Caspian's POV
I'm in the middle of pinning Marcus to the training mat when my father's voice crashes through my mind.
My office. Now.
The Alpha command hits like a sledgehammer. My body moves before my brain catches up, releasing Marcus and heading toward the main house. I hate when Dad uses his Alpha voice in my head. It's like being yanked by an invisible chain.
"Duty calls?" Marcus gasps from the ground, rubbing his throat where I almost choked him out.
"Apparently." I grab my shirt and pull it on, ignoring the sweat. Whatever Dad wants, it better be important. I was finally beating Marcus for once.
The walk to Dad's office feels like walking to my own execution. He only uses the Alpha command when something's seriously wrong. Last time, it was because a rival pack crossed our borders. The time before that, Mom's death anniversary.
I knock once and push the door open.
Dad sits behind his massive desk, looking way too happy for someone who just Alpha-commanded his son. His eyes are bright, and he's actually smiling. My wolf stirs nervously. Dad never smiles.
"Sit down, Caspian."
I stay standing. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Quite the opposite." He stands up and walks around the desk. "I'm getting married."
The words don't make sense at first. I just stare at him.
"Married?" I repeat slowly. "To who?"
"Her name is Roslyn Thorne. She's wonderful, son. Kind, beautiful, and she understands what we are." His smile gets bigger. "The wedding is in three days."
Three days?
My wolf snarls inside my chest. "You've been dating someone and didn't tell me?"
"I've been seeing her for five months. I wanted to be sure before I introduced her to the pack." He puts his hand on my shoulder. I want to shake it off. "She's human, but she has werewolf bloodline from her great-grandfather. Dormant genes. She's perfect for us."
"Human?" The word tastes like poison. "You're marrying a human? Dad, humans don't belong in pack territory. They're weak. Fragile. They don't understand our world—"
"She understands perfectly. I've told her everything." His hand tightens on my shoulder. "And she has a daughter. Seventeen years old. She'll be living here too."
My wolf explodes with rage. A human woman AND her daughter? Invading our home? Our territory? Our pack?
"Absolutely not." I step back from him. "Dad, this is insane. You can't bring humans here. The pack won't accept it. I won't accept it."
His eyes flash gold—his wolf rising. "I am Alpha of this pack. What I say goes. Roslyn and her daughter Linnea will be here in two days. They will be treated with respect. End of discussion."
"This is about Mom, isn't it?" The words come out before I can stop them. "You're trying to replace her—"
"Don't." His voice drops to a growl. "Your mother has been dead for fourteen years. I'm not replacing her. I'm moving forward. Something you should try."
The words hit like a slap. My hands curl into fists. My wolf is screaming to shift, to run, to get away from this conversation.
"The daughter—Linnea—she'll be attending Silvercrest Academy with you," Dad continues like he didn't just destroy my world. "I expect you to make her feel welcome. Show her around. Protect her."
"Protect her?" I laugh, but it sounds mean. "Why would I protect some random human girl?"
"Because she'll be your stepsister. Because I'm ordering you to." His Alpha voice rolls through the room. "And because if anything happens to her on pack territory, I will hold you personally responsible."
The command settles into my bones like cement. I can't refuse a direct Alpha order. Even if I hate it.
"Fine." I turn toward the door. "Is that all?"
"Caspian." His voice softens. "I know this is hard. But give them a chance. Roslyn makes me happy. Happier than I've been since your mother died."
I don't answer. I just walk out and slam the door behind me.
The anger builds with every step. By the time I reach the tree line, my skin is burning. My wolf is clawing to get out. I rip off my shirt and let the shift take over.
Bones crack and reform. Fur erupts across my skin. My hands become paws. The world sharpens into crystal clarity—every scent, every sound, every heartbeat in the forest.
I run.
Fast and hard, trying to outrun the rage. A human woman in our home. A human girl I have to protect. Everything about this is wrong.
My wolf agrees, snarling as we race through the trees. Humans are weak. They break easily. They don't belong with predators.
I run for hours until my wolf finally calms down. When I shift back to human, I'm deep in the forest, naked and exhausted.
That's when I smell it.
Honey and vanilla. Sweet and warm. The scent rolls through the trees like smoke, wrapping around my chest and squeezing.
My wolf goes absolutely silent. Then starts howling.
MATE. MATE. MATE.
"No," I say out loud. "No no no. That's impossible."
The scent is coming from the south. From the direction of the main road. From the direction where, in two days, my father's new wife and her daughter will arrive.
My mate is the human girl.
My stepsister.
I fall to my knees and scream at the moon.