My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 25

Lydia

Approaching a dragon the size of something that could crush cars underneath its feet is not an easy task. Every bone and nerve rattles in my body as I set course for the angry creature.

This doesn’t feel like a good idea.

What if Avery ends up killing me?

Eyes, blazingly blue, lock on mine, and every instinct tells me to run. Warning bells go off inside my head, and adrenaline gushes into my ears. I can hear the flow, yet I don’t stop but venture on.

“Did you lose control again?” I ask in a small voice. “Did you forget what and who you are?”

Avery responds by opening his large mouth, and I see fire building up at the back of his tongue—if I don’t calm him, I will burn to a crisp. He can’t remember me unless he has always wanted to secretly murder me.

I don’t think that’s the case, though, and I quickly think of a way to make Avery remember me. Nothing comes to mind, so I just begin talking and let my mind fill in the blanks.

“I know why you’re upset, Avery,” I say and try not to whimper. He is so large and frightening. “You were afraid I would get kidnapped, right? But I’m here—it’s me, Lydia.”

Hearing my name makes Avery stare at me. For a long moment, he is frozen in motion. I wonder what is happening inside his large head.

He stares, and he stares, and relief hits me when he closes his mouth and instead grumbles.

Aggression is replaced by curiosity, and Avery makes a chuffing sound. It sounds like affection, and I slowly reach out my hand.

“Smell me,” I tell him. “See for yourself who I am.”

Right on cue, Avery flares his large nostrils. It tickles when he sniffs me, and an insecure smile curls my l!ps when we make eye contact.

His eyes are slits and close from the bottom up. Larger-than-life, big enough I could drown in them. Blue and hauntingly beautiful, yet I’m not backing away from him.

I got to be brave.

“You’re beautiful as a dragon,” I whisper, and I feel my heart hammer against my chest when I touch the space between his nostrils. He keeps his head there, letting me pet him, and I exhale. “But you’re also pretty scary and not to mention huge… Oh, and scaly.”

Avery makes this purring sound as if to argue and say, “I’m not scary,” and it makes me giggle. I continue to pet him, and when he lowers his head, I run my palm up his muzzle.

In the background, lycans are leaving, terrified of the dragon standing in the garden. Avery keeps his eyes on them but doesn’t chase after anyone. He has killed plenty of them already.

I’m actually amazed Avery didn’t burn more werewolves. Perhaps he unconsciously knew who the enemy was?

I continue touching him, pausing when Avery looks ready to shape-shift back into a human. Pack members replace each other, and some talk and whisper behind us.

Without a doubt, I know people will talk if I keep standing this close to my stepbrother. My mom and John must be somewhere, yet I don’t budge. I’m worried Avery is going to be drained again. What if he needs my b***d right away?

I stay put, gasping once I realize Avery will soon be n.aked. And sure enough, I’m soon met with his fantastic physique. He has the most amazing shoulders and biceps. I want to fan myself when I lay my eyes on his fat pecs above my head.

He is so much taller than me, yet I manage to help him stand upright when he swoosh a little to the side. Despite this being me just helping him replace balance, I can’t deny he is a pure pleasure to touch.

“That f*****g lycan mutt touched you!” Avery glares down at me with merciless eyes. He even shows me his teeth and grabs my shoulders with his fingers sinking into my skin.

For a second, I worry he will hurt me, but his touch is gentle, eyes filled with hatred but not for me. It’s Kade that brought this emotion upon him. Insane jealousy—it must be the reason for him turning into a dragon. The inner rage and the fear of losing me.

It makes me lean into his touch. “Schhh, there is no need to work yourself up like that… I’m here…”

Avery immediately breathes regularly.

We aren’t a couple. I don’t know what role Avery has in my life, but hushing him and inhaling his woodsy scent of forest and roses soothes me as much as my touch seems to calm him. I realize then that I need him as much as he needs me.

Or am I stupid for thinking that? He is still the alpha, and maybe—

To test my theory of Avery secretly being mine, I slide up my hand to his well-defined pec. It’s larger than my palm can fit, yet I squeeze what I can, and Avery yelps in surprise.

