Riley’s mom is about to marry the Lycan King, which means Riley is now the stepsister of the most famous fuckboy Ezra Ravenshire.

She knows life is about to get really rough because Ezra absolutely despises his father’s new wife and has sworn to ruin Riley’s life in every way possible. At school, she’s bullied, humiliated, and isolated—because under Ezra’s orders, the entire academy sees her as a walking target.

She keeps telling herself she just needs to survive one year. One year, and she’ll be out of here for good.

But what if they suddenly find out they’re mates?

Would that matebond change everything between them—or just give Ezra a new way to control and toy with her?

And Riley has a secret of her own. One that might just be the key to becoming the most powerful healer the pack has ever seen—and escaping Ezra once and for all.

***

His hand slid from my neck down to my chest. I bit my lip to stop a moan, and forced myself not to look into his eyes. But he leaned in close, his voice low and rough against my ears— “Think you can escape me, my stupid little sis? No, Never…Not until I say so.”

Jerk

Riley’s POV

I stood in front of the tall white archway, taking a deep breath.

Finally.

After nearly a full day of planes, trains, and cars, I was finally here—the Full Moon Pack. Home of the Lycans.

Lycans were the top of the werewolf world. At the very top were the royal Lycans, then the rest of the Lycans. They all lived here in the Full Moon Pack.

The rest of us—regular werewolves—lived scattered across the world in smaller packs, ruled by local Alphas.

Normally, someone like me would never be allowed here. But I had a reason. Not that my reason made me feel any better.

“Move it, mutt!”

Someone slammed into me from behind, hard enough to knock me and all my luggage straight into the gravel by the road. I gasped and fell. Sharp stones scraped my arm, making it sting like hell.

“Filthy dog,” he sneered.

I pushed myself up, wincing, and caught a glimpse of the guy who shoved me. He was obviously a Lycan—huge, broad, and built like a damn tank. He walked away with a crowd of people around him like he was some kind of prince.

Jerk.

I muttered internally.

Plenty of Lycans thought they were superior, but not many were straight-up rude enough to shove someone to the ground and call them a mutt. This one had the biggest ego I’d ever seen.

“Hey, are you okay?”

A young man came over and helped me up, grabbing my suitcase. He was a Lycan too, but like I said—not all of them were arrogant pricks.

“Thanks. I’m fine.” I smiled weakly, still clutching my scratched arm.

“Ezra just came back from a hunt. He’s still in predator mode. He didn’t mean to hurt you,” the young man explained with a warm smile.

“Ezra?” I blinked, confused. Why did he say it like I should know who that is?

“Ezra Ravenshire,” the guy said, looking just as shocked by my blank expression. “Lycan King’s only son. Our heir? You must be new here.”

Wow. So THAT was Ezra Ravenshire.

I knew I’d probably run into him during this trip, but—he was even worse than I imagined.

“Yeah, I just moved here from Pebble Creek Pack,” I asked.

The young man eyes lit up. “Pebble Creek… wait, are you Riley? Your mom sent me to pick you up!”

Great. I’d hoped to wander the city alone for a while before facing my mom. But so much for that plan. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Randall. I’m your mom’s head of security.” He beamed and grabbed my bags, gesturing to a car nearby. “Come on with me.”

As Randall drove us through the city, I looked out the window. Everything here was sleek and modern—skyscrapers, wild architecture, fashionably dressed people everywhere. It was nothing like the forests and creeks I knew back home in Pebble Creek Pack.

“So, how do you like Full Moon Pack so far?” Randall asked from the driver’s seat.

“It’s… nice.” A lie, but a polite one.

“Of course it is! This is the center of the world. You’re gonna love it here.” He grinned. “I know today’s supposed to be your freshman orientation, but your mom told me to bring you home first. You can drop off your stuff—she’s already spoken to the Royal Academy, you won’t even have to stay on campus.”

“No. Take me to the school first,” I said firmly.

He blinked at me through the rearview mirror. “But your mom specifically said—”

“I don’t care what she said. I’m going to the school first. And I’m staying in the dorms.”

Randall stared at me for a few seconds, then probably realized that I wasn’t some pushovers. He sighed and mumbled something like “How am I supposed to explain this to her?”

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

My mom might’ve dragged me here from home and transferred me into the Royal Academy, but she wasn’t going to make all my choices for me. Not anymore.

