My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
Chapter 175

Michelle

The forest is dark, and even though this is my pack’s territory, it feels less safe now that I know a necromancer is on the loose.

Gosh, I still can’t believe that terrible man from my nightmares is Bella’s mate! I mean, he might not be? It could be a coincidence that Bella’s mate is a necromancer, but my fat suspicion, the one that rolls around inside me like an anxious wave, tells me Bella’s mate is bad.

I swallow thickly and run faster over sticks and moss, hoping to catch the scent of my sister, but all I can smell is the sweet scent of the wildflowers and the earthy dampness of the ground. There is no sign of Bella, not even a soft fragrance in the air, and my worry grows when I realize that I’m running blind. It kills me, especially since my sister might be in danger. Poor Bella. She finds her mate, and then it turns out he is a villain summoning demons?

She must be so devastated.

“Michelle!”

I lift my head and look above me as I keep running. Kit has appeared from a portal and is flying above me in his demon form. The heavy concern written on his face is unmistakable as he looks down at me, and my heart swells, knowing he is here to help me find my sister.

I stop in my tracks and shape-shift back into a human. Kit lands in front of me, and I run into his arms.

“You came!” I exclaim. “Thank you!”

“Of course, I came,” he hugs me back and inhales the scent of my hair. “I’m your mate, Michelle. That means we take care of each other, and right now, your sister is missing and possibly in danger. Of course, I came to help you find her!”

He releases me, and all the warmth and longing inside me, the happiness I feel from being in his arms, vanishes as hysteria takes its place.

“Bella’s mate is a necromancer, Kit. Probably the same one I dreamt about and the one who has been summoning all the demons. I’m so worried about her.”

“We will find her,” Kit reassures me. “Have you checked the other side of the mountain?”

I shake my head. “Not yet. I was just about to head that way. But Kit, what are we going to do if we find her and her necromancer mate has killed her or… turned her into a demon? Would he do that?”

“I don’t know…” Kit admits. “But I don’t think he has killed her. They are mates; he must care for her.”

“But what if he doesn’t? What if he is only using her to get information about me? It seems like it’s me he is interested in for some reason since it’s my dreams that he has been haunting, and I have no clue what he wants.”

“Probably nothing good,” Kit’s eyes darken. “Which means we will do whatever it takes to stop him. Even if it means killing him. He has already murdered pack members. Not directly, but through turning demons into his mindless subjects.”

“Yes…” some of my courage returns. “And he needs to pay for that.”

“So we will kill him.”

I nod, grateful for his steadfastness. “Probably.”

“Let’s go then.”

Kit holds out his hand. I take it before he scoops me up into his arms. His huge, purple wings spread, and then we are off, flying fast toward the mountain. We don’t see the others, but the lake is soon coming into view.

Will we find Bella there?

I can only hope, and as we land, I catch a faint whiff of Bella’s scent, and my heart leaps in my chest. She is close. We land by the lake, and between two trees, lying unconscious on the ground, we find her.

“Bella!” I cry out, sprinting towards her. I scoop up her head into my lap, cradling her gently. She is alive, and breathing and relief wash over me. “She is alive, but we need to get her to the pack healer.”

“That might be rather hard…” Kit says.

I’m about to ask him what he means, but when I hear familiar growls, I know what he means. Wolves, undead ones, surround us, and as I spin around, I see a person: the man from my nightmares.

“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” The man grins evilly. “We finally meet in person, Alpha Michelle. As you probably know, I’m Jarq. I’m your sister’s mate, and this time, I won’t let you get away. This time, I will kill you and your mate once and for all.”

I glare at him, aware that his army of undead wolves is snapping and creeping closer. “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” He laughs a sickly sound that sends shivers down my spine. “I want power. I want control. And I want revenge. You see, Michelle, I’ve been watching you for a long time. I’ve seen what you can do, how strong you are. And I want that for myself.”

“You’re insane,” I hiss, gripping Bella tighter.

“Oh, I’m not insane,” he sneers. “I’m just more… evolved. I’ve embraced the darkness, Michelle. I’ve learned how to control it and how to use it to my advantage. And you’re standing in my way.”

“In your way?” I’m not sure if I’m following.

“Yes,” he smiles. “Your family has the moon goddess b***d coursing in your veins. Do you know what that means?”

I shake my head; even Kit seems confused and is blatantly staring at Jarq.

“Then let me fill you in on that: it means your b***d has an angelic quality to it. You’re all capable of killing demons, and I don’t want that. No, not since I want to create the biggest demon army the world has ever seen.”

I narrow my eyes. “So that is your plan?”

“Yes…” Jarq steps closer, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. “But don’t worry. I won’t kill you right away. No, I have other plans for you first. Plans that involve breaking you, bending you to my will. And once I’ve done that, once you’ve seen the truth of the darkness, then I will kill you… but first,” his eyes lock on Kit. “First, I will take away every person that you love, starting with your sister.”

My eyes widen, and I whisper. “What have you done to Bella?”

“Let’s go then.”

His lips show in his evil smile. “Why don’t you take a look for yourself? She should awaken at any second now, my new, beautiful undead demon bride.”

It’s then that I realize that Bella is transforming in my arms and turning into something hideous. It doesn’t seem pleasant, either. Her lips curl back, revealing razor-sharp fangs as she lets out a bone-chilling howl that echoes through the forest.

“What is happening to her?!” I cry despite knowing the answer already.

Bella’s skin is turning a sickly shade of green, and her eyes begin to glow an otherworldly red. Her once beautiful hair turns into slimy, black tentacles that whip around, striking out at anything that comes too close. I can hear the sickening sound of bones breaking and reshaping themselves as she grows larger and more monstrous by the second.

I can’t help but scream as I realize that my sister is no longer human. She has become an undead shadow demon, just like the ones that Jarq has been summoning. And now she is under his control.

Jarq cackles gleefully as he watches the transformation. “Yes, my dear Michelle,” he taunts. “Your sister is now a powerful demon in my army. And soon, you will be one too.”

“No!” I scream, holding Bella close to me as I try to fight off the despair that threatens to consume me. “What have you done to her?!”

“I have given her power!” Jarq sounds proud of himself. “She is stronger now, faster, and more deadly than ever before. She will make a formidable ally in my quest for power.”

“She is not your ally, she is my sister!” I snarl, feeling fury and hatred boil within me. “I won’t let you turn her into a monster!”

“It’s too late for that!” Jarq laughs. “She is already one of many demons in my army. The best part was that she came willingly! That stupid girl thought it meant that we would be together forever as equals! She thought I loved her! But all I wanted was another demon, not a mate, but a slave!”

I feel Kit’s arms wrap around me protectively as he helps me to my feet. “We need to get out of here,” he says urgently. “We can’t fight him and the undead wolves alone.”

I’m crying and looking down at Bella. She is screaming in agony, but Kit pulls me away from her.

“We can’t take her with us,” Kit says and lifts his chin to eye Jarq, who is laughing like a madman. “We should leave while he is distracted.”

“But Bella—”

Before I can finish my sentence, Kit picks me up from the ground and throws me over his shoulder.

“She is gone, Michelle,” Kit says softly, sensing my anguish. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, and then he takes off while I’m crying hysterically. I cling to him as we soar above the trees, eyes stuck on my sister.

Bella is writhing on the ground, her screams echoing through the forest. I want to go back and save her, but I know that it’s too late.

My sister is gone.