Claimed By His Obsessive Brother

I ran my hair through my hair, damp from the light drizzle of rain as I walked across the yard. The loud bass of pop music, shrieks of laughter and chatter grew even louder before I even reached the porch. I tightened my grip on my phone and checked the screen again. No missed calls. No new messages.

Of course not. I swear I'm going to kill him when I find him.

Liam had skipped our date. Again. For the third time this week. Apparently “student-rep duties” of the architecture department were more demanding than I was. It was not like I was asking for much. Sure, we have been dating since high school and will be together for even much longer but it was hard to be in the same room for longer than thirty minutes without being drawn away by academics and side jobs. Which was why I had deliberately set aside today and this time which we both agreed would be a perfect time for a date yesterday. Why the hell is he bailing on me now?!

The front door of the frat was wide open, a couple of people stumbled out in varying states of drunkenness. One nearly spilled their drink down my top. Heat, perfume, sex, drugs and the sweet burn of alcohol rolled over me.

I bumped into a body and took a quick step back. “Whoa—Aria!” The guy said. He was a familiar face with a name I always forgot to remember. "Want a drink?"

“No, thanks. Have you seen Liam?,” I said, stepping inside.

"I think I saw him inside," the guy said, from behind me.

The house was packed wall to wall, lights low enough to blur out some of the intense kissing and near nudity in the open spaces. A guy from Liam’s class leaned against the kitchen doorway. “He was in here a while ago. Shots with the basketball crew.”

“Thanks.”

I pushed through the drunken, dancing crowd. The kitchen reeked of beer, sweets and melting ice. There was everyone but Liam. I asked the nearest person who didn't look totally wasted and asked for Liam.

“Try the pool!” someone called.

A growl threatened to leave my lips as I changed course to go to the outdoor pool. Moonlight and overhead hung lights silvered the water, and laughter drifted from a tangle of bodies on the deck chairs. No Liam there either.

I stopped by a girl with streaks of glitter on her cheeks who blinked up at me. “Yeah, he was here a while ago. I think he followed someone to the stairs, talking to one of the athletes,” she slurred.

By the steps: empty.

I bit the inside of my cheek and dialed again. One ring. Two. Straight to voicemail.

Irritation pulsed within me, thrumming at the base of my skull. I could smell his smoky cedar scent in the air, faint. Someone laughed in fron of me. I looked up to see a couple pressed too close against the wall, three seconds from making out right then and there. I stepped away. My phone buzzed in my palm, but it was only a text from Clara from study group, asking if I’d gotten home.

Another voice stopped me. “Aria!”

A girl I barely knew leaned against the bannister, red plastic cup in hand. “I heard you were looking for Wolfe? Saw him go upstairs about fifteen minutes ago.” She giggled and wandered off.

I charged up the stairs, playing out every word I would say to him the moment I saw him. The music was a bit muddled upstairs, the pounding of the music beat could still be felt under my feet. Doors were open halfway with laughter leaking through some. I walked past one that smelled strongly of weed, and a quick glance showed me a couple of people who were blissed out and high, lying down in various certainly uncomfortable positions. Others had the unmistakable scent of scent, punctuated by loud pleasured moans and grunts, and the usual cries of 'fuck!!!'

I wrinkled my nose, and walked until I could smell him. His scent poured in through one of the doors to my left. “Liam?”

The sound of a breathless moan coming through had my nerves growing cold. My hands shook as I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. Liam’s scent hit me fast and hard tangled with another scent utterly familiar floral, sickly sweet. Sienna.My best friend.

He was on top of her, both of them slick with sweat, thrusting hard into her without care. He looked completely content, face scrunched up in concentration at what he was doing. His name spilled from her mouth like a prayer. Her fingers were in his hair as she encouraged him to fuck harder.

For one long, unreal second, I didn’t move. My throat locked. The music downstairs thudded through the walls like a second heartbeat, cruelly alive while everything inside me stilled. Then the air came rushing back, hot and jagged.

“What the hell, Liam!” My voice cracked, slicing through the room.

They froze. Sienna’s eyes widened, green and glassy. Liam jerked back, swearing, grabbing for the sheet that wasn’t there.

“Aria, wait—”

“Don’t you Aria me.” My voice shook with rage that surprised even me. Cold, clean, bone-deep rage. “You skipped our date for this? This is your fucking extracurricular meetup?!”

He swung his legs off the bed, chest heaving. “Lower your voice,” he hissed, yanking on his jeans.

“Lower my—?” I almost laughed. “You’re fucking my best friend and you want me to be quiet?”

He moved toward me. I stepped back. People were starting to gather. Feet shuffled in the hallway, someone whispering outside the door. He slammed it shut and leaned against it.

Sienna pulled the blanket over her chest, eyes darting between us as she got to her feet. “Aria, don’t make this a scene.”

I turned on her. “A scene? You slept with my boyfriend! How long has this been going on?”

She glared, something ugly twisting her pretty face. “Maybe if you weren’t so uptight, he wouldn’t have had come to me.”

"That's enough, Sienna," Liam snapped. He turned to me, almost pleading. "Babe, come on."

I recoiled like I had been hit. For months, I’d brushed off his jokes about waiting, and being busy. For months, I’d trusted her.

“You’re such a pathetic bitch,” I whispered.

Sienna burst out laughing. “Look who’s talking. You act like you’re better than everyone, but you’re just another spoiled little wolf who has to have everything her way. Listen here, control freak, all this is your fucking fault. If you had paid attention instead of ensuring everything was picture perfect, maybe you would have known Liam is mine!.”

My vision blurred and my wolf surged forward, furious and snapping. Before I could think, I pounced on her. Her nails raked my arm. I barely felt it. I heard the rip of fabric, the crash of something breaking, Liam shouting. The only thing that felt real was her hair in my hands and the heavy sound of my own breathing.

Liam grabbed me from behind, shouting my name. “Stop it! Aria, stop!”

I had barely let go when Sienna shoved me hard. My head hit the edge of the dresser. A white flash burst behind my eyes. A sharp sound rang in my ears before it slowly faded. My legs gave out as I fell on my ass, words choking on my tongue. Wet warmth fell down the back of my neck, damping my top.

Liam’s face hovered above me, blurred, panicked. “Oh shit! What did you do? She’s bleeding,” Liam's voice shook. “We have to call for an ambulance.”

“Shut up!” Sienna's tone cracked. “Don’t—don’t call anyone yet, just—”

The world tilted and everything dimmed, as their voices drowned out. The last thing I saw was their panicked looks, blurred out by the ceiling lights that spun and glowed. Until... Nothing.