Fated To My Lycan Stepbrothers
Chapter 39

Naya

Cod

We stayed in silence for a moment, and I couldn't help but wonder about my own feelings. Again, the possibility that he might replace his mate soon brought a pang of jealousy and sadness. I pushed those thoughts away, reminding myself that I needed to focus on my

own path and not get entangled in his affairs.

The next morning, as the sun's first rays peeked through the curtains, I woke up on Zeke's bed, my head resting on his chest. I must have dozed off during our conversation. Jeez, I sure had a peaceful sleep while on his chest. As the memories of the previous night came rushing back, I blushed, realizing the intimate moments we had shared.

Zeke was still asleep, looking peaceful and vulnerable. It was a rare sight to see the mighty Alpha in such a state.

"You are so beautiful," I muttered under my breath." I gently disentangled myself from his arms and tiptoed out of his room, not wanting to wake him. I needed some time to process everything that had happened.

I nearly fainted when I saw Kyle waiting for me outside his door. "Jeez, Kyle, you scared the f**k out of me."

Kyle simply twirled the phone in his hands. "I gave you that spray for this purpose. What the heck are you doing, Naya Cod?"

I swallowed my fear. It came right back up. "What did you think I was doing? Cleaning the Alpha wounds." I narrowed my eyes. "Were you listening to our conversation?"

Kyle stood upright. "What if I was?" He was grinding his jaws, and I knew he was upset. The question was, Why?

I couldn't stop him from listening in on the conversation. "You are a jerk; you know that, right?" He was kind to me a few nights ago. Why was he acting this fussy? Was it because of the fight his brother had alone? "And why does it bother you?" He scoffed. "You are a slut like your mother. I have you use that spray so that you won't go sleeping around with everyone. I won't have my brother fall into your omega trap."

If his brother's statement about being a subject under him wasn't painful enough. I raised a trembling finger at him, taking a step back because I was afraid he was going to crush it in anger. "You are an a*****e." "Spray the Scentless spray on your body, Naya, and stop acting like a wolf in heat." He snapped, opening the door to his brother's room.

"I am a wolf in heat! I am a damn wolf. Stop treating me like I am not part of this pack." I wanted to say all these things but couldn't at the sight of his mischievous smile. He was purposely doing this to hurt me. "One more thing: Wash my brother's scent off you before the elders think you are his mate." He sighed. "And Marley, of course." With that, he slammed the door in my face.

That hurt.

It hurt so much. I thought we were making progress, only to hear him say these hurtful things to me. I held the banister for balance. My legs shook as the scent of Zeke remained with me. What happened when he woke up and remembered he said kind things to me. Will he act like Kyle or rekindle what he started?

Over the next few days, I kept my distance from Zeke, trying to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred between us. It was challenging, but I knew it was for the best.

As the weeks passed, things seemed to go back to normal. Zeke's wounds healed completely, and he resumed his Alpha duties. We interacted as we used to before the incident, but there was an unspoken understanding between us-a connection that we both chose not to acknowledge. The scentless spray helped me. He couldn't locate me most of the time. I knew he remembered our conversation. Our kiss and relationship. Yes, our relationship needed to stay professional and respectful, especially considering the pack dynamics and my role as his subject.

"Naya!" I heard him call as I hit the gym bag. I turned to replace Zeke walking towards me. What the... I frantically searched for Reid, running towards him.

"Reid. Please tell Zeke I am going to wash up." My legs quickly carried me through the woods to the pack doctor's home. Along the way, I sprayed the Scentless spray on my body so he wouldn't know where I went. Yeah, I lied to Reid. I wasn't going to wash up. I had taken up another mission to replace out what Marley was up to. I forgot to mention that the pack doctor was the one who attended to the Alpha's dead body. I needed to know if he found out about my mother's knife plunged to the Alpha's side. Hence, I made her my friend. She was just like Renée. Kind, yet fierce. And she cussed a lot. Jeez, they always came out of her mouth in waves.

It was really hard to get any information, given my position in the pack. I was still in the process of replaceing anything at all. However, Marley's behavior toward me changed. She seemed to sense something was different between Zeke and me, even though we tried our best to act normal. She became even more antagonistic towards me, trying to create conflicts at every opportunity.

Like the one time we had a fight at the dinner table. It was a simple fight over who was going to take Zeke's food to his study. One evening, after a particularly tense interaction with Marley, I found myself seeking comfort by the cove's lake. It was the most serene place in the pack. A place I was allowed to think without anyone replaceing out. The moon was full and reflected its gentle glow on the water's surface. I sat on a large rock, lost in my thoughts, when I heard footsteps approaching. I wanted to slip out when Zeke's strong voice stopped me.

"Mind if I join you?" Zeke's voice was soft, almost hesitant. I looked up, surprised to see him there. Okay, he was acting in a manner I couldn't comprehend. I wanted to ask why he felt like joining me, but I held my tongue. He was still my Alpha, no matter what. "Of course, Alpha. It's your pack."

He grunted, sitting beside me. His features had changed dramatically. Jeez, I hadn't been paying attention, and I thought of ways to avoid him. His stubble had grown all over his face, and he became larger. I guess the Alpha got to him. It was probably the same with Kyle; I haven't been paying attention. It hurt me greatly to see him this way.

School would be resuming in two days, and I wondered if he was going to be home-schooled or day-schooled. "True, but I am not here as the Alpha." He was saying those things again. The things he said the last time. They scared me.

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Of course. You don't have to ask for permission to sit here."

He sat in silence for a while, a small frown marring his features. Oh, what was he expecting? I'd run into his arms like the last time. But I told myself honestly, I enjoyed his company and the peaceful surroundings. It felt good to be close to him without any tension or expectations. Although I had expectations, it's alright.

"You know," Zeke finally said, "I've been thinking a lot about what we said that night."

"About replaceing a mate?" I asked, glancing at him. Please don't let us go into that. I prayed to the heavens.

He nodded. "Yes. And about you."

I held my breath, not sure where this conversation was heading. About me?

"You're right," he continued, "replaceing a mate is a significant responsibility, and it affects the entire pack. But I can't shake the feeling that maybe I've been looking in the wrong direction."

I looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

He turned to face me, his green eyes locking with mine. "Maybe the person I've been searching for has been right in front of me all along."

My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't replace the words to respond. I was torn between the hope that he might be talking about me and the fear that I was just reading too much into it. "Then go for it. Claim her as yours." I said, daring to look into his eyes. He stared at me for a while before turning away. What went wrong again? "I will. I am just waiting for when she realizes it herself."

I sighed. "Whoever she is, she is lucky."