Alpha Duncan

I called Mindy as soon as her last class let out. She answered on the second ring.

"Hey, little wolf. You finished for the day?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding a little out of breath. "Just got to the parking lot. What's up?"

"I need you home early tonight. No hanging out, no coffee runs. Shower, get dressed nice-something pretty but not too revealing. I'm hosting a big party here. Very important people. Business deals on the table."

There was a pause. Then her voice came softer. "The kind of party I'm never allowed to come to?"

"Exactly that kind," I said, keeping my tone even. "You can stay upstairs, watch a movie, whatever. But you're not coming down."

She let out a small laugh that didn't reach her eyes-I could hear it. "You're so predictable, Duncan. Is it really because you think I'll say something stupid? Or because one of your rich friends might look at me the wrong way?"

I gripped the phone tighter. "It's because I said so. Be home by six. Ready by seven. That's all."

"Fine," she muttered. "But one of these days you're going to have to tell me the real reason you treat me like I'm still a kid who needs babysitting."

I didn't answer. Just ended the call before she could hear the way my breath caught.

She's never known. And I've spent more than half my life convincing myself I didn't know either.

Our parents died when she was twelve. Car accident. One phone call and suddenly I was twenty-one, fresh out of college, guardian to a heartbroken little girl, and suddenly in charge of companies I barely understood. I inherited the businesses, the money, the responsibilities. I dressed her every morning, helped her pick out clothes, sat with her while she cried herself to sleep. I braided her hair before school, checked her homework, taught her how to tie her shoes properly even though she already knew. I watched her grow-every awkward stage, every inch she gained, every curve that appeared. I told myself it was just brotherly love. Protective. Normal.

We weren't poor. Middle-class comfort turned into serious wealth fast because I worked like a machine. Expanded the companies. Took risks. Built an empire. Billions now sit in accounts I barely look at. People call me powerful. Ruthless. Successful.

But no boardroom win, no seven-figure deal, no admiring crowd ever loosened the hold she has on me.

Things changed when she turned fourteen... fifteen... sixteen. Her scent shifted first-sweet, addictive. Then her body followed. Soft hips, full chest, long legs. She started wearing my old hoodies around the house and nothing else sometimes, and I had to leave the room before I did something unforgivable. I told myself it was hormones. Puberty. Temporary.

It wasn't temporary.

By the time she was seventeen I was already drowning. Every smile she gave me felt like sunlight and poison at the same time. I started dating-random beautiful women, she-wolves who wanted my title, my money, my bed. None of them lasted more than a few weeks. I couldn't even get hard for them half the time because all I could think about was her laugh echoing from the kitchen.

Then came her eighteenth birthday.

The full moon.

Her first shift.

I stood outside the private clearing we'd set up behind the estate, heart hammering so hard I thought it would crack ribs. When she emerged-silver-gray fur, eyes the same deep hazel as mine but brighter, wilder-my wolf roared inside me.

*Mate.*

The word slammed into my skull like truth I'd always known but refused to name.

I shifted back fast, pulled on clothes, and walked away before she could see my face. That night I locked myself in my office and drank until the room spun. I told myself it was a mistake. A glitch. Biology playing a cruel joke.

But the bond only grew stronger.

Every day since then has been war.

I catch her scent on the stairs and my body reacts instantly-hard, aching, shameful. I've had to excuse myself from rooms because just watching her stretch in the morning sun made me want to pin her to the nearest wall. I hate myself for it. I lock it down. Every. Single. Day.

One evening a few months ago she came home smelling like another man. Cheap cologne and beer. I was waiting in the foyer.

"You're late," I said.

"Study group ran long." She kicked off her shoes. "Why do you care?"

"You reek of him."

She froze, then turned slowly. "It's called having friends, Duncan. You remember what those are?"

"Don't play games with me."

"I'm not the one playing games." She stepped closer. Too close. "You growl every time a guy even looks at me. Your bodyguards follow me like I'm in witness protection. You won't let me go to your parties. You won't let me date. You won't let me breathe. Just admit it-you're jealous."

