Alpha Reign and His Crazy Stepdaughter

Chapter Three

First Person's Perspective

Belle

I couldn't breathe

No, scratch that, I forgot how to breathe

My mother's words echoed in my head like a broken record, each repetition louder than the last

This is my husband

My husband

Husband

The world tilted sideways, and for a second, I thought I might actually pass out right there on the perfectly manicured pack grounds

My wolf was losing her goddamn mind, clawing at my insides, howling and thrashing like she wanted to rip her way out of my ski

MATE. MATE. OURS. CLAIM HIM.

"Belle? Sweetheart, are you alright? You look pale"

My mother's voice cut through the chaos in my head, concern creasing on her perfectly made up face

I forced my eyes away from him, from them actually and tried to form words. Any words at all

"I'm... fine. Just tired.... Jet lag"

Smooth, Belle. Real smooth *rolls eye internally*

But I couldn't look at him. If I looked at him, I'd either combust or shift right there and tear into something or maybe both

"Oh, of course! You must be exhausted from the flight" Mom turned back to him, her hand still resting possessively on his arm "Darling, this is Belle. My daughter, the one I've been telling you about"

There was a pause. A heavy, suffocating pause, before...

"It's... a pleasure to meet you, Belle"

His voice

Oh God his voice

So deep and rough Like gravel and whiskey and every bad decision I'd ever want to make

It rolled over me like a physical touch, and I had to clench my fists to keep from shaking

I finally-finally-dragged my eyes up to meet his

Big mistake

Because he was staring at me with the same intensity, the same shock, the same hunger that I was desperately trying to hide

His jaw was locked tight, a muscle ticking in his cheek. His hands were clenched at his sides like he was holding himself back from something

And he looked just as wrecked about it as I felt....thank God I wasnt the only crazy one around here

"Belle?" My mother was watching me now, her smile faltering slightly "Aren't you going to say hello?"

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper

"Oh! Um...Hello," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper

His eyes darkened immediately

"Your mother speaks very highly of you," he said, his tone carefully controlled

"Does she now?" I shot back, sharper than I intended

Mom laughed, oblivious "Oh, don't mind her. She's always been a bit prickly, takes after me, I suppose"

No. I absolutely did not take after her

Especially not in the "sleeping with my fated mate" department

"I should go," I blurted out, taking a step back "Unpack...Settle in....You know..."

"Oh, but we were just about to give you a tour of the grounds!" Mom protested "Weren't we, honey?"

"Actually," his voice cut in, "I have a meeting I need to attend" Mom creased her brows at him and he shrugged "Uh...Council business"

Thank the goddesssss!

"Oh!" Mom looked disappointed "Well, alright then. Belle and I can explore on our own"

He nodded curtly, his eyes flicking to me one last time before he turned and walked away

But not before I caught the way his hands were shaking

Haha

At least the feeling is mutual

~~~~

I barely heard a word my mother said during the "tour"

She talked on about the pack house, the training facilities, the gardens, the history of the estate-but all I could think about was him

The Alpha, whose my mother's husband and supposedly my mate too, gah! That's too much

And it wasn't just bad...it was catastrophic

"...and of course, there's the Luna ceremony next month. It's going to be quite the event!"

I stopped walking

"Luna ceremony?"

Mom beamed, happy that she's finally gotten my full attention "Yes! A formal celebration to honor my position as Luna of the Valencian Pack. Everyone will be there. The council, neighboring packs, even some of the elders from the old territories"

Of course. Because this situation wasn't complicated enough already

"That's... great, Mom. Really"

She studied me for a moment, her expression softening "I know this is all very new for you, Belle. And I know we haven't always seen eye to eye. But this-" she gestured around us, "-this is a fresh start. For both of us."

A fresh start

Right

If only she knew that her "fresh start" was currently my worst nightmare

By the time I made it back to my room, I was ready to scream

I slammed the door shut behind me and leaned against it, sliding down to the floor

My wolf, Isla, was still going ballistic, whining and pacing and demanding I go find him

"Absolutely not," I hissed at he. "He's married. To our mother. This is not happening"

But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie

Because the bond didn't care about logistics. It didn't care about morality or family drama or the fact that this was the single worst possible match in the history of terrible matches

The bond just was

And it was pulling at me, very relentlessly

I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to think

Options, I needed options, they weren't many but i cohld come up with a few

Option one was to leave. Just pack my shit and get the hell out of Valencia before this got any messier

Or Tell my mother. Watch her world implode and probably get banished from the pack, that would be both hilarious and not

Or, I reject the bond, which would definitely kill both of us slowly and painfully....I shohld cross that out of the list

Or Do nothing and hope it went away

All terrible options

I hit my head on the door "I am so screwed"

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out absently, expecting some spam notification or a message from one of my old friends

Instead, my screen lit up with a news alert

BREAKING: Westwood Woman Arrested for Domestic Abuse - Drug Addiction Suspected

Now, I wouldn't care, If my name wasnt Westwood

, instantly, blood turned to ice

I clicked on the article, my hands already shaking

And there it was. My face

Plastered across the screen like I was some kind of criminal

Belle Westwood, 23, was arrested last week following a violent altercation with her long term boyfriend, Rowan Mitchell. According to sources close to the couple, Westwood has a history of aggressive behavior, often escalating when under the influence of drugs and alcohol

"What the fuck?" I breathed

"She would get high and just lose it," one anonymous source stated "Rowan tried to help her, but she was out of control. He's lucky to be alive, to be honest "

My vision blurred with rage

The incident, which left Mitchell hospitalized with multiple injuries, has sparked conversations about domestic violence and substance abuse in relationships. Mitchell's lawyer has stated that his client is "traumatized but hopeful that Belle gets the help she needs."

I threw my phone across the room

It hit the wall with a satisfying crack, but it didn't make me feel any better

That lying, manipulative, backstabbing piece of shit

He didn't just take me to court, he didn't just humiliate me

He destroyed my reputation. Made me out to be some unhinged addict who beat him for fun

And people would believe it. Because why wouldn't they? The article was everywhere. My name, my face, my life-reduced to a lie

I paced the room, Isla snarling and snapping, feeding off my fury

"I'm going to kill him," I muttered "I'm going to find him and rip his throat out with my bare hands"

You can't, Isla said, her voice surprisingly calm Not like this

"Watch me"

We're smarter than this, Belle, we're stronger than this

I stopped pacing, my chest heaving

We have something he doesn't, think about it she continued and I paused to do so, but nothing came

We have power now

I frowned "What are you talking about?"

Our mate, she said simply The Alpha who just happens to be the most powerful man in the werewolf world

My breath caught

She was right

I was mated to the most powerful Alpha in existence. Someone with influence, resources, connections that stretched across every pack, every territory

A slow, dangerous smile crept across my face

What if I used that?

What if I used him to destroy Rowan?

Without using violen or blood shed, but wkth sheer power and influence

With the kind of systematic, calculated revenge that would leave Rowan with nothing

Isla purred in agreement

It was risky....heck, It was insane

But it was perfect

I picked up my cracked phone from the floor, staring at the article one last time

"You want to play dirty, Rowan?" I whispered "Fine then, let's play"