And right now, I was doing my best to delay that awkward reunion with her for as long as I could.

Randall dropped me off at the front gate of the Royal Academy. It was the first day of the semester, and the place was packed with cars dropping off new students.

I politely refused Randall’s offer to escort me in and made my way through tearful parents and nervous freshmen, dragging my suitcase behind me.

This place was undeniably the best school in the world.

Whether you wanted to be a warrior, a healer, or a future leader—this was the place.

All Lycans were required to study here before adulthood, and even many Alphas fought tooth and nail to get their kids accepted.

Let’s be honest—if it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t stand a chance of getting in.

I followed the crowd of new students to the front of the auditorium, where a serious-looking woman handed me a number: 6.

“Your dorm number,” she said. “You’ll be grouped by dorms for introductions and a campus tour.”

Clutching my number, I started weaving through the crowd, searching for my group.

Eventually, I found them. Five girls clustered together, all thin, all dressed in designer clothes. They were clearly already besties and were gossiping like they’d known each other for years.

I took a deep breath and walked over.

“Uh, hi? I think I’m your new roommate?” I said, slightly raising my voice.

All five turned to stare at me.

One of them—a blonde with perfectly curled hair—looked me up and down, then wrinkled her nose like she smelt something awful. “A werewolf?”

“Yeah. I’m Riley Monroe,” I said, keeping my tone steady even though I could already feel her attitude from a mile away.

She rolled her eyes dramatically.

The girl beside her, with short black hair, was a little more polite. She smiled. “So you must be the daughter of an Alpha, right? That’s the only way regular werewolves can get in.”

“Um… not really. My dad’s just a farmer.”

The polite smile vanished.

Another girl groaned and muttered, “…You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“You need to go request a dorm change,” the blonde snapped.

I raised an eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”

The girl with short black hair gave me a fake smile. “You see, Camila here is the daughter of the Lycan King’s beta. I’m Layla, and my brother’s a Gamma. And the others are all at least Lycans. We just think you’d be more comfortable with your…own kind.”

Are they serious right now? We’re all werewolves.

“Well, actually, I think I’ll be pretty comfortable right here,” I said calmly.

They stared at me like I’d just committed a crime.

Camila and Layla exchanged a look. Layla shrugged. “Fine. Suit yourself. The teacher had already handed out our textbooks. You’re the only one who hasn’t gotten yours.”

“Thanks. Where do I get them?”

“First floor, through the West Wing, room at the end of the hallway.”

I nodded and strode away from the pack of mean girls.

Now maybe my mom’s offer to live off-campus wasn’t the worst idea after all. Maybe I really should change dorms.

But it just didn’t feel fair.

Why should I be the one who gets kicked out?

Before I left Pebble Creek, my grandmother said something to me. She said, don’t be afraid of any of them. One day, you’ll be the best healer there is. You’re stronger than they are.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be the best healer.

But I do know I’m not letting a bunch of Lycans bully me on day one.

I followed the blonde’s directions to the West Wing and stopped in front of the room at the end of the hall.

The door was closed. It was quiet. Didn’t really look like a place for picking up textbooks.

“Hello?” I tried knocking. No answer.

I pushed the door open.

That’s when I heard loud moaning and flesh slapping against each other.

A couple was having sex on the desk.

The girl’s straddling a guy, grinding her hips while flipping her hair like a whip. Her naked boobs bounced like two freaking melons. She casually turned her head and she saw me.

“FUCK!” she screamed.

I hastily wanted to back out of the room. But it was too late.

The guy lying on the desk turned his head to me. He’s got dark hair, green eyes, and the face of an angle.

Ezra Ravenshire.

The Lycan King’s heir narrowed his eyes at me. The expression on his face turned deadly.

: FUCK OFF BITCH

Riley’s POV

“Who the hell are you?!” the naked girl shrieked at me.

“I’m sorry. I went into the wrong room,” I said immediately, backing up.

“You were spying on us?! You disgusting sick little creep!” she kept on screaming.

Footsteps rushed up behind me. Within seconds, a crowd had gathered in the doorway, including my lovely roommates.

"Riley! What are you doing here?" Layla gasped. Her panic was ironic, considering she was the one who told me to come here for textbooks.

