Bound To My Mate’s Step-brother

Nyra

Today was supposed to mark five years with my mate, a day worth celebrating. Instead, I stood in the court chamber after a week of house arrest, summoned by the Alpha himself.

My hands fidgeted as I stood in the middle of the court filled with elders boring their eyes down on me as if they were trying to dig up some dirt. All of them had the same expression of disgust, but I didn't let that bother me because of the man seated on the throne.

The one who would always get my attention—my man!

He was my light and shield, and I was certain that no matter what these men had plotted behind my back, he would always be there to support me.

Eric Valen, the Alpha of Nightshade Pack, had been my childhood lover. His dark brown hair was the first thing that caught my attention. He had always been the dreamy guy for every female in this pack, yet an omega like me grabbed his attention and heart.

My parents never wanted us to be together because to them, an omega and an alpha could never be a perfect match. But we proved them wrong because he was the perfect man for me, and we had been together for five years. All their nonsensical theories were nothing but fanatic when it came to my love life.

Today, the elders started their usual complaints. It was no news that they didn't like me. Even most of the people in the pack had probably planned a coup to overthrow me. Rumors flew around like wildfire. I had gone through a lot of storms, and I knew this one was just like the others. I was confident that I was going to emerge victorious.

"Do you know why you are here today?" Eric asked, dragging me out of my reverie. His deep brown eyes locked into my golden ones. A smirk appeared at the tip of my lips before I sucked in a deep breath.

I couldn't afford to be dreamy when I had to look serious.

Nodding my head in a positive manner, I said, "Because I brought in a rogue child?"

It was very absurd that they would be bothered about this little thing. The rogue was just a child, and they needed to stop acting like I brought in a plague. How did they expect me to leave a wailing child that had been abandoned by his parents? That was cruel.

"Nonsense," an elder snorted. "We did not call you here for scraps of mercy!" His tone dripped with disdain.

My brows pinched together. I darted my eyes to my mate, hoping he would clear my confusion.

If it weren't for the kid, then why was I here?

"You've been with our alpha for five good years, yet no cries of a baby have been heard from your wing," Aleca, one of the elders, said. He was the former beta of the pack until his daughter, Alessia, took over.

His words were like thorns. I clenched my teeth so hard that I could feel them breaking.

My heart wavered in rage. That topic was a sour one, and they couldn't use that to mock me. I shot my head toward my mate as I waited for him to come to my aid and shun them, but seeing how he was avoiding my gaze, I decided to fight my battle myself.

Eric might be a little sour, and he was trying to control his anger, just like I was doing with mine.

"I have done many tests and scans to check what is wrong, yet the doctors kept saying we are both fine. You can't say such words like I am the cause of it," I responded as nicely as I could in defense.

"Do you think we have to wait till you carry a baby before we get an heir to the throne? We have tried to be patient, but five years is enough grace for you to give birth. Only a person that is barren would waste time trying to get pregnant," Aleca chirped in.

His words took me aback.

They were crude and harsh. I blinked my eyes a couple of times, my breathing unsteady as I tried to digest every word that came out of his mouth.

Me—a barren?

He wasn't even being subtle. Aleca said it raw and blunt.

How dare he try to undermine me?

I stared at Eric, waiting for him to say something.

But he just wouldn't!

Why wouldn't he talk?

Why would he sit there and watch them humiliate me like this?

He knew how hard I had tried to make a baby.

I even went out of my way to visit packs that were beyond our pack borders, just because I heard they had a great healer.

I snarled, anger bubbling inside of me. It was like a volcano trying to erupt.

How could they call their Luna a barren?

No—I wouldn't let them override me this time. I had been patient enough. I had taken things that an ordinary person couldn't take, all because I saw them as my people and I knew leadership wasn't an easy skill and patience should be one of my attributes. But not this time.

"How dare you call your Luna a barren?" I hissed, glaring daggers his way. Instead of the former beta backing out and apologizing for his misuse of words, he raised his shoulders and matched my glare—a sign of defiance, and that was totally unacceptable.

"Luna?" he scoffed. "I doubt if the title would still be yours after today." He snickered.

I paused.

My heart was still heaving hard in my chest.

The audacity!

"What does he mean?" I directed my question to Eric. Only he could explain why his former beta was being outrightly bold to say these vile words to me in his presence.

Eric looked a little hesitant. He still wasn't looking my way, as if he were trying to avoid my gaze.

I parted my lips, trying to repeat my question, but I was interrupted as the door of the courtroom flung open. I turned my head to see who had distracted the meeting without any respect, and it turned out to be Alessia.

She had a devilish smirk on as she swayed her hips, striding into the room like she owned it.

I didn't want to bother myself with her, so I faced my mate, whose face looked ashen. "I asked a question, Eric. What did he mean?"

Alessia cleared her throat. "What my father meant was that a woman who is rightfully carrying the Alpha's child should be the Luna of the pack."

"I wasn't talki—"

"And since I have his child, then I should step up and take my place," Alessia interrupted rudely.