My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 93

Josie

I’ve spent hours riding on Misha’s back. He is tired, breathing heavily underneath me, but I can’t take us home. Not before he has shape-shifting into a dragon. I have to help him achieve this, or I fear he won’t be able to defeat Blaze tomorrow.

“Look, I know you’re tired…” Misha glances up at me while standing on shaky legs. I’ve pushed him to his limit. This is his first-time shape-shifting, and he has been my mount all day. It’s admiring, and I smile at him. “I know, I know! But… I have this last idea to help you shape-shift. It’s dangerous, yet I think it will work.”

A small whine leaves Misha’s lips. He is tired, but he will try this last thing for me. His trust in me makes me gooey.

I stroke his white fur, digging my fingers until I feel his warm skin and heavy breathing. My chest constricts. I’ve pushed him so far that I almost feel guilty, but I remind myself this is for Misha.

He has to learn how to shape-shift.

I plaster on a smile. “I promise this will be the last thing we try, and if it doesn’t work, then I owe you a massage…”

He growls, and laughter bubbles up in my throat. “Fine! I will also give you a massage if the idea works. My fingers will be yours.”

Misha seems satisfied, and I carefully kick his sides to steer him forward. He immediately obeys. It’s funny. Misha would have made a wonderful horse, but I won’t tell him that. I wish to live.

“So, I need you to run for my next idea!” I tap Misha between the shoulder blades and hold on as he speeds up his pace.

I clench my fingers around his fur and press my legs against him to hold on as he rushes past green trees while panting. He isn’t going to like where I’m taking him, but it’s all part of the plan.

“Faster, Misha!” I shout. “Faster, faster, run as fast as you can!”

Since Misha has been gone for so long, I doubt he knows where I’m taking him, and once he does, it’s too late. He is running so fast that he can’t stop, and a surprised yelp leaves him as we are thrown from a cliff.

The winds hit my face, and I hold onto Misha’s neck while closing my eyes shut. “I know what you’re thinking! But I think risking our lives is what will make you shape-shift! You will change to save us!”

Misha growls accusingly, and I imagine him uttering, “Are you a f*****g retard, Josie?! This is a cliff, and the ocean is underneath us! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”

My imagination makes me wince, and I shriek when Misha isn’t changing, and the water is coming closer. “Misha! You have to shape-shift! What is the matter with you?! Turn into a dragon!”

I open my eyes, and I’m met with the angry red one belonging to Misha. He is clearly trying to tell me he can’t turn into a dragon. It makes a wave of panic hit me. Doesn’t he have the same powers as Avery?!

I’m never given an answer.

We land in the ocean with a splash, and I struggle to hold on to the giant wolf. Misha is trampling water until some of it freezes and forms a platform for us. It allows my mate to drag me out of the water with him, and I cling to his back, shuddering from the cold.

“Well… that didn’t work…” I shiver some more and hug Misha’s neck. He is glaring at me, but it quickly turns to concern.

He is worried about me and lifts his head, staring at the cliff far above us as if trying to think of a plan to get back there.

“Maybe if you freeze more of the ocean?” I ask him.

Misha hangs his head, and I can feel his disappointment with himself through the mate bond. It saddens me when I realize why he looks so defeated. He is angry at himself for being unable to turn into a dragon, and I sink my teeth into my bottom l*p, thinking.

“Okay, so what if a dragon is too hard? You might have to start with something smaller, like a bird?”

My mate turns his head, and his face says it all: yes, but how can I get you back on land as a little bird?

A grimace takes my lips. “Right… bad idea… we need you to turn into a dragon for this,” I laugh then. “It’s too bad wolves can’t fly.”

Misha pauses at that. I can see the wheels spinning in his head, and I utter, “Woah, take it easy!” when he moves around on the ice, almost losing the grip of it with his paws.

“I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but standing on this ice block doesn’t feel especially safe.”

Misha snorts at me, and then he closes his eyes. At first, I don’t know what he is doing, but then I feel magic gathering around him. My eyes widen. I don’t know what he is doing, but I gasp when feather-clad wings spread from his shoulder blades.

They resemble the ones belonging to a snowy owl: white with black marks and dots covering them. The difference is that these are insanely large. Misha’s wings are larger than his wolfish body, and a smile spreads when I realize he has found the middle way.

My lips can no longer contain the smile wanting out, and I repeat what I told him earlier in a soft tone, “It’s too bad wolves can’t fly.”

Misha gives me a wolfish grin at that. I grin right back at him and tap his back with my fingertips, edging him on. “Are we doing this? Are you ready to spread your wings and try them out?”

A loud “Gruff!” erupts from Misha, who then spreads his wings and leaps into the air. His large wings flap once or twice until we are in the air. It’s amazing. He is flying!

My laughter is loud. The ocean winds are fanning my red hair around my face. Waves throw themselves at the cliffs that Misha and I are rising over. s**t. I can’t believe I’m riding a flying werewolf!

“A flying werewolf?” I yell in the windy weather. “I think I’ve seen it all now! This is great, Misha!”

The winds carry us higher. I feel awake in the sky, laughing as we soar higher and higher above the trees. My stomach has plummeted from the height. Adrenaline is slouching in my veins, and Misha seems as excited as me. His tongue is hanging out, and I stroke his fur.

“I still can’t believe you’re flying…” my voice is soft yet humorous. Misha is amazing, and I make a pfft sound. “Who needs dragons anyway? Large, winged wolves are so much fluffier.”

I continue to laugh until I notice Misha is watching me. His odd-colored eyes are intense and serious, but the winning emotion is gratitude. Towards me? My heart does a cartwheel inside my chest at the thought.

“Just so we are clear: I didn’t help you achieve this,” my tone is shy, and I avoid his eyes. “This was all you.”

‘No, I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.’

I pause.

Misha is staring at me, and I’m staring back until horror grips me, and I g***n in misery. “No, no, NO! f**k no! You can’t turn into a mind reader! Do you hear me, Misha?! My thoughts are way too private to be shared with you! You can’t do this to me!”

‘I’m sorry…’ he sounds sincere, but then I hear a chuckle, and goosebumps prickle up my spine. Misha is up to something fishy, and my suspicions are confirmed when he asks, ‘What do you think about me?’

“I’m not falling into that trap.” I do what my dad taught me to do if I want to get rid of Avery: I Rick Roll him in. The lyrics to “Never Gonna Give You Up” blast in my head, and Misha whimpers.

‘How could you?!” Misha g****s. ‘I thought we were mates! But yeah, I get it—I will leave your head alone!”

“Good, because if I replace you reading my mind without permission, I will turn your life into hell.”

Misha shudders. It satisfies me. He can get as freaking powerful as he wants, but one thing is clear: I’m in charge.

‘Happy wife, happy life.’

My eyes narrow. “Did you just read my mind?”

Misha is smart enough to remain silent, and I straighten myself. The sun is about to go down. I don’t want to quit our flying tour, but I also understand Misha will need all the rest he can get.

“We should probably head home,” I tell him. “Your battle against Blaze is early tomorrow.”

Misha changes our direction toward the mansion. His wings look beautiful in the sunlight, and I exhale. I just hope a winged wolf is enough to defeat whatever monster Blaze is…