EVE.

"Thank you, Eve."

Mum's voice wobbled as her hand tightened around mine. She held me ever so softly like she was holding on to more than just fingers.

"...For being strong. For being a good girl." Her eyes shimmered. "You never brought shame to me, even though I... I couldn't be the best mother to you."

The smile she gave was so full of love, so tender it scraped the inside of my chest.

I looked away for a second, just to breathe.

But it didn't help.

Oh, God.

She was going to make me cry.

And I wasn't crying because I was touched.

I was crying because I was guilty.

Because I didn't deserve those words.

She thought I was good.

To her, I was still her sweet, innocent daughter... the untouched virgin who waited patiently for life to reward her... The perfect girl with high grades, folded laundry, and a smile that melts the heart.

If only she knew how much of a whore her sweet daughter had been, She'd recoil and cry for real.

If only she knew that I had to peel my clothes off in front of two men I'd never seen before... To trade the last of my self-worth for a night I can't forget... To gag on the taste of powerlessness and pretend I was okay while their hands forced me into every position they wanted.

Even though my encounter was just for a night, I still considered myself filthy. I still feel dirty, like I'm dragging the stench of that hotel room behind me everywhere I go. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't scrub the filth off my skin, not even after a hundred showers.

Though the money I got that night helped me solve my school problems, I still couldn't get over the fact that I had to whore myself to get it.

"It's okay, Mum..." I said, swallowing the burn rising in my throat. "We can't keep doing this every day."

But she shook her head slowly, smiling through her tears. "No, baby. We should." she smiled sadly, "Do you know what it means, being the envy of every woman in Lanry Side pack? You are the golden child, baby. You. And I'm happy we're finally leaving there with that pride still intact. Keep making Mum proud, okay?"

She smiled through her tears, cupping my cheek. Her hands smelled faintly of lavender.

I nodded slowly. A tear broke free and slid down my cheek.

She caught it with her thumb before I could.

"Today marks a new beginning for us," she whispered, more hopeful than I'd seen her in years. "I'm certain you'll love our new pack."

She was glowing and beaming like a girl on her wedding day.

She has been very enthusiastic about her marriage to former Alpha Rollins. It was her fresh start, her reward for surviving hell and raising me almost alone.

And I also couldn't tell how happy I've been, because, I'll finally leave that pack and all the bad memories, including those men who couldn't stop looking for me.

*

From the moment we crossed the pack's border, I couldn't breathe right.

It was... dazzling. A scene straight out of a fairytale, but realer, cleaner, and impossibly curated like a picture someone kept trying to perfect. My pulse quickened as I watched it all glide past the car window like a dream I wasn't meant to touch.

I'd only heard about this territory, but I never had the chance to visit. It wasn't a place for a certain class of people. Not to mention my own class, who lived at the edge of the country. We were usually considered the country's outcasts, where so many evil things could be found.

Lanry Side was the stain no one wanted to associate with, but how my Mum met my new stepfather is still a wonder to me. And now, here I was, clutching the hem of my dress like it might disappear if I breathed too loud.

As we drove toward the pack house, I had already taken notes of a lot of things... The Alpha's attention to detail. It was almost as if every house ever built in the pack had to undergo scrutiny and evaluation, because, tell me, why did every house we passed look like it had been hand-carved by God Himself? White picket fences. Clean stone paths. Flowers that looked fake until the breeze made them sway.

No cracks. No odd paints. No stray dogs. I couldn't even see trash bins. It was like the whole place ran on perfection.

Everywhere buzzed with busy people, obviously preparing to welcome their new bride. I already felt like a princess.

As we rolled toward the pack house – more like a mansion dipped in glass and sunlight – I found myself cataloging every detail, and the moment we stepped out of the car, a bevy of girls hurried toward us. They welcomed us warmly, and they all were putting on a uniformed outfit... Flowery dresses... They were obviously meant to walk the bride down the aisle. They were around my age, and I was already the center of their attention.

