My Hockey Alpha Stepbrother

Chapter 2

Ellen

Christian gets under my skin way too easily. I hate how flustered I got when he was teasing me earlier. The bastard was smirking like he knew he was the reason I was blushing. I’ve lost my freaking patience with him. Maybe I should find another place to live? He wouldn’t be able to read my diary if I lived in an apartment…

“Ellen?”

I blink back to reality and glance at Oscar, my boyfriend, who is driving the car. “Sorry, did you say something?” I ask.

He smiles. “I was just saying that I think I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level,” a nervous look crosses his face. “I know you aren’t my fated mate and that I’m not yours, but maybe my mom is right; maybe I won’t ever find my fated mate. Which is why I’ve decided you and I can…you know…do it.”

I stare at him, unsure what he means. Is he talking about s*x? Oscar is a really sweet guy, but sometimes I swear I need Google to understand him.

“Are you saying that you wish to f**k me?” I blurt out, and I’m not sorry either - I’ve always been foul-mouthed and blunt. I actually suspect Oscar doesn’t like that thing about me, and I’m proven right when he gasps.

“Ellen!” he exclaims. “O-of course not! I was… I was talking about kissing!”

Oh, that’s right - we haven’t even kissed each other yet, and even though I don’t easily grow flustered, my face heats up to a billion degrees. It’s a ridiculous response. I’m almost twenty, and the mere thought of kissing a guy makes me blush. It’s embarrassing that I haven’t kissed anyone yet, but can anyone blame me? I wanted to save every first for my mate, but that magical moment of finding my mate at the age of eighteen never happened, so I sort of gave up and agreed to date Oscar.

He is sweet, but his lips aren’t as nice as the ones belonging to—

No!

I won’t go there.

I give Oscar a big smile. “Sure. Taking the next step sounds like a brilliant idea.” Maybe then I can get Christian out of my head…

We soon park the car, and I step outside to look up at my new college. It’s a large building with a beautiful garden in front of it. I can’t believe that I’m here. I’ve worked so hard to get into this college, and finally, my dream is coming true.

My first day goes surprisingly well. Every professor and student I meet is friendly and welcoming, the classes are fun and challenging, and most importantly, there are no signs of Christian anywhere. It makes me wonder if he really even goes here, but then I see a stupid hockey poster with his face on it, and I grow irritated again.

It should be illegal for stepbrothers to be good-looking...

By lunchtime, my stomach begins to growl, so I make my way over to the cafeteria. Oscar is in class, and I don’t really have any friends and haven’t made any new ones either, so I’m sitting alone by a window. That is, until two girls from my pack, whom I’ve never spoken to in my entire life, sit down across from me.

While they don’t exactly look like twins, they both have bright blonde hair and bright pink shirts that give off a Barbie vibe. One of them has her hair in a high ponytail while the other one’s hair is flowing down her shoulders.

“Ellen Curtis? The orphan who was taken in by the Angello family - that’s you, right?” The girl with the high ponytail asks between chewing her food.

“Uhh...yes?”

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Lina Clemont. We are in the same pack, as I’m sure you know.”

“And I’m Sarah Jenkins,” the blonde girl without a ponytail introduces herself.

“Hi. Um, nice to meet you two,” I say in a tone that sounds way too friendly to be mine. I hope this will make them leave. I’m too introverted to interact with new people. It drains my inner batteries, even if they aren’t unfriendly.

“Okay, girl, so we are just going to get straight to the point. We want to know if your stepbrother is dating anyone right now since he isn’t seeing Malin Deluca anymore.”

“And we thought hearing it directly from the source would be the wisest thing ever,” the other girl says.

I stare at them. “I...I didn’t even know he was dating a girl named Malin Deluca.” It’s true. Christian has never even mentioned any girl. He never brings them home, either.

“Really?!” Lina sounds shocked.

“That might make sense, actually,” Sarah says. “There are stories going around that you might be Christian’s mate but that your family isn’t allowing you two to date.”

“What?!” I practically yell, completely red in the face. “T-that’s not true! He isn’t my mate - I have a boyfriend!”

“Oh yes, we know,” Sarah grins. “But wouldn’t you rather have Christian Angello underneath you in bed? Every werewolf on campus wants to call him their boyfriend, but that guy sadly doesn’t have a heart. Some people say he doesn’t even remember a girl’s face the day after he has slept with them.”

“But he remembers yours,” Lina gives me an almost jealous look, which confuses me.

“Of course he does! He is my stepbrother - it would be weird if he didn’t know my name or if he would not remember it!”

Lina sighs. “I still think he likes you, and every girl on campus is jealous of you, Curtis.”

“Why?”

They both roll their eyes as if the answer is obvious and I’m just a dumb i***t, but Sarah eventually answers the question when she realizes I really don’t have a clue. “Because he is Christian Angello. The center of the hockey team. He is the brightest star the Devilwolves have seen and has had the offer to join NHL already, but he turned it down because he is the future Alpha of the pack - a freaking billionaire. He is also the hottest guy in school, and everyone has been praying he will stop sleeping around and give a girl a chance.”

“That someone might be you,” Lina finishes.

I snort. “Oh, trust me. It’s definitely not me.”

Sarah narrows her eyes. “How do you know that?”

“I just do—”

“Does Christian have a six-pack?” Lina interrupts. “He always shape-shifts into a wolf behind the bushes.”

I blush. “He does—”

“Oh my god, so you’ve seen him naked?!” Sarah asks.

Lina gasps. “Did you sleep with him?!”

“No!” I exclaim, shocked to hear such an acquisition. I’m not sure why they would draw that conclusion, and I’m honestly weirded out that they think I’ve slept with my own stepbrother!

“But you are confirming that you asked your stepbrother to take off his clothes in front of you?”

“What? No!” Are these girls crazy, or what?! “I have never done that, and I’m just... I’m just trying to finish my lunch!”

“I like you,” Lina says in a cool tone. “And the messy wolf girl thing you’ve got going on? It’s totally in right now. I will be taking notes for the future.”

“I know, right? I might stop washing my clothes just like Ellen here and accidentally spill toothpaste on my t-shirt too, just to add to my I-don’t-give-a-f**k image,” Sarah shoots me a smile. “Maybe Christian will see me then.”

I stare down at my blue t-shirt, and indeed, there is a toothpaste stain on the fabric. How didn’t I notice that before now?!

Lina and Sarah finish eating their food, and then they make a swift exit, leaving me alone, more confused than ever. I had no idea Christian was so popular.

Well...I did, but seriously? Those girls were starry-eyed when they were talking about Christian. They made it sound as if he was some sort of celebrity. And where did they get the idea I had slept with him?! Girls are freaking insane. I would never even touch my stepbrother. I want to find my mate one day but trust me, it’s not Christian!