Claimed By My Mafia Step brother by Jay Kings

Liora POV:

I stood before the full-length mirror, the white ceremonial dress a stark, hopeful slash of light in the dim room. Kade and I had picked it out together. The silk was cool against my skin, a promise of the Moon Goddess’s pure blessing.

My fingers traced the silver-thread wolf totem embroidered over the heart. In just a few hours, I would be his Luna. The mother of our pack. A wave of longing, so sharp it was almost a pain, washed over me.

*Our mate! Kade! Hurry!* My inner wolf, Lyra, tumbled with giddy impatience in my mind.

A soft smile touched my lips. I sent a wave of calm toward her. *Soon, Lyra. It’s almost time.*

My gaze fell to the vanity, to the single piece of jewelry resting on the velvet cloth. My mother’s moonstone necklace. It was the only thing she’d left me after my father, a powerful Alpha, had cast her aside for a more politically advantageous match. The stone seemed to drink the light, its milky depths holding a quiet power. It was my constant reminder of the one thing I craved above all else: a love that wasn't conditional on rank or power.

I remembered my mother’s last words to me, her voice a fragile whisper. *Never let your rank define your worth, my sweet girl.* Her pain had forged my resolve. It was why I’d hidden my true self, why I’d worn the guise of an Omega. I needed to know Kade’s love was for my soul, not for the power a top-tier Alpha mate would bring him.

Lifting the necklace, I fastened the clasp. The stone was cool against my throat, a familiar weight that grounded me.

From the window, a roar of cheers drifted up from the packhouse courtyard. The air buzzed with celebration. I walked over, peering down at the sea of pack members arranging garlands of moonflower and lighting silver lanterns. I pictured myself down there, standing beside Kade, his hand in mine, accepting their blessings.

The memory of our first meeting ambushed me. A pack run under the full moon, the wind whipping through my hair. The moment our wolves had laid eyes on each other, a primal jolt had shot through me, so powerful it buckled my knees. A single word had echoed in both our minds, a soul-deep declaration: *Mine!*