"Welcome! Oh my goddess, you're stunning," one of them squealed, fingers already in my hair. "What do you use? Your hair's so luscious. Like... enchanted."

"Thank you, I..." My voice cracked, nerves clawing up my throat.

"We'll be having a little party after the wedding. Care to join?"

Mum couldn't stop smiling. She knew this part of me - the one that drew people in, and made strangers feel like they'd known me forever. I used to love it too... before I learned the kind of attention it could attract.

***

SAINT.

I adjusted the cuffs of my black shirt, straightened the collar, and gave myself one last look in the mirror. I looked immaculate and lethal.

To crown it all, I grabbed my perfume – Obsidian Sin by Sartieux. Ten thousand dollars a bottle. A scent banned in three packs for being too... distracting.

I always say this... If they don't remember your name, they'll remember your scent.

Before I speak, they'll smell me. And they'll know who owns the fucking room.

I stepped out into my living room, still adjusting the cuff of my sleeve, when I caught Kyrie mid-breath, about to scream his lungs out at my door like he was some damn town crier.

"Hold it," I said coldly.

His mouth flattened. "Saint, we're thirty minutes fucking late."

"And?" I didn't break stride. "They should be grateful I'll be gracing the occasion."

He scoffed and leaned in, taking a slow, exaggerated sniff. "You trying to get us banned too, Saint? Fucking hell... You smell like sin bottled in glass."

I smirked. "Good. Means it's working." I walked past him, unbothered.

Kyrie kept pace beside me, muttering something about how the whole pack was probably going crazy, thinking I wasn't in support of my father's wedding, but all of it blurred into white noise.

The venue came into view. It was in the open air, beside the artificial waterfall I had constructed four years ago.

They were already at the vows. And at the altar, my father - Alpha fucking Rollins – was holding hands with the woman he was about to make my stepmother.

He was smiling so fucking sheepishly at her that I almost gagged. I kept walking nonchalantly toward the seat reserved for me, until I saw her...

My body locked mid-step.

That face.

That mouth.

That goddamn body I hadn't been able to scrub out of my memory, no matter how many women I buried myself in.

She looked so young and innocent, but I was never going to be fooled. She was not innocent. Not after what we had done with her that night.

My steps stopped. Everything stopped.

Blood roared in my ears as I muttered, "What the fuck..."

And then... as if summoned by the devil himself, she turned, and our eyes met.

Fuck. Those eyes.

It was truly her. The girl from eight months ago... The fucking thief!

She was standing next to my father's bride, wearing a sweet little dress, almost looking like someone didn't know how to gag on sin.

And right there, in that split-second, I saw a crack in her soul. Fear. Terror. Recognition.

She remembered me. Even though I knew she thought deep down that I hadn't recognized her, she still held my gaze, emitting an unhealthy amount of fear that only I could smell.

Kyrie paused beside me, sensing something shift. "Yo, what's going on?"

I didn't answer.

Because Kyrie couldn't know that the girl standing next to my father's bride was the same girl we'd both been looking for all these months.

I'd be a fucking fool to let him know, because, I was about to kill her in more ways than one.

EVE.

"Breathe, Eve... Just fucking breathe..."

I'd been whispering that mantra for over two hours now, over and over again, ever since I saw him.

No. No, no, no. There's no way in hell he'd recognize me.

I had a mask on that night. A thick velvet one. And even when it slipped halfway through, they were too busy to notice anything beyond what they were doing to me.

But then... why the hell had he been staring at me without blinking or moving? Like a predator who'd just found the scent of the prey that got away.

His eyes.

God. His eyes.

He'd been watching my every move. His cold, deathly steel grey eyes sent chills down my spine, piercing through layers I didn't even know I had. Every time I dared glance in his direction, he was watching me, almost as if he was waiting for me to run.

