My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 68

Misha

A day earlier

I love my uncle Damien, but he has lied to me. For years he has convinced me that my parents don’t miss me. Only now, when my psychic powers have grown, can I tell that isn’t the truth.

For many nights I’ve been haunted by images of my mom leaving flowers outside my grave. Crying, talking to me, and then washing my gravestone after that imbecile Asher and his friends painted it with graffiti.

My dad helped to wash it. But even though I can tell that my dad misses me too, my mom’s dedication breaks me. I thought she would have given up by now, but in my dreams, the years flash by one by one, and every day she keeps going to my grave.

Guilt churns in my stomach and fuels my determination. Damien refused to open the portal when I asked him, so tonight, I will shatter it myself. I’m strong enough.

I take a stance and focus on an empty space in the food. I lift my hand, gather energy and—

“What are you doing, Misha?”

I momentarily lose focus and scowl in irritation when I see Becky’s excited face. She is beaming at me, this outcast vampire who has declared herself my best friend.

She is a skilled shape-shifter but can only turn into different-looking people, not creatures. Her hair is colored pink today, and her nails are colored in various colors. She often changes the appearance of her hair and nails with her magic.

I look away from her without answering her question. I’m not the talkative type, and Becky pouts.

“You should have told me you were planning on leaving the vampire dimension. I’m coming with you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Why?”

“You know why!” Becky walks forward and pats my back. She is way shorter than me, but not to be underestimated. “We are best buddies, and I’m probably your future mate!”

“I doubt it. We are both eighteen, and I feel no bond—”

“Second-chance mates then!” Becky exclaims and nods at her own words as if agreeing with herself. “It can happen if you give me a chance and date me!”

I sigh. “I’m not interested in dating.”

“No, of course not—the only thing Misha cares about is getting stronger than everybody else.”

I glare at her, and Becky winces. “But that’s okay because you’re doing it to feel useful! You’re amazing, Misha! You’re the strongest vampire in our outcast tribe—if you leave, Damien will be pissed when he has to lift his fingers again and defeat the next attack of shadow creatures on his own.”

I frown and mutter. “It’s not my fault that this dimension is filled with shadow creatures…”

“Right?” Becky taps her chin. “I wonder where those creatures are coming from… Damien told me they are appearing in the human world too now, and he is worried the humans will think it’s us sending them…”

“Wait… has Damien been to the human realm recently?”

Becky grins. “Yup!”

“And there were shadow creatures there?”

“Mhm, Damien defeated them, but… there might be more of those creatures out there. He doesn’t know how they found their way to the human realm in the first place.”

Is Becky speaking the truth? Shadow creatures are extremely powerful. They take the shape of mythical creatures, but their bodies are made of dark spirits—the more dark spirits, the stronger the beast.

I’m unsure if the werewolves in my old pack would be able to defeat these creatures…

I look Becky up and down silently, searching her face for dishonesty, but she only blinks at me. She doesn’t understand why I’m staring at her, which means she is speaking the truth.

I retake my stance. “If there are shadow creatures in the human realm, then I have more than one reason to leave this place.”

“What if your first reason?”

My family. “None of your business.”

Becky giggles and folds her arms behind her head. “I’m still coming with you. I need to make sure that lycan chick doesn’t steal my man.”

My chest constricts.

When I first came to live with the vampires, I was sad, weak, and alone. I told Becky everything about where I came from and how I was bullied. She even knows about Josie.

“You don’t have to worry about Josie,” I growl. “I hate that girl.”

“Aww, hate is a strong word,” Becky laughs. “Your dear Josephine was in love with you, and she just didn’t know how to say it. Instead, she showed it because face-licking is a wolf thing—she was definitely showing you affection.”

I pause at that. Could Becky be right? Was Josie showing me affection when she wrestled me to the ground and licked my face? Those moments are imprinted into my head as traumatic. But perhaps it wasn’t as terrible as I remember it being…

I focus again; this time, I manage to rip up a door in space and time. Becky gasps and claps her hands. “Yay! You did it! Now we can finally go and get cheeseburgers!”

I scowl. “You mean to drink b***d from humans who have eaten cheeseburgers? Which, by the way, is forbidden. Damien has forbidden us from drinking human b***d.”

“But Damien isn’t here,” Becky winks at me and heads for the portal with eager eyes. “Besides, I’m not evil—you won’t have to worry. I will drink from a human and then compel them to forget I even existed. And I won’t drink a lot! I will leave a little lovebite!”

I roll my eyes at her and follow her through the portal. It closes behind me, and I look around. We are deep in the forest, and—what the heck is that scent?!

My nostrils flare, and my heartbeat kicks up a notch until it’s positively hammering inside my chest. It feels like I’m drunk, and something is calling out to me, telling me to wander south.

But why? Why should I head south?!

Not that I’m complaining. The air smells fantastic that way, and my b***d is boiling in my veins. No. I need to focus! This isn’t me… what the heck is happening?! I’m horny for no goddamn reason and no… wait … don’t tell me this is what I think it is!

“Misha?” Becky looks up at me. “No offense, but you’re acting scary right now. You have this possessive look in your eyes, and wow… Okay, you’re packing a ton in there. Like, I know I’m sexy, but—”

“It’s not you!” I growl.

Recognition settles in Becky’s eyes, “Oh… well… that’s too bad, but…” a smirk forms on her lips, and she swats my back. “At least we know that you have a mate now.”

I glare down at her, beyond confused. “Is that what this s**t is?”

“Uh, what else would it be? You’re like… rock-hard and sweating for no goddamn reason,” her eyes travel south, and then she looks back at me, smirking. “Also, if your mate is afraid of that thing, you need to know that I wouldn’t have ANY complaints. Like yes, sir, please f**k me with—”

“BECKY!”

Becky gives me a sheepish grin. “Sorry… anyway, go and get them, tiger. I will go and replace myself a nice burger meanwhile.”

She pats me on the back, and I glance at her and nod before taking off like lightning—I have to replace my mate before I go mad! There is no silencing this song inside me; the closer I get, the harder my c**k grows. It feels like I might release my hot seed in my pants! Is that normal?!

I don’t have a clue, but one thing is certain: my wolf and vampire self agree that the air smells wonderful. Every bone in my body wishes to claim my mate, and my excitement is already growing.

I can’t wait to meet them! I know I came here for my family, but they can wait a few minutes. My mate comes first.