My jaw clenched so hard I tasted blood. "Go upstairs."

"No." Her chin lifted. "Say it. Say you don't want anyone else touching me."

The air between us crackled. I could feel the bond pulling, hot and insistent.

"I said go upstairs, Mindy."

Her eyes glistened. "You're such a coward."

She turned and ran up the stairs. I stood there shaking, fists clenched, fighting every instinct screaming at me to chase her, catch her, claim her.

I started looking for a way out.

I needed to break the bond. Or at least bury it so deep it couldn't hurt her anymore.

That's when I chose Emma.

I told Mindy over breakfast three weeks ago. She was eating cereal, hair messy from sleep, wearing one of my old college shirts that barely covered her thighs.

"I'm getting mated," I said, like I was discussing the weather.

Her spoon stopped mid-air. Milk dripped onto the table.

"To who?"

"Emma Sinclair."

She blinked. "The one from the steel company? Royal bloodline?"

"Yeah."

Silence stretched so long I thought she'd stopped breathing.

Then, quietly: "You're really doing this?"

"I have responsibilities, Mindy. To the pack. To the businesses. To the future."

Her voice cracked. "And what about us?"

I forced myself to look at her. "There is no 'us' like that. You're my sister."

Tears welled but didn't fall. "You feel it. I know you do. The pull. The dreams. The way your wolf goes crazy when I'm near. I'm not imagining it."

My throat burned. "You're wrong."

"I'm not." She stood up slowly. "But if you want to lie to yourself and mate someone else... go ahead. Just don't expect me to smile and clap for you."

She walked out of the kitchen.

I didn't stop her.

That night I stood outside her bedroom door for almost an hour. I heard every sob, every shaky breath. Each one carved something out of me.

I thought I was strong enough to win this. To choose duty over desire. To protect her from me.

I was wrong.

The mate bond isn't a feeling you can outrun. It's gravity. It's the tide. It's the moon calling the wolf.

You can fight the wave for a while.

But eventually...

It crashes.

And either you ride it-or it pulls you under forever.

Alpha Duncan

The truth is, I never let things get romantic or emotional with Emma. I sat her down one afternoon in my office, door closed, and we talked like two CEOs closing a merger. No flowers, no sweet words-just cold, hard facts.

"Look, Emma," I said, leaning back in my chair. "I'm not looking for fireworks or soulmate nonsense. I need a strong Luna. Someone who can run a pack beside me, handle the business side, merge our territories, and make everything more powerful. You're smart, you're connected, you've got royal blood, and you understand the game. We'd be unstoppable together. Partners in every way-pack, business, life. That's the deal. No illusions."

She studied me for a long minute, then smiled that calm, confident smile of hers. "You're not asking if I love you, are you?"

"I'm asking if you're in," I answered flatly.

"I've been in love with you for years, Duncan," she said quietly. "You know that. If this is how you want it-practical, powerful, no messy feelings getting in the way-then yes. I'm in."

I didn't ask if she'd already met her true mate. I didn't want to know. Part of me figured she had, rejected him, and chosen ambition over fate. Weird? Sure. But convenient. I wasn't in a position to judge.

That was that. We shook on it like a contract. No kiss, no celebration. Just a plan.

Now came the hard part: the announcement party.

I threw the biggest event the pack had seen in years. The palace ballroom glittered-crystal chandeliers, live orchestra, tables loaded with imported champagne and rare steaks. Every Alpha from the surrounding territories showed up, along with government ministers, CEOs, investors, old friends. The room buzzed with power deals being whispered in corners.

And of course, I invited the one person who mattered most.

Mindy.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her ahead of time. Every time I opened my mouth to say the words-"I'm mating with Emma"-my throat locked up. I pictured her face crumpling, tears filling those hazel eyes that looked so much like mine. Worse, I was terrified she'd look right at me and say the words I'd been running from for years: *I love you too, Duncan. More than a brother. I feel the bond.*

What would I do if she said it out loud? Fall to my knees? Claim her right there? Or run harder than ever?