I mean... These men have been looking for me for months now. There is no way I'd give myself up to be caught and punished by them. Although the other man didn't show any sign of surprise or anger when he looked at me. He just kept looking blankly at me, almost like he was digging through a fog, trying to place me, but his wasn't as bad and as disturbing as the Alpha's. Maybe because he had the same kind of dark shades he had on that night at the club, and it was making it a bit impossible for me to even tell the exact intensity of his eyes... But from his facial expression, he seemed... clueless?

Saint's eyes weren't just curious. They were freaking confirming!

And that was when I knew I was fucked.

Yes. Saint is the Alpha. And yes, his name is Saint... What an irony for a person who is as dark as a demon. I asked Mum the moment I saw him, and she confirmed to me that he was Saint, my stepbrother. Every drop of blood in my veins froze.

There is no way in hell this monster is my stepbrother.

Wait. No. I had to come up with a solution... I'd rather go back to Lanry Side than be in this pack.

My stomach twisted as I felt the heat of his gaze trailing down my spine again, like a hand brushing my skin without touching me. I had to leave.

I was going to be sick.

"Excuse me," I let out a nervous chuckle as I walked past the kind guests who were fanning around me and Mum, welcoming us into the pack.

I was practically breathing through a straw, and I needed space.

"Where are you going, honey?" My stepfather asked, and I swallowed nervously.

"Uh... I have to use the convenience," I smiled. He was so sweet, and he was nothing like his son.

I could hear the panic in my voice and prayed he couldn't. He nodded toward the far end of the courtyard. "Take the next left after the pillar. Do you want someone to walk you..."

"No!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "No. I'm good. Thank you."

I turned before he could ask anything else and walked out of the premises, where the monster's eyes trailed my every move.

The moment I stepped into the convenience, I released a breath I had been holding for God knows how long.

My knees nearly buckled.

I gripped the edge of the sink, bent over it like I'd just run a marathon. My chest heaved in frantic bursts. It's not like the air in here was much better, but at least it wasn't thick with his scent and his suffocating presence.

Alpha Saint.

I twisted the faucet and splashed cold water on my face, once, twice, a third time. But it didn't help. My skin was on fire. My heart was trying to claw its way out of my chest.

He knows. He fucking knows. No one can tell me otherwise! God!

My hands trembled as I reached for the hand towel. The shaking was so violent that I dropped it. I stared at my fingers like they belonged to some weak little girl who couldn't keep it together.

Biting my nails – that old nasty habit – came like muscle memory. I pressed the edge of my nail between my teeth, harder than necessary. The sting grounded me. The familiar pressure pulled me away from the spiraling.

Inhale. Exhale. Again.

I glanced up at the mirror, catching my reflection – wide eyes, dilated pupils, flushed cheeks. I looked like prey, and I hated it.

A tear welled up, threatening to betray me.

I wiped it away so fast that it barely touched my cheek.

"No," I whispered. "Not now."

This was supposed to be a fresh start and a new chapter for us. My mother was finally happy again. We were safe. Or so we thought.

I had worked so hard to bury that night. And here it was, digging itself back out from the grave I'd tried to leave it in.

I can't be the one to ruin my mother's happiness. I had to leave and get out of this godforsaken pack.

I'd tell Mum tonight, after the ceremony, that I couldn't stay. I'd cry if I had to, and beg. It wouldn't be easy to convince her because she would never want me to return to the same town where my abusive stepfather was. But I'm certain I'd be able to convince her.

I am so damn grateful that the transfer letter from my old school hasn't been approved yet. That means I am not tied here yet. If I act fast enough, I could go back. I'd show up on Monday and tell them to cancel the transfer. Easy.

I could fix this.

I closed my eyes and took one final, deep breath, bracing myself for the rest of the ceremony.

I unlocked the stall and stepped toward the exit when the main door to the convenience swung open.

I turned, slowly, praying to every God I never believed in that it wasn't...

But it was.

It was him.

He just stood there in the doorway like a shadow carved from stone, his hands carefully tucked into his pockets. He was tall and broad, dressed in black from head to toe, as if mourning something. Or about to bury someone... Me, maybe.

His eyes pinned me in place – those cold, inhuman eyes.

