My Step father's Pheromones (BL)

I am the alpha of a small pack. That doesn't make me any weaker. A small nation doesn't mean failure.

But do you know what does feel like failure?

Being twenty-six years old and married toa woman who was several years my senior—a woman who doesn't seem attracted to you. Not that I'm very attracted to her, either. But the Moon Goddess is never wrong. I couldn't stay away. Her scent pulled me in like nothing I'd ever experienced.

**Nine Years Ago**

My parents and I stand at the front door of a house I'm not familiar with. It's in one of the poorer parts of town, much to my parents' disdain.

"Are you sure you smell something here, Brodie? Maybe you're smelling someone in a nicer neighborhood..." my mother says.

But I'm sure. It's the kind of scent that pulls at my soul, making me want to do anything for the person it belongs to. Is this what people mean when they say someone has you wrapped around their finger?

A woman opens the door, and I look her over.

She's... old.

I glance at my parents and see the same stunned expression on their faces. The woman, on the other hand, looks frightened. After all, we're well known. My father is her alpha.

"A-Alpha? What can I do for you?" she asks, lowering her eyes to the ground instead of meeting ours.

"Is this who you smell, son?" my father asks. "You're seventeen... I would've imagined... I mean... how old are you?"

The woman keeps her head down.

"I'm thirty-four," she replies.

Mother places a hand over her chest in disbelief.

I take a slow breath, letting the faint scent of her omega pheromones fill my lungs. It's weak, but it's enough to catch my attention.

A child walks up behind her.

I scowl.

What is this?

"Layne, honey, please go hide while I talk to the alpha and his family," the woman coaxes.

The child can't be older than eight or nine. I stare at him. He's immediately become a threat. He clings to what's supposed to be mine while staring up at me and my family.

The disrespect is unbelievable.

No one should make eye contact with someone like me.

"Control your pup before I do it for you," I say, glaring at the child.

He stares right back, completely unbothered.

I scoff, curling my lip and furrowing my brows.

"Go. Now," the woman says, rushing him away.

Once he's gone, she turns her attention back to us. She still doesn't make eye contact, but her posture makes it clear that we have her undivided attention once again.

I study her. So this is my forever?

"As you can imagine, we are not pleased that our son is going to be with a single mother, especially at the age of 17, but I suppose you are his mate," my mother tells her.

The whole pack showed up to the mating ceremony, and when I smelled her, I was very surprised. I couldn't believe the moon goddess would set me up with someone who was so far out of my age range. For a while, I didn't tell my parents.

For weeks, they kept asking me who I smelled, if I smelled anything at all, and I kept telling them no. From their reactions, I can see they understand why now.

"So here's what's going to happen..." my father says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "You'll move into our home. It's big enough to fit everyone with extra room. You will marry our son, and you will be a good wife and Luna. But the boy... he will not be my son's child. He will work as a servant—"

"No, please, Alpha. It wouldn't be right to make my son work as a servant while I am seen as better than him—"

"There is no compromising," my father says in a stern voice, causing even me to tense. "This is your life. Be lucky we even allowed him to come at all."

The woman continues to look down at the ground.

**Present—**

I pull myself out of my thoughts when the door to my study opens. I look up to see Layne, still very much a servant.

But life isn't bad for him. He has a proper education, he has a few friends, which is very rare for someone who is a low-class omega such as himself, and—

"I got an A on my report card!" He holds it up with the brightest smile.

I slowly take it from him and look it over.

He has my undivided attention.

"Very good." I slowly stand up. "I'm very proud of you, Layne. I knew you could do it. It just took some hard work and—"

"You scolding me until I got the answers correct..." He runs his fingers through his hair, not making eye contact with me. It's prohibited, so I don't allow him to make it a habit.

"Yes, I suppose so. A little structure never hurt anyone. Have you done your chores today?" I ask, handing his report card back.

