LET GO OF ME STEPBROTHER! I'M NOT YOUR LUNA

"I heard about what happened," Jeff said, not beating about the bush, and Noah exhaled, pissed.

"Do you have any idea why the late Alpha would do that?" Jeff asked, confused.

No one in the pack expected such a decision from Lockhart. Especially knowing Carol's half-blood history.

"I don't," Noah said weakly and took a seat, then ordered a bottle of beer.

"Didn't you say you have never seen her shift?" Jeff asked.

"How can a wolfless young girl rule the pack?" he muttered with irritation, but Noah immediately signaled to him to keep quiet.

Not many in the pack knew of the fact that Carol didn't have a wolf yet, except for him, his late father, and Paul.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Nothing for now," Noah answered, and Jeff was shocked to hear that.

"You're going to let her be? I heard others are already coveting the position of her mate," Jeff told him, and Noah raised his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you aware that she will have to get married as a single lady to stabilize her position?" Jeff replied, and Noah shook his head.

"According to what I gathered, she will have to choose a suitor among our extended family."

Noah frowned as he rubbed his temple slowly.

That had escaped his mind.

He only thought to deal with the issue of not letting Carol take over the throne but forgot that she was still without a mate, especially after he...

"Which brings me to think of this solution," Jeff cut into his thoughts, and Noah could guess where he was driving at.

"Why don't you mark her as your mate now?" he suggested and looked around to be sure no one else heard him.

Noah flared up at his suggestion.

"Have you gone crazy?" he spat.

"What other easy way can you take to get back what originally belongs to you? You are her true mate," Jeff responded, dead serious.

From the beginning, he could never understand why Noah kept this truth hidden from Carol or why he hated her so much.

"I don't think of her in that way," Noah uttered, his eyes grim.

"Really?" Jeff countered.

"Why haven't you rejected her then?" he questioned, but Noah refused to answer.

"If you had rejected her already, then maybe you would have gotten a second mate," he said.

As werewolves, they are only allowed a chance at a true mate twice. But once a mate bond is connected and not rejected for a while, the bond becomes permanent, and no chance is given to find another mate after that.

"Keeping her from getting another chance with someone else is just the right punishment for her," Noah growled lowly.

"You're still upset about the fact that she became your stepsister after sleeping with you?" Jeff asked, his voice teasing.

"Mind your business," Noah responded.

"I will handle the situation in my own way," he said, concentrating on his drink.

Jeff shook his head, not understanding why he wanted to take the hard way instead of the easy path.

He could never understand his obsession with keeping Carol from having another mate.

"Hope you can really do that forever then," Jeff shrugged, raising a toast.

---

"There's a small party for you tonight where you can meet the council," Lisa informed Carol, who was already overwhelmed by the duties in front of her.

"A party? Is it really necessary?" she asked, tired.

"Yes, Alpha. You have to be there, and your brother will also be there," Lisa answered.

Carol's heart skipped a beat hearing Noah's name.

She hadn't seen him for two days, and it seemed to her that he was avoiding her, which was unlike him.

"Okay, I will get prepared in a short while," Carol sighed, and Lisa turned to leave, but she stopped her.

"Do you know a lot about the Shadow Pack? I heard the Alpha is ruthless, and most of the pack members are fugitives," Carol said.

She had been trying to crack her head around what to do to deal with them but couldn't figure out anything good.

"You don't have to deal with the Shadow Pack now. Things are still under control in the pack, but you need to first earn the trust of those who are more powerful," Lisa told her, and Carol nodded in agreement.

"Okay," she said, dropping her pen and standing up from the chair.

"Get me my dress then. I will meet with everyone in a few minutes."

Carol went into her room and found a purple dress lying on the bed. Impressed by how beautiful it looked, she wondered what she would wear when she was crowned in a month, and took off the clothes she was wearing.

"Carol, are you..."

Noah held the door to Carol's room, not bothering to knock, and was stunned to see her naked.

"Ah!"

Carol screamed and quickly grabbed her clothes from the floor to cover her body, but he had already seen her.

"What are you doing?" she yelled at him, but Noah wasn't listening to her.

His eyes were fixed on her body, and he tightened his grip on the doorknob to stop himself from doing something silly.

"I didn't know you were getting dressed," he said to her and turned away.

"Everyone is waiting for you; you shouldn't be late," he told her.

"I understand. I will be there soon," Carol replied and waited for him to leave before letting go of the clothes on her body again.

She exhaled sharply but unrelieved, and quickly got into the new dress.

It was a low-back gown with a strap around the neck.

She put on the high heels Lisa left for her and went out of the room.

Carol's eyes scanned the group of people in the room. She hadn't spoken with many of them before, nor were they on good terms with her.

They were part of the people who called her mother a gold digger when she married Lockhart and looked down on her at every chance.

Seeing that they were actually here to celebrate her as the Alpha made her feel so proud.

Noah brushed past beside her, and Carol's face stiffened. His imposing figure as he stepped in front of her exuded an aura of dominance.

"Why are you looking lost, sister?" he whispered, his piercing eyes seeming to see right through her.

He was undeniably handsome and mean.

"Are you drooling over me?" he said again, and Carol exhaled, coming out of her trance.

"Don't flatter yourself," she replied and rolled her eyes, then made to leave, but Noah pull her back.

"Not so quick. We need to appear as harmonious as ever," he whispered to her again, and Carol held her breath as his face came close.

"Let's go," he said, taking her hand and leading her into the party.

No sooner had they stepped into the middle of the crowd than a number of girls crowded Noah, and Carol lost sight of him.

"Carol," Paul called out to her, and she smiled.

"You look so beautiful. Lockhart would be proud of you," he said and introduced her to the members of the council present.

"Alpha," a few of them mentioned and greeted her with respect.

"Hi, I'm Flynn," Flynn stepped forward in a blue suit and took her hand, then kissed it.

"I have heard a lot about you," Carol told him, and Flynn chuckled.

"What have you heard?"

"Good words only," she told him, and they both laughed.

"Here, have a drink," Flynn said, grabbing a glass for her, and Carol took it gratefully, drinking only a little.

"Sister," Noah joined them, and Flynn's eyes turned a little discomfited.

"Can I have a word?" Noah said, and Carol excused herself.

"Are you here to flirt?" he questioned with a displeased gaze.