Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - The Lingerie Incident: An Alpha's Possessive Declaration

My heart hammered against my ribs as Clara's ice-blue eyes fixed on the lacy garment dangling from my trembling fingers. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

"I..." My mouth went dry. "This isn't—"

"Aurora was just returning something inappropriate I received by mistake," Sterling cut in smoothly, plucking the lingerie from my grasp. His calm tone contrasted sharply with the storm brewing in his eyes. "Weren't you, little one?"

The pet name made my skin crawl in front of Clara. I nodded jerkily, unable to form words.

Clara's perfectly sculpted eyebrows arched. "Mistake? The package had your name on it, Sterling." Her voice was honeyed poison. "And they're exactly your taste, aren't they? Black lace, just like you bought for our anniversary."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Sterling's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath his skin.

"Clara," he said with dangerous softness, "I believe we had a meeting scheduled. Not an ambush in my private office."

Clara's gaze flickered between us, calculation evident in her eyes. "Of course, darling. I merely thought you'd appreciate me bringing these by." She reached into her designer tote and pulled out a small bag identical to the one I'd stormed in with. "Your secretary signed for them this morning."

I took advantage of their standoff to slip past Clara toward the door. "I should go—"

"Stay." Sterling's command froze me mid-step. Not a request—an order.

Clara's smile didn't reach her eyes. "No need to run off, Aurora. This concerns you now, apparently." She set the bag on Sterling's desk with deliberate care. "I find it curious that we have matching sets. Perhaps your brother has a specific... preference in women's undergarments?"

My face burned. "I didn't ask for these."

"I'm sure you didn't." Clara's smile was razor-sharp now. "Sterling has always been... generous with the women in his life."

Sterling stepped between us, his broad shoulders blocking Clara from my view. "That's enough. Aurora, wait for me in the library." His tone brooked no argument.

I fled the room, my heart thundering in my chest. The house suddenly felt like a maze, corridors stretching endlessly before me. I didn't go to the library. Instead, I rushed to my bedroom and locked the door, sinking down onto my mattress.

What game was Sterling playing? Buying identical lingerie for both his fiancée and me? The thought made my stomach churn.

I paced my room, checking my phone. Two messages from Ethan lit up my screen.

*Still on for coffee tomorrow?*

*Missing you...*

I smiled despite my turmoil. Ethan was normal, sweet, uncomplicated. Everything Sterling wasn't. I typed a quick reply, confirming our date.

Twenty minutes later, heavy footsteps approached my door. Three sharp knocks followed.

"Aurora, open the door." Sterling's voice was deceptively calm.

I hesitated, then turned the lock with shaking fingers. He pushed inside immediately, shutting the door behind him.

"I told you to wait in the library." His words were clipped.

"I needed space." I crossed my arms defensively. "What was that about? Why did you buy Clara and me the same lingerie?"

Sterling ran a hand through his dark hair, disheveling its perfect style. "I didn't."

"She had the exact same bag—"

"I bought those pieces for you months ago," he interrupted. "Clara must have found them in my closet and assumed they were for her." His lips curved into a bitter smile. "She's been increasingly... territorial lately."

"Territorial?" I echoed in disbelief. "She's your fiancée! She has every right to be upset finding lingerie that wasn't meant for her!"

Sterling stepped closer, his imposing frame making my bedroom feel suddenly small. "Does she? When I've never once touched her the way a man touches a woman he desires?"

My breath caught. "That's not my business."

"Isn't it?" He moved closer still, backing me against my dresser. "When every time I look at her, I see only what she isn't?"

"Sterling, stop." My voice wavered. "This conversation is inappropriate."

"Everything about us is inappropriate, Aurora." His fingers brushed my cheek, trailing down to my collarbone. "Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I haven't tried to fight it?"

I pushed his hand away. "There is no 'us.' You're marrying Clara, and I'm dating Ethan."

Something dangerous flashed in Sterling's eyes at Ethan's name. "That boy doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as you."

"That's not for you to decide!" Anger finally overtook my fear. "You don't get to control who I see, who I date, who I—"

"Don't." His voice was low, a barely restrained growl. "Don't say it."

"What? That I might sleep with him?" The words were reckless, fueled by frustration at Sterling's constant interference.

Sterling's hand slammed into the wall beside my head, making me flinch. His breathing was ragged, eyes dark with something primal.

"You think I buy you those things for my own amusement?" he hissed. "You think I enjoy watching you parade around this house in those tiny shorts, knowing some college boy gets to touch what's rightfully mine?"

My mouth fell open in shock. "Rightfully yours? I'm not a possession, Sterling! I'm not yours in any way!"

"You have no idea how wrong you are." He leaned closer, his breath fanning against my lips. "Every time I see another man look at you, I want to tear out his throat. Every time that pathetic boy touches you, I have to physically restrain myself from hunting him down."

Tears pricked my eyes. "Why are you doing this? You're engaged. You're my step-brother. You're—"

"I'm the only man who will ever truly understand what you need." His voice softened dangerously. "The only man who sees you for everything you are."

"You're scaring me," I whispered truthfully.

Sterling's features softened marginally. "I would never hurt you, Aurora. But I can't keep pretending."

"Pretending what?" My voice was barely audible.

His thumb brushed over my lower lip. "That watching you with another man doesn't make me want to fucking destroy something. That hearing you call me brother doesn't make me sick to my stomach."

A tear slipped down my cheek. "Sterling, please—"

"The engagement is a business arrangement," he continued relentlessly. "A pack alliance my father orchestrated. It means nothing."

"And what am I?" I choked out. "Another business arrangement?"

His hand cupped my face, tilting it up to meet his burning gaze. "You're mine," he stated, the two words resonating with absolute conviction. "You've always been mine, from the moment you walked into this house. Every man I've scared away, every date I've ruined—it wasn't brotherly protection. It was possession."

My legs weakened beneath me as the implications of his words sank in. All these years of controlling behavior, the surveillance, the intimidation of any boy who showed interest in me—it hadn't been twisted brotherly concern. It had been something far more dangerous.

Sterling leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. "I mean every word I have just said," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. "Mine..."