My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 71

Josie

“Misha is so infuriating!” I complain to my best friend, Tarryn. She is a warrior werewolf in the same pack. Short but capable. She is also attractive but would doesn’t see that herself. “First, he serves me breakfast in bed, and then he warns me not to be in the tournament because he is certain he will win it!”

Tarryn laughs and brushes a strand of dark hair behind her ear. We are sitting inside a hamburger restaurant. I should have eaten dinner, but we only ordered milkshakes and fries. I will lie about that to my mom later, though.

“I think it was nice of him to warn you,” Tarryn says. “If Misha has magic abilities, it might be wise not to challenge him.”

I shoot her a glare. “You’re supposed to be on my side. Besides, if Misha wins by using magic, I’m not sure if the other werewolves will respect him. Our kind believes in brute strength.”

“Mhm, but you claimed Misha is over six-foot-five with muscles packed on top of his muscles, so I doubt he will have a problem… are you sure about his height, though? It sounds unrealistic, even for an alpha.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” I slurp more milkshake. I’m at the bottom, but I might order another since eating is how I cure my frustration. “Misha is a f*****g giant. I don’t know how he can be so big. Maybe because he is a three-way hybrid? He has the moon goddess’s b***d in his veins.”

“That’s true…” Tarryn mumbles, and then a grimace crosses her features. Even her eyes look concerned. “But even if that is the case, Misha isn’t the only werewolf with magic powers. I’ve heard rumors about this alpha from the Howler pack. His name is Blaze, and for some odd reason, he can control fire. People think he is a vampire hybrid too.”

“Oh…” I lift an eyebrow. “How do you know so much about him?”

She shrugs. “Our pack is gossiping a lot about him because when Avery made it possible for any werewolf to fight for the title of alpha, other packs have grown interested in our pack. Blaze is a prime example of an alpha wanting to take over our pack to grow his territories.”

My stomach churns. It’s strange, but I’m a bit worried about Misha now. His powers seem to be ice magic, and if Blaze can control fire, then he counters Misha, right?

I don’t know how it works. All I know is that it makes no sense for me to worry about Misha. We are fighting for the same damn title, damn it! He is my rival in the upcoming alpha tournament!

Tarryn giggles. “Josie… you’re growling—does that have something to do with a certain hot white-haired hybrid?”

My eyes narrow, and I lick some milkshake from my lips. “Maybe…”

“Are you into him?”

“What? No! Of course not!” I’m growling again, and my face is heating up. It wouldn’t surprise me if I were redder than a tomato. “I don’t like Misha in that way!”

“Really?” Tarryn asks in a teasing tone and picks up a fry. She chews it while smirking triumphantly at me. “You dated Asher for a while, but he never made you blush like that.”

“I’m blushing because I’m irritated, not because I’m romantically interested in Misha, of all people!”

“You know what I think?” Tarryn grins wickedly. “I think you’re lying to me. You obviously replace Misha charming—you keep mentioning how tall and strong he is. And your eyes give you away whenever you do—you’re obviously attracted to him.”

“I’m not attracted to him…” I grunt.

“I can’t believe you’re not honest with your best friend…” Tarryn fakes a sob and even manages to make her bottom l*p tremble. “I thought you trusted me and could tell me everything… I was wrong.”

I sigh in exasperated frustration and cover my face. “FINE! I’m attracted to Misha—are you happy now?! Or do I have to name every part of him that I replace gorgeous? Because I can!”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, you silly girl,” Tarryn giggles in her seat and looks very self-satisfied. Her smile is only growing. “What if Misha is your mate? There is a huge possibility of that.”

“Pfft, Misha isn’t my mate!” I laugh at her foolishness. Misha isn’t going to be mated to me. We are rivals, not future lovers.

“Are you sure about that?”

“I’m positive.” I steal a french fry from Tarryn, and she shoves the entire tray and box my way. She knows eating will make me talk. “Lydia told me the vampires trained and raised Misha during his later teenage years. So I have this theory he is or will be, mated to one of them.”

“Hmm,” Tarryn considers my words for a moment, but then her expression changes to shock when the bell chimes above the door to the restaurant. “Oh, s**t. Guess who just walked in?”

I don’t need to turn around to know she means Misha. Every hair has risen to stand on the edge of my body, and I shudder in my seat. His presence makes it feel like I’m being caressed by ice-cold hands. I swear it must have to do with his ice powers.

I shiver again and whisper at Tarryn. “Don’t look at him. You’re being way too obvious about—”

“Good evening.”

My eyes bulge out of their sockets when Misha slides in to sit beside me in the little booth. He is seriously huge, and I’m forced to plaster myself to the corner not to touch him. Even Tarryn is staring at him and probably realizing I wasn’t exaggerating. I don’t know what the vampires fed him with, but whatever it was worked.

“Oh, french fries. I haven’t eaten these in forever,” Misha reaches out to grab one of the fries, chews, and then spits it out in his hand. A look of confusion crosses his features, but I don’t have time to ask why he looks so flabbergasted.

