Tasting

36–Play Dirty Games! 

Nora: 

Now that I was left alone with my stepbrothers, my gaze couldn’t help but fixate on Nash. 

“What? Play silly games, get silly rewards,” he shrugged, nonchalantly. There seemed to be no shame in his eyes for backstabbing me yet again. 

“Well, can we admit we’ll miss our stepsister? It was kinda fun having someone clueless and fragile around for once,” Silas muttered under his breath, his voice gruff. He also made sure he reminds me how weak I am in comparison to them. 

“Not really the type to tolerate trash in the house for too long anyway,” Alpha Cain chimed in this time. 

I stood before them, awaiting my fate. 

Big tears formed in my eyes as I wondered what I needed to do to be a part of this family? How do I make them like me? 

It was hard to believe I had briefly considered Nash not to be all that bad last night. But the expressions on their faces told a different story. If I left, they’d be over the moon. Except for Ryker, who remained impassive. 

In fact, he fixed me with a stern look, not appearing enthusiastic. Perhaps he was pondering whether I’d pull the mate bond card if they decided to kick me out. 

After about fifteen minutes of intense searching, the group descended the stairs, and the grin on the brothers‘ faces widened. 

Nash appeared hopeful as his dad entered the foyer, though his expression was tinged with sadness. Avoiding eye contact, he made a beeline for me. 

“Dad! No need to look so guilty. You didn’t know you were bringing home a traitor,” Nash tried to console his father. 

“Nash is right. You were just trying to do a good deed for an orphan. None of us anticipated she’d turn out to be so conniving,” Silas spoke softly, his voice carrying weight despite its murmur. 

“Let’s just get it over with. Dad needs rest,” Cain muttered under his breath, looking bored, as if he’d rather be in his studio stripping she- wolves than participating in such serious accusations against his stepsister, who could end up in jail if found guilty. 

Lord Atwood remained silent, allowing them to finish before clearing his throat and taking my hands. “I’m sorry you have to endure this trial repeatedly, and I’m so proud of you for always coming out innocent.” 

His words seemed to stun everyone. In fact, the brothers took a full minute before shaking their heads to confirm they’d heard their father correctly. 

“Dad, what are you saying? There was a creature in her room, and you’re apologizing to her?” Nash demanded, stepping closer to his father. 

“Actually, we searched the entire bedroom and found nothing,” the old man intervened, delivering news that drained color from their faces. 

“That’s impossible!” Nash exclaimed, dropping his facade of concern 

for his father and hissing at the old man. 

any 

“Why? Why would it be impossible, brother?” I couldn’t stay silent longer, especially since I’d dealt with the matter just last night. The reason I couldn’t sleep early was that I kept pondering what Akira said. It made no sense for an alpha king, who is staunchly against intruders and would dispatch his enemies with his bare hands, to allow me to harbor a monster’s baby in the royal mansion. 

“Because-” Nash began, looking around for a bit of support, but the others had fallen silent. Apart from him, nobody knew I had a baby monster in my room last night. 

“I want to know why you all just as*umed it was her who kept the baby?” Lord Atwood, now looking proud of me for not lying and proving others wrong, turned to question the old man and his guards. I still had no clue who that man was. 

“We received an anonymous tip that claimed they saw her stealing it,” the man uttered, furrowing my brow. Stealing him? That was an odd way to put it–I had a baby in my bedroom. Where did the baby come from? Did a monster really give birth to a baby in my bathroom? But why would a monster do that? 

“Anyway, we’re very sorry for what happened. I wish we could go back in time and fix our mistakes, but–I guess we’ll have to move forward,” the old man said, so cocky that even his apology seemed insincere, 

“I mean, it’s a matter of our pack’s security. The pack that has four alpha kings, the future of werewolves. We couldn’t risk it,” he shrugged, and Lord Atwood rolled his eyes. 

“It’s alright, I understand.” I won’t lie, I’d disliked the old man from the start, but he wasn’t wrong. When it comes to the pack’s security, nothing else matters. 

“Now, do you mind if I leave?” the old man asked Atwood, who began following him to the exit. Once again, we were left together, but this time, the dynamic had shifted. They couldn’t even muster the energy to smirk or comment. They looked defeated. 

“Just because you fooled me once, you thought you could do it again?” I was the first to break the silence. My comment was directed at Nash, who rolled his eyes and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. 

“Go back to your room,” Cain stepped forward, pointing upstairs. 

“No! You can’t control me. If you don’t even see me as your little sister, you have no right to boss me around,” I snapped, feeling angry that Nash had manipulated me so badly that I forgot talking back to Cain was like damaging all his artwork. He despised disrespect. 

“What the heck did you just say to me? You’re laying down terms now?” he grunted, advancing towards me, but Ryker stepped between us, signaling for him to halt. 

“That’s unnecessary,” Ryker muttered under his breath. “Nora, go back to your room.” Even though he was also commanding me, it didn’t feel as disrespectful. It was more like he wanted me to understand that I was only inviting trouble by upsetting Cain. 

Reluctantly, I nodded and began to ascend the stairs. Though they were distant, I caught a quiet comment from Silas to Cain. 

“She didn’t listen to you, but she heard and respected Ryker’s words. It seems like he’s gaining more respect in this house now.”