My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 16

Lydia

This morning has only just begun, but it already feels amazing. I’m reawakened. It wouldn’t be surprising if I suddenly broke out into song with all the birds in the garden like a Disney princess.

I’m floating on small, pink little clouds.

Avery made love to me in the garden yesterday. He kissed me. Took me and whispered dirty things into my ear. Underneath my clothes, there are plenty of marks from his teeth. I wear them like hidden trophies.

I pour chocolate cereal into a bowl and then add milk—in that order, so I don’t get cereal jumping out of the bowl. The people doing it the other way around are monsters.

I’m about to take my first bite when I hear someone or SOMETHING tumbling down the stairs. It sounds like… Paws? And wait, is that the panting from a dog?

“Cero, come back! No, don’t run in there! Bad dog! Stop this at once! You’re not supposed to be running around in this world!”

I freeze in my spot when I hear Avery yelling, and then I shriek when a large, black dog with three heads rushes into the kitchen. It looks like a puppy, but it’s HUGE!

Glowing blue eyes set on mine, and the creature notices my milk and cereal bowl. This is bad! Within seconds, I’m attacked. Paws make contact with my chest, and the bowl flies into the air—only to get swallowed by the dog’s middle head.

My eyes widen. “What. The. Actual. Heck.”

“Lydia!” Avery is now standing in the doorframe. His expression is wild and worried, but he laughs in amusement when his three-headed pet licks my face. “Oh… I see you’ve met my new pet, Cero.”

“Pet?!” I snap. “Avery, this thing smells like a demon! Why the heck do you have a demon dog as a pet?!”

Avery shrugs and shows no sign of wanting to remove his giant dog from my chest. My stepbrother seems entertained by the scene while I’m worried about what will happen next. I put makeup on and brushed my hair all for nothing! This dog got it all messed up, and now Cero is peering down at me while panting and wagging his tail.

He is probably plotting something.

And I hate to say it, but he is cute.

“You’re adorable,” I tell the dog as I push him off me. “But you’re very heavy and crushing my bones… Seriously… You’re as large as a pony! What kind of demon dog are you?”

Cero sits down, and I get up on my feet. I brush invisible dust from my clothes.

My three-headed friend’s large eyes are studying mine, and all three tongues hang out while he is panting. He looks so cute and awkward that I can’t help but run my fingers through his black fur.

“So soft…” I mumble.

“He is, isn’t he? I accidentally summoned him, but now I love him…” Avery explains with more amusement dancing in his eyes. I’ve never seen him wear such a fond expression. It almost makes me jealous. “He is like… The puppy of Cerberus, you know, the large dog guarding hell?”

My eyes worriedly replace the odd-colored ones belonging to Avery. “The giant dog that is larger than a house?”

Avery appears sheepish and runs an awkward hand through his hair. “Well… Yes.”

I look back at Cero, blinking. “I see… But wait, how big will your pet become if Cerberus is the parent?”

“I don’t know,” Avery grimaces, and his expression says he has been thinking about this too. “He was the size of a kitten a week ago, but he is growing fast. I can no longer keep him locked inside my room. Not without compulsion, and I don’t want to brainwash my pet. It feels unethical to me…”

I inhale sharply and realize this isn’t going to end well. “The size of a kitten a week ago? Holy moon goddess, Avery. You got to return Cero to his parent! You can’t have a pet as large as Cerberus in the human realm!”

“But his parent is dead, Lydia,” Avery’s gaze is wavering, and it shocks me. This is a new side of him I’ve never seen. “I went to hell’s gates with Cero to return him, only to replace Cerberus dead in its cave. I couldn’t just leave him there, Lydia… He isn’t strong enough to defend himself yet. Look at him. He is just a little puppy!”

“He is soon larger than my wolf form, Avery! That thing will grow up to become a beast just like Cerberus!”

“I know, but not yet! It will take time! Cero is absolutely defenseless and wouldn’t win against a squirrel!” Avery argues.

Defenseless? I’m close to shouting that he is delusional, but I can’t. Not when Avery is looking at me like that. His eyebrows are furrowed, and his thick arms are crossed over his broad chest.

Damn him for knowing my weakness: his hot, sinewy muscles! I’m close to letting him get away with this, but I fight my growing attraction and the need to touch him in lewd ways.

“He is not defenseless,” I’m not lying. The dog is enormous. “Your pet could easily hurt people.”

“Well… He might be big, but he isn’t mature enough to live alone. Cero couldn’t harm a fly as he is right now! He needs us for at least a month. He ages quickly!”

Wait a damn minute. When did this turn into us? How are we suddenly partners in crime?!

“You speak as if we are partners…” I mutter.

“Well,” Avery hands me a heart-melting smile. One that makes me go weak in the knees. “After yesterday, I thought we were getting to know each other, you know? I feel like I can trust you.”

Right in the heart!

I sigh and rub my eyelids with my fingertips.

This is such a headache…

I love that Avery is showing a parental side. It’s cute. I never thought the mighty alpha could be sweet, but I believe he will fail to care for a giant beast from hell.

At least by himself…

“You have a point about the dog needing our help,” I admit. “So, I’m in… Now, what are we to do with Cero? What are you even planning on feeding a hellhound of that caliber?”

Avery hands me a sheepish smile. “Pedigree?”

“Yeah, that works for now, but what about when he weighs a ton and realizes that horses taste better?”

Avery blinks and blinks. I can tell that his head is working into overdrive, and then, suddenly, his face brightens.

“We could keep him in that cottage with all the towels and the extra clothing. The place where I took care of your wound. There is plenty of deer to chase in the forest.”

“That is a stupid idea…”

Avery tilts his head as if needing to watch me from a different angle to understand my point. “Why?”

His naive question makes me breathe a laugh. “What if he decides to eat someone going for a forest run?”

“Oh…” Avery grimaces and rubs his back. “F**k… I didn’t really think of that… Then again, it’s only our pack members using our territory. I could talk to them.”

He would go that far for Cero?

I stare at Avery. He seems serious about this, and then I look down at Cero, who I swear is bigger than a minute before. The dog is cute and keeps wagging its tail at me.

How could I ever let anyone harm this precious beast?

“Fine,” I growl in irritation. “We will take Cero to the cottage and try to communicate and make him understand that he is only to chase the deer. We have to teach him manners.”

Avery’s face brightens. “You will help me?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Thanks, Lydia!”

Avery comes over to hug me, lifting me off the floor with ease. My nose gets pressed between his massive pecs, and his scent of cologne wafts into my nose. I melt a little.

Perhaps working together with Avery on this isn’t such a bad idea? I get to be close to him, which is what I want. He might not be my true, fated mate, but he makes my heart race.

I really like Avery.