Page 47 of Step Alpha

But something about sleeping in close proximity to a female has me all riled up. A little out of control. So, yeah, the bathroom jack offs have been extremely necessary.

I’ve also had to get out and run every morning. In human form because I’m trying to show my dad I’m still training. I have to get up early, anyway, so the parents don’t figure out I’m not sleeping on the couch.

I get to Tempe in about forty-five minutes, and go to the apartment Bailey, Cole, Sloane, Bo and Austin share to pick up my ticket to the game.

Cole and Bo’s girlfriends–both human–got into Barrett, the honors college, so last year they were in a special dorm with Austin–also a brainiac, which was apart from where Bo and Cole lived. I think that was mostly to satisfy the human parents. This year, they worked it out to live together.

The guys texted earlier that they are already in the stadium, but Bailey and Sloane would wait around to give me a ticket. Bailey comes down to the street when I text. Her dark hair is back in a high ponytail, the pink swath in the front left hanging in a frame around her face. She’s not smiling.

She hands me the ticket through the window but leans her forearms on the doorframe, so I can’t drive off. There’s someone behind me, not that I give two shits about making them go around.

“I hear you’re being a dick to Rayne.”

For some reason, that bothers me. If anyone else said it, I’d buff my nails with pride. Of course, I’m giving the runt a hard time. It’s my job as her stepbrother. But Bailey is Rayne’s best friend.

Onlyfriend, really, unless you count the douche-human who’s tutoring her now, which I don’t.

So whatever Bailey heard came from Rayne, herself. Which means I’ve genuinely hurt the runt. I don’t like the uncomfortable twist that moves in my gut at that thought.

“What did you hear?” Not much of a comeback, but I genuinely want to know. Did she tell her I’m making her sleep on the floor? That I spanked her? That I made her get off on my fingertips?

But Bailey shakes her head, which I suspect means she hasn’t heard any details at all.

It’s a mixture of relief and triumph that courses through me at that deduction. Relief that Bailey doesn’t know how dastardly I truly am. And triumph that what’s between me and Rayne has stayed between the two of us.

I–obviously–haven’t shared any of our interactions, either. Nor do I plan to. They feel private. Just between the two of us. Like there’s a secret we’re holding. Not keeping. Keeping would imply we both knew the secret.

We don’t.

It’s still developing. Uncracking and unfurling. A twisting and pulling, a knotting of threads between us. And that’s when I realize exactly how proprietary I feel over Rayne.

Like she belongs to me, and no one else gets to see into what’s between us.

I mean, I guess that’s true.

She’s my stepsister. My family, now. She does belong to me. It’s what I’ve asserted from the beginning. But there’s a ferocity behind my mental claim on her. Like I’d tear anyone apart who tried to keep me from her.

Hmm. Strange.

“Rayne’s safe with me,” I find myself saying to Bailey.

I don’t even know if it’s true. She’s hardly physically safe. I’ve helped myself to manhandle her whenever I see fit. I don’t even think she’s emotionally safe, except that those tears of hers will make me move mountains.

But I believe what I’m saying, nonetheless.

I’m not going to let anyone harm Rayne on my watch, including our parents. And I may want her to think I’m dangerous to her, but I wouldn’t actually hurt her.

Bailey doesn’t buy it though. She snorts. “You’re a God in that town. You could change how people treat Rayne. But you wouldn’t want your own precious reputation to take a hit by a genetic misfit, right?”

“‘Bye, Bailey.” I take my foot off the brake and let the Jeep roll forward gently. She steps back and flips me the bird as I drive off.

As I drive to the stadium, I try to keep her words from piercing my mind.

You could change how people treat Rayne.

But do I want to?

Or do I want to keep her weakened, defenseless andall to myself?

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