"No, not yet, but I was wondering..." He begins, and I tilt my head slightly. "Can I go hang out with my friends after I get done with chores? Mom told me to ask you and—"

"Who? And where are you going? And what time will you come home?" I cross my arms as I study him.

He looks down at the floor, his dark brown hair falling into his eyes as he does.

"Emmett, and he wants to take me to the movies, erm... 11:00—"

"Eleven what?" I snap. "You think I'm going to allow you to stay out with someone all night?"

"Don't be mad..." he whispers.

I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. He's 17... far from that kid who hid behind his mother when we first met.

Back then... it felt easier.

It felt like he was easier to control. At least his mother could handle him. Now that he's older, she believes he needs a father figure, and even though my parents prohibited it, it's different now that he's older.

"You erm..." I let out a breath and close my eyes.

No. Yes. No. Yes.

I open my eyes and stare at him.

No. Yes. No...

"Go ask your mother." I flick my hand.

"Okay. So it's her decision? You know Mother isn't good at making decisions. She feels... well. Okay, I'll go ask her."

He turns around and walks back out of the study. I watch him for a moment.

I know it shouldn't be Katrina's decision, but I don't want any part of raising her son, especially since she hasn't bared any children for me.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I can count on one hand how many times we've been intimate during our nine years of marriage.

Not only am I sexually frustrated, but I'm also angry about how my life in general has turned out.

I sit back down at my desk and open my laptop.

He wants to go out with a boy...

I scoff at the very idea of it.

Could it be possible that he's trying to go into heat? Why would he want to hang out with anyone?

Does he need friends that badly?

I still remember his first day of school.

**Flashback—**

Katrina and I stand outside of the classroom, and even though the boy is in 4th grade, Katrina insisted that we see him inside.

I don't know much about an omega's life, but I do know they are considered weak and useless, only good for reproducing with alphas. So, as a boy omega, it's worse.

"What if I don't make any friends?" Layne asks Katrina as he clings to her.

He's very much a clinger.

I grab the back of his shirt, pulling him away. That's the contrast that we have. I don't want anyone touching what's mine, even if I don't technically want to touch her either, and he wants to cling.

I grit my teeth as I glare at him.

"Mom!" He wiggles out of my grip and runs back over, clinging again. He peeks around at me.

"Do not make eye contact!" I snarl, causing him to close his eyes.

"Brodie... please, sweetheart. He's just a child, and he's my son. There is no need to be jealous over him." Katrina whispers.

I've never heard her voice go any higher than that.

How can an alpha be happy with a mate who's scared of him?

I stare at her with a stern expression before dragging my eyes down to the child.

Mm.

"Go inside..." I flick my hand, motioning toward the classroom.

He pulls away and grips the strap of his bookbag, averting his eyes.

"You will have a good day." Katrina smiles at him. "And if someone messes with you, remind them who your stepfather is."

I look away from them.

This is a school meant for high-class clan members. It's much different from the low-class school Layne attended before. He will get a good education here, and if someone makes fun of him, it will be because of his status as an omega and not because of his clothes.

I made sure he was dressed only in the finest clothes before attending.

"Have a good day, my love," Katrina tells him.

I roll my eyes.

**Present—**

That was a lifetime ago.

Or so it feels.

Now I stand here with Katrina as Layne introduces us to this Emmett boy.

He stares at me with a look of worry as I glare at him.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Emmett. This is my husband, Brodie, and—"

"I know who you both are, Alpha and Luna." Emmett bows slightly. "It truly is a pleasure to be acquainted."

"It's a pleasure!" Katrina smiles.

The room falls silent as Katrina slowly looks over at me.

Now that she's my wife, she can make eye contact with me, unlike everyone else.

I scan my eyes over to her.

"What?"

She nods her head toward Emmett.

"Why would I lie?" I wonder aloud, causing Katrina to sigh quietly and Emmett to shift awkwardly.

"Yes, well... are you ready, Emmett?" Layne asks as he walks over to the boy, who turns his attention toward him.