I wasn't ready to find out. So I kept silent and hoped she'd stay upstairs like she usually did during these things.

The night arrived. Guests poured in. Emma looked flawless in a deep emerald gown that screamed old money and royalty. She stayed close, hand lightly on my arm, playing the perfect future Luna.

But Mindy was nowhere.

I scanned the crowd every few minutes, heart pounding harder each time I didn't see her. Ten minutes passed. Twenty. Thirty. I started to relax-maybe she'd decided to skip it. Maybe she'd heard rumors and was hiding in her room crying. Part of me hated that thought. Another part was relieved.

Then the double doors at the far end opened.

She walked in.

And she wasn't alone.

Mindy stepped into the ballroom on the arm of a tall, broad-shouldered guy in a custom tux that probably cost more than most people's cars. Dark hair, sharp jaw, easy smile-the kind of face that screamed Alpha blood. He held her like she belonged to him. She wore a sleek black dress that hugged every curve, hair swept up to show off her neck, lips painted red. She looked like sin wrapped in elegance.

My wolf snarled so loud inside me I almost shifted right there.

I forced a smile, excused myself from a conversation with two ministers, and crossed the room. Emma followed, sensing the shift in my mood.

Mindy spotted me. Our eyes locked. For one second I saw something raw flash across her face-pain, anger, defiance-then she lifted her chin and smiled like nothing was wrong.

I couldn't wait another second.

I grabbed the microphone from the band's stand, tapped it twice. The music faded. Hundreds of eyes turned to me.

"Good evening, everyone," I said, voice steady even though my hands were shaking. I slid my arm around Emma's waist, pulling her close. "I've got an announcement. Emma and I are engaged. We'll be mating soon. Officially. Tonight marks the beginning of our future together-as mates, as partners, as leaders."

The room erupted in applause, cheers, glasses clinking. Alphas slapped me on the back. Someone yelled, "To the happy couple!"

I forced another smile.

Then I looked straight at Mindy.

She stood frozen, jaw slack, eyes wide with shock. Her date-Derek, I'd later learn-tightened his grip on her arm like he was claiming territory.

I waved her over, casual, like we were just siblings catching up.

"Come say hi, Mindy," I called. "Congratulate us."

She blinked, then slowly disentangled herself from Derek's arm. She walked toward us, heels clicking on the marble like gunshots.

When she reached us, she stared at Emma's hand. The five-carat diamond caught every light in the room.

"You bought her a ring?" Mindy asked, voice dangerously quiet at first. Then louder. "You actually bought her a diamond engagement ring and didn't even mention it to me? Not once?"

Emma laughed lightly, holding out her hand. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Duncan has excellent taste."

Mindy's eyes snapped to mine. "You should've told me. Asked me. Something. Anything."

I leaned in, voice low so only she could hear. "This isn't about you."

Her laugh was bitter. "Right. Of course it isn't."

Then she raised her voice so half the room could hear.

"I reject this mating bond!" she shouted. "I reject it right here, right now!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd. A few Alphas frowned. Emma stiffened beside me.

I grabbed Mindy's wrist-hard-and yanked her closer. My voice dropped to a growl only she could hear.

"Don't you ever fucking yell in my face like that again," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Don't raise your voice. Don't make a scene. You're embarrassing yourself-and me."

She looked down at my grip on her arm, then back up at me. Instead of pulling away, she smirked-cold, challenging.

"Okay, big brother," she said sweetly, loud enough for people nearby to hear. "Congratulations on your engagement. I'm so happy for you."

She twisted free and turned to her date, who'd followed her over.

"Let me introduce you properly," she said, sliding both arms around Derek's neck. He grinned like he'd won the lottery. "This is Derek. My boyfriend. And-" She paused, tilted her head, eyes locked on mine. "Soon to be my fiancé."

The word hit me like a punch to the gut.

"What the fuck," I snarled, stepping forward. "Who the hell said that?"

Derek chuckled, completely unbothered. "She did. Just now."

