My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother

Chapter 3

Lydia

My mom is finally moving in with John. They aren't married yet. I don't know why they aren't already. Either way, they can't stay away from each other. Therefore, John's solution was to let me and my mom move in early.

I'm actually a little bit nervous.

I'm at the mansion where my new life will begin. Avery, my alpha, is my new stepbrother; from now on, we will live under the same roof. I haven't seen him today, but I can feel his presence.

It's like the walls are watching me...

"And that was all the rooms," John Hale, my new stepfather, says and smiles at me. His arm is around my mom. "Feel free to pick any of the rooms upstairs as your own. There are plenty of them since this house used to house pack members in the past."

"What happened to that?" I ask while looking around.

I'm back in the grand hall where my tour started, but even though I've been shown around, I still haven't lost the excitement of being here. I knew the alpha family of the Grimfang pack lived in luxury. But this mansion is almost over the top.

Everything is top modern, and every piece of furniture looks extremely valuable and luxurious. But what gets my attention is that everything is enchanted. The whole house seems to be breathing. Right now, a broom is sweeping the floor without anyone holding it.

It's awe-inspiring to watch.

I've never experienced magic. I thought it would shock me more, but I'm surprisingly fine with it. Curious too. Whereas other werewolves might get frightened, I want to learn what else Avery can do. Because this is his magic. It has to be. My alpha is a hybrid, so it only makes sense.

"The magic..." I wet my lips. "It's Avery's magic I'm witnessing, right?"

"Yes, but... Avery doesn't want the pack members to know about his magic," John explains, and when I meet his eyes, he gives me a stern look. "And I expect you to keep his abilities a secret too. The pack members don't have to know he is a hybrid."

I swallow thickly. "Right."

My mom hands me a friendly smile. However, behind it, I can tell she is freaking out. None of us expected the entire mansion to be enchanted by powerful magic.

She tries to sound cheerful. "Why don't you head upstairs and pick out a room, Lydia?"

"I will do that," I smile back and pick up my backpack. "Thank you for showing me around, John."

"Anytime."

I take the stairs and try to ignore the fact that two wall paintings seem to be having a hushed conversation with each other. It feels like I've stepped into the movie Beauty and the Beast.

"Things just keep getting weirder..." I remark and eye the doors down the long corridor.

One of the rooms is open, and I swallow thickly before dragging my ass there, thinking it might be a sign. If the door is open, maybe it's the universe telling me to pick that room?

I head inside. It seems to be an average bedroom—if you look past the fact that the room is larger than a condo. Oh, and like everything inside this mansion, the furniture is fancy.

This room is more regal and elegant than the others I've seen. Gold and red seem to run the theme here. I like the old style but tilt my head in confusion when I notice the open window.

"Huh? Why is that open?" I walk over to close it but stop in my tracks when a raven lands on the windowsill.

It watches me with strangely intelligent eyes, and my chest constricts when I notice there is a plastic lid stuck around its throat. Poor thing. I've always liked animals, and I take a deep breath.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" I ask in the calmest and sweetest voice I can muster.

The bird blinks, almost as if considering my words. Wait. What am I thinking? This is a bird—not a person! It couldn't possibly understand me! Yet I continue trying to calm it.

"I'm going to help you," I whisper at the bird. "If you just sit there, entirely still... I won't hurt you."

The bird doesn't move. I suspect the plastic lid around its neck prevents it from moving without it hurting. Damn, how did the sweet thing even end up in that situation?

I stop before the beautiful bird and bend down to pick it up. My raven friend shakes slightly, definitely scared of me.

"What a pretty bird you are," I croon while stroking my hand over the bird's shiny back feathers. The shaking ceases, and I continue in a syrupy voice. "Such a lovely bird, indeed... That's right... Stay still..."

The bird mutters in his breast, and his stillness indicates he trusts me and won't flee as long as I continue my praise. So I do while carefully transforming only my nails into claws to get rid of the plastic.

"There you go," I murmur to the bird nestled against my chest. It looks up at me, and I smile. "The plastic is gone."

The bird spreads its wings, and I blink when it flies out of my arms, only to land on the bed. There is an explosion of magic light, and I gasp when black feathers soar down to land on the floor.

Avery is sitting on the bed, naked. He watches me intensely, and I try my hardest to avoid looking between his legs.

As a werewolf, I'm used to people shifting and being naked, but seeing Avery naked feels like a crime. He is my alpha and carries an air of importance. He is also insanely beautiful.

"Thank you," he says but doesn't sound especially friendly. "I'm still learning to shape-shift without the animal's instincts taking over... But it seems hard to master."