"Yeah, I am." He smiles.

The two turn around, but as they start to walk away, I stop them.

"Be back at 9... no. 8:00. I will be doing a full sniff down when you get home, Layne, so you should smell like yourself and nobody else. Do not be a moment late, and do not go anywhere other than the movie theater."

Layne doesn't turn around, but he tells me okay anyway.

Soon, the two are walking out of the door, and Katrina turns and starts to walk away.

This marriage has always been quiet...

A little too quiet.

"I'm horny," I tell her simply.

She pauses, crossing her arms gently, but she doesn't turn to look at me.

"I have a headache."

This is what she always says.

It's her job to make sure her husband is pleased, even in the bedroom, but that's the one place where she falls short of expectation.

"Is that why your mood has been so sour? You're in need?" I hear her mumble.

I haven't been in a sour mood, but before I can tell her this, she continues.

"Is that why you're taking all of your anger out on my son?"

She slowly turns around to face me.

Anger out on her son?!

I've been nothing but fair with him, even going above and beyond to help him with his studies.

"I can hear you constantly yelling at him..." she tells me. "He doesn't deserve to be talked to that way, Brodie. And the way you treated that poor boy tonight... do you not have a heart?"

I do.

I have a heart.

I just don't know what she wants from me.

"That's your son... and why would it be a pleasure to meet that boy when I don't even know him? That foolishness. I won't pretend to like anyone to save face. If he wants to be Layne's friend, then he can. But I won't pretend to like the guy, because I won't. I don't."

I pause.

"In fact, I should have never let Layne leave with him. Especially since it seems your son may fall into heat soon. Do you not care if anyone touches him? Or will you smile and act happy when he brings home a bastard child?"

Katrina stares at me in shock, but she doesn't say anything.

"I wanna be alone..."

I turn around and walk off.

~*~

Layne's POV.

Is this the life of a privileged wolf?

We sit in the car at a drive-in movie theater. Emmett says they don't make these anymore, so this one is very popular.

The sound comes through the radio and... honestly, I barely get to watch anything unless Alpha Brodie agrees. I'm surprised he let me come out tonight.

"If you get scared, you can always cling to me, Layne," Emmett tells me.

I feel my cheeks grow warm.

I'm not allowed to cling to anyone, not even my own mother. It's been a really long time since I've been able to do that.

"Can I... cling to you even when I'm not afraid?" I ask, now feeling embarrassed that I even said it.

Emmett looks over at me, his own cheeks turning warm at the question.

This is why I really like Emmett. He's just as awkward as I am.

He's a beta, he's really smart, nice, and he's very handsome. He's the top student at my school, and I want to be more like him. He's definitely someone I've grown to admire.

I lean in and rest my head against him as his arm wraps around me.

"You're so warm," I smile as I stare out of the windshield at the screen where the movie is playing.

"You're warm too. And you smell nice..."

I quickly sit up and sniff myself.

I didn't put on any cologne. Is he smelling my soap or something?

"What do you mean?"

"Your scent. It smells nice. It just got a little stronger when you leaned in, that's all," Emmett explains.

I look over at him.

Right.

I forgot about the whole everyone-can-smell-you thing.

I've always had a scent, but now it seems like it's getting stronger the older I get.

"What does it do to you?" I ask him. "Are you... my mate?"

"Hahahahaha!"

He throws his head back, and I feel awkward for even asking.

Why is that funny?

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that... well, I can smell your slight arousal, but... I mean, it's kind of hard to explain. You don't drive me insane. But I like hanging out with you. And who knows? We may be able to do stuff together, if you want to? But I'm definitely not your mate."

I cross my arms.

Then what's the point?

Do people not wait for their mates anymore?

"Do you want to make out?" he asks.

I look over at him.

"I mean... I don't know..." I confess.

I've never kissed anyone, but I don't think I'll ever find my mate.

What if he doesn't want a servant?

Emmett leans closer, and I wonder if he can smell how nervous I am.