My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 90

Josie

Misha stares down at me. “Did you just say you know who is making the female werewolves disappear?”

I nod and lock my eyes on the ones belonging to Misha. My head is spinning, but the memories are quickly coming back. “It’s Blaze. He is not a normal werewolf but some sort of incubus hybrid. He sucks the life force out of females to use his magic! I saw him do it to some girl… she just vanished into thin air, but not before aging before my eyes!”

Misha’s eyes roam over my face as if searching for something. Perhaps a hint of dizziness? But eventually, he seems to deem me to speak the truth because his expression changes. Confusion turns to rage, and I watch anger tick against his neck.

“We have to tell my—”

“And now the battle between Asher and Misha from the Grimfang pack is about to finally begin!”

A growl escapes Misha’s l!ps. “Since when is there an announcer?” he glances back at me, scowling. “Looks like I have to beat Asher quickly… could you try to replace my mom in the meanwhile? She should be sitting on the bleachers with your mom, and they both need to hear about this.”

I lift my eyebrows in surprise. “Are you still going to compete in the alpha tournament even after knowing what Blaze did?”

“Yes. I don’t want to create suspicion by not battling Asher. I want to act as if I’m unaware of this so my dad, the current alpha, can decide what to do about the Howler pack situation. Jumping the gun and attacking Blaze and his pack without a plan would be stupid.”

“Good point,” I hand him a smile. “I will try to replace and talk to your mom, and after the battle, you can inform your dad about everything? Or maybe you get him to read your mind straight away?”

“That’s not a bad idea…” Misha looks back at the field and sighs when the announcer calls for him. “I have to go. Find my mom, okay? I will see you after I’ve defeated Asher.”

Despite the situation and us soon possibly being at war with the Howler pack, I hand him a grin. “Give Asher hell… and Misha? Don’t hold back. He needs to be put into his place.”

Amusement glints in his eye. “I will try.”

“Make me proud.”

Misha winks at me, and then he is off to battle Asher. He jogs to the field while I slowly make my way forward, listening to his fan club shout and point once they see him.

It’s a little bit annoying. One girl is holding a sign saying, “Misha—is he the hottest single alpha alive?”

I roll my eyes at the girl, muttering. “I can’t wait for Misha to announce us as a couple… this is getting out of hand…”

Ignoring the girls, all hoping Misha would land in their beds, I scan the bleachers for Lydia and my mom. I replace them sitting in a corner, wearing sunshades and drinking from a bottle. Is that alcohol?!

I head up the stairs, setting my eyes on my mom. “Mom?! What is that you’re holding?” I ask and sniff the air. It smells like Avery’s specially enchanted whisky to get werewolves drunk.

“Oh, Josie!” My mom looks nervous. “Hello!”

“Aren’t you pregnant?!” I snap.

That makes my mom cry, and Lydia hugs her. Something hangs in the air, and then my mom sniffs. “I lost it… now I’m mourning with Lydia while your dad is with your siblings…”

Oh geez.

My shoulders slump. “Shit… I didn’t have a clue…”

“It’s alright,” my mom dries her eyes with her sleeve. Lydia is smiling sadly between us. “Did you want something?”

“I do, but… gah, is this a bad time? Should I replace and talk to Avery instead?” I’m not sure how drunk my mom is. Lydia looks fine, but that might be my imagination.

Lydia, curious since I mentioned her husband, lifts an eyebrow. “What is this about, Josie?”

I grimace and look around. The crowd isn’t focusing on us but on Asher, who is crying on the field. Misha is cooly standing over him, seeming to ask if he is okay, which must be humiliating for Asher.

When the once bullied turns into the hero of the day…

I smile and turn my attention back to Lydia. “Can we walk somewhere else to talk? It’s rather sensitive information.”

Lydia looks at me like she is trying to read me, freezes, and suddenly stares into the distance. She gets that glazed look whenever she speaks to Avery telepathically. His powers are remarkable. Will Misha ever develop psychic abilities? That would be scary.

