Bloodbound To The Alpha

~~Olivia’s POV~~

“You're in so deep, babe!” Ava moaned, throwing her head backwards as Lucas thrust in and out of her. Lucas' pants were below his knee, his butt cheeks on full display. Ava's legs were spread wide open, her red panties hanging loosely on her left leg.

And me? I stood frozen inside the closet where I was hiding, watching from the narrow slit of the door. My eyes were wide open, and my fists were tightening around the folds of my white wedding gown.

What do you do when you stumble on the man you were supposed to be getting married to in less than twelve hours having hot sex with your step sister?

The world spun around me; it was like my eyes were seeing double. I felt my throat go dry, and my whole body went weak.

I had come into Lucas' room and hid in the closet to surprise him with a first look at my wedding gown before the big day tomorrow, but instead I was the one who was given the surprise of a lifetime. Seeing him and Ava like this, it was like I was living my worst nightmare.

Then Lucas' voice cut through my confusion like a sharp blade, reminding me that this was no dream but the harsh reality. “Keep your voice low; you don't want that sick and naive sister of yours to hear us.”

The repulsive way he said the word ‘sick’ made a cold chill run down my spine. I lived with an immunodeficiency condition from birth, which meant my body didn't have a strong enough immune system to fight off foreign matter, so I could only stay in sterilized spaces like this house. But Lucas had never once said it bothered him. In fact, he claimed that my condition only made him want to protect me more.

But the bitterness in his voice now. Was this how he actually felt?

I needed answers, explanations. I wanted to hear him say it to my face. I gathered myself up and pushed open the closet door.

Both of them immediately froze. Lucas jerked upright, still half-dressed, his shirt hanging open. Ava didn’t even flinch. Her lipstick was smudged, but her eyes glittered with something close to satisfaction.

“What the hell is this?” My own voice cracked, disbelief spilling through every word.

Lucas began fumbling with his trousers, a pale look on his face. Ava smoothed her skirt with slow, deliberate fingers, then lifted her chin, that familiar smug look etched across her face.

“Lucas, how could you cheat on me with my sister the night before our wedding?” I asked, my throat tightening, as tears burned at the corners of my eyes.

It felt like my chest had been hollowed out. He had been the one good thing in my life. The only thing. Or so I’d thought.

Ava gave a small laugh. It was low and bitter. “Cheat? How can a person who never loved you cheat on you?”

Her words slammed into me again. “What are you talking about?” "I managed," my voice shaking.

She folded her arms, leaning back against the dresser like she had all the time in the world. “Didn’t you find it suspicious? Lucas suddenly showing up six months ago, acting like some perfect gentleman? You're so naive. Well, let me spell it out for you. You’re a liability, Olivia. A burden. So our dear father offered to help Lucas's family with their debt on one condition—Lucas marries you. Because that’s all you’ll ever be good for. A bargaining chip.”

The room tilted. I gripped the closet doorframe to steady myself. My father had hated me all my life, blaming me for my mother's death because she died giving birth to me.

I turned to Lucas, searching his face for some flicker of denial, some whisper of the man who had kissed me and promised me forever. But his eyes darted away. That was all the answer I needed.

My knees wobbled. I stumbled back, clutching the fabric of my gown as if it could hold me up.

Ava’s laugh sliced through the air. “He’s mine, Olivia. Every time he came here to ‘visit’ you, he would spend the night in my bed. Moaning my name.” She slid an arm around his waist, pressing her lips to his neck like a victory mark.

She had always been like this, taking whatever was mine simply because she could. My bedroom, my clothes, my paintings. Including Father’s affection. And now this.

“If you two love each other so much,” I stammered, my voice a trembling whisper, “why not get married instead of leading me on?”

Ava smirked, tilting her head. “Because Father wants to get rid of you, not me. If Lucas doesn’t marry you, Father won’t pay off their debt. Once it’s settled, Lucas will divorce you after a year. Besides,” she gave a light laugh, “it’s been fun watching you fall for a man whose heart belongs to me.”