"Oh," I'm trying hard not to smile. Avery might not like me, but I get butterflies whenever I look at him. "Is that why your head got stuck in a plastic lid? Did you try to eat bird seeds from somewhere?"

Avery's lips twitch. "Something like that..."

I stare at him. He isn't smiling entirely, but he looks way friendlier now than at the supermarket. Maybe because I helped him?

Either way, it's enough to make me flustered. Since I'm the omega and a weakling in Avery's eyes, I expected him to raise my voice at me or show visible disgust at having had me touch him. Instead, he looks grateful. Very confusing.

"I'm surprised you're not barking at me," I point out. "The last time we spoke, you seemed to dislike me."

"Well, this time, you came in handy. I forgot myself when I turned into a raven—" Avery stands up and lifts an eyebrow when I shriek. I can feel my face heating up to a million degrees, and he snorts. "Something the matter?"

"No, I'm just..." I turn around to avoid staring at his ripped chest. Holy moly, he is big all over. Nothing small about this man. Nope. Abs and v-lines, and also big rod energy. "I'm just not ready to see my alpha naked."

"Right," Avery actually chuckles. "Because you have to be ready," he says sarcastically and sounds amused. "Normally, I would tell you to get out of my room. But you just saved my life, so I will spare you of that humiliation."

"Oh, is this your room? I didn't realize!" I'm talking too fast, but I don't care. All I want is to leave, so I don't have a second round of embarrassing myself in front of Avery.

To my surprise, Avery chuckles again. "I'm not mad at you. It would have hurt me trying to shape-shift back into a human with that plastic lid around my neck. And, as I said, I lost myself during this transformation. It's a wonder I was able to turn back into a human at all."

My eyes are kept on the wall. "Does that happen often? You losing yourself when you shape-shift?"

"Yeah... I haven't mastered shape-shifting yet," Avery says. "I'm actually surprised you managed to make me remember who I am..." there is another snort. "The omega of all pack members helped me..."

I pout even though I'm not facing him. Is he trying to insult me?

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to tell me omegas are so weak and useless that you didn't think they were capable of helping anyone or something?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

I turn around to glare at him. Avery arches an eyebrow. He is towering over me, and I notice he has put on sweatpants. The rest of him is still naked, though, and I lack self-discipline because my eyes immediately land on his chiseled abs.

Oh-my-god.

What was I doing again?

Avery laughs under his breath. "Ah, checking me out again, are we? Well, consider it my treat since you helped me."

Oh right!

He can read minds!

"Sorry! It won't happen again!" I blurt out. "I was just... I was just about to leave! Sorry for coming in here again!"

"Alright," Avery looks at me in a way I don't understand, and before I'm out of the room, he calls my name. "Lydia?"

I spin around. "Yes?"

He hands me something resembling a smile. "Sorry for being rude to you inside the supermarket... I'm... I'm not a friendly person, but... I really appreciate you saving my life today."

"It was nothing."

His lips curl higher up his face. "It was... I had a vision of dying with that plastic lid around my neck, but... You prevented that," those ocean eyes of his are studying my face. "I've never met someone who can change the future before."

I stare at him, unsure what he is talking about. "I don't know what that means... Anyway, I'm... I'm leaving now."

"Right," his teeth show. "Welcome to the alpha mansion. I hope you will enjoy your time here as my little sister."

I don't usually get angry. I'm bubbly and cheerful, but Avery, a younger man, calling me his little sister does make me see red. My eyes narrow into a glare, which seems to awaken his amusement.

"What is the matter?" He asks with faked innocence. "Don't you like being called little sister?"

"No," I clench my fist but manage not to lash out at him. I'm keeping my calm, which is a miracle. "I'm older than you, Avery, and won't let you call me 'little sister.' I don't like that."

"But you are littler than me."

I hiss at him. "Still, don't call me that."

More amusement washes over his features. "Make me."

The nerve of him!

I glare at him but decide he isn't worth it and turn around to leave the i***t alone inside his room.

Such a stupid stepbrother. We have known each other for five minutes, and he is already making fun of my stature—I can't believe I thought we could become friends!

Avery is terrible and disrespectful. He might look like a daydream, but if he keeps calling me his little sister, I will wring his neck!

"EMPTY THREATS, LYDIA!" I hear Avery shout once the door is closed, and I growl in frustration.

"STOP READING MY MIND!"

"I CAN'T—YOU'RE TOO INTERESTING!"

"f**k YOU, AVERY!"

I hear him laugh inside the room, and I blush while hurrying down the corridor. I pick the room the furthest away from his and pray to the moon goddess I won't have to deal with Avery much.

My life as the omega is already hard enough—I don't need an alpha who bullies me on top of that.