My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 111

Tarryn

How long have I been a prisoner? Is my pack looking for me? I’m a college student, but… I have a brother. Is he looking for me? Zeke? What about my parents? Have they called?

My head is spinning, and I exhale loudly.

No more light is coming in through the window, and I’m guessing it’s nighttime. Which sucks. I haven’t eaten anything, and my stomach grumbles in response.

Will I ever make it out of this prison? And what about my new friend? Hours seem to have passed, yet Alex isn’t back yet. It worries me. Did something happen to him?

My stomach churns. The Howler pack can’t kill me—I’m valuable to them.

But Alex?

Would anyone even notice he is gone? I’ve heard his parents aren’t the best people. Not sure if that matters, though. I fear Alex might be dead already. The Howler pack’s Luna wanted to try sending him to another dimension. Did she succeed?

Gosh, I hope not. Alex is just a kid… two years younger than me, yet still so very young and innocent.

I hear the door open again, but there is more than once voice this time—two men are breathing heavily while talking.

“I can’t believe this kid stayed in that other dimension for four hours without being able to recruit the monsters there…”

“The Luna said he isn’t strong enough to impress the monsters there, but she is surprised he survived.”

“True. Our Luna was impressed with the kid, and next time he will do a better job. We injected him with that serum and collared him—next time, the kid will be stronger to convince the monsters to join our cause.”

“But if he will become stronger… how can our Luna trust him not to turn on us? Not only does the serums work randomly, but her subjects also lose their control after a while.”

“Meh, the collar will blow the kid’s head off if that happens, and then, the Luna only needs to replace a new experiment.”

What the heck are they talking about?!

I look up. The two men from the Howler pack lock eyes with me, and I stare at Alex’s lifeless body. They are dragging his legs, and I cover my mouth with my hand, pressing back a shout.

“Alex?!” Tears are prickling behind my eyelids. “What did you do to him? Why is he bleeding?! He is hurt!” I stare at the cuts on Alex’s arms and legs. “Those wounds should be washed!”

The two men exchange a glance and then laugh. “Perhaps he will heal faster for tomorrow’s experiments if we lock him up with the female? She will surely keep him warm and alive during the night.”

“Oh, and maybe they like each other?”

“Yeah, let the filthy enemies of ours breed!”

They laugh some more and open my cell. Alex is thrown head-first on the ground. There is a sickening thump, and I rush forward as far as the chains can reach. I can’t quite reach Alex’s face or chest, but I grab his ankles and pull him toward me with all my strength.

He stirs a little, signaling that he is still alive.

Unfortunately, the old, half-broken concrete floor scrapes against his skin in a way that might hurt him. I feel so guilty for pulling him forward, but I need to look at him and ensure his heart is still beating. And if he is cold, I have to warm him.

Torryn

How long hove I been o prisoner? Is my pock looking for me? I’m o college student, but… I hove o brother. Is he looking for me? Zeke? Whot obout my porents? Hove they colled?

My heod is spinning, ond I exhole loudly.

No more light is coming in through the window, ond I’m guessing it’s nighttime. Which sucks. I hoven’t eoten onything, ond my stomoch grumbles in response.

Will I ever moke it out of this prison? And whot obout my new friend? Hours seem to hove possed, yet Alex isn’t bock yet. It worries me. Did something hoppen to him?

My stomoch churns. The Howler pock con’t kill me—I’m voluoble to them.

But Alex?

Would onyone even notice he is gone? I’ve heord his porents oren’t the best people. Not sure if thot motters, though. I feor Alex might be deod olreody. The Howler pock’s Luno wonted to try sending him to onother dimension. Did she succeed?

Gosh, I hope not. Alex is just o kid… two yeors younger thon me, yet still so very young ond innocent.

I heor the door open ogoin, but there is more thon once voice this time—two men ore breothing heovily while tolking.

“I con’t believe this kid stoyed in thot other dimension for four hours without being oble to recruit the monsters there…”

“The Luno soid he isn’t strong enough to impress the monsters there, but she is surprised he survived.”

“True. Our Luno wos impressed with the kid, ond next time he will do o better job. We injected him with thot serum ond collored him—next time, the kid will be stronger to convince the monsters to join our couse.”

“But if he will become stronger… how con our Luno trust him not to turn on us? Not only does the serums work rondomly, but her subjects olso lose their control ofter o while.”

“Meh, the collor will blow the kid’s heod off if thot hoppens, ond then, the Luno only needs to replace o new experiment.”

Whot the heck ore they tolking obout?!

I look up. The two men from the Howler pock lock eyes with me, ond I store ot Alex’s lifeless body. They ore drogging his legs, ond I cover my mouth with my hond, pressing bock o shout.

“Alex?!” Teors ore prickling behind my eyelids. “Whot did you do to him? Why is he bleeding?! He is hurt!” I store ot the cuts on Alex’s orms ond legs. “Those wounds should be woshed!”

The two men exchonge o glonce ond then lough. “Perhops he will heol foster for tomorrow’s experiments if we lock him up with the femole? She will surely keep him worm ond olive during the night.”

“Oh, ond moybe they like eoch other?”

“Yeoh, let the filthy enemies of ours breed!”

They lough some more ond open my cell. Alex is thrown heod-first on the ground. There is o sickening thump, ond I rush forword os for os the choins con reoch. I con’t quite reoch Alex’s foce or chest, but I grob his onkles ond pull him toword me with oll my strength.

He stirs o little, signoling thot he is still olive.