"I came here because you told me to. You literally said it a few minutes ago, remember?"

"No way. I would never send you here," she denied immediately. "Everyone knows the hallway at the end of the West Wing belongs to Ezra. No one's allowed there. Not even teachers."

Camila crossed her arms and glared at me. "And who picks up textbooks on the first day of orientation? Everyone knows they get handed out in class."

“So you lied and tricked me into this,” I said coldly.

“Bullshit!” Camila cried. “I didn’t even talk to you during the orientation. Everyone in our dorm saw it…Right girls?”

All the other girls in our dorm nodded instantly, eager to confirm her story. And suddenly I was this disgusting little freak who peeked on the Lycan King’s heir having sex with his girlfriend.

“Fine. So I had walked into the wrong room. I already apologized. Can I go now?”

I tried to walk past them. Camila shoved me back hard.

“What the hell is your problem?!” I snapped.

“You think you can just walk away after barging into Ezra’s space? After how you’ve intruded him?” Her voice dripped with venom. “This is the Royal Academy. We have rules here. Not like that uncivilized shithole you crawled out of.”

She looked past me and suddenly flushed. “Ezra, don’t you agree? She should be punished.”

Ezra finally sat up.

His shirt hung open, toned chest and abs on full display.

He raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t respond right away.

“So I’m supposed to be punished because I walked into the wrong room? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Obviously. That’s how the Lycan world works.” Layla said with a plastic smile. “Let me think…You should be whipped—10 lashes—and expelled from school.”

“Bullshit. Only the principal can expel me,” I said coldly.

"Wanna bet?" Camila rolled her eyes. "Girls, get her out of Ezra’s room. Make sure she’s gone for by the end of the day."

The girls charged at me. One yanked my hair, another tore at my shirt. Their long nails dug into my skin. I tried to fight them off. "Get off me!"

Yet my resistance only made them laugh.

"Get out of our school, dog!" someone shouted. "This place isn’t for werewolves like you."

"Yeah, disappear already!"

“You don’t’ belong here!”

They were just about to drag me out when a lazy voice called out:

"Wait."

The room froze. They all turned and looked over to him.

Ezra strolled over, hands in his pockets, a smug grin on his face. His chest was still bare, and there were still hickeys left by his girlfriend. He radiated smug arrogance.

"Tell them to let me go," I hissed.

He grinned wider. "I almost didn’t recognize you at the gate. Long time no see, Riley."

There’s a collective gasp. Everyone looked utterly shocked.

"You—you know her?" Camila stuttered.

"Yup. And you might want to be careful. She’s not just any werewolf," he said, eyes glinting sinisterly as he looked at me. "Why don’t you tell them who you are?"

I stayed silent.

"Everyone, meet Riley Monroe, daughter of my father's new wife." he announced.

I sighed internally.

There was a long silence. Then Layla broke it, her voice shaking.

"Wait... the King’s new wife…You mean—she’s THAT WHORE’S daughter?!"

"Don’t call my mom that," I said sharply.

No one listened.

Ezra gave a humorless laugh. "Yes, that same whore who was been fucking my father while my mother was still on her sickbed. And barely six months after my mother passed, she couldn’t wait to marry him. That. Whore."

I glared at him, furious. But unfortunately, nothing he said was a lie.

My mother had been seeing the King even before his wife passed away. Even from the small village where I came from, I heard rumors about my mom. No one likes a homewrecker. Especially not in the royal family.

And that’s how I ended up here.

After the Queen finally passed, my mom pushed through the marriage. I’d been raised by my grandmother for a decade, but suddenly, my mom insisted I come stay with her and hold her hand through the wedding.

Classic her.

Never thinking about what this would do to my life.

"So once my dad marries her mom, she becomes my stepsister," Ezra said, looking right at me. "As much as I hate the idea, I’ll have to deal with her existence."

"That’s not fair," Camila said shakily.

"Why her?" Layla cried.

I took a deep breath. "Believe me, I hate this arrangement more than you do."

"Oh really? Sure doesn’t look like it. Pulling stunts on the first day to impress me? You might even be worse than your mother."

Ezra grabbed my chin. I gasped—he gripped too hard.

"Stay away from me, mutt.” he growled. “Being my stepsister doesn’t mean I want you anywhere near me."

