inside me pacing in my chest.
  
  Dinner was the last thing I needed. The thought of sitting across from Vince, pretending normalcy after what just happened, made my skin crawl.
  
  Taking a deep breath, I forced a steady voice. "Mom?" I called out, the word barely above a whisper.
  
  "What?" Her voice echoed from the living room. It was a tone I knew well. It was a voice that reminded me of my invisibility in this house.
  
  "Can I skip dinner? I don't feel well."
  
  "Fine," she sighed, not even bothering to look up from her phone. "Whatever. Just don't expect me to wait on you hand and foot."
  
  The lack of concern was a familiar sting, but tonight, it felt comforting. I didn't need her prying eyes on me, her judgmental gaze dissecting my every move.
  
  "And don't think you can use this as an excuse to avoid your chores," she added. "You'll do them tomorrow, even if you are 'sick'."
  
  "Yes, ma'am," I mumbled, retreating to the safety of my room.
  
  "Why are you always locked away in your room?" she finally snapped with an accusatory voice.
  
  "I just like being alone," I mumbled, the wolf within me urging me to stay silent.
  
  "Alone? Or are you just hiding something?" she pressed.
  
  "No, Mom. Nothing like that," I lied, the word a bitter taste in my mouth.
  
  "See that you're not," she warned, her voice devoid of any warmth.
  
  If it's some pathetic attempt to get attention," she scoffed, "don't bother. No one cares about your teenage dramatics."
  
  The sting of her words was sharp, a fresh wound layered on top of the old.
  
  I retreated further into my room.
  
  As I slammed the door shut, the wolf within me let out a low growl.
  
  "She doesn't care," she rumbled.
  
  "I know," I whispered, the memory of his hand on my skin sending a new spark of heat through me.
  
  ****
  
  I was plopped on the bed. My legs crossed, my gaze on the ceiling. Suddenly, a knock on the door startled me.
  
  "Nina? It's Kai."
  
  I contemplated leaving him pending, but he sounded rather polite this evening. I could as well return the favor.
  
  Hesitantly, I opened the door, the wolf growling a low warning deep within me. Kai stood there, his arms crossed, his face as gloomy as ever.
  
  "You weren't at dinner," he stated, strutting in.
  
  "I wasn't feeling well," I mumbled, the lie sticking uncomfortably in my throat.
  
  "Again?" he scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "Seems like you're not feeling well an awful lot lately. Convenient, isn't it?"
  
  He did fail to hide his suspicion, leaving the wolf within me to bristle.
  
  "Maybe you just want to get sympathy from Dad," he continued. "Always the dramatics with you, Nina. Always trying to be the center of attention. But you never will be, noatyer how hard you try. You're simply...nothing." He ended sweetly.
  
  The wolf surged forward, rumbling in my chest. "That's not it!" I snapped.
  
  "Then why are you always hiding away in here?" he shot back, his voice dosed with disgust. "Why can't you just be normal? Like a normal teenager who doesn't crave constant attention?"
  
  My wolf whimpered.
  
  "I am normal," I whispered. But my life most certainly wasn't. To think that my stepfather was my fated mate, what strain of normal was that?
  
  Kai scoffed. The sound was humorless, devoid of any empathy. "Normal people don't act like you do, Nina. They don't disappear every other night, leaving everyone else to pick up the slack. Normal people don't ditch the dinner table, leaving me to condone your mother's yapping."
  
  He stepped closer. "Seriously, Nina. Grow up. And for Goddess' sake, get over yourself."
  
  He leaned closer.
  
  "Let me tell you something, Nina. This little act of yours is getting old. We all see through it. You're just trying to manipulate everyone with your pathetic theatrics."
  
  "I'm not trying to manipulate anyone," I spat.
  
  "Then stop acting like it," he snarled back. "Just eat your dinner like a normal person and stop trying to be the center of the damn universe."
  
  "I wasn't hungry," I repeated.
  
  "Don't play dumb, Nina," he said. "We all know what you're doing. You just want everyone to come running, fussing over you. It's pathetic."
  
