My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 69

Misha

(Still a day before the attack)

I follow my mate’s scent to the local high school. Once I’m there, my stomach is filled with dread. Usually, you don’t mate to people below the age of eighteen, but… perhaps she is older? That or maybe my mate’s birthday is coming up soon.

Either way, I follow my mate’s scent and wind up behind the bleachers of some ongoing football game. The crowd is wild, and I look at the grey skies above my head.

The sun isn’t out, so Becky should be fine. She has a daylight ring, but she still gets blisters when she is out too long. That girl is hypersensitive, but I’m sure she can handle herself.

“No, I’m still dating Asher.”

Wait.

That voice! Why is it so familiar? I fall silent. I’ve already disguised my scent, and no one seems to know I’m here, but that voice? It was definitely my mate, but also so familiar!

I can’t put my tongue on why, and I’m pretty overwhelmed by the beat of my heart to think of anything else.

Damien always told me that most alphas wind up choosing their mate, but in some rare cases, you will replace a fated one. And me? I want the mate the moon goddess has chosen, but the conversation that my mate is having is making me frown.

“What is so wrong with dating Asher?” my mate’s woman friend asks. She is sitting with two people. One is a guy, but I doubt he is this Asher prick, or they wouldn’t be talking about him like this.

“Nothing is wrong with dating him… I’m just…”

“Not feeling it?”

My mate sighs. “No! I do like him… but… sometimes I wonder if he is just with me because he wants my lycan b***d so that his babies will be strong candidates for the alpha position in the future…”

I freeze in my spot, but my mind is racing. My mate is a lycan, and her boyfriend is named Asher. Could it be—

“Oh, Josie… I’m sure it’s not like that at all! I’m part of the pack too, and I think Asher has changed! He is also incredibly hot!”

Oh my god.

My mate is Josie?!

My entire world tilts, and I fall flat on my a*s, blinking out into space. So this is my fated mate?

Truthfully, I would not have chosen Josie if I had a choice. But the moon goddess has decided, and I guess I could reject her, but… I’m too curious for that.

“I suppose you’re right,” Josie giggles. “Asher is pretty hot.”

“Mhm, he is playing without a shirt now,” the friend is fanning herself with her hand now. “Look at those abs.”

For some reason, I get irritated—Josie shouldn’t look at anyone’s abs but mine… wait. Where the heck did that thought come from?

“Yeah… Asher is pretty to look at,” Josie says. “But nothing is happening inside his head sometimes. There are no deeper thoughts except his dream of becoming the new alpha.”

Asher, my former bully, wishes to become the new alpha?

Funny—as if my parents would allow that.

“He might win the alpha tournament if you don’t stop him,” the second friend, who is a man, says. “Asher is strong.”

Strong, huh? And what is this about a tournament? Is everyone allowed to fight for the alpha title now, or what?

Josie sighs. “He is, but… I’m sure I’m stronger.”

Oh, so Josie wishes to become the alpha as well?

My lips quirk into a smirk. I should join this alpha tournament for fun. Win it, and make Josie see that I’m better than Asher. GAH! Why do I even care about what she thinks?

The mate bond is confusing me…

I want to know why the moon goddess picked Josie. There is an angry song of need in my pants, and I’m desperately trying to tell my d**k to calm the f**k down.

Are all mate bonds like this? My c**k aches at Josie’s nearness, but I won’t approach her. Before talking to her again, I intend to study her from the shadows and learn more about her.

I wonder if Josie is as powerful as she says? She better be because I’m going to study her fighting techniques. From now on, we are rivals for the position of alpha.

Josie better be prepared.

***

The next day, I wake up in a tree. Damien would laugh at me if he saw me right now. I’ve officially become a goddamn bird, but it can’t be helped.

I refused to leave Josie’s side yesterday; this was the available bed. Becky asked me to come with her to a hotel to stay the night, but I couldn’t do that since watching Josie is my life now.

I followed her everywhere yesterday, always from a mile away but close enough to feel her presence through the mate bond. I have yet to get a good look at her face, but… I’m getting there.

My eyes travel down from the tree when I see Josie walking into the forest. It’s early morning, and my heart pounds when I see her face below the tree.

She looks like herself, just older. Long red hair, freckles, purple eyes, and a tall fit body. I look at her chest, or lack thereof, and shrug. I like breasts, but hey—beggars can’t be choosers.

It’s not like she is ugly, though, far from it. She is also my mate, so I would be attracted to her regardless. Even now, I’m resisting the urge not to touch my stupid c**k. Not because I can’t control myself but because I am very… aware of it right now.

The mate bond drives me insane, but I try to shove the thought of s*x and claiming away.

Josie is heading somewhere, and she is holding a bouquet of roses. I decide to follow her, and Josie doesn’t even notice me. She is too trusting. Don’t they teach werewolves better than this?

Irritated, I follow Josie to the old cemetery in the forest. Once there, she walks over to… my grave and places the roses there. It leaves me with an odd feeling in my heart.

“Your mom is pretty amazing,” Josie suddenly says and bends down to swipe some dirt away from my name. “She misses you a lot. We all do. And if I could go back in time, then… I would have been nicer to you. I remember the day you disappeared. I was excited since I had just learned how to shape-shift that month. I tackled you to the ground, and I… I was stupid, Misha, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Okay, so now I’m confused. The hatred I felt earlier? They are slowly vanishing. I want to reach out and touch Josie, yet I remain hidden.

But my ice powers have a mind of their own—I accidentally freeze the ground underneath Josie when my emotions go haywire… luckily, she doesn’t think twice about it.

Instead, she keeps sobbing. It… shocks me. Josie is a mess, but it gets even worse. My mom comes up the slope with her own flowers for me, and soon they are both crying and hugging over me.

“Don’t,” my mom shakes her head. “What happened isn’t your fault, and I’m sure Misha wouldn’t blame you if he were here. He ran away because we all… we all mistreated him.”

After speaking, my mom is crying again. s**t, I really messed up my family when I left, didn’t I?

I have to go and see my mom later…