He gave my shoulder a hard shove and walked off. His ridiculously hot girlfriend followed him, but not before throwing me a nasty glare.

Everyone else stared at me like I was something rotten. I had expected this. It’s why I tried to keep my identity quiet as long as possible. But that hope died on day one.

I shook off the girls and walked out, alone.

The rest of the orientation was like hell.

The rumors spread like wildfire. People whispered behind my back all day. By the time the campus tour ended, everyone knew I was the daughter of that whore.

When the group was finally dismissed, I could barely breathe. I just wanted to get to my dorm and drop dead on my bed.

Our dorms were some cozy little villas, six students per house. When I found the house labeled "6," there was already a crowd outside. They were all pointing at something, laughing, and talking loudly.

Suddenly I had a bad feeling.

And as soon as they saw me coming, they scattered.

I went straight to the front door.

And then, I saw it.

My luggage was dumped on the floor. My clothes had been shredded into pieces. My things were smashed. Books torn apart and thrown in front of a bedroom door.

And on the wall, in bright red spray paint, it said:

FUCK OFF. BITCH.

: Red Paint

Riley’s POV

I stared at the red paint on the wall for a second, then spun on my heel and walked out.

Camila and her little gang were still blocking the doorway like they were waiting to see me break down. I walked right up to them. “Move.”

“You still wanna stay in this dorm? It’s not too late to change your mind—”

“Move before I lose it.” I bared my wolf fangs at them.

They froze, clearly not expecting me to get physical. Before they could react, I shoved Camila out of the way and stormed off.

People were still whispering, pointing, and staring at me the whole way down the hall, but I ignored every single one of them and headed straight to the staff’s office.

The lady working there looked half-asleep and bored out of her mind. Her droopy eyes barely looked up when I came in, “What?”

“My things were ripped apart and thrown all over the dorm. Someone spray-painted my wall. I believe I’ve been bullied by my peers. Now I need you to find out who did it and do something about it.”

She finally lifted her head and blinked at me. Then she drawled, “…Wait. You’re that girl… the daughter of—”

“Yes. I’m Everly Monroe’s daughter. What about it?”

She gave me a fake little smile. “Look, bullying really isn’t that common in this school. Most of our students are well-educated and have a very good manner. If you feel targeted, maybe it’s worth reflecting on what you might’ve done to upset the whole group.”

“The only thing my mom and I have ever done to piss anyone off is getting involved with your King. Now, do I need to get your king here to apologize to you?” I asked sharply.

Her jaw dropped. “N-No, that’s not what I meant…”

I planted both hands on her desk and stared her down. “Find out who did it. And repaint my room. You think you can get it done by tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah, I think so…”

“Good. Because if it’s not done by tomorrow, I’ll be back to have another chat.”

I walked out without looking back.

All my stuff was ruined. I didn’t even have clothes to change into tomorrow. Not even a toothbrush. So after hesitating for a while, I finally pulled out my phone. Unsurprisingly, there were 9 missed calls and a crazy dozen texts.

[Randall said you arrived. Why aren’t you home yet?]

[You’re making me worried, honey.]

[Call me back.]

[Are you at least coming home for dinner? Your father wants to meet you.]

I let out a long sigh, then typed three words: [OMY.]

Half an hour later, a car drove me into the very heart of the Full Moon Pack—the palace.

It was the most beautiful building I’d ever seen. Snow-white walls, arched towers, a silver-domed roof, and an entrance that looked like it belonged in a fairy tale.

But honestly, I couldn’t say I was happy to be here.

A group of omega maids greeted me at the gate, flustering to open my door and hand me a welcome drink like I was checking into a five-star resort. I was just about to tell them to chill out when I heard the sharp clack of heels.

My mother, Everly Monroe, was hurrying toward me.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Delicate features, huge innocent eyes, and a slender figure that made her look like a goddess or an angel. Her soft blonde hair looked like it had been kissed by moonlight—no wonder the media once called her “the woman who most resembles the Moon Goddess.”

Someone like her was never meant to stay in a place like Pebble Creek Pack, let alone marry a farmer. And she realized that pretty quickly herself. At age 21, she walked out of our house and never looked back.

I always knew she’d climb higher.

I just never expected her to go this high.

“Oh, my sweet baby.”

