The sky was cloudy. Thunder grumbled above, low and distant. The storm hadn't started yet, but I could feel it coming - the same way you sense danger before it strikes.

Sitting in a taxi, I stared at the sky while leaning on the backseat. My inner condition was like the weather.

Today was my mom's wedding day. I was going to attend the celebration. I wondered who she had chosen for herself. But I really wanted her to be happy in her life.

The taxi came to a halt outside the most expensive hotel in our pack.

I paid the driver and stepped out. The hotel towered above me - glass and gold, a world I'd only seen in dreams. Mom was marrying into it.

I walked into the hotel. I was mesmerized by the interior.

I approached the reception area and showed the invitation card to the receptionist.

She called a waiter and told him to lead me to the venue.

When the waiter brought me in front of a large door, he said,

"You are so lucky to attend the Alpha's wedding."

I was stunned. "What?"

He gave me a look. "You didn't know?"

I was confused. Did I come to the wrong wedding? Or was my mom going to marry an Alpha in rank? By how he had arranged the wedding in the expensive hotel, he was surely a rich businessman.

Two men outside the hall opened the door for me.

My eyes were blurred by how beautifully the hall was decorated.

I stepped into the hall and was surprised at how many people were there.

'Didn't Mom say it would be a private wedding? Why are there so many people?' I thought while looking for my mother.

I felt a bit small. People were everywhere, dressed in nice clothes. Meanwhile, I was in a not-so-expensive dress.

People gave me judging looks as I looked around. I felt uncomfortable.

"Elara!"

I heard my mother's voice, which made me feel relieved. I turned around, and my gaze fell on her.

She was approaching me in a white bridal gown.

"Mom, you look gorgeous!" I mumbled with a smile.

She rushed to give me a tight hug. "I am glad you are here."

I grinned at her. She broke the hug and turned her head to someone.

"Meet him, Elara," Mom said brightly. "This is Alpha Gray."

I froze. "Alpha... Gray?"

Her smile widened. "Alpha Gray Kingston."

The name hit me like cold water. Kingston.

My chest tightened as I turned - and there he was, the man who ruled our pack, tall and commanding, his gaze weighing me like judgment.

'My mom is going to marry Alpha Gray?' I was still in disbelief.

There was something that pinched my heart, which I tried to avoid.

Alpha Gray gently stroked my hair and said, "Rise, my dear."

I straightened up and looked at him. He was a tall, muscular, and well-built man. He had been running our pack for a long time, and the pack members were really pleased with him.

It was time for the wedding, so they directly headed to the stage to take vows and complete their wedding simply.

I stared at them, unmoved. 'That means Trevor and Kevin are going to be my stepbrothers?' I thought.

My eyes widened at the thought. I glanced at my bandaged hand.

I felt tears blur my eyes. How could I accept Trevor as my brother?

I used to like him, but after he hurt me that day, my heart broke, and I don't want to see him anymore.

I tried to control my heart and show my mom that I was happy for her new beginning.

The wedding was nice. Lots of smiles and happy faces. I discovered that the wedding was indeed private, with only the officials' family members as guests.

When the wedding ended, I saw my mom looked worried and Alpha Gray looked mad. I wondered what had happened.

I followed them into a room in the corner of the hall and stopped outside the door. The door was slightly ajar.

I could hear Alpha Gray's angry growls.

"I can't believe they didn't come! How dare they!"

My mom's soft voice was convincing. "Honey, please. Maybe they are still angry? Please forgive them. They are your sons."

"Did you see the bill I got? They intentionally wasted my money on the whole university. Did they think they could make me suffer like that?"

My brows shot up when I realized that they were talking about Trevor and Kevin. They had not shown up at the wedding. I recalled yesterday's party on campus. So they were angry because of this wedding?

Somehow, I felt relaxed that they had not come. At least, I did not have to face them again.

'I think I should leave now,' I thought.

As I was about to move, my body hit a flower vase. It fell on the floor, making a loud noise. My mom and Alpha Gray came out of the room and caught me outside.

"I-I am sorry. I came here to tell you that I am leaving," I told them with an apologetic tone.

Alpha Gray frowned at me. "Leaving? Are you not going to attend the family dinner?"

I shook my hands in denial. "Another day, Alpha."

I bowed to him again. My mom nodded her head and said, "I am seeing you off then."

On the way to the gate of the hall, she asked me how I was passing my life.

