MY STEPFATHER’S SON IS MY FATED ENEMY

Lily wanted to kick him. Instead, she forced a smile.

"Thanks, Derek. I appreciate it."

"That's what family's for," Derek said smoothly.

The word family felt like a lie in her mouth. They weren't family. They were enemies bound by a terrible secret and an even more terrible deal.

After dinner, Lily volunteered to help clean up. Anything to avoid more forced conversation. She stood at the sink washing dishes while Mom dried, and Kane and Derek went to the living room to watch TV.

"You seem quiet tonight," Mom said gently. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Lily scrubbed a plate harder than necessary. "Just tired. It's been a long day."

"I know this is a big change." Mom set down her towel and pulled Lily into a hug. "But I promise, it's going to be wonderful. Kane is amazing, and Derek... well, I think once you get to know him, you'll see what a good person he is."

Lily buried her face in her mother's shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of vanilla and lavender. More than anything, she wanted to tell Mom the truth, about Derek, about the life-debt, about how scared she was.

But she couldn't. Mom was so happy. So hopeful about this new life.

Lily couldn't destroy that.

"I love you, Mom," she whispered.

"I love you too, baby. So much." Mom kissed the top of her head. "Now go get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day."

Lily finished the dishes and headed upstairs with Luna. As she passed Derek's room at the end of the hall, she heard music playing—something low and intense, all bass and drums.

She hurried to her own room and locked the door.

Only then did she let herself break down.

She sank onto the bed, and Luna climbed up beside her, whining softly. Lily buried her hands in silver fur and let the tears come.

"What are we going to do, girl?" she whispered. "We're stuck here. Stuck with him."

Luna licked her face, offering comfort the only way she knew how.

Lily lay down, pulling Luna close. Through the wall, she could still hear Derek's music. He was so close, just down the hall, in the same house, unavoidable.

Her stepbrother.

Her blackmailer.

Her... what? What was he really?

The spark she'd felt when they shook hands tingled in her memory. It hadn't felt like pack magic. It had felt like something else entirely, something that scared her almost as much as the life-debt itself.

Lily closed her eyes, exhaustion finally dragging her toward sleep.

Tomorrow, she'd face Silver Creek High. Tomorrow, she'd start paying her debt.

Tomorrow, her new life as Derek Stone's assistant would begin.

But tonight, in the darkness of her room, she let herself hate him. Hate him for putting her in this position. Hate him for being right about pack law. Hate him for existing in her perfect, safe world and shattering it completely.

And underneath the hate, buried so deep she barely recognized it, fear.

Fear of the strange, electric connection she'd felt when they touched.

The next morning, Lily's alarm went off at six-thirty, dragging her from nightmares of blood and gray eyes. She lay in bed for a moment, disoriented, before remembering where she was.

The cabin. Derek. The life-debt.

It hadn't been a dream.

Luna was already awake, sitting by the window and watching the sunrise. Lily dragged herself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom she now shared with Derek.

She froze with her hand on the doorknob.

What if he was in there?

"He left for his morning run twenty minutes ago," a voice said behind her.

Lily spun around. Kane stood in the hallway, already dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, holding a coffee mug.

"Oh. I didn't hear him leave."

"Derek's quiet when he wants to be." Kane smiled. "He runs every morning, rain or shine. Five miles through the forest. He'll be back by seven-fifteen."

"That's... dedicated."

"That's what it takes to be alpha." Kane's expression turned serious. "The pack looks to their leader for strength. Derek's been training his whole life for this role."

Lily nodded, not knowing what else to say. Kane seemed nice,  nothing like the cruel stepfather from fairy tales. That somehow made this whole situation worse.

"Anyway," Kane continued, "I just wanted to check on you. First day jitters?"

"A little," Lily admitted.

"Derek will take care of you. He's good at making people feel welcome." Kane squeezed her shoulder gently. "And if anyone gives you trouble, you tell me. Pack or human, it doesn't matter. You're my daughter now, and I protect what's mine."

The kindness in his voice made Lily's throat tight. She managed a smile and escaped into the bathroom before he could see the tears threatening to spill.

She locked the door and leaned against it, breathing hard.

This was so messed up. Kane was being wonderful, treating her like family, while his son was blackmailing her. How long could she keep up this act?

One year, she reminded herself. Just one year.

She showered quickly, hyperaware that Derek would be back soon. The bathroom was twice the size of the one in their old apartment, with a huge shower and double sinks. Derek's side was neat, toothbrush, deodorant, cologne organized on the counter. The cologne bottle caught her eye: expensive-looking, dark blue glass.

Before she could stop herself, Lily picked it up and sniffed it.

Pine and something darker. Cedar,

It smelled like Derek.

She slammed the bottle down, horrified at herself. Why did she care what he smelled like?

Back in her room, Lily stared at her closet. What did people wear to Silver Creek High? Her old school had uniforms, but Kane said this one didn't. She settled on jeans and a green sweater that brought out her eyes, then spent way too long trying to tame her hair into something presentable.

"What do you think?" she asked Luna, who cocked her head and wagged her tail once. "Good enough?"

A knock on her door made her jump.

"Lily? Derek's giving you a ride to school," Mom called. "You've got ten minutes!"

Lily's stomach dropped. A ride. With Derek. Alone.

"Coming!"

She grabbed her backpack, already loaded with new notebooks and pens Mom had bought, and headed downstairs. Derek stood by the front door, keys in hand, looking annoyingly perfect in dark jeans and a gray henley that matched his eyes.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really." His mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile.

Mom rushed over and handed Lily a brown paper bag. "I made you lunch! Turkey sandwich, apple slices, and those cookies you love."

"Mom, I'm eighteen. I can buy lunch."

"I know, but I wanted to." Mom kissed her cheek. "Have a wonderful first day, sweetheart. Both of you."

She hugged Derek too, and Lily watched his expression soften slightly. Whatever else he was, Derek clearly cared about his father and now, apparently, her mother.

Outside, Derek led her to a black truck parked in the driveway. It was huge and intimidating, like him.

"Nice truck," Lily said, because she had to say something.

"Graduation present." Derek unlocked it and climbed in. "You coming, or are you planning to walk?"

Lily gritted her teeth and got in. The interior smelled like his cologne, that same pine and cedar scent. She cracked the window.

Derek noticed but said nothing. He started the engine and backed out of the driveway.

For the first five minutes, neither of them spoke. Lily watched the forest rush past, trying to ignore how aware she was of Derek beside her. His hands were steady on the wheel, confident. He drove like he did everything else, with complete control.

"We need to go over some rules," Derek said finally.

"More rules?" Lily crossed her arms. "You already gave me plenty."

"These are different. These are about school." He glanced at her, then back at the road. "At Silver Creek High, I have a reputation. People expect things from me."

"Let me guess,  you're Mr. Popular. Everyone loves you."

"Not everyone. But most people respect me because they respect my father." Derek's jaw tightened. "That means they'll be watching you. Watching how we interact. Watching to see if there's any tension between us."

"So what am I supposed to do? Pretend I worship the ground you walk on?"