Filed to story: Claimed By My Fiance's Alpha Brother (Callie & Cameron) Book PDF Free
“You should see her face, Val,” Anna had whispered into the phone last night, her voice carrying that familiar note of cruel pleasure I remembered so well from our school days. “Every time I dump more work on her desk, every time I make her fetch my coffee, she looks like she wants to strangle me. But she can’t do anything about it because precious Cameron thinks I’m his long-lost love.”
I’d laughed until my sides hurt, imagining that pathetic omega bitch scrambling to keep up with Anna’s demands while pretending everything was fine. After years of watching Callie somehow land on her feet despite every obstacle thrown her way, it was deeply satisfying to know she was finally getting what she deserved.
But Anna’s best discovery had come yesterday afternoon.
“I found her address,” Anna had announced triumphantly. “And get this -I know where her little bastard goes to school. Silver Moon Harbor Elementary, just fifteen minutes from the office. The kid gets picked up every day at three-thirty by some woman named Ophelia.”
The information had sparked an idea so perfect, so beautifully cruel, that I’d actually shivered with anticipation. If there was one thing I knew about Callie Knight, it was that she would do absolutely anything to protect that child of hers. Anything.
Which was exactly what I was counting on.
Now, sitting in Marco’s pathetic excuse for a car outside our cramped apartment, I dialed my mother’s number with steady fingers. The phone rang twice before Elizabeth’s familiar voice answered.
“Valerie? What do you want? I’m busy.”
“Hello to you too, Mother,” I said sweetly, injecting just enough sarcasm to let her know I wasn’t intimidated. “I called because I have some interesting news about our dear adopted daughter.”
There was a pause, and I could practically hear Elizabeth’s mental gears shifting. “Callie? What about her? I thought we agreed that ungrateful little bitch was dead to us.”
“Oh, she’s very much alive,” I said, settling back in the passenger seat with a satisfied smile. “In fact, she’s doing quite well for herself. Working at one of the most prestigious companies in Silver Moon Harbor, living in her own apartment, raising her little bastard son.”
“I don’t care if she’s the CEO of the entire damn company,” Elizabeth snapped. “That girl chose to walk away from this family. She made her bed, and now “”
“What if I told you she could still be useful to us?” I interrupted, knowing I had to play this carefully. Elizabeth was greedy, but she was also stubborn. I needed to make her think the idea was coming from her.
Another pause, longer this time. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Mother. Dad’s medical bills are getting worse every month. But Callie… she’s young, healthy, and apparently quite beautiful according to my friend who works with her.” I paused for effect. “There are men out there who would pay handsomely for a woman like that.”
The silence that followed was so complete I wondered if the call had dropped. Then Elizabeth’s voice came back, lower and more interested than before.
“What kind of men?”
“The kind with deep pockets and flexible morals,” I said, my pulse quickening as I sensed her taking the bait. “Marco knows someone from his… wilder days. A businessman named Harold Morrison. Very successful, very wealthy. He’s been looking for a wife for years.”
Elizabeth was quiet for a long moment, and I could practically hear her calculating. “How wealthy are we talking?”
“Wealthy enough to cover Dad’s medical bills ten times over,” I said, knowing I had her now. “Wealthy enough to buy you that house you’ve always wanted in the nice part of town. Wealthy enough to make sure you never have to worry about money again.”
“And this Harold person would be interested in Callie?”
“Mother, she’s twenty-three years old, beautiful, and has already proven she can bear children. Harold wouldn’t just be interested -he’d be grateful.” I paused, playing my trump card. “The only problem is getting her to agree.
“She’d never agree,” Elizabeth said immediately.
“Not if she had the right motivation.” I said carefully.
I could hear Elizabeth’s sharp intake of breath as understanding dawned. “The child.”
“I have her address,” I said, triumph flooding through my veins. “And I know where the boy goes to school.”
“Good. I’ll handle the rest.” Elizabeth’s voice had taken on that brisk, businesslike tone she used when she was planning something particularly unpleasant. “You’ve done well, Valerie. This could solve all our problems.”