Imagine thinking about Misha n.aked in a dirty scenario and then him knowing all about it! But then again, I could communicate what I wanted to him easier. And I want Misha pushing me down over the kitchen table and pushing his package into—

‘Please don’t think about my son in such scenarios right now, Josie. I’m inside your head, and I want you to try to remember the scene when Blaze sucked the life force out of that girl.’

Heat floods my face. ‘Alpha Avery! Hi… yes… let me just gather myself a little… it might take some time.’ I’m humiliated, no. Mortified that my mate’s dad just caught me thinking of his son!

‘Take your time.’ Avery definitely sounds amused. Kill me right now. Why did he have to read my mind right now?!

‘Well… you knew I would eventually read your mind, right? I can’t decide what to do before that. It’s pretty obvious that I need to look into your memories to ensure they haven’t been tampered with. I need to witness the scene and see if it’s real.’

‘I guess that makes sense…’ I take a deep breath and try not to die from the embarrassment burning within me.

Don’t think of Misha… don’t think of Misha… focus on what happened.

I steer my thoughts into that time when Blaze pushed me against the bleachers, and then I experience it all over again, that horrible scene of Blaze taking the life of that other woman.

Avery goes silent, but I know he is watching the scene unfold inside my head. And hopefully, he will know what to do with Blaze because the memory is more gruesome than I expected.

Avery’s magic helps me remember every small detail of what happened, even the woman’s breathing before she died.

A shudder slips down my spine.

Suddenly I wish Misha to hold me tight.

Incubuses are scary, and Blaze scares me. You can’t be a good person if you deem it more important to have magic than to spare your pack members’ lives. That girl he devoured was from his pack, and now, he has moved on to our pack members.

‘He definitely needs to be stopped…’ Avery growls inside my head. ‘But the Howler pack isn’t small in numbers, and we can’t just declare war on them right now.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because we wouldn’t win…’ Avery sighs. ‘If we wish to win against them, Misha will need proper training and… and maybe I have to invite my brother over to form an alliance.’

It sounds like it kills Avery to admit he might need his vampire brother’s help, and I smile at that. Perhaps the family will be gathered. It would mean me meeting the man who trained Misha.

That would be fun. Uncle Damien must have embarrassing stories to tell about Misha, and I’m all here for it.

I pause, suddenly realizing. ‘We also have to warn pack members about the people disappearing. No one is safe as long as the Howler pack stays in our territory.’

‘The next battle will be between Misha and Blaze… if Misha wins, it will force Blaze and his pack back to their territories, but I fear that the demonic alpha might be plotting something. And even if he loses, it’s clear he is gathering magic for something.’

I swallow thickly. ‘A war.’

‘Most likely… which means I have to contact Damien as soon as possible. It’s about time the few good vampires joined the pack. If Becky has taught me anything, it’s that not all vampires are bad.’

I smile at that. ‘You’re making a wise decision, alpha.’

‘Just call me Avery already. I’m about to become your father-in-law anyway, aren’t I? Oh, and by the way, do you kids use condoms? I’m asking for my wife.’

What is about every parent’s obsession with grandkids?!

‘I’m not answering that!’

Avery’s laughter rolls inside my head, and my nostrils flare. My life has turned into a freaking parody. The proof would be that now even my alpha is laughing at me.

And I know who is at fault.

Beyond flustered, I glare at Lydia, who gives me a phony smile. It makes me narrow my eyes at her, and then I scowl at my mom. She is probably in on this too!

I’m about to give them a piece of my mind, but then I hear Misha calling for me, and I spin around to look at the field.

“Josie!” Misha is grinning up at me. “You’re coming to the pack house, right? We have a lot to discuss!”

I’m sure Misha means the Blaze situation, but that doesn’t stop my mom and Lydia from giggling like school girls. Traitors.

I shoot the motherly duo another glare, and they quickly look away, pretending they aren’t secretly hoping for me to have a bun in the oven. I swear this family is dysfunctional…

But secretly, I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.