Chapter 5 Five

Harper’s POV

“Can someone explain why this girl is in our house?” one of them demanded.

I stiffened. I couldn’t even tell which twin had spoken—both voices sounded sharp, dangerous, cut from the same blade.

“Koda,” the Alpha corrected calmly.

Koda rolled his eyes, clearly irritated. Kai, on the other hand, didn’t move at all. His gaze stayed locked on me, heavy and unblinking, like he was daring me to breathe wrong.

“What happened, Dad?” Koda asked, rubbing his neck as if he were the injured party. “She just showed up in our kitchen. Acting like she belonged here.”

I clenched my jaw.

Unbelievable.

I couldn’t believe these were the same boys Catherine had warned me about. The untouchable twins. The ones everyone feared. And now—

Now my mother was thinking of marrying their father.

No.

I can’t let this happen.

“So, boys,” Alpha Derek said, clearing his throat, clearly trying to regain control of the situation, “this is Samantha.”

He gestured to my mother.

For a split second, I expected them to look at her. To show respect. Anything.

They didn’t.

Their eyes stayed on me.

“And that,” he continued, pointing in my direction, “is her beautiful daughter, Harper.”

Beautiful.

I forced a stiff, fake smile, my cheeks aching as my stomach twisted. My mother smiled too, hopeful and unaware, like she hadn’t just walked us straight into hell.

Kai’s lips twitched.

“So you’re her daughter,” he said slowly.

Something about his tone made my skin crawl.

Koda let out a short laugh. “Wow. Small world.”

“You know each other?” Alpha Derek asked, frowning.

“Yeah,” Koda replied casually. “From school.”

My mother’s head snapped toward me. “School?”

“She’s new,” Kai added flatly. “And already causing problems.”

“That’s not true,” I said quickly, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound calm. “They threw a basketball at my face. I was bleeding.”

Koda scoffed. “Dramatic.”

“You hit me,” I snapped. “On purpose.”

Alpha Derek’s expression hardened as he looked at his sons. “Is that true?”

Silence.

Kai didn’t deny it.

Koda shrugged. “It was an accident.”

“No, it wasn’t,” I said, my fists clenching. “You humiliated me. In front of everyone.”

The room felt like it was closing in.

My mother stepped closer to me, confusion written all over her face. “Harper… why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t know they were your future stepchildren,” I replied bitterly.

That did it.

Kai straightened fully, his presence suddenly overwhelming. “Stepchildren?” he repeated coldly.

Koda’s smile vanished. “What did you say?”

My heart pounded. “My mother is marrying your father. That’s what this is.”

The silence that followed was deadly.

Kai turned slowly to Alpha Derek. “You’re marrying her?”

Alpha Derek nodded. “Yes. Samantha and I—”

“You didn’t think to mention you were bringing an omega and her wolfless daughter into this house?” Kai cut in sharply.

My mother gasped. “Excuse me?”

Koda laughed, low and cruel. “Oh, this just keeps getting better.”

Rage burned through me. “Don’t talk about my mother like that.”

Kai’s eyes snapped back to me. “Or what?”

I swallowed hard—but I didn’t back down.

“Or you’ll prove exactly what kind of monsters you are.”

My mother grabbed my arm. “Harper—”

“No,” I said firmly. “I won’t be quiet.”

The twins stared at me like I was something fascinating and breakable.

Koda tilted his head, smiling again—but this time, it didn’t reach his eyes.

“If you think marrying our father makes you untouchable,” he said softly, “you’re wrong.”

Kai stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper.

“This is our house,” he said. “Our territory.”

My chest tightened.

“And you,” he added, eyes dark, “are already a problem.”

I met his gaze, my fear hardening into something stubborn and furious.

Then I looked at my mother.

At the ring on her finger.

And I knew one thing with absolute certainty—

If she married this man,

we were never going to be safe.

“Enough!”

Alpha Derek’s voice exploded through the kitchen, loud and commanding, vibrating against the marble walls.

Both twins froze.

“I said enough, boys!” he shouted again, his Alpha aura flaring so strongly the air felt heavy, crushing. Even I felt it press against my chest, forcing a sharp breath from my lungs.

Kai’s jaw tightened. Koda clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Go to your rooms,” Alpha Derek ordered, pointing toward the hallway. “Now.”

“Dad—” Koda started.

“I don’t want to hear another word,” Alpha Derek snapped. “You will not disrespect guests in my house. Especially not my future wife and her daughter.”

Kai’s eyes flicked to me one last time—slow, deliberate, and filled with something dark and promising.

“This isn’t over,” he said quietly.

Koda smirked. “Not even close.”

Then, without another word, they turned and walked out of the kitchen, their footsteps heavy, deliberate, like a warning carved into stone.

The moment they were gone, my knees nearly gave out.

My mother rushed to me immediately. “Harper… are you okay?” she asked, her voice shaking as she cupped my face again.

I nodded, though my throat felt tight, bruised, and sore. “I’m fine,” I lied.

Alpha Derek let out a long breath, rubbing his temples. “I apologize for their behavior,” he said stiffly. “They’ve been… difficult since their mother passed.”

That didn’t comfort me.

Not even a little.

I looked at my mother—really looked at her. At the hope in her eyes. At the way she was clinging to this man like he was her second chance at happiness.

My heart sank.

Because she didn’t see it.

She didn’t see the danger sleeping under this roof.

And as I stood there, still trembling, one terrifying truth settled deep into my bones—

Alpha Derek might be able to send his sons to their rooms.

But he couldn’t protect us from them.

Night fell quietly, but my mind refused to rest.

I was lying on my bed when my phone suddenly beeped.

I frowned and reached for it.

Unknown Number: You are dead.

My stomach dropped.

For a second, I just stared at the screen, my heart pounding hard against my ribs. A chill crawled up my spine, but I forced myself to scoff.

This has to be a prank.

I deleted the message immediately, tossed my phone aside, and turned over.

They wouldn’t go that far.

They couldn’t.

Eventually, exhaustion dragged me into sleep.

Morning came too fast.

I rushed through getting dressed, barely tasting the food my mother tried to hand me.

“Harper, please—can we talk about last night?” she asked softly.

I ignored her.

I was done. Done with her choices. Done with being dragged into messes I never asked for. I grabbed my bag and walked out before she could say another word.

By the time I reached school, I was already late.

Great.

I hurried through the gates and into the hallway, lowering my head as I walked. I just needed to survive today. One day at a time. Invisible. Silent.

That was the plan.

“Cath—”

I had just spotted Catherine when everything happened at once.

A freezing, foul-smelling liquid crashed down over my head.

I gasped, my body locking up as icy water soaked my hair, my uniform, my skin. The stench hit me a second later—strong, rotten, unmistakable.

Fish.

The hallway erupted.

Laughter exploded from every direction—loud, cruel, relentless. Phones came out instantly. Whispers spread like wildfire.

“Oh my God—”

“That’s disgusting!”

“She smells like a market!”

My hands shook as water dripped down my face, sliding into my eyes. I blinked rapidly, my vision blurring—not just from the water.

Slowly, painfully, I lifted my head.

Koda and Kai stood a few feet away, surrounded by students.

Smirking.

Enjoying every second.