"I am having a good life, Mom. Don't worry." I lied to her.

She smiled and was about to tell the guards to open the door for me.

But before she could speak, the hall doors burst open, wind curling through the chandeliers.

Two tall figures filled the doorway - rain glistening on their jackets, eyes sharp and unreadable.

The chatter in the hall faltered. Even the music seemed to hush.

I knew those silhouettes before my heart had time to prepare.

My breath caught, every nerve in my body remembering their voices, their cruelty.

"Trevor! Kevin, you're finally here!" my mother exclaimed, joy breaking the silence.

Their gazes slid from her to me. The storm had arrived.

My mom moved closer to stand between them and me. She held my hand and said to them,

"This is Elara, your stepsister."

As soon as they heard my mom, their smiles faded - like light dying behind glass.

Kevin's jaw tightened first; Trevor's eyes went cold and unreadable.

No one said a word.

But I knew.

They remembered me.

"Stepsister?"

 The voice came out from Kevin with a low growl. He moved his gaze at my mother and glared at her.

 I gulped, lowering my head. I knew it might be hard for them to accept someone new in their family.

 However, I never wanted to be a part of their family either.

 My mother let out a small chuckle. "Yes, dear. She is my daughter. Since I am now married to your father, she is now considered to be your sister. You should be happy that our family is growing."

 As if my mother had prepared a speech to say those things, she let out a long breath after she finished speaking.

 I was about to tell my mother not to explain anything since I was not going to stay with them.

 But Trevor shoved my thoughts to speak as he said,

 "Growing? So this is what Dad's money bought? His new wife's cast-off?"

 His voice was quieter than his brother's. But it was colder, slicing through the air like a blade.

 My heartbeat started to beat faster. I slowly raised my head to look at him.

 I saw him staring at me. His eyes were scanning me with a dispassionate, almost cruel look.

 I felt my face flush, heat creeping from my neck to my cheeks. I could no longer keep eye contact with him.

 Because I saw the disgust in his eyes again, just like I did yesterday.

 'Did he hate me?' I wondered.

 My mother let go of my hand and said to Trevor,

 "Your father is a kind man. When he married me, I told him that our family-"

 Trevor scoffed at her, cutting her off. "Finally you successfully seduced our dad."

 I was shocked by his every word. Kevin was silent, looking mad at my mother. I was upset that they were speaking to my mother like that.

 Marriage was not a one-person thing. Their father equally agreed to it.

 I was surprised that my mother did not lose her calm. In fact, she looked nervous.

 "Let's discuss it later. I am going to call your Dad," she said while glancing at the guests to see if they were looking in our direction.

 My mother hurriedly walked away as if she had found an escape from them.

 I was alone with the brothers near the door. They did not speak, nor did I. My eyes were fixed on the floor.

 The silence was suffocating me. The rain might have stopped outside. The only thing I could hear was my loud heartbeat. I was afraid that they would hear that.

 Suddenly I noticed the red shoes approaching me. I lifted my head and saw Kevin smirking at me.

 I took a few steps back. But he grabbed the back of my neck, freezing me in shock.

 His grip was harsh, and my heart was flabbergasted.

 He lowered his head to look into my eyes. His smirk was still on his lips.

 "Aren't you the same girl who bumped into me yesterday?"

 I swallowed my breath. I could not let out anything.

 His smirk slowly faded as he spoke again. "Your punishment is still on hold. Don't you think you can get away so easily?"

 "I said sorry for that," I replied after gathering my courage.

 His smirk faded as he frowned at me. "You have the guts to speak? Did you think you could make your way into our family just because your mom seduced my dad and married him?"

 Tears scrambled my eyes when I heard his words. His voice was filled with anger. I lifted my hand and tried to push his hand, but his grip only tightened.

 "Don't you dare to tell this shit to anyone. Your mom got the surname of Kingston, but you... you can never get that."

 He let go of me with a rough push. I almost lost my balance, but thanks to the pillar beside the door, I was able to stand still again.

 I closed my eyes when I felt pain in my injured leg. I gave Kevin an upset look. "I-I will not-"

 He sneered, discarding my words as he walked into the hall.

 My gaze shifted to Trevor, who was standing in his place without moving. He was watching his brother hurting me, but he didn't stop him.

 I bit my tongue, trying to ignore the pain in my heart. 'Why would he stop his brother? My love is one-sided. He never noticed me before yesterday.'

