My Hockey Alpha Stepbrother

Chapter 3

Ellen

When I come home from school, I’m exhausted. I open the door with a yawn, not expecting to see my parents since I only saw Christian’s car parked in the driveway. But as I walk through the foyer, I hear soft moaning coming from the living room. My heart starts racing as I tiptoe to the doorway. There, on the couch, is Christian with a woman, tangled together in a passionate embrace.

How disgusting.

I roll my eyes before attempting to sneak past them, but I’m not the stealthy type - I accidentally slip on the floor and fall down on my ass. My leg gets bent at an awkward angle when I land, and it hurts like hell to the point I scream at the top of my lungs.

Christian and the woman break apart suddenly at the sound of my scream, both of them turning to look at me with wide eyes. I try to push myself up, but my leg is throbbing in pain.

“What the hell, Ellen?!” Christian snaps, jumping up from the couch faster than lightning. “Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine,” I tell him, but Christian is already picking me up from the floor with his gigantic arms - seriously - when did he get so big and ripped?!

“Your foot is definitely not okay,” Christian says, standing up with me cradling to his chest like a baby. His eyes meet mine, and he actually looks worried. “Do you think you sprained it?”

Now that he mentions it, it does hurt like hell. My bottom lip trembles when I speak, “It really hurts...”

That’s all the confirmation Christian needs to start walking for the hallway. “I’m taking you to the pack doctor. Emma will drive us.”

Emma, which is apparently the name of the woman he is dating today, gets up from the couch. I’ve never seen her before in my entire life, but she must be from the pack. And since the Angello pack is huge, it’s no wonder that I haven’t seen her around.

“Oh...yes...umm...am I driving?” she asks.

Christian narrows his eyes. It’s such a change in his expression that it scares me. A second ago, he was lovey-dovey with this woman, but now he is looking at her as if she is an i***t.

“I’m carrying my injured step-sister in my arms - what the hell do you think?!” Christian roars.

Emma jumps in response. “O-of course! Sorry... I just...” When she realizes Christian isn’t even listening to her anymore but slipping his feet into his shoes while carrying me, she clears her throat. “I will drive you to the pack doctor. No problem at all.”

As we walk down the hallway, I can feel the pain in my foot intensifying. Christian is walking so fast it’s like he is trying to race away from a burning building. I can’t help but wonder why he is suddenly so concerned about me. As step-siblings, we have always been close, but the amount of concern and emotion on his face right now is entirely new.

I had no idea I meant that much to him.

Noticing me looking, Christian glances down at me. I’m sitting in his lap, nervous because I have no idea where to place my head. It would be more comfortable to lean against him, but isn’t that rather intimate?

“You can lean against me, you know,” Christian says, looking almost amused as he says it. “I don’t bite... Well, sometimes, but not today.”

For a moment, I’m too shocked to even breathe. Christian notices it, too, and looks extra playful. His eyes roam over my face, and my heart picks up speed, which is a disaster. I have a boyfriend - I shouldn’t have this kind of reaction to my own stepbrother.

“You know what? Maybe I should sit in the back,” I hand him a big fake smile. “My foot isn’t hurting that badly, and this is just strange.”

Christian doesn’t respond. He tightens his grip around me as Emma drives out of the parking lot, and a bead of sweat rolls down my cheek.

I’m just overthinking things.

Lifting one of my dark curls from my face, Christian brushes it back behind my ear. I tense up at his sudden bold move, but when he speaks, his voice is gentle. “You’re the only sibling that I have, Ellen. We might not always get along, but this time, just this time, can you just let me take care of you?”

He looks at me in that way again, and I know I’ve already lost.

“Fine,” I give in, leaning my head against his shoulder. “But don’t expect me to do that again any time soon.”

“I doubt this will come as a surprise,” Christian says smugly. “But you’re always welcome to lean on me.”

I snort. “You’re too young to tell dad jokes.”

“You’re never too young for that,” he murmurs, tightening his grip on me when the car goes over a bump in the road. I’m jostled around a little, and Christian sighs, “What a shitty road...are you okay?”

I nod, but my heart is racing again. This is wrong, so wrong. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about him. He is my stepbrother, for Flip’s sake. But as much as I try to push the emotion away, I can’t when his simple touch sends shivers down my spine.

The car suddenly comes to a stop, and I’m jolted forward. Christian catches me before I can crash against the dashboard, his arms around me again. I glance out through the window and see that we have reached our destination - a secluded cabin in the woods.

