STEPHEN
I let the phone ring until it cut off. Then again. And again.
I knew my father wouldn't stop until I picked up, but I wasn't in the mood for his lectures. The moment he brought her into our home, he made his choice. And I made mine.
My jaw clenched as the screen lit up for the fifth time. With a sharp exhale, I snatched the phone off my desk and pressed it to my ear.
"Why have you not been picking up my calls, son?" His voice carried the same controlled authority as always, but I could hear the frustration beneath it.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. "I've been busy training new recruits, Dad. Some of us actually have work to do."
Silence stretched between us. Heavy. Suffocating. It should have made me uncomfortable. It didn't.
"Selena is on her way to Lycanwood Academy," he finally said.
I smirked. Of course, she is.
"Is she still wolfless, or has the Moon Goddess finally taken pity on her?" I asked, my tone dripping with feigned curiosity.
A loud thud rattled through the speaker. I imagined him slamming his fist against his desk. Good. I hope it hurt.
"She is your sister, Stephen. You should be protecting her."
A cold laugh scraped past my throat. "She's your pet project, not mine." I stood, crossing the room to the window. Below, trainees sparred in the courtyard, the clash of steel and their grunts filling the air.
I should have been down there with them. Instead, I was wasting time on this conversation.
"She's the daughter of a murderer," I continued, my grip tightening around the phone. "You think she deserves my protection? You think she deserves to breathe the same air as us?"
"She's innocent," my father snapped. "She had no part in what happened."
I clenched my jaw. He still doesn't get it.
"Look, I'll tolerate her existence as long as she stays out of my way," I said. "That's the best you're going to get from me."
A long sigh. "Thank you, son."
I didn't respond. Instead, my eyes caught movement near the academy gates. A sleek black car rolled to a stop, dust curling around its tires. The door opened, and she stepped out.
Selena.
Even from here, I could see how much she had changed. She wasn't a scrawny kid anymore. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, her figure slender but undeniably feminine. But she still had that look—uncertainty, fear, like she was bracing for a fight she knew she'd lose.
Good. She should be afraid.
A cruel smile played at my lips. She had no idea what was waiting for her.
My father's voice cut through my thoughts. "The full moon is approaching. How will you manage?"
I stiffened. He never asked about that anymore. Not since I was fifteen, when I stopped crying out for help in the middle of the night.
"I can handle it," I said flatly.
"You don't have to do it alone, Stephen. I—"
I hung up.
Outside, Selena was gathering her bags, her shoulders tense. My staff hovered nearby, uncertain whether to assist her or keep their distance. I made a mental note to reinforce where they stood in this hierarchy.
A delicate hand slid over my shoulder.
"What are you thinking about, honey?"
Julia.
Her scent wrapped around me—warm, musky, with a sharp edge beneath the surface. I turned, trailing my fingers down her waist, watching as she shivered beneath my touch.
"Nothing important."
Her gaze flicked past me, landing on Selena. A sneer curled at the edge of her lips.
"I thought she was staying at the packhouse with your father," she murmured, tracing slow circles against my chest.
I exhaled sharply. "Apparently, she's here to train."
Julia pulled back, arms crossing. "That doesn't make sense. She had the entire royal training ground at her disposal. Why send her here?"
I didn't have an answer, and that irritated me.
"I'm putting her in your class," I said, watching her reaction. Her lips parted in shock before twisting into something darker.
"I want you to train her," I continued. "But don't go easy on her. And no one is to know who she really is."
Julia's expression darkened. "Why do you care so much about protecting her identity?"
"I don't." My voice hardened. "I just don't want her getting any special treatment. She's not pack. She's a liability."
Julia stared at me, eyes searching. Then, her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.
"You still care about her."
I stilled.
"What?"
"Four years ago, when we visited your father, I saw the way you looked at her," she murmured. "At night, when you thought no one was watching, you sat by her bed. You protected her even then."
I ripped my gaze away, cursing under my breath.
"That was nothing," I said. "I don't love her."
Julia's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. "Then prove it."
I narrowed my eyes. "What are you suggesting?"
"Make her life hell."
I studied her, then turned back to the window. Selena was walking through the academy doors now, head high despite the whispers that followed her.
She had no idea what she was walking into.
I smiled.
Let the game begin.