  The wolf whimpered, the sting of his words tearing at the already fragile threads of my sanity.
  "Leave me alone, Kai," I pleaded.
  
  "No," he said, his voice cold. "This charade ends now. You will not pull this again. Do you understand?"
  
  The wolf within me cowered.
  
  "Whatever," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
  
  He regarded me with disgust and pity.
  
  "Good," he said, "And for God's sake, Nina, grow up. We all have better things to do than cater to your childish dramatics."
  
  "Mind your own business, Kai!" I yelled after him,  "Stop poking your nose in whatever I do! Not like you care."
  
  He paused, his back still to me.
  "Don't I?" he said.
  
  "No! You don't care!" I spat. "If you really did, you wouldn't be here, harping on me like a broken record."
  
  He turned slightly, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "Perhaps," he said, his voice a low drawl. "But keeping you alive gives me something to do, wouldn't you agree? Makes life a little more interesting, tormenting you bit by bit."
  
  My blood ran cold at his words. He didn't care about my well-being, not truly. He just enjoyed the twisted satisfaction of keeping me on edge, of holding a leash around my neck.
  
  A dark humor bubbled up within me.
  
  "Why not invite Sue over then?" I said, using air quotes around her name. "Give yourself something else to torment."
  
  Kai's smile faltered for a split second. "That's none of your business," he snapped, his voice regaining its usual coldness.
  
  But the trigger was enough. It confirmed a suspicion that had been eating at me for a while. He did care. He cared way too much.
  
  "Oh, it is now," I said, my voice gaining a dangerous pitch. "Because apparently, my entire existence revolves around your sadistic little games."
  
  He scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Nina. You're nothing but a nuisance."
  
  "A nuisance you can't seem to tear your eyes away from," I shot back, the wolf within me baring its fangs.
  
  And with that, he stormed out of my room, slamming the door shut.
  
  ****
  
  I was exhausted to my bones, yet sleep refused to fully embrace me. The events with Kai echoed in my mind, replaying on a loop.
  
  "Jerk." I mumbled, pulling the covers over myself.
  
  Sleep, when it finally came, was a battlefield.
  
  The scent of pine and earth hit me first, a familiar prelude to the waking nightmare.
  
  My room dissolved, replaced by the undergrowth of the forest behind our house. Amidst the trees and rustling leaves, stood Alpha Vince.
  
  His eyes was glowing with an unsettling intensity, and they held a different kind of hunger tonight. It was a predatory gleam.
  
  It spoke of something... something... possessive.
  
  "Nina," he purred.
  
  My voice hitched in my throat.
  
  "A-Alpha Vince," I stammered.
  
  He took a step closer, his towering form casting a long shadow over me.
  
  "Do you remember what we talked about?" he asked.
  
  The memory of his touch, the searing heat that branded my skin, flooded back with terrifying clarity.
  
  "Y-yes," I whispered, the word a choked sob.
  
  A cruel smile twisted his lips. "Good. Now, show me again."
  
  My body trembled, the wolf within whimpering in fear.
  
  Hesitantly, my hand rose, my fingers trembling as they brushed against the sensitive skin of my thigh.
  
  His smile widened, a predator savoring his prey's submission. "Good girl," he purred.
  
  Gasping softly, I whispered his name, "Vince... like this?" My voice was barely audible over the rustling leaves, but I knew he heard every word.
  
  A wicked smile danced across Alpha Vince's lips as he nodded, his gaze never leaving me. "Yes, Nina," he growled, his voice sending shivers down my spine. "That's it, show me how much you want it."
  
  I surrendered to his command, my movements growing bolder and more desperate with each passing moment. Moans escaped my lips as pleasure took over me.
  
  "Vince," I gasped."I need you... I want you inside me so bad..."
  
  His dark chuckle echoed through the trees. "Oh, Nina," he murmured. "You have no idea what you do to me."
  
  I continued to call out to him, my body arching towards his imaginary touch.
  