Mindy smiled up at him, then back at me-pure defiance. "What's wrong, Duncan? You can announce your engagement in front of the whole pack, but I can't mention mine?"

I felt the shift coming-fangs lengthening, claws itching. My wolf was seconds from ripping through.

Emma touched my arm. "Duncan..."

Mindy leaned into Derek, voice soft but cutting. "Don't worry. I won't make a scene. I just wanted to congratulate you both. Same as you wanted from me."

She turned, pulling Derek with her, and walked away-head high, hips swaying, leaving me standing there in the middle of my own party, surrounded by applause that suddenly sounded like mockery.

I watched her disappear into the crowd.

And for the first time in years, I wasn't sure who was drowning faster-her, or me.

Alpha Duncan

Derek was standing way too close to Mindy, his hand resting low on her back, fingers brushing the curve of her waist as he owned her. My wolf snapped. Before I could think, I shoved him hard enough to make him stumble back a step.

"Back off," I growled low.

Emma grabbed my arm right away, her nails digging in just enough to get my attention. She stepped between us, voice calm but sharp, the way only a future Luna can sound when she's trying to save face in a room full of powerful people.

"Duncan, what is wrong with you?" she hissed under her breath. "Everyone's staring. Your sister, your family drama-handle it in private. This is our engagement party. Not a battlefield."

The whole ballroom had gone quiet for a second. Heads turned. Alphas raised eyebrows. Ministers whispered behind champagne flutes. I could feel the weight of every gaze like a physical thing pressing on my skin.

I clenched my fists so tight my knuckles cracked. Took a slow breath. Forced my shoulders down. Then I pointed one finger right at Mindy's nose, close enough that she had to lean back a little.

"Just for now," I said through gritted teeth. "Only because I'm not about to let you ruin my engagement party in front of the entire pack and half the country's business elite."

Mindy's eyes flashed. She raised one perfectly shaped brow, then the other, mocking me with that little sarcastic wave she does when she knows she's winning.

"Oh yes, listen to your wise, perfect fiancée," she said, voice dripping with fake sweetness. "So mature. So in control." She turned to Derek, looping her arm through his. "Sorry about the little family scene, babe. Come on-let's dance. I need to move before I say something I'll regret."

She shot me one last look-pure fire-then tugged Derek toward the center of the dance floor like she was daring me to follow.

I watched them go. He was tall, broad, dressed in a tux that screamed old money and custom tailoring. Expensive watch. Confident posture. He didn't look like a gold-digger chasing her last name or my connections. That made it worse. He looked like he actually deserved her. And that thought burned hotter than anything else tonight.

I forced myself to turn away. Grabbed Emma's hand.

"Let's dance," I muttered.

She didn't argue. We moved to the center of the floor. The pianist played something slow and elegant, soft piano notes floating over the crowd. Emma pressed close, her hand on my shoulder, whispering, "You need to breathe. People are still watching."

"I know," I said. But my eyes kept drifting to Mindy and Derek. He had his arms around her waist now. She was laughing at something he said. Laughing. The sound cut through the music like a blade.

Then she pulled away from him. Walked straight to the pianist. Whispered in his ear. He nodded, smiled, and handed her the microphone.

The music faded. Heads turned again.

"Excuse me, everyone," Mindy said into the mic, her voice sweet but edged with something dangerous. She gave a small, charming laugh. "I'd like to sing a song. For my boyfriend. Is that okay? Just one little song?"

A ripple of amused applause. People thought it was cute. Sweet. Romantic.

I knew better.

She was furious. I could see it in the tight set of her jaw, the way her fingers gripped the mic too hard, the glitter in her eyes that wasn't happiness-it was rage. I'd raised her. I knew every tell. She was holding it together by a thread because of me. Because I'd dropped the engagement bomb without warning her. Without giving her even a heads-up.

My heart started pounding harder.

She began to sing.

Her voice filled the room-clear, warm, heartbreaking. The same voice I'd heard singing lullabies when she was little, humming in the kitchen while she made coffee, whispering goodnight through my bedroom door when I worked too late.