 Trevor's eyes were still on me. His silence and icy gaze were frightening me.

 I took a deep breath. I did not know how I got the courage, but I took a few steps toward him. 

 I stopped a foot away from him and tried to explain everything.

 "T-Trevor, I will never talk about this to anyone."

 His gaze sharpened after hearing me. My breath became heavier. 'Did I say something wrong?' I thought.

 "You knew everything. That's why you tried to grab our attention yesterday. You and your mom planned it for a long time," he spoke in a low tone.

 His voice was full of anger. It was like an ice cube that rubbed on my cracked heart.

 I shook my hands. "No, I swear. I didn't know about it."

 He gritted his teeth and turned around. I was stunned when I saw him walking out of the hall as if he did not want to enter the hall anymore.

 I rushed toward him outside and held his arm to stop him. "Trevor, trust me."

 He paused his steps. I looked at his side profile. He was a very handsome man. But the coldness that he always had on his face made others afraid to approach him.

 He turned his head and glanced at my hand, which was holding his arm.

 His gaze shifted to my face, and he yanked his arm away.

 "How dare you touch me with your filthy hand?" he asked with disgust, as if I were dirty.

 My lips quivered, and tears flowed out of my eyes. He pushed the same hand he wounded yesterday. I felt pain under the bandage, but I didn't react.

 I tightened my fist and lowered my head.

 "I-I am sorry."

 He turned away and took a few steps, then stopped.

 Without turning his body, he turned his head to the side.

 His gaze was like ice, pinning me to the spot. ​"One more thing," he said.

 I looked at him, eager to hear him again. But when he spoke again, it totally broke my heart.

 "Stay away from us. And don't you dare try to act like you belong here. We will make your life a living hell if you get in our way."

-

I walked down the road, my heart pounding with a mix of pain and anger. Their words echoed in my head, especially Trevor's words. But something inside me shifted.

"They humiliated me as if I forced my mom to marry their dad. They told me to stay away. Okay, I will do it. I will never cross their path again." My voice trembled with a pain that went beyond humiliation.

I decided from now on I would never let them hurt me again.

The next few days,

I only focused on myself. I started to seek a job.

I threw myself into finding a way out. Even with my hand bandaged, I practiced piano every chance I got, preparing for an audition.

I tried my best to ignore Trevor and Kevin on campus and in my life. I believed I was moving on in my life.

Then suddenly I finally got a ray of hope.

I received an offer for a part-time job!

One week passed as I started to avoid my stepbrothers.

Although I never accepted them as my brothers, my mom had married their dad. So there was nothing I could deny.

I had my heart broken last week when Trevor warned me to stay away from him and his brother, Kevin. I was just following his words.

"Elara, what is your plan for tomorrow night?" Julia asked.

We were sitting in the cafeteria on our campus. The classes were no longer engaging for me, and the study was no longer exciting for me. I failed to be active the whole week, as my mind kept going back to the wedding night of my mother.

"Plan for what, Julia?" I asked her, sipping on my coffee.

She slammed her forehead. "Silly! You forgot tomorrow is your birthday?"

Her question surprised me. Indeed, I forgot about my birthday.

"I was so stressed the whole week that I forgot about my birthday, Julia."

"I know right. You are stressed for your Dad. He went to his brother's hometown."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "The fact is that he didn't even inform me until my uncle called me and told me about him."

Julia patted my shoulder and said, "It's good that you don't have to face those loansharks for now."

I nodded my head, mumbling, "I think dad gave my money to those men. So for now, I don't need to worry about them."

I recalled dad stole my money from my bag. I assumed it was the reason those men never came back.

"You said you are going to apply to be a waitress in the club," Julia reminded me.

"Yeah. They told me to go to the club tonight. I hope I get the job so that I can make some money for this month."

Julia stared at me for a while without speaking. I held her hand and asked,

"What happened?"

She rubbed her hand over my hand. "Do you want me to ask for money from my dad? He can help you."

I shook my head. "I didn't even take help from my mom; how can I take your dad's help?"

My mother had been calling me, asking me to go to the pack house and start living with her and her new family.

But that was not my family. It was my fate, and I would have to live alone. I just prayed that my uncle would convince my father to stop drinking and gambling.

As I was talking with Julia, my gaze was drawn to the entrance of the cafeteria.

