My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 22

Lydia

“You look beautiful,” I tell my mom on her wedding day.

I’ve just finished making her hair, and I meet her eyes in the mirror. She is sitting in front of me, our hands on her shoulder. Her dark hair is braided and decorated with white flowers, and her dress perfectly hugs her thin frame. She is gorgeous and already teary-eyed.

“I’m so happy, Lydia,” she lifts her chin, meeting my eyes outside the mirror, and her bottom l!p quivers. “To think I would be lucky enough to replace love after your dad… I feel blessed, and I’m happy you seem to get along fine with Avery now.”

Somehow, I manage to keep my smile, although heat travels up to my face at the mention of Avery.

I’m wearing a scarf right now since my stepbrother of an alpha drank from me this morning. He has stopped enjoying human food, and I’ve turned into his personal snacc.

I like Avery, but he needs to stop treating me like food.

“Yes,” I say, l!ps lifting a little by the corners. “Avery and I sure get along fine these days,” I nervously laugh to keep up the facade. “He is a very nice person behind his sometimes grumpy surface.”

“Oh yes, he is,” my mom agrees. “I wonder how the two of you so quickly became friends.”

“Just common interests.” I nervously say.

We f**k each other like animals every single night, but of course, I can’t mention that. Avery is my stepbrother, and my mom would probably disown me if she knew.

But yes, s*x is the only reason we get along.

We aren’t a couple, and Avery sometimes teases me way too much. It’s infuriating, especially when he uses my head as an armrest.

“I’m glad,” my mom smiles sweetly. “Anyway, you should replace your seat before the wedding starts.”

“Okay.”

I k!ss her on the cheek and head inside the building.

A werewolf wedding doesn’t differ much from a traditional human wedding. A priest speaks about the moon goddess’s plan for us, and there is a k!ss at the end between both partners.

It’s sweet and r0mantic.

I head inside and see that my entire plan is gathered. There is no groom side and bride side. Everyone is spread, and Avery looks up at me from his seat at the side.

My l!ps form a smile, and I make it over to him.

I slump down in the chair beside him, and Avery a.ssesses me as if expecting there to be injuries on me. It might be because he doesn’t fully trust the rest of the pack not to a.buse me at the first opportunity.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” I say, smiling faintly. Avery looks incredibly handsome today. Dark hair combed back and his big frame clad in a suit and tie. “I just talked to my mom and gave her a k!ss before the big ceremony.”

His l!ps curl by the corners to form a mischievous, amused smile. “You k!ssed your mom’s cheek, huh? What must one do to earn a k!ss from Lydia, I wonder…”

I blush and cross my arms over my chest. “You ain’t getting any since you’re treating me like fast food. This morning you drank from me without even saying thank you.”

He smirks. “Well, thank you.”

“You don’t mean that!” I whisper-yell. “Your face says it all, you bastard!”

My skin prickles at Avery’s soft laughter as I glare at him. My vicious look only increases his humor.

Avery leans in and whispers teasingly into my ear. “I thought we had a fair deal? I get to drink your b***d, and I keep you safe.”

My cheeks turn red, but my eyes widen when I realize a girl my age is staring at us. She is sitting beside Avery, and I immediately lean away from Avery.

The girl is watching us, and I bump Avery in the shoulder to try and make him realize he might need to snatch her memories. When that doesn’t work, I try to grab his attention with my mind.

‘Avery, you might want to stop being so friendly with me. The girl sitting beside you is currently staring at us.’

Avery tilts his head, and the calculating look in his eyes tells me he heard me inside his mind. He turns to regard the red-headed girl sitting beside him and then plaster on a smile before looking at me again.

‘I forgot to introduce Jinora earlier,” Avery leans back, allowing me and the werewolf female to look at each other. “Lydia, meet Jinora, your new bodyguard. Jinora, meet your client.”

I furrow my eyebrows and size up Jinora. She is a red-headed woman with freckles. Built like a warrior werewolf, and now, after the introduction, she smiles at me.

“I’m supposed to be helping you train and become stronger. Avery thought a woman like me might be better to train with rather than having Avery himself. My name is, like you heard, Jinora.”