She reached out and hugged me. I sighed inwardly and gave her a few awkward pats on the back.

“Hey Mom. How are you?”

“You have me so worried! When Randall came home without you, I thought something had happened. Thank goodness you’re safe.” She cupped my face in her hands. “God, look at you. It’s been so long…”

“8 years,” I said for her.

“Right. 8 years. I can’t believe it… You’ve grown into such a beautiful woman, and I’ve aged so much…”

Her face had nothing to do with the word “aged.” She looked just as beautiful as a decade ago. And to make things even more annoying, I saw tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t cry mom. I’m here, aren’t I?” I sighed again.

She wiped her eyes quickly. “Yeah you’re right. What am I thinking? So stupid of me to cry…I just really, really need you here, sweetheart. It’s the most important moment of my life, and I want the most important person to witness it. I need your blessing. And your… support.”

She emphasized “support.”

If the bullying I was facing out there was intense, I could only imagine how much worse it must be for her. For a delicate woman like my mom, it was probably killing her. No wonder she insisted on dragging me from the countryside into this hellhole.

She held my hand and smiled through her tears. “And I’ve made all the arrangements. You’ll study at the Royal Academy for 3 years, then join the Healers’ Association in Full Moon Pack right after graduation. You always wanted to be a healer, didn’t you? Your grandmother said you’re really talented—”

“Hold on.” I cut her off. “I’m only staying here for a year. Once your wedding’s over and you’re all settled in, I’m leaving.”

Her face changed instantly. “Leaving? Where are you going?”

I already had plans, but I wasn’t about to tell her. She’d have a heart attack once she heard my plan.

“Wherever I’m not surrounded by Lycans. I don’t belong here.”

“Yes, you do!” She squeezed my hand so hard it hurt. “I’m marrying the Lycan King. I belong here. So do you. If you want to be a healer, where else could be better than this?”

“Mom, don’t push it.”

She looked at me pleadingly. “Stay, Riley. Stay and make me proud. I’m begging you.”

She wanted me to make her proud.

But I wasn’t sure she’d feel that way if she knew my secret.

After a long silence, I gave in, “I’m hungry. Didn’t you say we were having dinner?”

She finally smiled. “Of course, baby. Dinner’s all ready. Come on.”

She led me into this huge dining hall. A long banquet table stretched down the middle, covered with enough food to feed a village. She sat me down beside her.

“Your father’s looking forward to meeting you honey. He’ll join us soon—”

“The Lycan King is not my father,” I said coldly.

Her grip on me tightened, nails digging into my skin. “Don’t make this difficult, Riley.”

I stared her down stubbornly. That’s when I heard steady footsteps from the doorway.

The Lycan King Soren Ravenshire walked in.

He was massive. Easily 6’5. Sharp features, broad shoulders, and a powerful, intimidating presence that made you want to bow your head on instinct. He looked nothing like his son. Ezra probably got his looks from his mom.

“Riley!” he boomed as he crossed the room. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

“Pleasure to meet you, my king,” I said politely, shaking his hand.

“Please, no need for titles. We’re about to be family. You’re practically my daughter already.”

“I won’t be calling you Dad. I already have one,” I said.

Mom tensed up visually like she wanted to leap across the table and cover my mouth. Soren paused, then let out a hearty laugh. “Of course I understand. You can call me Soren.”

“Thank you, my king.” I smiled. Still didn’t change the title.

We sat down at the table. Soren turned to me, “I heard you’ve enrolled at the Royal Academy. That’s good. It’s where the brightest in the kingdom come from. I hope you’ll be one of them. In fact, my son Ezra goes there too. You’ll probably see him around.”

“We’ve already met,” I said. And he made a lasting impression.

“Really?” Mom beamed and gripped my hand. Clearly, she misunderstood. “I think he’ll be joining us for dinner too. I was thinking of asking him to look out for you at school—you know since you’re new, and he’s graduating soon.”

I was about to beg her not to do something so stupid when the dining room doors suddenly slammed open.

Ezra Ravenshire stood in the doorway.

“You’re late Ezra,” Soren boomed.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to come to this stupid dinner,” his son smirked.

Then he turned his icy green eyes toward us. A chill ran down my spine. Mom sat up straighter, like bracing for a blow.

“Now who the fuck said you could use my mother’s silver?”