Lucas straightened then, his mouth twisting into a smile I didn't recognize. “Look, Olivia. This debt is a curse on my family. Thanks to you, it’ll be gone. That’s all I need you for. You really thought someone could love a sick girl who can’t take a step outside without breaking down? And what about kids?” He gave a small, mocking laugh. “What if you pass your… thing on to them? No! Thanks.”

So this was all our marriage meant to him? Something inside me cracked. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, trying to hold myself together.

“No,” I whispered, then louder, “No. I won’t do it. I’ll call off this wedding.” I turned to leave.

But before I could reach the door, someone stepped into my path.

My stepmother, Susan. Ava’s Mom.

I barely had time to register her face before her hand struck me across the cheek. The slap sent me stumbling backward, my head ringing. I crashed to the floor.

“You’ll do no such thing,” she hissed.

I stared at her, stunned. How long had she been standing there?

“The Cobblestones' family debt depends on this marriage,” she said, her eyes glinting. “I’m the one who convinced your father to help them, and I’m getting a cut from that money. So you won’t spoil this for me.” Venom dripped from her every word.

I pressed a hand to my stinging cheek, the world still spinning. My wedding gown suddenly felt heavy on my body.

“You sold me off?” I choked out. Like some livestock!!

Deep down, I wasn’t surprised. From the day she moved into this house, Susan had hated me.

She crouched, voice low and venomous. “I saved you. Without this, your father planned to send you to a medical facility. Tubes. Machines. That’s where you belong.”

“No…” My body shook.

“Yes. But with Lucas, at least you’ll look like a bride before you rot.”

Ava giggled softly. “See, Liv? Everyone wins.”

Lucas adjusted his shirt, his face hard. “Just do your part tomorrow. Then you can continue to live your lonely, sterile, pathetic life.”

I pressed my palm to my cheek, the sting still fresh. “No, I'm not doing it. I’m going to expose your plans to Father.”

Susan smiled, slow and cruel. “Go ahead. You think he’ll believe you over us? You’re the sick, delusional daughter who’s been locked away all her life and whom he hates for killing his wife. We’re the family he trusts.”

My mouth opened to counter her statement, but no words came out. She was right; my father would never believe me over them.

Susan reached forward, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Tomorrow, you’ll stand at that altar and smile. Or I’ll make sure your father signs the medical papers. The facility will be waiting.”

Ava laughed again, looping an arm around Lucas. “You can sleep in the guest room you so desperately snuck into. Sweet dreams, sister. You’ll need them.”

Susan laughed first, loud and cruel. Ava joined in, her smug giggle echoing in my ears, and then Lucas. Lucas, who had once sworn he loved me, smiled and followed. Their laughter filled the room as they walked out, leaving me on the cold floor.

My chest tightened, shame and anger warring inside me. Tears streamed down my face as I drowned in all the information I had just discovered. Lucas' betrayal, Ava's smug smile, Susan's masterminding my wedding, and my own father wanting to send me to a medical facility. It all felt too overwhelming.

I always knew my family didn't care much about me, but this… this was cruel. This was wicked. This was a sword straight to the heart.

My body felt restless. I needed fresh air. Space. Space away from this place, from these people.

Since I was born, I had never stepped foot outside the gate because the air outside could kill me. But that didn't matter to me anymore. I already felt dead inside.

I picked my dress up in my hands, and I ran. I slipped out through the back door and went through the outside gate, my pulse racing faster than my footsteps. The gown dragged heavily behind me across dirt and concrete, catching the eyes of strangers who stopped to stare at the frantic girl in a wedding dress.

Let them stare. I didn’t care. I couldn’t. Not when my chest felt like it had been ripped open and my heart was bleeding out for the world to see.

Tears blurred my vision, spilling hot and heavy down my cheeks. My breaths came in sharp and very painful bursts as I stumbled down the street, past curious eyes and whispered comments. I was so lost in the pain of my own world that I didn’t notice the road and didn’t hear the car until…it was too late.

THUD!

I felt pain pulse through every part of my body, and I crashed to the ground. I managed to see that a man rushed out of the car to check up on me, and just before I completely blanked out, I heard him say, ‘Mate!’