Maya

"I heard that you caused a scene at the college, Maya,"  Alpha Alaric's voice remained as cold as ever. "Why did you hit Camila? Her parents were here to complain about the incident. You’re aware that these actions violate the pack's rules and could lead to punishment."

Abuse? They had to be kidding me. If I were to complain about 'abuse,' listing it all would take forever.

"She started it first, Alpha," I spoke, my head bowed low. "She was calling me names, and I lost control. I'm sorry. I'll try to keep my emotions in check next time."

Alaric nodded at my words before shifting his gaze to his sons. Leonardo appeared absorbed in solving a Rubik's Cube, his legs casually crossed over his father's desk, showing a shocking lack of respect. Meanwhile, Maximus lounged on the sofa in the corner, munching on an apple, clearly enjoying the scene.

Assholes.

"Were you two there when the incident happened?" Alpha Alaric asked.

"Well," Leonardo made a thoughtful sound without even looking up, clicking his tongue as he moved closer to solving the cube. "We were. But I don’t see how that concerns you, Father," he uttered the word ‘father’ like an insult.

Indeed, he was insulting him.

Alaric let out a low sigh. "As the future Alphas of the pack, you two should be more cautious about these matters. How could you just stand there and watch?"

Oh, he didn’t know, but as the 'future Alphas,' they’d gladly cut me into pieces and burn them so that no one would ever find a trace of me.

Because, as future Alphas, they’d already decided that one of their duties was to make my life a living hell.

"Well, as the 'future Alphas' of the pack, we don't see anywhere in the vow book where it's written that we have to take care of our father's mistress's daughter and keep an eye on what she's doing," Maximus said casually, leaning back on the sofa, completely relaxed. "So, standing there and watching was the best option because if we wanted to..." his eyes drifted over to me, "We could have taken measures that would have led to… dire consequences."

"Maximus and Leonardo, listen to me, both of you—very clearly," Alaric slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "As the future Alphas who will soon take over this pack, I expect you to behave accordingly and treat every member equally! If you want to lead Blackthorn, you have to prove that you're worthy of it. Only then can you claim your Alpha positions. I will not hand this over to someone who isn’t ready for the responsibility. If you can't prove yourselves worthy, you're nothing but ordinary members of this pack."

I saw Leonardo's hand freeze and his jaw clench. "So, to prove we’re worthy, what do we have to do?" He stood up, tossing the cube to the side and resting his hands on the edge of the desk. "Keep a mistress and cheat on our mate until she becomes so emotionally distressed that she hangs herself and commits suicide?"

His words were chilling, and the ease with which he said them sent a shiver down my spine.

Alaric looked taken aback but said nothing. His face and eyes betrayed his guilt. He felt it, but what could he say to make it better? Probably nothing.

"I have nothing more to say to you," he sighed. "You already have multiple violations of the rules, and if you fail to prove yourselves as worthy Alphas, I will hand this position to someone else."

Instead of anger, amusement crossed both brothers’ faces. They exchanged a glance before a chuckle escaped Max's lips, and Leo let out a low laugh.

They were literally mocking him to his face.

"Try doing that, Father," Maximus chuckled, standing up and tucking his hands into his pockets. "I’d love to see who has the guts to stand against us. Let’s go, Leo."

"Yeah, you’re right," Leonardo shrugged, looking at Alaric. "By the way, I’ve got a bunch of beautiful blondes to entertain me, Father. If you get tired of your new 'Luna,' feel free to ask—I’ll send one to your room. And don’t worry, Morgana doesn’t love you, so there’s no risk of another suicide in the house."

They shot me their familiar glances filled with hatred before storming out of the room, unbothered and nonchalant.

As they left, Alaric’s tired eyes turned to me. "You can go to your room, Maya. What happened at the college won’t be listed as a violation."

I nodded meekly, exhaling a sigh before walking out of the office.

The Sterling family was ten shades of messed up. As the mistress's daughter, my survival journey in my stepfather's family was just beginning.  And I couldn't shake the feeling that my cruel mother was plotting something far worse than I could imagine—something that would ensure she held onto her Luna position and her place as my stepfather's wife. But how far would she go to secure her power?