My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 141

Josie

It’s been less than twenty-four hours since Tank Howler cursed me, and now everyone is gathered in the living room. Alex and Tarryn. Damien. Lydia and Avery. Not the children, though. My dad and mom, but not my siblings, and then Becky and Elijah.

I’m not alone.

But it’s a little depressing knowing no one can help me.

“How do we cure Josie?” Misha sounds desperate, and I can hear the pain in his voice before he looks around the living room. No one dares to say anything, so his eyes automatically travel to Elijah. “Elijah, you’re half-demon. How do we cure Josie? You know how right?”

Elijah is standing behind an armchair where Becky is sitting. She looks up at her mate, and so does everyone else since I fear no one knows how to help my situation.

Everyone is probably hoping for Elijah to have the answer. I fear he won’t, but strangely enough, I’m not panicking. I’m actually much calmer than Misha, even though I’m the one who will die.

“I’m…” Elijah hesitates. “I’m not sure if Josie’s curse can be lifted,” he furrows his eyebrows and gives me an apologetic smile. “My father is one of the most powerful pure-blooded demons alive. His curses are very hard to break. I believe the only way to break his curse would be for an angel to do it… or a more powerful demon.”

Misha’s face falls, and with a pained voice, he whispers. “And there is no demon more powerful than your father around?”

A heavy silence falls.

Great.

I stare down at the floor from my place on the couch. Misha is sitting beside me, and I can feel his devastation. Elijah has more or less already confirmed no one can help me, so—

“I know of one demon who might be almost as powerful,” Elijah says hesitantly and glances between us.

“And who is this demon?” Misha asks.

“My brother, Sky, if he and Misha combined their magic, perhaps it would be enough? I’m unsure where his loyalties lie. He might not like our parents’ idea of how to run a pack, but I’m not sure if he cares about me enough to help us out. We aren’t friends.”

“I couldn’t care less about what your brother thinks of you. I just want Josie’s curse to be lifted. If that means begging on my hands and knees, then so be it.”

“Hmm,” Elijah hums. “If that is the case, then I would call Sky. He shouldn’t be hard to get a hold of.”

Misha’s eyes grow hopeful, and I manage a smile—one that falters when the teenager demon doesn’t pick up his phone. Elijah tells us he might be busy today, and we accept that answer even though we both know it’s probably a bad lie.

Sky doesn’t want to help us, and I’m doomed. I try not to think too hard about that when I go to bed with Misha. Only, it’s damn near impossible not to think about. It’s the pink elephant in the room, and my heart constricts when I replace a few grey hairs in my red locks.

It was begun, the withering and aging into nothing. s**t. I wonder if it hurts to just disappear? Something tells me it’s probably painless.

Misha glances my way from his side of the bed. “What are you thinking about right now?”

I let out a bitter laugh, and it answers the question for me. But Misha doesn’t seem to blame me. It’s not like I could be thinking about something else right now, anyway. The moon goddess knows I’m trying.

“Nothing…” I mumble but then sigh. Misha gives me a questioning look, and I breathe a pained laugh. “Do you think it will hurt?” When his face darkens, I immediately hold up my hands. “Sorry for asking! It’s just what is on my mind right now.”

“Understandable…” Misha removes the bedsheets from his side of the bed and slides in, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs.

He seems to be thinking, so I turn my head on the pillow. “What are you thinking about?”

His lips twitch into a sad smile. “If you could spend your last day however you wanted, what would you do?”

I smile back at him. “Be with you and our daughter on the lake. We should take her tomorrow in one of those swan paddle boats. It would be lots of fun. We cruise the water, eat a nice picnic, and just… be without thinking about the pack or the curse. I just want to be with you and Michelle. There is no need to complicate it.”

My words make Misha scoot closer and stroke my back with his warm hand. His face is inches from mine, and I lean into his touch, liking how his mere touch sends little goosebumps skittering along my skin.

“Are you sure you don’t want more than that?” Misha asks.

“I’m positive.”

“Are you really sure?” He pushes the subject, murmuring into my neck in his lovely voice. “Because I would murder for you, my love.”

I snort. “Murder?”

“Yes,” he murmurs into my ear. “If you said me murdering Presley, the librarian would make you happy, then I would do it.”

Laugher replaces me, and I reach up my hand to stroke his stubbly face. “You have a sick sense of humor.”

He nips at my fingers, and I laugh louder. Gosh, this man is a weirdo, but he makes me happy. I couldn’t ask for a better mate, and sadness replaces me as I peer into Misha’s eyes.

Suddenly I can’t go a second without Michelle in my arms and Misha by my side, but I know our daughter is sleeping, so I reel it in. I can still see her tomorrow, yet I sigh heavily, unable to stop myself.

“I don’t want to die, Misha…” I whisper while holding my hand on his warm cheek. His eyes grow sadder, and I force a smile. “I don’t want to leave you and Michelle alone.”

“You won’t leave us. Not yet,” Misha whispers. “I will replace this Sky person tomorrow if I so have to tear down every building in that damned city where he lives. Be so sure of it.”

I laugh. “You don’t mean that.”

I try to remove my hand from his face, but he places his larger one over mine, keeping it there as he whispers. “Oh, I mean that. I mean that much more than you could possibly know. You and Michelle are everything to me, Josie, and I won’t stop or sleep until I replace your cure.”