My Alpha Stepbrother is My Bully (Nevaeh) novel Chapter 5

5. Pushing her luck

NEVAEH

For the first time in my life, I was excited to see Kael Drakenwood. He stood in front of me protectively, daring the rogues to take another step. His claws were set in place, muscles flexed, and I could tell he was ready to pounce on them.

“Let’s get out of here,” one of the rogues whispered, dragging back the other two who seemed equally ready to fight.

“That is what I thought,” he snarled. His teeth clenched in annoyance and a wave of relief washed over me.

“This is all a misunderstanding,” another one said with a forced smile. “We were only trying to help her. No need to get all worked up.” He raised his hands in surrender.

Kael didn’t lower his guard until they backed off and went back to wherever they came from.

I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I was holding when Kael turned to face me. “Are you hurt?”

He scanned my body for any visible injury and he let out a low growl when he saw the dried blood on my knee.

“I shouldn’t have allowed them to get away so easily,” he muttered under his breath. I flinched the moment his hands made contact with the spot and he pulled away angrily.

Sabrina had done worse right under his nose. Why was he suddenly mad?

His muscles clenched, or maybe I was overthinking it again.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled under my breath. I tried to stand on my own but winced from the pain that shot through my veins.

He lunged forward to hold me steady in an instant, his eyes softened for a split second before he withdrew his hands and his frown grew bigger.

“Are you that desperate for attention, Nevaeh?” The words sliced through me before I could even blink.

I blinked once. Twice, I tried to understand the sudden change of mood when I noticed the closeness between us.

His head hung low, just a few inches away from mine, eyes pierced into mine, hard and unreadable. I wanted to look away but something in his gaze held me still.

“W-what are you talking about?” I stuttered.

A flash of hurt flickered in his eyes before he took a step back. I missed the warmth from his body even though he wasn’t exactly touching me and I didn’t know where the thought was even coming from.

“Do you enjoy male attention so much that you’d go after rogues now that no one would pay attention to you in school?” he shot me a disgusting look and I scoffed in disbelief.

I shook my head, trying to put the pieces together and all I could do was scoff.

“You think I wanted this?” I spat. Bile rose to my throat as I continued. “You actually think I’d lure rogues out just to… get your attention?”

My goodness! Who does he think he is?

“Keal Drakenwood, duh!” The sarcastic voice in my head tutted.

Did he even realize how scared I was? How happy I was to see my biggest bully come to my saving? As much as I hated to admit it, I got away tonight because of him.

My stomach churned at the thought of them laying their filthy hands on me and I let out a laugh that barely reached my face, but he didn’t even blink.

“So what then?” His lips curled. “Am I your next target? Did you plan this, hoping I’d swoon on again?”

Again?

What the hell does that even mean? Like I’d take his help if I had a choice.

He took a step closer, his hard gaze burning into mine, and for the first time, I didn’t back away.

“How the hell was I supposed to know you’d show up?” I shot back. “You didn’t care when you threw me out of your car this morning. Or when I had to run just to avoid punishment. Or when I got detention because of you… You… pulled my fucking hair!”

My blood boiled with each word I spoke and I caught a glimpse of amusement in his eyes before it was replaced with a look I couldn’t quite decipher.

“So, are you saying it was my fault?” His brows drew together as he took a step closer.

I wondered if it’d kill him to admit he was wrong.

A part of me wanted to turn down his offer, but I had pushed my luck enough for one day. Kael wouldn’t let me off the hook so easily and I can’t afford anymore of his wrath, moreover my leg was an aching mess.

I hopped in hesitantly, pulling down my skirt to cover my legs, when he scoffed beside me.

“As if…”

He drove into the mansion and I couldn’t wait to hide inside my room. Mom and Alpha Zane were at the lunge, laughing at a joke one of them made when they noticed how present.

“You’re back,” Alpha Kael said with a smile. I nodded politely, avoiding my mother’s gaze when I noticed the boxes in the room.

“Are you heading somewhere?” Kael asked, voicing my thoughts.

Alpha Zane looked at my mother lovingly and I tapped on my feet impatiently, waiting for them to release me.

He held her hands before turning to face Kael and I. “The love of my life,” he said, kissing my mother’s hands and she smiled creepily at him.

Not once did she look at my father like that. They whispered into each other’s ear and my mother blushed at his words.

“Okay…”

Kael seemed just as impatient as I was and mother gave him an apologetic smile. “Your dad and I have decided to go away for our honeymoon. Having fun, spending quality time together, you know? Just the two of us. And it’d help you two get even closer within that period,” she said with a smile.

“Okay,” Kael said in a bored tone. “How long will you be gone?”

The two looked at each other for a split second and Alpha Zane was the one that spoke this time.

“Three months.”