My throat dried. My hands went ice-cold. My back hit the counter without me realizing I was backing away.

I couldn't breathe.

I wasn't even sure my heart was still beating.

His eyes locked on mine like he could see straight through me... straight through the flesh, the bones, into the filth I thought I'd buried deep, into the things I told myself no one would ever remember.

'Say something,' I begged silently. Scream. Threaten me. Do anything. Just speak. Please...

I was seconds away from a full-blown panic attack when he tilted his head ever so slightly and let out the smallest, quietest scoff. Almost amused.

And then, in a voice so low, so deceptively calm, he finally spoke.

"You thieving whore."

EVE.

Yes. That's it.

He knew me.

I was doomed. He saw my face!

I stood frozen, caught in the grip of those cold, merciless eyes. The atmosphere around us felt like ice, almost as if something had broken inside this space and sucked the warmth out with it.

"I'm... Uh..." My voice broke. The words were there, trapped behind my tongue, but none of them made it out. What was I even supposed to say?

Sorry for what?

For stealing from him? Or sorry for being a shameless whore for just one night that was about to ruin my life forever?

"To think that I'd combed round your stupid town, looking for you..." He scoffed again, but his lips didn't even twitch. His voice was cold and detached. No hint of emotion, anger, or rage. Just... emptiness.

"Yet, here you are... Stepsister," the condensation in his tone and in the way he looked at me made my skin burn. And the way he called me "Stepsister...?" it said a lot. But I was in no position to demand respect from him.

"Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I..."

"You're not sorry, girl. You just hate that I know you." He said, his dead eyes peering into my soul. I couldn't even hold his gaze for a second. His stare was too much, like it could peel my skin off, layer by layer, until there was nothing left but what I wanted to forget.

I didn't know when uninvited tears began to slide down my cheeks. I tried to stop them. I tried. God, I tried. But they fell anyway.

"You didn't cry when you spread your legs for me and my friend, Eve. Why now?" He said, and I was shocked that he already knew my name. And my name sounded like disgusting poison on his tongue.

"Look," I began, "I'm sorry I stole from you. I can return the watch. I swear. We can forget it happened. Please. I'll leave your pack. I'll disappear. Just please... please forget it..." I sounded so pathetic and weak pleading this way. But I had no choice, and I didn't care. Pride couldn't save me now.

He just scoffed like I was an insect buzzing at his feet, his hands still tucked calmly into his pockets. "The perfect daughter, huh?" he murmured, taking another step. "How disappointed would your mother be... if she knew what you are?"

My heart dropped. The wheels in my head turned instantly. No. No. No, he wouldn't. He couldn't possibly be serious about telling my mother... He wouldn't dare.

"I'd like to find out," he added, tilting his head as if he were studying a broken thing barely worth the dust it collected.. Amused by the damage.

"Please, Alpha," I went down on my knees, "I swear, I'm not what you think I am... I was..." More tears were already blurring my vision. "I was in need of the money and..."

"And you couldn't fuck enough cocks to get it. You had to steal from me..." He stated, and God, his calmness was unraveling me even more. It didn't even seem like my pleas were reaching his ears.

"Please don't tell my mother. It would kill her. Please," I pleaded.

"You know, I used to wonder," he murmured, almost like he was talking to himself, "how a woman like your mother could ever convince a man like my father to marry her."

Then his eyes dragged over me before stealing an inch from me by taking another step closer, "But now I see it. Clear as fucking daylight. She must've traded her cunt for a ring."

Something shattered inside me. It felt like he'd reached into my chest and ripped something out.

Not only was he tearing me open, he was dragging my mother down with me, ripping her dignity to pieces.

"Don't say that, please. My mother is not like that. I am not..." He didn't even let me finish. He just turned around and headed for the door.

"Wait!" I choked out, crawling after him on shaking limbs. He paused without looking back, "Please don't tell my mother. Please," I sobbed.

There was a beat of silence before he spoke again.

