Marked By My Stepbrother: His Secret Obsession

Arya's POV

Sunlight slipped through the curtains and landed across my face.

My eyes flutter open. My head is pounding.

I groaned, sitting up only to find a man towering over me.

I jumped back, holding the duvet over my chest.

“Finally, you're up.” He said, tearing his gaze from me. And backed up.

“Levi?” I whispered.

He turned his head to me, I hitched.

He was more grown than in the last seven years I saw him.

He was fully jacked, all muscles, with a chiseled jaw and honey brown hair.

I can't believe he returned after all these years.

I thought he died or something because no one ever spoke about him, not that I could ask about it.

Although I still had dreams of what he did the night before he went away to the alpha's academy.

“How are you feeling?” His voice softened, and his gaze lingered on me.

“A little lightheaded," I barely said.

“I'll go get you something to….” Before he could finish, Alpha Roman barged into the room. Levi’s room.

“Where is she?” He thundered; troops of men followed behind him.

“Take her away; she's done more harm than good.” Alpha Roman ordered.

“What do you mean by that, Father?" Levi demanded.

“Stay out of this, son; it's time we take her away. The vampire clan will be willing to have a non-wolf as a blood host. Or whatever they planned to do with her.”

Levi stepped in front of his father, slow and deliberate, hands in his pocket.

“She isn't going anywhere, Father. I'll handle this.”

“Don't interfere with what you don't know. Arya is a shame and disgrace.” He roared, “She's a curse brought upon our land, and if we don't take her out, the gods will punish us.”

I am a…curse?

“Why else doesn't she have a wolf?” Roman asked, "And don't say she's a late bloomer.”

“You're right, she has no wolf because she doesn't smell like one.” Levi agreed, “However, I don't permit you to take her away to the vampires.”

“And who the hell do you think you are to go against my order?” Roman's veins bulge in his head. “This is my pack; whatever I say goes.”

Levi was oddly calm in such an intense situation; I could barely breathe in such a tense atmosphere.

My heart beat was accelerating.

“I will take care of this, Father; you have my word."

“Your words mean nothing," Roman bellowed. "Seize her!”

As the guard walked past Levi, just as he was about to reach me, Levi grabbed his head, ramming it against the wall.

I shrieked, closing my eyes. Warm liquid sprayed on my face

A thud made me open my eyes, and a smear of his blood was on the wall and some of it on my face.

“Are you willing to listen to me now, Father?" Levi said, his voice cold.

The alpha told the remaining of them to leave. “You don't know what you're doing.” He began, “The vampires would stop their carnage on our pack once we give them a ‘wolf’ to feed on.”

“Give them someone else, not Arya.” He said.

Roman turned to me; I averted my gaze in submission.

“Do whatever; she is doomed to die either way.”

“That won't happen," Levi countered.

“Oh yes, it would. You know what is coming; a weak being like her would never survive such an apocalypse.”

He turned and left.

The room fell quiet for a minute, then Levi turned to me.

My hair stood erect, and my heart slammed in my chest.“I should get going….”

“Sit where you are.” He ordered, and I plunged back to the bed.

His gaze traveled to the dead guard. “I'll have someone take care of him later.”

I nodded.

Levi was different, not just in appearance but in his aura.

He was intense, and it got me in a chokehold.I wanted nothing but to leave here and return to my small room—where I found comfort.

The air became thin, and my heart pounded.

Heat beamed my face, and the tingling sensation from the mark made it worse.

Suddenly i felt like sixteen again, the night he left to the academy.

“Should I say something? Conversation, maybe? This is too awkward.” Thought spiraled through my head.

Levi and I didn't speak much before.

And now that he'd returned years later, it felt so discomforting.

"How many years has it been?” I asked nervously; my voice cracked.

His eyes stayed on me for a moment.

“What happened to you?” He ignored my question and stared at my arms where Laura had inflicted.

“It's… a burn from a hot iron.”

“Who did that to you?” He asked.

I froze

If I told him the truth, he would kill Laura for sure.

He was possessive that much, even when we were kids.

“It was an accident; I burned myself.” I chuckled.

He looked displeased but didn't say anything.“We leave at dawn.”

He said and turned, but I stopped him.

“Where to?” I blurted.

He turned to me, his eyes commanding even with no words.

This felt all too familiar.

Like when we were teens, Levi always told me what to do, to which I couldn't object.

He never allowed anyone to bully me or talk to me whenever I thanked him. He'll disregard it and say, "You'll thank me later.”

I never got to thank him before he vanished.

Lilith brought me a good meal after Levi left. She cleaned up the blood.

I offered to help her, as it has been my job for years, but she refused.

I didn't leave the room for the rest of the day.

And in return, I slept in peacefully.

No one yelled at me or told me what to do.

No Laura.

No, Madam Grace.

For the first time in my twenty-third year of living, I felt peace and serenity.

I could get used to this if Levi doesn't vanish again.

Like he did seven years ago.

A tapping sound woke me.

I peered around; darkness swallowed the room.

I sat up on the bed, holding onto my duvet like my life depended on it.

The moonlight illuminated the large dark room.

The air was chilly, too.

The knock came again, louder. Aggressive.

"Who… who's there?” I was forced out in fear.

If a wolf attacks me, I have no defense.

Oh God, who could it be?

The door flung open, and Alpha Roman stepped forward.

“Come with me.”