The next day, I checked my appearance in the car’s rearview mirror, making sure I looked appropriately respectable. My blonde hair was pulled back in a conservative style. Most importantly, I’d brought my identification -the driver’s license that clearly showed my legal name as Valerie Knight Nightshadow.
Same last name as Callie’s. Perfect.
The school day was ending, and I could see children beginning to emerge from the building in small groups, their backpacks bouncing as they ran toward waiting parents and caregivers. I made my way to the main entrance, where a tired-looking teacher with graying hair was checking off names on a clipboard.
“Excuse me,” I said, approaching her with my most winning smile. “I’m here to pick up my nephew, Adrian Knight. His mother had an emergency at work and asked me to collect him.”
The teacher looked up from her clipboard, her expression politely curious. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mrs. Henderson, Adrian’s teacher. And you are?”
“Valerie Knight,” I said, emphasizing the shared surname as I pulled out my driver’s license. “Callie’s sister. Well, stepsister technically, but we’re very close.”
Mrs. Henderson examined my identification carefully, noting the matching last name. “I see. And Callie called to arrange this?”
“She tried to call the school, but the line was busy,” I said, my voice taking on just the right note of concern. “She’s absolutely frantic about this work emergency, and she knew Adrian would be worried if no one showed up to get him.”
“Well,” she said, glancing at her clipboard, “I suppose it’s alright. Adrian!” she called out toward the playground. “Your aunt is here to pick you up!”
A small figure detached itself from a group of children and came running toward us, his dark curls bouncing with each step.
“Hi,” Adrian said cautiously as he approached, his little backpack slung over one shoulder. His eyes were wary as they studied my face, clearly not recognizing me. “Are you really my aunt?”
“I am,” I said, crouching down to his eye level and speaking in the gentle tone I’d perfected during my brief stint babysitting neighborhood kids for extra cash. “Your mommy had to work late today, so she asked me to come get you.”
Adrian’s expression remained skeptical. “Mommy said only Aunt Ophelia is allowed to pick me up. She said I should never go with strangers.”
“You’re absolutely right to be careful,” I said approvingly, pulling out my driver’s license again. “That’s exactly what smart boys do. But look -see my name? It says Valerie Knight. Just like your mommy’s name. That means we’re family.”
Adrian studied the identification with the intense concentration only four-year-olds could manage, sounding out the letters with obvious effort. “V-A-L… Valerie. K-N-I… Knight.” He looked up at me with those devastating blue eyes. “You have the same last name as Mommy.”
“That’s right. I’m your mommy’s sister.” The lie came easily, sweetened with just enough truth to be believable. “She’s at work right now, but she asked me to pick you up because I have something very special to tell you.”
“What kind of special?”
I leaned closer, dropping my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “It’s about your daddy.”
The change in Adrian’s expression was immediate and heartbreaking. His eyes went wide, his small body practically vibrating with sudden excitement. “You know about my daddy? Mommy says she doesn’t know where he is.”
“I know exactly where he is,” I said, feeling only a small twinge of guilt at the hope blazing in those silver-blue eyes. “But it’s a secret, and I can only tell you if you come with me. Do you want to know about your daddy?”
Adrian nodded so enthusiastically I was afraid he might give himself whiplash. “Yes! Yes, please! I want to know everything!”
Callie’s POV
The words hung in the air like a toxic cloud, poisoning every breath I tried to take. “Are you completely insane?” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper as the full horror of what Elizabeth was suggesting crashed over me like a tidal wave.
Harold’s oily smile widened, revealing those unnaturally white teeth. “Now, now, there’s no need for dramatics,” he said, his voice carrying the patronizing tone of someone who was used to getting exactly what he wanted. “I understand this might come as a surprise, but I assure you, I can provide very well for you and your… child.”
The way he said ‘child’ made my skin crawl. “This is not happening,” I said, taking a step backward toward the door. “I don’t know what kind of sick arrangement you two have cooked up, but I’m leaving. Right now.”
