My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 30

Lydia

It’s been a week since Avery held that meeting inside the forest. Since then, all pack members have been on their guard. No one knows when the vampires or the lycans might attack us.

We have warrior werewolves watching the city at night and day in their human forms, so humans won’t notice.

There is also more pack training held every morning, but I haven’t gone because I’m busy with college. I live at home, which is both a blessing and a curse.

I love sleeping next to Avery, but my mom has growing suspicions that something other than just me giving me my b***d is going on. She won’t leave me alone.

This morning, I can hear her pacing back and forth outside the bathroom door. I won’t go out to say good morning, though. I’m not sure why, but I’m dizzy. My lower abdomen hurt, and I’m puking.

Winter illness?

I’m on birth control, and it shouldn’t be a pregnancy. Unless Avery has some sort of super-duper s***m. Which honestly wouldn’t surprise me, considering all of his other abilities…

“Lydia?” my mother calls, no longer patient enough to voice the underlying concern in her voice. “Can you come out? I need to talk to you about something…”

I lean back over the toilet seat. I’m sitting on one of those IKEA grey and white mélande bathroom mats. “I’m feeling pretty terrible, mom. Nothing stays inside my stomach. I rather just have some space…”

“Alright, then, I will just voice my concerns from here where the entire house can hear what I say.”

I can imagine her arms crossed over her chest, and I roll my eyes at her unwillingness to leave me alone.

“Okay, do it if you must…”

“So, I saw you coming out of Avery’s room this morning, and I understand that you’re sharing your b***d with him. Believe me, I do… But it’s weird that you’re sleeping inside your stepbrother’s room.”

My mom has a point. It is weird. Even stranger for me since I’m a bit unsure what Avery and I are to each other. I guess we are dating? He said he would take me out for a date later tonight.

We were actually going to head out yesterday. Sadly, Avery has been busy training new recruits and himself and basically dies every evening after he comes home.

I give him my b***d, and then I watch Vampire Diaries while he falls asleep with his head in my l.ap. I usually run my fingers through it. That has been our routine this week.

“Uh, we are friends?” I say and watch to facepalm myself because I know how lame an excuse it is. I put in more effort. “We like the same TV series. And his screen is larger than mine…”

“He is not your mate, Lydia.”

My heart falters. My mom is correct, and that saddens me. It would be fantastic if Avery were my fated mate. I like him a lot. But does he have to be my mate for me to be with him?

John and my mom aren’t fated mates…

And what about the heart of Chang’e? What if Avery is my mate, but that gem thingie keeps the mate bond from forming? Oh, and does my mom know about it?

“Mom, do you know about the heart of Chang’e?”

She is silent for a while. I visualize her leaning against the door, and she draws in a sharp breath. “Where did you hear about that?”

Oh, she definitely knows of its existence. She wouldn’t react that way if she didn’t, and I curse myself for not asking about it earlier. That’s what I should have done in the first place, especially since Kade, the lycan prince, wanted to kidnap me for it.

“Kade, the lycan man who tried to kidnap me, claimed it was inside me and kept me from feeling the mate bond… Is that true? And if yes… Do you know why it’s inside of me?”

I hear what sounds like my mom slipping down to sit on the ground. Her back is leaning against the door because it wobbles and makes that sound when someone or something presses against it.

“Your dad and I tried a very long time to become pregnant. We had this dream that we wanted a big family with plenty of pups. But no matter what, nothing happened…”

My heart thuds faster, yet I say nothing. I wait for my mom to continue talking and press my fingers into the mat underneath me. My fingers are gripping at the short straws.

“When the doctor said I couldn’t become pregnant, I cried for weeks. Your dad became desperate to make me happy because he could feel my misery through the mate bond, and… We heard a rumor about a gem that could grant wishes—the heart of Chang’e…”

I swallow thickly. “Did… Did dad steal it from the lycans?”

“Yes…” I can hear the fear in my mom’s voice. She sounds so uncertain and concerned about what she just admitted. “We placed a wish upon it, and I’ve been happy, Lydia… You’re the daughter I’ve always wanted, but in the back of my head, I’ve always been terrified the lycans would come back for their treasure. And now they have…”

My heart is breaking because I don’t like that my parents stole something, but I’m also happy to be here. Glad to be alive. I’m also sad because it makes sense that the lycans are angry now.

“Can’t we return the heart of Chang’e to them?”

My mom breathes a laugh. “It might kill you to have it removed, Lydia. And even if there was no danger in removing it, I’m unsure how you would go about having it removed.”

I take a deep breath, slumping my shoulders. “That’s too bad. I’m not looking forward to being chased by the lycans my entire life, and Kade also said it blocks the mate bond from occurring…”

“He is not wrong, but… The heart doesn’t block the mate bond from happening. That’s a spell your dad had a vampire put in place to protect you. We thought… We thought a mate might make you easier to replace, and our goal was always keeping you in the shadows, Lydia.”

I gasp, and my fingers clench around the straws. Anger is rising up in my chest because my mom just admitted to removing the only thing I’ve been looking forward to my entire life: replaceing my mate.

And wait…

My parent’s goal was to keep me hidden, then what else—

Oh my god.

“Okay. I think I understand something now,” my voice is speaking of my inner pain, and the words on my tongue cut into my heart before I’ve even spoken them out loud. “You and dad didn’t want me to catch the attention of anyone. You were scared someone would replace out the heart of Chang’e was inside of me if I were exposed to plenty of people. So you put a spell on me to block out the mate bond.”

My mom sighs, clearly ashamed of herself. “That’s correct…”

“Am I also correct to assume you and dad claimed I was too weak to be trained? Too weak for pack practice only so that I wouldn’t meet people? Are you the reason I’m an omega?”

Silence falls, and I clench my fists. I hit the bullseye. That much is clear, and the reason my mom isn’t speaking must be guilt.

I’m shaking with anger, and tears threaten to spill from my eyes. I’ve been bullied, kicked, and chased all because I was the weakest werewolf ever and… And all along, I thought nothing could be done about it.

I thought my parents were honest in calling me weak. I trusted their judgment and never took an interest in practicing and training. From my understanding, nothing could be done.

And now, it turns out, my role in the pack could have been changed a long time ago. If only I had been practicing…

“Well?” I demand in a teary voice. “Did you only call me a weakling because you didn’t want me to meet more people? Did you plan for me to become the omega to stay away from other werewolves?”

“Lydia… You have to understand that we had no choice. We were afraid you would be taken from us—”

“MY PACK MEMBERS HAVE TRIED TO KILL ME MY ENTIRE LIFE! I COULD HAVE DIED FROM THAT ALONE!”

I can hear my mother wincing from the door. She is breathing fast, and I’m miserable. I’m also not feeling well physically. It better not be a pregnancy because there is enough drama in my life.

“Lydia, how about you open the door, and we go somewhere else to talk? Just you and I?”

“No,” I glare at the door. “I don’t want to see you right now. I can’t believe you kept something like this from me.”

“Lydia…”

“I’m also not feeling fine. I’ve puked all morning. I think it’s the Winter illness creeping in…”

“Do you need something… Water?”

“There is plenty of water in here,” I breathe a sardonic laugh. I can’t stand my mom right now. “I just… I just want to be alone.”

My mom s.ucks in a deep breath, but eventually, she realizes that I won’t open the bathroom door for her.

“As you wish…”

I hear her walk away, and I let the tears fall when she is gone. I let my emotions wash to the surface and shake from my inner frustrations. I’m tired of holding back the ocean.

How could my parents keep all of this a secret from me?