  As I knelt in the darkness of the forest, my hand trembled as I traced feather-light touches along the sensitive skin between my thighs. Each caress lighted a hot match between my legs.
  
  I explored the slick heat between my legs. A soft moan escaped my lips as I found the perfect rhythm, my movements becoming more desperate.
  
  I arched my back, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I surrendered to the pleasure building inside me. With each stroke, I felt myself edging closer.
  
  I quickened my pace, my hips rocking. My mind was consumed with thoughts of Alpha Vince, as I sought to please him in every way possible.
  
  "Good girl, Nina," he murmured, his voice a seductive whisper. "You know just how to please me."
  
  "More," he commanded. "I want everything you have to give."
  
  "You belong to me, Nina," he growled, his voice sending shivers down my spine. "No one else will ever have you like I do."
  
  Gasping for air, I snapped awake, my body coated in a sheen of sweat, heart pounding against my ribs.
  
  I pulled the cover off my skin, my hands on my chest, feeling my heart beat.
  
  That couldn't have happened. It had grown so much worse than I was fantasizing about my stepfather. This was the height of it. The remnants of the dream lingered in my mind. It was vivid and disconcerting.
  
  Heat pooled between my legs. It was a delicious ache that left me trembling.
  
  Shaking off the haze of sleep, I couldn't shake the away the thought that perhaps it wasn't just a dream. Had Alpha Vince really been there, had we actually done...it? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. The thought alone was thrilling, but I had to admit that I was terrified.
  
  With a furrowed brow, I hesitated, contemplating whether to dismiss the thought as mere fantasy or to entertain the thought that it might have really happened. Swallowing hard, I made a decision, rather reluctantly. I needed to know.
  
  Sliding out of bed, I moved. The cool air of the room kissed my skin as I shed my clothes.
  
  I lay on the bed, my legs spread as I went ahead to explore my own body. A gasp escaped my lips. My fingers danced over heated skin, tracing every curve and flesh with hunger.
  
  "Vince," I moaned softly," Please... I need you..."
  
  "Nina," his voice pierced the silence.
  
  This wasn't real, was it?
  
  My heart leapt into my throat as I froze.
  
  Turning slowly, I met his gaze. I couldn't even withdraw my hand.
  
  Color drained from my face. I was mortified beyond words. I could really use the exile now. I'd really appreciate it.
  
  "I-I..." My voice faltered.
  
  How could I even explain?
  
  I scrambled to yank the sheet up to my chin, cheeks burning.
  
  "Nina," Vince's voice rumbled. "What the hell were you doing?"
  
  My gaze darted around the room, landing anywhere but on him. "N-nothing," I stammered.
  
  He took a slow, deliberate step closer, and my breath hitched. Each footfall was a drum against my taut nerves.
  
  "Cut the crap, Nina. You know exactly what I'm talking about."
  
  "I just... I needed some time alone," I mumbled, the flimsy excuse doing little to quell the look in his eyes.
  
  He stopped right in front of me.
  
  "Stop driving me nuts with this, Nina. Every time I look at you, all I can think about is pinning you to the wall and doing things to you that would make your toes curl."
  
  My breath snagged in my throat as his words sent a jolt of heat straight to my core. "Vince..."
  
  He slammed his fist against the wall beside me, the sudden noise making me flinch. "And every time I see you, I have to take a damn cold shower because my body can't seem to handle being anywhere near you without reacting." He ran a hand through his hair. "And now this?"
  
  He gestured vaguely around the room, his meaning clear. My cheeks burned even hotter, the sheet feeling suddenly suffocating.
  
  "The sickest part is, Nina," he leaned in close, "the fact that I want you so badly makes me want to puke. Because you're my stepdaughter. And I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, not wanting to screw you senseless."
  
  My breath hitched.
  
  "How in the world am I supposed to exercise any self-control when everything you do just screams for me to break it?"
  
  I was about to finally meet his gaze, to try to raise my tongue to say something...anything.
  
  A knock on the door made is both jump.
  
  "Nina?" It was Kai's voice. "Can I talk to you?"
  
  Vince's jaw clenched.