My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 124

Alex

If the other dimension taught me something, it was how to survive. Fire-breathing dragons? No problem. I learned how to reflect their fire magic. Bears? I handled that by standing up on two legs.

I might not know how to fly, but I sure as hell can run. I know this because I ran for my dear life in that other dimension. I fought, and I battled, and I won. Every single day. And I had to adapt to make it through the years that went by.

So when it comes to battling for one’s survival, I’m way more experienced than Misha—sure, he is stronger than me when it comes to magic. I mean… I can’t summon ice pillars or make it snow. Neither can I heal pack members, which I’ve seen Jinora teach him.

I’m also not good at leading people, not anymore. I’ve been alone for too long; in that sense, Misha is an amazing Alpha.

But…

I want everyone in the pack to know I’m pretty damn good too. I’m a survivor. Someone who doesn’t give up. I might be sweating now, covered in my own b***d, and panting. But I’m not on the ground yet, baby. There is still some fight left in me.

Don’t give up on me, Tarryn.

I cough up b***d, lifting my head slightly from the ground. The white wolf, Misha, seems to be challenging me. The audience is wild and cheering for him, and his eyes, those glowing ones, seem to be asking me, “Have you had enough yet, pup?”

A snarl leaves my mouth as if to say, “I’m not a pup.”

Surprise flickers in Misha’s eyes. I’ve earned his respect for keeping up the fight, but we both know I’m pretty much done. If I don’t come up with a new technique, or a skill, then I won’t win.

Right on cue, I hear Misha’s voice inside my head. ‘Elijah can summon fire and erase people’s memories. He is a hybrid between a demon and a werewolf… why should I pick you as my Beta? What can you do? Show me what you’re made of. Give me something new.’

My eyes narrow on his as I think of my response. ‘Why aren’t you attacking? Why are you giving me time?’

He chuckles. ‘Because I want to be impressed. I want you to blow my mind with what you can do.’

‘What if you’ve seen everything?’

‘No, not yet,’ his eyes glimmer in blue and red. ‘Each power belongs to a certain element, and we all draw energy from somewhere. Healing comes from water. Ice comes from water. Reading people’s minds is dark magic. Do you realize what I’m getting at? Where are your roots? Repelling my magic… wow… that’s not an easy task. So, where do you draw your energy from, Alex?’

I pause in place, and Misha’s amused laughter erupts inside my head. His telepathy is a bit creepy.

‘Tell you what, Alex. Surprise me, and the position is yours. I like Elijah, but his loyalty might change with time. And I’m cool with that. His brother needs him in the future. But you? You’re staying in the long haul. I just need you to show me WHO you are. Fight me with everything you have!’

‘Everything I have?! What do you mean?! I’m trying here!’

Misha doesn’t respond. The atmosphere grows colder, and snow circles down from the sky. He is done giving me time, I realize. I have to come up with something soon, or I will turn into an icicle.

“Misha-Misha-Misha!”

“GO, ALPHA!”

“BEAT HIM!”

“THAT’S ASHER’S BROTHER, RIGHT?! I HATE THAT GUY! BEAT HIS BROTHER TO A PULP!”

I take a step back and fold my ears along my head, bummed out by the comments from the bleachers. No one believes in me—

“ALEX!” Tarren is shouting again. “COME ON, YOU CAN DO IT! YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK!”

Shock seeps into my bones, and I glance up at the bleachers. My mate, she is rooting for me! I wag my tails at Tarryn and find newfound courage in knowing she is there to support me. Always.

We are a team.

‘And you want to protect her, right?’ Misha asks. ‘But… are you able to as you are now? The Howler pack is strong. They kidnapped you once. They could come again and take Tarryn away—’

‘NO!’ I shout mentally and growl when the memories of that terrible dimension hit me at once. ‘I won’t let Marissa send Tarryn to that place! Over my dead body! I won’t accept it!’

My anger makes the hair on my body stand on edge. I won’t let anyone take Tarryn away from me! Never! She is the only person that matters in my life!

‘NO ONE IS TAKING MY MATE FROM ME!’

I growl inside my head and force Misha out of my brain. And then I lunge for him with the speed of lightning. I’m not thinking straight. I’m seeing red and growling furiously. My fur is blowing in the wind, and the white wolf seems shocked when I tackle him with such force he falls down on the ground.

Perfect! I can do this! He is underneath me! I gather more energy and feel a howling start in my throat. I’m going to beat him, s***h him and tear him apart for threatening my mate—

I’m frozen solid.

I can’t move a single muscle, but from the ground, I hear laughter. What? Why! I narrow my gaze and stare at Misha, who has returned to his human form. He is on his back, beaming up at me with kind eyes and his teeth on full display.

“You did it! You figured out what element you belong to!” Misha stands up and claps his hands. “Congratulations! You belong to the wind element, Alex! This is why you can repel magic. There must be some invisible barrier from the wind that you’ve somehow learned to create around yourself! That’s amazing!”

I blink multiple times to return from the land of rage. s**t. I got so caught up in my possessiveness and protective instincts that I fully planned to kill Misha. I should be ashamed of myself for almost losing it!

‘Nah, what you need is to get laid.’

Misha’s voice shocks me, but before I can respond, I’m released from the frozen state, and Tarryn’s arms come out of nowhere. They wrap around my neck, and then she is in my face, kissing my muzzle.

“Alex! You were amazing!” She exclaims. “I had no idea you knew how to use magic!”

Truthfully, I had no idea, either. It came to me when I was angry and… gah. I still can’t believe I tried to kill my Alpha. With shame in my heart, I glance up at Misha. His odd-colored eyes are focused on mine, and he grins at me like the Cheshire cat.

“It looks like I’ve found my new Beta,” he announces, then looks around the whistling audience. “MY BETA WILL BE ALEX, WHILE MY GAMMA WILL BE ELIJAH! IT HAS BEEN DECIDED!”

I’m surprised when people whistle and applaud, even more when it seems I’ve gained a few fans too. Some people talk and speculate about wind magic, but my focus quickly returned to Tarryn. Her arms are still wrapped around me, and she affectionately rubs her cheek against me.

“Congratulations, Alex,” she murmurs. “I knew you could do it.”

I sigh a breath of relief and wag my tail. That moment of inner rage I had worries me. I don’t want it to happen again, but I will now enjoy my mate’s touch. It’s thanks to Tarryn that I won. She is my sole inspiration for growing stronger. I’ve fallen for her; hopefully, we will soon have a family together.

Though, I suppose we actually need to bind ourselves to each other first… and maybe do some bonding.