My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 65

Misha

I have no clue where I am.

I’ve walked so far that the moss has been replaced by dirt. Ominous clouds are moving over the dark skies, and ravens are staring at me while they caw and pluck worms from the wet ground.

But even though the road looks dark, I won’t turn around. Never. I’ve come way too far.

Cautiously, I continue my journey. There is a statue of a bat-like creature ahead of me, overgrown by dark green plants, and I grow curious. Is this a forgotten cemetery?

Instead of feeling fear, a smile spreads over my lips.

Since I’m a human, I’ve never been allowed to explore the areas around our territory. My mom, who I love, thinks I’m defenseless. I’ve been kept inside my entire life, and this feels like a fresh breath of air.

This place might seem haunted, but… I’m excited. Everything is new, and being here is a taste of freedom. I’m grasping for that air that my humanity and lack of powers stole from me.

Here in the forest, where Asher, Josie, and the rest of my pack can’t replace me, I can be an ordinary boy.

That realization makes me laugh and run forward with my hands spread. The rain is coming down strong, but I don’t care—I love this place! Adrenaline is pumping in my veins, and I speed up my pace… only to knock into someone’s back.

“s**t!” my eyes widen when I lose my balance and fall flat on my a*s. Mud splashes into my face. I look up at the person I ran into and freeze when they turn around.

Red, glowing eyes, white hair, and a face that looks incredibly similar to my dad’s—I know who this person is without asking. It’s Damien, my dad’s vampire brother. I’ve never met him, yet I know this the second those cat-like irises land on mine.

I swallow thickly. Damien is staring at me, and my heart is pounding out of fear. I don’t know why he is here. My guess is that he is here to kill me since I’m the future alpha. That thought makes me shut my eyes and lower my head.

“If you’re going to kill me, go ahead. I won’t even resist my fate… end me… I don’t care…”

After speaking, I hold my breath and await Damien’s attack. I expect him to cut me with his sharp claws at lightning speed, but the attack never comes. Instead, I hear him crouch in front of me.

“Are you Avery’s son?”

The question got me lifting my chin to face him. “Yeah… Avery is my dad…” when he stares at me, I grimace. “My name is Misha… I’m the family’s greatest failure… if you kill me, you will do them all a favor…”

Damien doesn’t even blink. He is dressed in black, with contrasts with his snow-white hair. “Ah, so you know who I am?”

“Yes…”

“Yet you’re not afraid?”

“I’m plenty afraid…” Why wouldn’t I be afraid? I’m going to die… but then again, I guess I’m not shaking anymore.

“Lies,” he smirks. “The air smells like relief.”

“I guess I’m relieved, too,” I admit.”

He looks me up and down. “Why?”

I sigh in frustration. “I already told you the answer! I’m the family’s greatest failure! I’m weak and completely human!”

“You don’t smell like a human,” Damien points out, and then he stands up to his full height. “I won’t kill you. There is no point if the victim is suicidal already. Besides, I’m not my mother—I won’t kill my own family.”

His words surprise me, especially when he reaches out his hand as if wanting to help me. Wordlessly, I take it and let him lift me up to my feet.

Damien smirks. “How old are you?”

“Eleven…” I mutter. “And yes, I know that I’m small…”

“That’s not why I asked,” Damien says. “I asked because you smell more like a vampire than a werewolf. You’re awakening as a vampire.”

I blink. “But that’s… that’s impossible. I have more werewolf b***d than I do vampire b***d. I shouldn’t smell more like a vampire.”

Damien shrugs. “That doesn’t seem to matter in your case. You carry a scent that hints at powerful magic and… endless potential. It might be hard for a werewolf to notice that since it’s faint.”

“Really?” I’m feeling hopeful.

He rakes me up and down again, smiling. “Mhm… if you were my kid, I would immediately begin your training. But you’re not.”

Damien turns around and follows a path that leads in the opposite direction of the mansion. I stare at his back and his white hair before I can’t help but call after him.

“Wait!” I shout. “Don’t go!”

I don’t expect Damien to turn around, but he does. Those red eyes of his land on mine. “You should head home, Misha, was it? I’m sure your parents are worried.”

“I’m not going back!” I can tell that my words shock him. He raises his eyebrows at me, and I stare at the ground.

Should I ask to go with him? My family loves me, but I’m afraid I will fall under if I turn back now. I feel so lost among the people that love me. It hurts to admit, but perhaps I’m better off lost?

“Take me with you,” I meet his eyes again. “Please. Take me under your wing and train me. I don’t fit in with the werewolves.”

Damien snort. “Bad idea, kid. Your dad and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms, and your parents hate us vampires—I doubt they would let you have a sleepover at your uncle’s place.”

“Not a sleepover,” I tell him. “Let me stay with you until I’m… until I’m no longer so useless…” tears are gathering in my eyes again. I can barely keep it together. “I’m a burden to my pack and my family. My parents love me, but they must be irritated with having to protect me from everything. I’m such a weakling! I can’t do anything on my own, and I hate it! So no… I don’t want to go back, but I have nowhere to go. I’m an outcast…”

Damien tilts his head and grimaces. “For f**k’s sake… you even sound like a vampire, kid…” he sighs heavily. “Look, I understand that you’re looking for a new home, but living with your uncle might not be the best idea. The vampire clan disbanded after my mother, Victoria, died. I live with a small group of vampires now, and we are all… outcasts. We are nobodies, and I’m sure you don’t want to live with us since we live in eternal darkness—”

“I still want to come with you!” I interrupt. I’m more determined than ever and hope that he can see that I’m serious. “I don’t care if you are vampires and outcasts that live in the shadows. I still think… I still think I’m supposed to go with you.”

It’s true… I feel a calling inside me. I can’t describe it, but this tiny voice in my head tells me to go with Damien. But the question is: would he take me with him? My dad doesn’t get along with his brother…

I’m expecting Damien to tell me to get lost, but to my surprise, his lips curl into a smile. “Then come with me,” he holds out a hand for me. “I will take you to our dimension, but I must warn you. I won’t take you back—the only way to come back here is to grow powerful enough to open the portal yourself. With that said, do you still wish to live with the vampires?”

“I do,” I c***k a wicked smile. “Was this part of your plan?”

“Honestly? No,” Damien laughs and hands me a wicked smile of his own. “I came here to kill you, nephew, but… it seems I cannot do so. You feel left out by your own kind, and you smell like a vampire—I can’t end you.”

“Good,” I take a few steps forward and then wet my lips. “Do you think you can train me?”

“Of course, I can,” Damien clicks his fingers together, and the winds start blowing. A portal is opening, and it blows back my hair. “But to train you, you must be brave enough to follow me.”

With that, Damien walks into the portal that looks like a floating door in space. The inside of it is purely dark blue, and I hesitate. Is this a good idea? Damien can no longer be seen, and the portal is closing, but before it disappears, I will myself into moving forward.

I reach out my hand, and it disappears into the portal. A smile breaks out on my face, but it turns into a scream when the portal sucks me into the realm of the vampires.

From this day, I will live with the b***d-suckers.