"Welcome to my pack, stepsister. I hope you enjoy your stay." With that, he walked out without even a glance.

I knew I was doomed.

***

I watched Mum dance, her cheeks glowing as she smiled away with the new love of her life, and guilt lodged so deep in my throat it felt like a knife that it threatened to choke me to death. I might be the one to deprive my Mum of this radiance I was seeing on her face. It killed me.

I stood on the sidelines in my soft champagne dress, holding a glass of sparkling apple cider with trembling fingers. I couldn't even drink. My stomach was in knots, and my throat was dry. But I kept raising the glass to my lips to look normal and to seem... composed.

I kept glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting Saint to appear again. What was I even thinking?

The event was hurrying to an end, and a part of me wished the day would not end because, from here, we were meant to have a family dinner... of course, as one big family, according to Mum.

I felt sick.

I pressed my free hand to my stomach and turned slightly to the side, trying to steady myself.

She said she would like to introduce me to my new family, officially, as if I hadn't already met my stepbrother, who was now my doom.

Thankfully, Saint's friend hadn't approached me yet. Perhaps he hadn't realized I was the one just yet... Or...

"Hey, Eve," Someone squealed behind me, and I nearly dropped my glass. The drink sloshed dangerously near the rim as I turned, startled.

It was the girl from earlier – the bubbly one who'd invited me to some party when we arrived.

"Oh... hi," I said, forcing a tight smile.

"I am Hazer. Sorry, I didn't introduce myself when we first met," she said.

Hazer looked cool. She looked... safe.

And for a second, I hated her for that.

She seemed like someone who could be trusted. Or, maybe, I was just seeing things because I was desperate to know from someone who really knew Saint to tell me how far he could go to punish an offender. In fact, I was tempted a few minutes ago to engage in a conversation with a man who introduced himself as one of the elders of the pack, just to know more about Saint. Can you imagine that?

"You look tense. Already exhausted?" Hazer asked, and I realized then I'd just been standing there like a mannequin. I hadn't even responded to her name.

"Oh God... I'm sorry, Hazer." I laughed tightly. "It's just been a long day. I mean..."

She waved it off, smiling again. "Don't worry about it. I get it. Big events are a lot."

Then suddenly, she gasped, dramatically slapping her palm over her mouth like something out of a teen movie. "Oops."

"What?" I asked, startled.

"He's watching." Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she leaned in like she was about to share a scandalous secret. "Oh my God, Eve... how do I look? Tell me I look good."

I blinked. "Who's...?"

She nodded toward the far end of the courtyard.

I followed her gaze.

And cold punched through my stomach.

Saint.

He was standing just a few feet from the champagne fountain, half-shadowed under a tree, hands in his pockets, his face carved from stone. Watching me. Not her.

What the hell?

Someone could actually go crazy for a psycho like that?

"You're talking about... him?" I asked in a thin voice.

She giggled, like the idea of it was thrilling. "God, yes. That's Alpha Saint. He's so cold and mysterious and powerful... ugh, it's so hot. I've had a crush on him since forever." She laughed again and touched her earring. "I mean, you can't blame me, right?"

My stomach twisted.

"Is he your... boyfriend?" I asked, grasping at straws.

If he was, maybe... maybe I could use that. Maybe I could talk to her to help beg him not to tell my Mum anything.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh, God, no. I wish. He doesn't date girls like me. Or anyone really. I don't think I've ever seen him even smile. Some people say he's emotionally dead. Like, not even kidding."

"Uhm..." I cleared my throat, "Can I ask you a question about... uhm... Saint?" I forced myself to say, and the elation in Hazer's eyes told me she was totally obsessed with that monster.

"Of course, you can!" She squealed.

"How..." I was about to say when someone cleared their throat beside me, and when I turned to look, I swear, my heart almost gave out.

"Hello, Eve." The voice said ever so calmly, and I immediately forgot how to breathe.

It was Beta Kyrie. Alpha Saint's best friend.

Oh, my God. Just when I thought he couldn't recognize me.