My eyes fell on Kevin, who was walking into the cafe. His hand was around a girl's waist. I recognized her as one of my classmates.

"What the fuck! How did Shea manage to seduce Kevin?" Julia said with a surprised look.

I still hadn't told her that my mother was married to Kevin and Trevor's father.

I looked away from Kevin. I did not care who he was roaming around with. He always picked on me. The whole week he only glared at me like an angry bull whenever our eyes met.

As I sipped my coffee again, Julia spoke out. "Babe, look. Your man is here!"

I paused drinking, glancing at the entrance again. I noticed Trevor entering the cafe with his friends.

"They are more like friends than brothers. I heard Kevin is the younger brother. Trevor is just one minute older."

I averted my gaze away from Trevor when he and his friends walked past our table. My heartbeat raced. I tried to control my breaths.

"Let's not talk about him," I said to Julia.

"Why? Are you getting tired of him? I know you like Trevor, don't you? I have always seen how you look at him with loving eyes."

My eyes shifted to Trevor, who grabbed a chair from the table where Kevin went to sit with the girl.

I saw the girl sitting between the two brothers. She started kissing Kevin's neck while she rested her hand on Trevor's thigh.

I gulped, looking away from them. I was hurt, seeing someone touching Trevor.

"She is April, the daughter of Alpha Thomas. She came to study here only because of the Kingston brothers," Julia said.

She was a gossip queen. She had all the hidden information that other girls were dying to know.

"Are they shameless? Why do they have the same fling?" I mumbled without looking at them.

Julia laughed at my question. Her eyes fixed on the Kingston brothers. "There are like two sides of a coin. They always stay together. It's their unity. No girl can crack their bond if they come between them."

I was silent for a while. Then I sighed and mumbled, "That's great. They should always stay together. It's good for them."

-

In the late evening,

I went to the club near Moonlight University, as they told me.

I waited for an hour to meet the manager. There was a rush in the club tonight since tomorrow is the weekend.

"Elara Hayes?"

I heard my name from behind. I was sitting on a couch, so when I heard my name, I got up immediately.

I turned around and found a man in middle age. I nodded my head and greeted him. "Sir, good evening. I am Elara Hayes. A few days ago, your club approached me about a job as a waitress."

He motioned to a room in the club's corner. "You go to the changing room; one of our girls will give you your clothes."

I was surprised. "But you haven't asked me anything yet. What about the salary?"

He chuckled at me. "You are a young girl. Let's see how you serve the clients tonight; tomorrow I will fix your salary."

I nodded my head and went to the changing room. I found a girl my age. She handed me a mini black shirt and a white shirt.

I blinked, not knowing how I would wear it because I had never worn such a short dress.

"Don't make the clients wait. The first rule of this business here is always be on time," the girl said and left the room.

"Business?" I mumbled in confusion.

I ignored her words and hurriedly changed my clothes. I tried to pull my short shirt down, trying to cover my upper thigh.

"They must have given me the wrong size."

I walked out of the room awkwardly. The manager was near the counter. He saw and approached me.

His eyes moved to my body, making me feel uncomfortable. He handed me a tray with a bottle of wine and a few glasses.

"Sir, I think that girl gave me the wrong size of clothes," I said, thinking about changing them.

"She gave you the right size. Follow me," he said and walked toward the staircase.

While holding the tray, I followed him upstairs. I glanced at the people downstairs. "Wasn't I supposed to serve drinks to these people?" I asked.

"You will serve the VIP clients," the manager replied simply.

When I arrived on the second floor. I saw there were four doors on both sides. They were private cabins for VIP customers.

The manager opened the last door on the left side and gestured for me to enter.

When I walked into the room, I realized it was not a private cabin for drinks but a room with a big bed.

I was taken aback.

I saw a man in his late thirties. I glanced around and found no one in the room except him.

My heart shook in fear. My grip on the tray tightened.

"I-I think I came to the wrong room."

The man looked at me with lust. He eyed me with a dirty gaze and replied with a chuckle.

"Wrong room? I paid ten thousand dollars for you. So you are in the right room, baby."

My eyes widened. I was caught off guard. I took steps backwards, and my back pressed against the door.

"N-No, you are lying."

My hand reached for the door handle. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I returned my gaze to him with shocked eyes.

He laughed as if he was enjoying my fear.

"Your father sold you to me for one night."