Emma turns around and looks at us. “We are here. Do you want me to wait in the car, or what?”

“You can drive home,” Christian says in his Alpha tone that nobody in the pack can question. “I will carry Ellen inside and drive her home after the pack doctor has taken a look at her foot. Thank you for driving us here, Emma.”

I growl at Christian. “I’m not some invalid that needs to be carried around. I’m perfectly fine walking inside the building on my own.”

“You may be fine, but putting weight on your foot might make the pain worse,” he points out. “I think it’s better if I carry you.”

I roll my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, but just this once,” I say, relenting to his wishes. “And put me down as soon as we get inside.”

Christian just chuckles, and without another word, he scoops me up in his arms and carries me towards the cabin. The feel of his arms around me is both comforting and unsettling at the same time. I try to push away the thoughts that are running through my mind, but I can’t help the way my heart beats faster, and my cheeks flush as I snuggle into his embrace.

He smells really nice...

Damn it.

Stop thinking about your stepbrother, Ellen!

Once inside the cabin, Christian carries me to the couch and gently sets me down. “Stay here,” he commands, his voice soft but firm. “I will go fetch the pack doctor.”

As he walks away, I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes. What is happening to me? Why do I feel these things towards Christian? I know that I should stop these thoughts from consuming me, but something inside me wants to explore it further.

My thoughts are interrupted by the pack doctor’s arrival. He examines my foot, and I wince as he touches the swollen part. “It’s a sprain,” he says finally. “You need to keep it elevated, and I’ll give you a cream to put on it. You should be back on your feet in a few days.”

As he finishes giving me instructions, Christian walks back in, and the doctor excuses himself. Christian picks up where the doctor left off and starts to fuss over me. “I’ll take care of you,” he says softly, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “You clumsy little thing.”

I gasp. “I’m not clumsy!”

He chuckles. “Is that why you sprained your ankle trying to spy on me and Emma?”

“I wasn’t spying!”

Christian just laughs, and I blush, embarrassed, until a new voice joins the conversation.

“Ellen!”

It’s Oscar. He rushes over to my side with huge eyes. “You’re okay!” is the first thing he exclaims before examining my foot and then glaring at Christian. “The doctor called me - how the f**k did she get injured again? She slipped? Be honest: did you f*****g hurt her?!”

Christian’s face darkens, and I stare between the two men when he stands. Oscar is stupid for having uttered those words to his own Alpha. You could almost believe he has a death wish; maybe he does.

A low laugh escapes from Christian’s mouth. He no longer looks friendly but purely dangerous. “Did you just accuse your Alpha of hurting their own family member, Oscar?”

Oscar gulps when Christian stands in front of him. As the Alpha of our pack, Christian is bigger and far more intimidating. He is aware of that too. That’s why he reaches out his hands to fix the lesser man’s tie.

“I really thought you were smarter than that, Oscar,” Christian goes on in an almost amused tone. “But you had to ruin my mood, didn’t you?”

When Oscar doesn’t respond, Christian suddenly grips his shirt and lifts him off the ground. His feet dangle in the air, and I know I need to stop this fight before it has begun, or I’m not going to have a boyfriend.

“Christian, stop!” I stand up and place my hand on Christian’s bicep. He glances down at me, and I wet my lips before speaking in a more respectful tone. “Forgive him, Alpha. He wasn’t thinking when he was speaking. It was foolish of him to question you, but it won’t happen again. I promise you that.”

Christian’s eyes soften when I look up at him and speak. He releases his hold on Oscar so that the smaller man can drop back to the ground. Oscar clears his throat and adjusts his tie again.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” he says shakily. “I would never question your instincts or how you treat your family. I should know better than to doubt you.”

Christian hesitates, and I’m afraid he might retract his offer. Instead, he glares at Oscar. “I’m only letting you off the hook because of Ellen, but if you question me as your Alpha again, then I will murder you with my own two hands. Do you understand?”

Oscar nods, and Christian’s eyes fix on mine. He gives me a faint, dangerous smile. “This time, I will take your wish into consideration, Ellen. This time I won’t hurt your boyfriend even if I want to. But if Oscar here keeps treating me like I’m not his Alpha, it will end badly for him,” he turns around. “Anyway, I hope your foot heals quickly. I will head back home.”

I want to say something, but I can’t find the words. Christian leaves, and Oscar frowns before moving over to me, whispering, “Who does he think he is?” but I’m not listening to him.

I’m listening to my heart that won’t stop pounding - is it because of Christian? He was rather scary in here, but he was also...incredibly hot.