My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 138

Tarryn

“So…” I look up at Alex’s inhuman, demonic face and kick myself mentally for daring to shake a little at his appearance. He won’t bite me; I should stop acting like he is a monster. “Can you take us back to our own world? You’re stronger in this form, right?”

Alex freezes and shows me his teeth, but not in a growl. I think this is his thinking face while he is a demon. Even his eyes are swirling faster with the colors of the rainbow.

Eventually, he tilts his head and plants either hand-like paw on the ground. He then scoots closer with his massive face, puffing me with his nose, which makes me laugh out loud.

“Okay, okay, easy there, boy!” I blush. Treating him like a dog comes naturally to me, but it will be embarrassing if Alex points it out later. Yet I continue in a soft tone. “I have no idea what you want, but you have to be careful not to hurt me when you’re like that.”

I must be crazy because it looks like Alex is smirking at me. Confident, cool, and even a little bit mischievous. Why is he staring at me like that?

I’m taken by the expression, so into looking at Alex that I don’t notice the hand coming down for me. When I do, it’s too late, and I’m plucked off the ground like a flower.

“Uhh… Alex?”

He places me on his back, which is entirely fox-like, except for his size, and then we fall into a portal. I shriek in surprise and grip his red fur, closing my eyes as my hair flows around my face.

“A little warning first, maybe?!” I shout. “I didn’t know you would travel through dimensions now!”

Alex chuffs at me. It almost sounds affectionate if I ignore the demonic tone of his voice. Oh, and the fact that he is a hideous monster the size of a house, but meh. I’m getting used to that.

My mate wouldn’t hurt me. I feel safe with Alex, but my heart thuds in my chest when we return to our world—in the middle of a freaking war! We are in a forest, and Alex and I stare at our fellow pack members throwing themselves at Howler werewolves.

Did a war break out while we were gone?

Apparently so…

I glance down at Alex, whose head is bent to eye me. He seems as confused as I am, and I shrug. “I guess we should join our pack and help them defeat these werewolves—”

A screech like the one Alex usually makes fills my ears, and I grimace in response. It’s so loud that I swear even my bones are rattling. I grip Alex’s fur, praying the noise will stop.

Alex doesn’t seem happy, either. He grunts and all his tails are swooshing around him in irritation. His body language reminds me of a pissed-off cat, and that thought cheers me up a little.

“Come on,” I tap his neck. “The sound of those other experiments will die if you silence them. Forever.”

As if it shocks him to hear me speak so darkly, Alex stares at me over his furry, red shoulder. His glowing rainbow eyes are spinning around fast, and I can almost hear his thoughts as he grumbles.

And I must be crazy, but I swear he is saying something along the terms of, “The battlefield isn’t a safe place for you, Tarryn.”

It makes me snort. “I am not leaving your side, Alex. If the pack sees us together, they will know not to attack you. And I’m safe with you, right? You wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.”

My giant of a mate grunts in dissatisfaction but doesn’t shake me off his back as he roars at an enemy werewolf. I’m forced to REALLY hold on as he uses his claws, and magnificent size to absolutely annihilate ten werewolves in less than a minute.

I’m shocked. The nearby pack members are shocked; I even think Alex is shocked that he is so insanely powerful. Yet it doesn’t hold him back for long. We are soon stomping past trees and bushes, tearing apart every enemy werewolf Alex can see.

I help him out by pulling his hair in the direction where I see an enemy, and Alex pounces like a fox hunting in deep snow. He crushes the enemy, snorts, and heads for the next victim. It’s brutal and messed up. B***d paints the forest, but this is war!

“I have no clue what is going on!” I shout at Alex while trying to stay on his back as he fights against another demonic fox with only one tail. It doesn’t take him long to defeat it, and I clutch his fur. “Woah, slow down! I almost fell off your back!”

Alex sneezes in amusement, and I bet he is saying something along the terms of, “Not my problem.” which makes me playfully swat his shoulder, unable to bite back my smile.

“You’re a funny guy.”

He sneezes again.

I smile wider. “So cocky.”

Another demonic fox lunges for us, and I hold on for my dear life as Alex stands up on his hind legs to fight like a polar bear with his claws. It doesn’t take him long to f**k up the other fox. Yet, I’m still panting when the battle between the monsters is over.

“Holy cheesecakes… things are so crazy out here. I’m going to try and mind-link with Misha. He should be able to hear me with his telepathic abilities. Maybe he can shed some light on the situation because I have no idea why the Howler pack is attacking us!”

Alex grunts a response, and I try to focus.

And focus harder…

Harder…

s**t, I believe there are permanent wrinkles on my forehead about now and endless streaks of b***d since Alex is slaughtering enemy wolves to the left and right.

The screams of agony around me are making it hard to focus.

Damn.

Getting a hold of Misha isn’t easy; reality isn’t like in the books. We werewolves can’t mind-link with each other even if we are in the same pack. This isn’t Twilight—we don’t hear each other inside our heads all the time, but Misha is telepathic; I believe I can reach him.

‘Misha?’ I call inside my mind. There isn’t an answer at first, but then I hear a faint gasp inside my head.

‘Tarryn?’ Misha sounds shocked to hear me. ‘You’re back and alive?’

‘Yes, and I’m very confused about—’

‘Is Alex with you?!’

I blink in shock at the interrupting. ‘Why?’

‘Because if he is, you must immediately leave the area! Marissa is here, and she has this horn that she blows. It controls all of her experiments, and I don’t want Alex under her control!’

Right then, I hear it. Louder than a normal horn and far more melodic. It rips through the air, cuts underneath my skin like a knife, and sends chills down my spine the longer I listen.

Its… almost sad.

I pause for a moment, calm, until I notice that Alex is shaking underneath me, and then it happens: he howls out in pain. His whole body goes tense and shaky as if in tremendous pain, and my eyes widen.

Sweat is coating the skin underneath his fur. His ears are pulled back, and every muscle in his insanely huge body is alert. It sends rippling fear through my system.

Marissa can’t control my mate… right?

“A-Alex?” I ask in a low voice and stare at Alex’s head. He isn’t facing me, but when he does, his eyes are entirely blank.

Holy heck.

He is under Marissa’s control!

What do I do now?!

There isn’t a trace left of my lovable mate, and I scream when Alex reaches out his clawed hand, gripping me like prey. Finger-like things coil around me like snakes, sending my heart into panic mode.

What do I do now?!

Alex’s lips pull over his teeth, and he snarls like a rabid dog with me dangling in front of his face and flaring nostrils. He is standing on his hind legs. Large and proud and so very menacing.

He looks ready to end me.

I swallow thickly, aware that Alex could easily hurt me. The ground is far below my feet, and there is no chance I can free myself from his grip around my waist. I’m stuck here.

And if Alex wishes to kill me, he could do it in less than a second.