Falling For My Alpha Stepsister (GL)
Chapter 3: You Don’t Deserve To Look This Pretty.

Chapter 3: You Don’t Deserve To Look This Pretty.

Angel Morningstar was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and hands folded.

The leather cushions groaned softly under her weight as she leaned back, watching me with a cold, unblinking intensity. The entire living room seemed to shrink the moment her gaze locked onto me, filling the space with that thick, heavy Alpha presence that always made it hard to draw a full breath.

She looked like a parent who had just caught their child sneaking out of the house.

Her mouth was pulled into a tight, hard line, and her head was tilted slightly to the side as if she were waiting for me to break down and confess to a crime.

But I wasn’t a child. I was a grown woman, and how dare she use that tone with me?

A sudden surge of hot anger rushed through my veins, making my hands clench tightly against the fabric of my new dress. I swallowed hard, forcing my shoulders to stay square, refusing to let her see how much her judgment affected me.

She wasn’t even supposed to be home at this time. It was Sunday, and she was usually off at some random club, spending her mother’s money.

The house was normally completely empty on weekends, giving me a few precious hours to exist without walking on eggshells around her. Finding her anchored to the sofa right now felt like a cruel, intentional trap designed to ruin my night.

I ignored her as if she were just another piece of furniture and started walking toward the door.

I kept my eyes fixed forward, my high heels clicking loudly against the floor as I hurried past the sofa, focusing entirely on the brass doorknob just a few feet away.

And this girl had the audacity to block my way out.

Before my fingers could even graze the handle, a sudden rush of warm air moved through the hallway, and a dark shadow fell completely over the exit.

Her massive, athletic frame cut off my path instantly, forcing me to skidding to a halt right on the polished marble floor to avoid crashing directly into her chest.

"I asked a question. Where do you think you’re going at this time of day?"

The words cut through the quiet house, sharp and demanding, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

That stupid, annoying husky voice of hers only made me hate her more.

The deep, vibrating tone rasped against my nerves, sending a sudden jolt of pure irritation straight down my spine as I stood there trapped.

I could see her clearly now. She was wearing a harmless yellow shirt, with tattoos covering both arms.

The bright fabric of her top looked completely ridiculous compared to the dark, menacing ink that stretched from her wrists all the way up to her shoulders, twisting into complex shapes.

I could even see a new one on her left arm.

The dark lines looked slightly raised and fresh, wrapping around her forearm like a black vine, drawing my eyes toward the hard muscle underneath.

I tried to walk past her, but her tall frame kept blocking me.

I dodged to the left, but she stepped smoothly to the side, matching my movement instantly. I tried to slip past her right shoulder, but she shifted her weight again, completely shutting down the open space.

Damn that masculine Alpha gift of hers.

Every single movement she made was fast, precise, and completely effortless, driven by a raw physical power that I could never hope to match.

We were both women, but for some reason, because we belonged to different secondary genders, she was blessed with all these advantages while I, a mere Omega, had to struggle with everything.

The unfairness of it burned in my chest, a constant, heavy weight that reminded me of my own vulnerability every single day I lived under this roof.

Height was one of them, I hate her stupid height.

She towered over me without even trying, making me feel completely small and insignificant just by standing in my personal space.

I finally gave up and faced her. Looking up into those annoying crimson eyes of hers made me feel like I was staring at a giant tree.

I planted my hands on my hips, tilting my head back as far as it would go, staring directly into the deep, bloody red of her gaze to hide the tremor in my chin.

"What is your problem? Do I look like some child who needs your permission before going out?" I boldly asked.

My voice came out sharp, ringing through the narrow hallway as I forced myself to meet her stare without blinking behind my glasses.

"This is my house, and I need to know who goes in and out of it. So I won’t ask again. Where are you going? Or you’re going straight back to your room."

She didn’t raise her voice, but the flat, dangerous calm in her tone made the hairs on my arms stand up instantly. She leaned forward slightly, her chest practically pressing against my space.

Argh.

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird as her arrogance filled the air.

This girl annoyed me more every second.

Every single word that came out of her mouth felt like a deliberate attempt to suffocate me, to strip away whatever tiny bit of freedom I had left.

Since when did all this start?

The sudden change in her behavior made absolutely no sense, throwing me completely off balance as I tried to read her blank expression.