Elizabeth moved to block my path with surprising speed, her perfectly manicured hand shooting out to wrap around my wrist like a steel trap. “Sit down, Callie,” she commanded. “We’re not finished talking.”
“Yes, we are,” I snapped, trying to wrench my arm free from her grip. “I wouldn’t marry that man if he was the last person on earth. Find someone else for your disgusting little scheme.”
Harold chuckled, a sound like oil bubbling in a hot pan. “Oh, my dear, I think you misunderstand your position here. This isn’t really a request.”
Elizabeth’s grip tightened on my wrist, her fingernails digging into my skin hard enough to leave marks. “You’re going to marry Harold, and you’re going to be grateful for the opportunity,” she said, her voice taking on that sweet.
“Let go of me,” I said, my voice growing stronger despite the fear clawing at my chest. “I’m an adult, Elizabeth. You can’t force me to do anything.”
“Can’t I?” Her smile was like a razor blade wrapped in silk. “Tell me, darling, how is little Adrian enjoying his new school? Silver Moon Harbor Elementary, isn’t it? Such a lovely place. So many children playing outside every day at recess.”
The blood in my veins turned to ice water. “What did you just say?”
Elizabeth continued conversationally, as if she were discussing the weather instead of threatening my child. “Usually that friend of yours -Ophelia, is it? -picks him up. But accidents happen, don’t they?”
White-hot rage exploded through my system, so pure and intense that my vision actually tinted red around the edges. Ayla snarled in my mind, her mental voice sharp with protective fury that matched my own.
“If you go anywhere near my son,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper that carried more menace than any scream, “I will kill you. I will tear your throat out with my bare hands and dance on your corpse.”
Harold laughed, actually laughed, as if my desperate threat was the most amusing thing he’d heard all day. “Such spirit! I do love a woman with fire. Don’t worry, my dear -once we’re married, I’ll teach you all sorts of ways to channel that passion.
The implications in his voice made bile rise in my throat. I lunged toward the door, but Elizabeth’s grip on my wrist was like iron, and Harold moved with surprising speed for such a soft-looking man, blocking my escape route completely.
“Now, now,” Elizabeth said, her voice taking on that mockingly gentle tone she’d used when I was a child and she was about to deliver some particularly cruel punishment. “Let’s not make this more difficult than it needs to be. Harold has very generously offered to overlook your… past mistakes and give you a proper home. The least you can do is show some gratitude.”
“I’d rather die,” I spat, still struggling against her grip.
“That can be arranged too,” Harold said pleasantly, stepping closer until I could smell his sour breath and the overwhelming cologne that couldn’t quite mask the scent of sweat and something else that made my wolf recoil in disgust. “But I think you’d prefer the alternative.”
They began dragging me toward the back of the house, toward the bedroom I’d once shared with Valerie during the worst years of my childhood. My feet slipped on the worn linoleum as I fought against them, my heart hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat.
“You know,” Harold was saying to Elizabeth as they manhandled me down the narrow hallway, “once this is settled, I’ll wire the first payment immediately. Fifty thousand should cover your husband’s medical expenses for quite some time.”
“Fifty thousand?” Elizabeth’s voice perked up with interest. “Harold, you’re too generous.”
“Nonsense. A beautiful young woman like this is worth every penny. And once we’re properly married, well…” He squeezed my shoulder with a pudgy hand that felt like a dead fish. “I’m sure we’ll find all sorts of ways to keep each other entertained.”
They shoved me into the small back bedroom, and the familiar smell of mothballs and old perfume brought back a flood of terrible memories.
Harold was already loosening his tie, his pale eyes roving over my body with obvious hunger. “Now then,” he said, his voice taking on that oily, coaxing tone again. “Why don’t we get better acquainted? Once you see what I can offer you, I’m sure you’ll be much more… cooperative.”
Harold reached for the top button of his shirt, and something inside me snapped like a breaking wire. This was not happening. Not again.
My eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. On the nightstand beside the bed sat an old wine bottle -empty, but heavy, with a thick glass base that would make an excellent club.
“You know what, Harold?” I said, forcing my voice to sound defeated and resigned. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should be more… grateful.”