She reaches out her hand, and I hesitantly take it, still baffled by the news that I’m going to get trained. Avery, however, looks massively pleased with himself.

“I’m Lydia,” I say, feeling more at ease after Jinora’s introduction. I get the sense she can be trusted. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Avery glances between us and then gets up from his seat. “Trade seats with me, Jinora,” his voice isn’t mean, but it’s an order and not a request. It seems Avery is only sweet with me, not with pack members. “You should be with Lydia every single day. Becomes friends, enemies—I don’t care, but your job is to keep her safe.”

“Yes, alpha.”

Jinora takes the seat Avery had just a second ago and looks at me with the same kindness on her face. I have no idea if she can be trusted, but I hope that we can become friends—

“Jinora wants the same as you,” Avery comments without looking at us. He probably read our minds. “You are both without friends and should get along just fine,” he adds and sighs. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a boring wedding to sleep through.”

I smile, but Jinora looks distraught. She turns to me, wide-eyed and seeming a bit offended.

“Does he always do that?” She asks.

“Do what?”

“Look inside people’s heads without permission!”

I plaster a smile on my l!ps. Avery’s eyes are closed, but I can tell he is holding back a laugh. It seems I’m not the only one realizing he is a rude freaking bastard.

My attention travels back to Jinora. “Yes, Avery doesn’t have any decency,” I bite back a snicker when he sends me a glare, and then I smile at Jinora again. “But I’m happy he read your mind this time because I could use a friend.”

Jinora looks excited by this. When the wedding starts, we are both discussing my mother’s dress and snickering at crying pack members wishing they were to marry John instead.

I replace out Jinora is eighteen and that she hasn’t found her mate yet. She is athletic and loves training. This is why Avery found her the most suited to protect me. We also share many common interests: flowers, baking, cooking, animals, and pugs.

Though, I suspect I’m the biggest animal lover. After Avery, of course, who is a closeted softie.

I continue talking with Jinora throughout the ceremony. And when it’s time to go outside and throw rice at my mom and new stepfather, I catch Avery’s gaze and smile.

‘Thank you for making Jinora into my bodyguard. I like her, and… I’ve missed having a female friend.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he frowns then, and his eyes are glowing like heated embers. If I didn’t know better, I would claim he was angry. ‘Just don’t make her your favorite person—that spot is mine.’

I raise an eyebrow while standing beside Jinora and waiting for our parents to come out the doors. ‘You’re the favorite?’

‘Damn straight,’ Avery nods as if he believes he is my best friend, although all he ever does is mess with me.

He is such an a.ss sometimes.

Then again, I can’t deny that I like him. Even if Avery messes with me, he does it out of… Love? Or well… I don’t know what his deal is, but it’s no secret that I care deeply about him.

‘You mean that you’re falling for me…’ Avery muses.

I snort and feel some heat rise to my face. Avery is watching me with his thick eyelashes touching his cheeks every time he blinks, and at first, I think of denying the truth, but…

What would be the point?

‘Maybe I am,’ I admit, shrugging as if it’s no big deal and my heart is racing a mile per minute. ‘Would that be so bad?’

‘It would be,’ Avery sighs inside my head. It’s funny that we are having an inner conversation around many cheering and whistling people. ‘Claiming you would be a terrible idea.’

‘But you’re thinking about it?’

At this, he looks away. I don’t expect him to answer this question, but soon, he scratches the back of his head with an irritated expression. There is also a slight blush on his cheeks.

‘Find out if that’s what you really want, Lydia, and I will consider it… Just remember that I… You know… I don’t really age. But if you are fine with me being a freak… Then I guess I could claim you.’

I stare at him, blown away by his words. My heart is jackhammering, and I forget how to breathe for a minute. Did I hear him correctly?! Is he really considering this?

‘D-do you mean that?!’

Avery looks back at me, but then the music turns louder, and our conversation is interrupted by our parents coming out the doors of the church. Everyone throws rice at the smiling newlyweds, and Avery doesn’t answer my question.

Saved by the wedding, I guess…