The song was one I loved. One she used to sing to me all the time lately-softly, almost like a secret. She never knew why it hit me so hard. It wasn't just the melody. The lyrics were everything I felt for her but could never say.

She closed her eyes as she sang.

"Said I was in love with you, but I lied to you...

This is more than the love I feel within me...

I told you I adored you, but I was mistaken...

Because love will never ever feel this strong again..."

Every word landed like a confession. She wasn't looking at Derek. Not once. Her body faced the crowd, but when her eyes opened at the end, they locked straight on mine.

My chest caved in. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All I wanted was to cross the room, pull her into my arms, hold her so tight she'd never doubt how much she meant to me.

But she didn't give me the chance.

Jealousy flipped a switch in her. She spun around, grabbed Derek by the collar, and kissed him-deep, desperate, right there in front of everyone. Her hands in his hair. His arms wrapped around her like he'd been waiting for this moment.

It felt like someone drove a knife straight through my ribs. My heart squeezed so hard I thought it might stop. Tears shimmered in her eyes even as she kissed him. I saw them spill over, slide down her cheeks.

I lost it.

I stormed across the floor. Shoved Derek back so hard he almost fell. Then I swung a fist, connecting with his jaw. Blood sprayed. His nose crunched. He staggered, hand flying to his face.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" I roared.

He wiped blood from his lip, eyes wide but not scared-more stunned. "Alpha Duncan... I really like her. I haven't done anything wrong. She's my girlfriend. She said yes when I asked if she'd consider mating with me someday. I'd propose right now if you'd let me-"

The more he talked, the redder everything got.

"Get. The fuck. Out," I snarled, stepping closer. "And don't ever come near my sister again. That's not a request."

He looked at Mindy. She was shaking, tears streaming. He swallowed hard, nodded once, then turned and walked out-fast-blood staining his white shirt.

Mindy whirled on me.

"How could you?!" she screamed. "He's my boyfriend! I was going to mate with him-whether you like it or not! You don't get to decide who I love!"

Something snapped.

My hand moved before my brain caught up. The slap cracked across her cheek-sharp, loud. The sound echoed.

She froze. Hand flying to her face. Eyes huge with shock and hurt.

"What... are you doing?" she whispered, voice breaking.

Tears poured down her cheeks now. Fast. Silent.

I stared at my own hand as it belonged to someone else. My stomach twisted. I'd never hit her. Never. Not once in all the years I'd raised her.

But the thought of her mated to him-to anyone-had ripped something loose inside me.

I couldn't speak. Couldn't apologize. Not yet.

Instead, I grabbed her wrist-gentler this time-and pulled her through the crowd. People parted like water. Emma called my name once, but I didn't stop. Didn't look back.

We climbed the stairs in silence. Mindy didn't fight. Didn't pull away. Just followed, head down, tears dripping onto the marble.

I kicked open her bedroom door. Slammed it shut behind us. Pushed her gently but firmly against the wall.

"You are never mating with him," I said, voice rough. "Never. I'll find someone worthy. Someone who-"

She cut me off.

Her hands fisted in my collar. She yanked me down and crashed her lips against mine.

Hard. Hungry. Desperate.

I froze for half a second-then the dam broke.

My hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her closer. I kissed her back like I'd been starving for years. Tongue sweeping in, tasting her, claiming her. She moaned into my mouth-soft, needy-and it undid me completely.

When oxygen finally forced us apart, I stumbled back, chest heaving.

"What the fuck have we done?" I rasped, dragging both hands through my hair. "Mindy... we can't-"

"I'm so fucking in love with you!" she shouted, tears still falling. "We're mates, Duncan! Don't lie to me anymore! Don't lie to yourself! I'm not letting that bitch take you away from me. Not ever again."

She stepped forward, hands shaking as she reached for me.

And in that moment, with her lips swollen from our kiss, eyes blazing with love and pain and fury...

I didn't push her away.

I didn't run.

I just stood there-heart hammering, wolf howling-and realized the wave had finally crashed.

There was no swimming back to shore now.