Sure, we’d lived in the same house for four years, but never once had she questioned where I was going.

Usually, she couldn’t care less if I disappeared for days at a time, entirely consumed by her own life, her own friends, and her own endless parties.

I had to be there on time.

I couldn’t keep Benny waiting.

The thought of her standing outside the library alone, looking for me in the dark, made a cold wave of panic wash straight through my stomach.

"The library. I’m going to the library. Now get out of my way," I spat.

I shoved the words right into her face, my voice shaking with a mixture of fear and pure defiance as I took a tiny step forward.

Just when I thought she would finally leave me alone, Angel took a step closer.

The distance between us vanished completely, her large shadow swallowing me whole as she pressed forward into my personal space.

What is the meaning of this nonsense?

My breath caught in my throat, a sudden wave of thick, cedar-and-smoke pheromones washing over my face, dizzying my senses instantly.

I tried moving backward, only stopping when my back hit the wall.

Why was there a wall behind me?

I felt completely cornered, the space around me shrinking down until there was nowhere left for me to look but up at her.

Angel planted one hand against the wall, blocking my escape.

Her entire body towered over mine.

The heat radiating from her skin was intense, a warm wall of muscle that kept me pinned against the structure of the house.

"Four Eyes, you should never lie to me. I can always tell when someone is."

She leaned down, her face coming so close that I could see the tiny flecks swimming in the dark red of her pupils, her gaze tracking the rapid movement of my chest.

"What are you talking about, Angel? I work at the library, and that’s where I’m heading. I don’t even need to explain myself to you."

I forced the words out through a tight throat, my hands gripping my small purse like a shield as I tried to twist away from her face.

"Who goes to a library looking like this, huh? Don’t tell me you’re secretly seeing someone. Tell me who that loser is."

Her eyes scanned the tight red fabric of my dress, lingering on the exposed skin of my neck before snapping back up to lock onto my eyes with a sudden, vicious intensity.

I blinked several times.

The sheer absurdity of her accusation left me completely speechless for a second, my mind racing to find a way out of this ridiculous conversation.

Was this girl actually serious?

She was acting completely crazy, stepping into a part of my life that she had absolutely no right to touch, and it was driving me insane.

This needed to end.

I needed to break this hold she had over me before I completely lost my mind or missed my date entirely.

I raised my phone to her face and showed her mother’s contact.

"I’m going to call your mom this instant and tell her you’re disturbing my peace again," I threatened.

I glared up at her, trying to make my expression as hard and determined as possible, using the only leverage I had in this house.

I didn’t usually call Mrs. Morningstar, but I would if this girl refused to leave me alone.

I was completely desperate enough to handle the drama that would follow, anything to get this terrifying weight off my chest right now.

"Don’t you think I’m scared of my mother? Go ahead. Dial the number. Call her."

She didn’t move an inch, her face remaining completely steady as she stared down at the blinking screen with an expression of pure boredom.

She smirked.

"And I’m going to call your mom and tell her you’ve been drinking and smoking with some stupid boys."

The lie came out of her mouth so smoothly it made my jaw drop, her tone dripping with a smug satisfaction that showed she knew exactly how much power she held.

"What the hell? Why would you make accusations like that? I’ve never done any of those things. And even if I did, I’m old enough to drink alcohol."

I raised my voice, my cheeks burning with a heavy flush as I stared at her in utter disbelief, my hands shaking with rage.

"You look like a baby. How old are you, 16?"

She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she took in my curled hair and makeup, a mocking chuckle vibrating deep in her chest.

"God, no. I’m 21."

I gritted my teeth, the number tearing from my throat as I tried to assert some kind of adulthood in front of her towering presence.

My palms slammed into her chest, pressing hard against the solid muscle beneath her shirt, but she stayed completely anchored to the floor, solid as a rock.

Her thumb caught the edge of my chin, her grip firm and unyielding as she forced my head back, cutting off my ability to look away from her.

"If you want to leave this house, go change your clothes and remove all that makeup."

The pressure of her fingers was warm against my skin, sending a strange, terrifying shiver straight down to my toes as she held me captive.

Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

The intensity in her gaze flared up, burning hot through the glass of my lenses as she stared down at my painted lips.

"You don’t deserve to look this pretty."