I glower at him. “What are you doing here? And why are you stealing food from Tarryn only to spit it out?”

“It belonged to your friend?” Misha turns to Tarryn and gives her a smile that actually seems genuine. “I’m sorry for taking your food. I thought the fries belonged to Josie.”

I gasp. “And that makes it okay to steal?!”

Misha ignores me, and Tarryn smiles between us. I can detect admiration in her gaze. There are stars and glitter in her eyes, and she carefully pushes the tray to Misha as if flirting with him.

“You can have the fries. I’m not hungry.”

“Don’t give him the fries!” I pout at Tarryn and feel utterly betrayed. “I was still eating!”

“Thank you so much, Tarryn.” Misha grins at me with a wicked gleam in his evil, red eyes. “The french fries are now mine. And if you have a problem with that, it’s not like you could do anything about it either way.”

“But you don’t even like french fries!” I argue. “And what do you mean I can’t do anything about it?”

Instead of explaining, Misha grabs the box of fries and chews another one—only to spit it out like it’s his kryptonite. It angers me, and I try to steal the package back, but he easily holds it out of reach.

“Give me the fries!” I growl at him. “Your vampire tastebuds obviously can’t handle the garlic sauce dumped on them!”

“So that’s what it was?” A look of understanding crosses Misha’s features, but he still won’t give me the french fries. “I was wondering why they tasted so gross…”

“Yes, and since you dislike the taste, give them back to me.”

Misha smiles down at me. It’s a perfectly charming smile, yet I get the sense he is taunting me. “Come and take them from me.”

My eyes narrow, and I stand up to grab the fries, but Misha easily stands up and dwarfs me. His eyes are brimming with gentle amusement as he gazes down at me. “You shrank.”

I blush and feel my heart pound faster. I’m a tall girl, and I’m sure Misha realizes this but compared to him? I might as well be a child.

“I didn’t shrink, you i***t,” I mutter and sit back in my seat. “I don’t know what the vampires fed you with, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you told me it was steroids…”

Misha’s eyebrows shoot into his hairline. It seems he didn’t expect that sort of honesty from me. Tarryn, however, is giggling uncontrollably in her seat and seems unable to stop.

“Sorry, I’m just…” Tarryn smiles between us, and she is forced to stifle another laugh when I glare at her. “I need to visit the bathroom. Please excuse me.”

My friend flees the scene, and Misha sits down beside me. He hands me the fries, which I no longer want. I’m too irritated to eat, and my heart is thundering for some weird reason. Probably because I’m humiliated. Misha said I had shrunk…

The irritation within me grows, and I keep staring out into space, expecting Misha to tease me again. But he doesn’t. Instead, he sighs in his seat.

“Now you know how I felt for all those years when you teased me…”

His words make me freeze. He has a point. I never did treat him fairly, and I regret it. Should I apologize? I didn’t expect Misha to hold a grudge.

When I look up, I see that Misha is already leaving the booth. To my surprise, I feel disappointed and uneasy. I want him to stay, but I can’t figure out why.

Somehow, I replace my voice. “Where are you going?”

Misha blinks in surprise and glances down at me. “Umm… I’m going to order french fries without garlic on them,” he explains and grins. “Don’t tell me you miss me already?”

Do I? I’m shocked to discover that, yes, I was worried he was going to leave, and honestly, I would have missed his presence. So instead of getting mad at him for teasing me, I smile. I will apologize to him later, but I will focus on food now.

“Mind ordering me another strawberry milkshake?”

Misha seems astonished by my question, but then his smile quickly returns. “Sure.”

“Thank you.” I sit back in my seat, satisfied that I will get to down another milkshake. I’m smiling so hard that when Tarryn returns, she giggles again.

“Oh wow, someone looks happy,” Tarryn points out while retaking her seat, and then she beams at me. “One could almost believe you have finally gotten laid.”

“Pssh, as if!” I don’t take offense from her words. We always mess with each other.

“What is it then?” Her eyes widen. “Wait, don’t tell me! Did Misha ask you out on a date or something? Is that why you’re smiling?”

I glare at her and whisper-yell. “No! That did not happen!”

“Shame… you have chemistry, and you’re right: Misha is incredibly attractive. I can see why you’re obsessing over him.”

“Oh my god, Tarryn! Not so loud! What if he heard you?!” I glare at Tarryn and flare my nostrils. “And I’m not obsessing over Misha!”

She rolls her eyes. “Please, your eyes have been heart-shaped ever since he walked into the restaurant…”

“What—” I gasp at her. “Whose side are you on?!”

Tarryn giggles and I look over my shoulder. Misha is standing in line, but he is turned our way and smiling. Though, when our eyes meet, he looks away, pretending not to have heard us.

But the smile he wore? My heart speeds up at the thought of it, and I exhale slowly through my nostrils. Perfect. The guy I replace hot and charming knows how I feel… can I please die now?!