Chapter 7

Phoenix

First thing in the morning, I head to the packhouse to confront my father. As I walk into the kitchen, I'm pleasantly surprised to find my sister in the kitchen eating a stack of blueberry pancakes. Her face pales at the sight of me, and she drops her fork with a clatter.

The sight ignites my primal need.

She's wearing black leggings and a red tank-top. I take my time drinking her in, savoring the way she squirms under my gaze.

"What the fuck are you doing back here?" she snaps, trying to hide the tremor in her voice, but I catch it.

I smirk. "Is that any way to greet your brother?" I tease, cocking my head.

"You're not my brother," she retorts, her eyes igniting. "And hardly a stepbrother, considering the way your own father treats you."

Damn. She's got a little bratty mouth on her. I like it.

Taming this little wolf will be a challenge, but soon, she'll be molded to satisfy my every whim.

"Careful, little wolf. Keep talking like that, and I'll be tempted to shove my cock in it," I warn, my voice low and dangerous. My dick twitches, as if it likes the idea of that even more than I do.

She's riled up, but I can also smell her arousal. "You're fucking disgusting," she spits.

I chuckle. "Yet I bet you're thinking about it."

Her cheeks flush, and she shakes her head. "No, I'm not. I'm nothing like you, asshole."

"Asshole? That's original," I murmur, rolling my eyes.

She shoots me a venomous glare. "Again, why are you here? I thought after you threw a tempter tantrum last time, you weren't coming back."

I feel the corners of my lips twitch. "So brazen," I say with a chuckle. Without hesitation, I stride towards her and grip her chin in my hand. Tingles shoot through my fingers at the contact. Her scent, sweet and intoxicating, overwhelms my senses.

My cock practically weeps. I've never had a she-wolf arouse me so goddamn much just by her scent.

"If you want my cock in your filthy mouth so badly, all you have to do is get on your knees," I purr, my thumb grazing her soft lips.

She slaps my hand away, leaving a pleasurable sting.

Fuck.

As if I wasn't already obsessed with her.

"Don't ever touch me again!" she growls, storming out of the room and stomping upstairs.

Goddess, I want her so fucking badly.

Her mother appears from upstairs, worry etched across her face. "Oh, it's you, Phoenix. I apologize if my daughter was rude to you," she says softly.

I shake my head, forcing a convincing smile. "No, it's fine. It's been difficult for me to accept that I'm no longer an only child too," I reply with a laugh.

If I'm going to find out any new information about my new sister, what betters source than her mother? They seem close, just like I was with my mom.

She pours herself a cup of coffee and sits down at the table, her eyes sad. "Thank you for understanding. She's been through a lot with her father's death, her mate rejecting her, and moving here after our previous pack forbade her from becoming Alpha. It will just take some time for her to adjust," she says, more to herself than to me.

I only knew about her father's death. How the hell could her mate reject such a breathtaking she-wolf? What a fucking idiot.

"I am so sorry to hear about your husband," I say, trying to sound sincere.

She smiles grimly. "Thank you, and I'm very sorry about your mother. Philip told me how much of a wonderful wife and mother she was."

My jaw tenses. "Thank you. I hope that I can find a way to bond with Selene. It seems we have much in common," I tell her.

Bond as in sneaking into her room at night and fucking her brains out.

Suddenly, my father strides into the room, his Alpha aura filling every corner. My wolf stirs, immediately wanting to challenge him. I push him to the back of my mind.

A sinister smile spreads across his face as he sees me. "Ah, if it isn't my boy. I've been trying to apologize to you, but you haven't responded to any of my texts," he says, feigning concern.

He's lying. He doesn't even have my fucking number.

But if I'm going to destroy him, I'll need to play along.

"Dad, I was just coming here to speak with you. I realized I was in the wrong, and I wanted to show my support in any way that I can," I lie smoothly.

I learned from the best.

He smiles, satisfied. "Why don't we step into my office?" he suggests.

I say goodbye to Christina and follow my dad down the hall into his office. He closes the door behind us and settles at his desk. A few years ago I might have been intimated by him, but now I see nothing but a coward. I press my lips together, maintaining a stoic expression.

He clears my throat, his dark blue eyes piercing mine. "I am so glad to hear that you're on board, Phoenix. Perhaps when I become Alpha King, I'll allow you take over my pack after all," he muses.

"About that, Uncle Derek has gone missing." His eyes widen, but I can't tell if he's pretending to be shocked or not. "As his brother and the future Alpha King, as I'm sure you will inevitably win, you're in danger. Whoever made him disappear might come for you next, and that concerns me, Dad."

He hums thoughtfully. "I have not had a close relationship with my brother in years, but his disappearance is concerning. That means there may be a traitor among us, capable of taking out an Alpha King." He clasps his hands. "What do you propose I do, Phoenix?"

"My security company can offer top security for you and the other higher-rank wolves. I will personally be your bodyguard," I propose, keeping my voice even.

His eyes light up with interest. "You? My bodyguard?"

I nod. "Yes. I believe right now, I am the only one you can trust for the job. I will be by your side when you need me, even move back into the packhouse."

I can practically see the wheels turning in his head. With me as his bodyguard, he'll gain the military support he desires, securing his position as the next Alpha King. Also, when I move back into the packhouse, he can keep tabs on me, just as I will keep tabs on him. He doesn't know that I know his fucking secrets, and I plan to keep it that way.

Dad's eyes narrow. "And what do you get out of this?"

I grin smugly. "A good reputation for my company. Also, I like Christina. I can tell she wants me to get closer to her daughter, since we have both experienced loss."

He stares at me for a long moment, as if looking for cracks in my motive, but I meet his gaze, unbothered. "What do you say, Dad? Sounds like a win-win to me."

A mischievous smirk spreads across his face, his eyes glimmering with victory as he reaches out to shake my hand. "We have ourselves a deal."

Perfect.

Everything is going according to plan. And, there's a bonus. I look forward to living under the same roof with my sister and forcing her to interact with me. It's like a predator finding its way into a bunny's burrow.

I'm coming for you, little wolf.