His nostrils flare, and he glares at my hand with visible irritation over his features, yet he doesn’t remove it.

I breathe a laugh at that and tap his muscular arm. “Okay, big guy, how about we check for survivors? You burnt a lot of furniture and even tore a hole in the wall.”

“I don’t care about the damn house when there are lycans on the loose. They almost got you too!”

While I replace Avery’s devotion to me sweet, pack members turn heads, and some girls giggle as they hungrily rake his n.aked form up and down. It makes me roll my eyes.

“Okay, we have to move,” I take his giant hand in mine and pull. Avery doesn’t move, but with a little force, he reluctantly moves his large body into the forest with me, allowing me to drag him.

“Who are we hiding from?” He grunts.

“Your pack members, who shouldn’t see their alpha being so intimate with his omega? Not to mention our parents, who shouldn’t see us together, hugging and shit.”

He snorts, and his sullen eyes meet mine. “Since when do you care?”

“Well, I thought that you did?”

Avery doesn’t answer, and I notice his sole focus is on my mouth, even when I’ve stopped talking. It makes me very aware of him, and I hold my breath when he leans in to push me against a tree.

Those blue eyes study my face, and he leans in to k!ss me. It’s quick, and he leans back to see if I will correct him or get angry. I don’t. My breaths are ragged, and my body is ready for mine.

Avery growls as if he understands what I need, and his soft l!ps brush against mine again. This time I capture the tip of his tongue and s.uck lightly.

Avery gr0ans, and so do I. The connection between us when we have se*x is also there when we k!ss. It makes it better, and I m0an when I remember how pleasant his c0ck felt deep inside me.

“I want you,” Avery thrusts his large hand into my black hair, tangling it and making the locks fall over his fingers. It’s clear that he wants more from me right now. “I hate that you have that mutt’s scent on your skin. You should smell like me—not like him.”

My l!ps form a smile when I crane my neck to meet his blue, glowing eyes. “The pack members would know.”

“I can hide my scent from their noses but keep it to myself. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

I consider his words, and then I stand on my tiptoes and try to k!ss him again, but he is too tall. Six-foot-five to my measly five-foot frame. Avery arches an eyebrow at me, massively amused.

“Did you just try to k!ss me?”

My cheeks turn molten. “Maybe…”

He stifles a laugh. “Short stuff.”

“Pretty sure you’re just tall.”

He tilts his head, humor dancing in his eyes. “I’m eighteen and an alpha—if I won’t stop aging right now, then I will dwarf you even more in the future. Try to k!ss me then.”

I sigh. “Would you stop teasing me and just k!ss me already?”

Avery doesn’t argue with that. He leans in, and I lock my mouth with his and slide in my tongue, m0aning as he rubs against mine.

Avery allows me to have control for once, and I’m pleased when I feel the purring in his chest—I guess he is picking up animal instincts to the left and right. I like it.

I deepen the k!ss until I’m breathless. I then pull away from Avery and give him a satisfied look. “How was that?”

“I like it when you’re in charge,” he steps closer, pinning me to the tree when he dips further down. “But I want more.”

He takes charge. Pulling my mouth to his, Avery begins an all-out k!ssing session that leaves me utterly bewildered.

Such force and talent and total domination. He nibbles and s.ucks at my tongue and then starts a slow, sexy thrusting that reminds me of s*x. It’s hot, delicious, and teasing enough to leave me with an aching need between my legs.

By the time I pull up for air, I’m weak in the knees. They give under my weight. I fall forward, but Avery wraps his arms around me. I’m pressed against his chest with my pulse throbbing a beat between my thighs.

“You’re good at k!ssing…” Way too good, actually. Avery will kill me if he gets any better at it.

“Lydia…” Avery murmurs and picks me up from the ground. I wrap my legs around his waist, and his hand rests on my back. His eyes briefly meet mine, and then he k!sses my jaw. “My tired little Lydia…”