Unfortunotely, the old, holf-broken concrete floor scropes ogoinst his skin in o woy thot might hurt him. I feel so guilty for pulling him forword, but I need to look ot him ond ensure his heort is still beoting. And if he is cold, I hove to worm him.

I’m unsure if he is freezing, though.

I’m unsure if he is freezing, though.

He feels… clammy, and it’s eww.

“Gross,” I comment, even though Alex is unconscious. “You’re drenched in a cold sweat, and it’s disgusting!

To my surprise, Alex responds in a weak voice. “Careful with my footsies, Tarryn… I need those on the field…”

“You talking about football all of a sudden?”

“Mmm, I love football…”

I laugh at his silliness. “You’re an i***t for thinking about football in a situation like this.”

“Don’t call me an idiot…” Alex sounds sad. Poor guy is down on his stomach and shivering. It makes me smile harder, and I poke the underside of his foot.

“Why can’t I call you an i***t, i***t?” I tease.

“Because that’s mean, Tarryn. I thought we were becoming friends!”

“We are…” I confirm and grimace since Alex can’t see my facial expression, which is lucky. I lack the spirit to point out we barely know each other when he is in this state.

“That makes me happy to hear…” Alex mumbles. “I’ve never had a friend who wasn’t also my brothers’ friend,” there is a chuckle. “You’re the first real friend I’ve ever made.”

I stare at the back of his hoodie. “Really?”

He turns around on the floor and lifts his chin to face me. “Yes, believe it or not, but you’re special to me.”

My cheeks grow how. Alex is handsome when he smiles, but when I realize I’m checking out someone who isn’t even eighteen, I pay attention to his clothes. His hoodie is dirty, and there are cuts in his shorts.

“What the heck happened to your clothes? They are shredded!”

“Oh… I was… sent to this dimension with huge spider-like creatures. Half-human… dridders? They were hard to kill, and I couldn’t get them all. Luckily Blaze’s old b***d only keeps me in these dimensions for a couple of hours before I return.”

“How does that work exactly?”

“Marissa has some weird time machine where she puts in her son’s b***d,” he coughs a laugh. “Freaking weirdo keeps her dead son’s b***d in these vials inside a fridge. She is creepy.”

“That’s… gross…” I grip his arm. It’s so defined… gosh, stop looking at his muscles, Tarryn! Get to work, and… wait, why is he freezing cold?! “My god, you’re so cold! How is that possible?! You’re a werewolf!”

“I’m freezing too… I think it’s because they drugged me with some purple serum that won’t let me shape-shift as I want,” he cracks one sad blue eye open and peers up at me with a weak smile curving his lips. “Can you warm me, Tarryn? Please?”

“Umm…” I barely know him, but he is really cold. “S-sure… let me just shape-shift into a—”

“Stay as a human,” his lips curve higher. “It will be warmer if it’s skin to skin, not fur to skin.”

“You want to… skin to skin… as humans…”

While I panic, there is a faint tug at his lips.

He is teasing me.

My mood changes to irritation, and I glare down at him. “I should have known you weren’t serious!”

He grins at me, both playful and half-sensual. “I was joking at first, but seeing your reaction…”

The fucker.

“I’m not warming you up as a human!” I flare my nostrils. “I will now shape-shift into a wolf…”

“Are you sure?” He is smiling at me, and the view does me in. Alex is so handsome and attractive and f*****g hot all at the same time. “I’ve had a hellish day, and it would be nice to just… hold someone. We are in this together, and… it would make it more bearable.”

I calm down a little at his words and sigh. “You’re the only one who has been hurt thus far.”

“They are going to try to get information out of you tomorrow,” his eyes meet mine, and his smile is sad. “I overheard them… and I’m sorry for not being able to do anything about it.”

“That’s not your duty,” I tell him, trying not to focus on the fear circling up to the surface. “But thanks for the heads-up.”

“Anytime,” he sits up, cross-legged and in front of me. It’s shocking how quickly he is healing, and a smirk crosses his lips. “So… cuddles?”

My b***d heats to a million degrees when he holds out his muscular arms as if wanting me to come onto his lap. And even though Alex is teasing me, my pulse drums against my neck. I have never even kissed a man, and it’s hard for my head to grasp I’m here alone with Alex.

“Tarryn?”

I sigh and avert my eyes. “I’m shape-shifting…”

He laughs. “If that’s what you want…”

No, but… I shouldn’t touch him as a human. He isn’t eighteen, and we barely know each other. It’s just that my brain is a thirsty lady, and holy shit—I can’t believe what I’m about t do!

“Erhm…” I cough and smile. “Out of curiosity, when do you—”

“Turn legal?” Alex wags his eyebrows at me. “Because darling, I wouldn’t mind breaking a few laws for you.”

“What?!” I almost shriek. “That wasn’t at all what I was going to ask!” It totally f*****g was.

Alex just laughs. “I’m turning eighteen soon… which is why I’ve been noticing a couple of things,” he peers up at me from the floor again. “I mean, haven’t you?”

I narrow my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

He snorts. “Tarryn, you’re redder than a tomato, your heart is beating, and the room smells like your arousal—why do you think that is? I’m a total stranger, and I’m not that pretty. You don’t even personally like me.”

I almost get mad at him. “You are pretty! You’re hot, and—” I pause because that part about me barely knowing him is the truth. And just like that, the puzzle piece clicks together. “Oh…”

“Yes… oh,” Alex smiles widely. “There was a reason for me running after you and leaving my brothers,” he shrugs. “At least I don’t think I’m wrong… what do you think?”