Claimed by the Silent Alpha: The Brother Who Truly Saved Me Chapter 1

My childhood friend’s family carries a rare werewolf lineage. For them, the first person they "mark" during their transition into adulthood becomes their fated mate for life.

When his first "fever" hit, his friends called me to help soothe the transition. But standing outside his door, I heard him growl with irritation:

"I really don’t want to give her the satisfaction. Our kind is too loyal—once we mark someone, they’re our only partner forever.

"I'm waiting for someone like Serena. Not a girl like Chloe who follows me around like a lost puppy. Tonight, even if she begs to help me, I’ll hold back."

He waited and waited, but I never walked through that door.

What he didn’t know was that his older brother’s head of security was already blowing up my phone:

"Miss Chloe, Mr. Sterling has considered you his only mate for years. Please, he's dying. Can you just come and be with him?"

He didn't know that five years ago, when I "died" in that skiing accident in Aspen, it wasn't him who saved me. It was his brother, Silas. To pull me back from the brink of death, Silas shared half of his own life-force with me through a forbidden blood-bond.

Late that night, I wrapped my arms around Silas’s neck and whispered, "Mr. Sterling, stop holding back. Tell me... how many years have you been secretly in love with me?"

* * *

The Sterling family are shifters. After they turn twenty, every full moon brings a "fever"—a rut that demands a mate. The first person they mark during this time becomes their one and only for the rest of their lives.

I always thought the person my childhood friend, Archer, would mark was me.

But the night his lineage finally awakened, I stood outside the private lounge at the club and heard his voice dripping with disdain.

"I really don’t want Chloe to have it that easy.

"I want to go after the campus queen, but she’s not the type of girl you can just mess with.

"Chloe’s different. She’s like a stray dog that shows up whenever I whistle.

"Once she gets here, even if she begs to help me through the fever, I’m going to resist. I don't want one night to turn into a life sentence with her dragging me down."

I stood in the hallway, my mind going completely blank.

I never imagined that Archer—the boy I grew up with, the boy I gave everything to—actually saw me that way.

Inside, his friends laughed. They were the type to kick someone when they were down.

"So she’s just a toy to you?"

"Maybe I should call her and tell her not to come. Wouldn't want her taking advantage of the situation to climb into your bed and claim the 'Luna' title. Honestly, cheap goods aren't worth the trouble."

Archer groaned in pain but stopped them.

"Whatever. If you call her now and tell her not to come, she’ll get suspicious.

"Even if she is just a toy, she’s the toy I grew up with. I don't want her to feel too bad.

"When she gets here, I’ll see if I can hold out. I don't want to spell it out for her, but this is a good chance to make her realize where she stands."

In that moment, I wanted to burst in and scream at him.

You don't want me to feel bad? You just called me a dog in front of your friends and let them trash me. You think I’m still obsessed enough to let you treat me like trash?

But I held it in. There was no point wasting words on someone who didn't value me.

I turned and walked away, fleeing the scene before the tears could fall.

I pulled out my phone and called his older brother’s lead bodyguard.

"You called me earlier about Mr. Sterling needing help tonight. Is the offer still open?

"Send me the address. I'm coming now."