Mated To My Alpha Stepbrother (A Sunwoo ff) ✓

Chapter Twenty-Five

˚₊໒🌙꒱Jihyo₊˚

Jihyo felt like the entire pack was staring when they made it back to the house. Could they smell her on him? Probably. But what did it truly matter?

They were mates and mates kissed.

Mates did more than that, but not until he marked her. Jihyo reached up and touched the spot where Sunwoo's mark would go if that happened. It was a choice. Some alphas forced themselves, their mark, on their mates, but Sunwoo didn't seem the type.

It wasn't as if the pack house cared what went on in their personal lives. Jihyo was the one with baggage back home, not Sunwoo.

Baggage that had texted and called her once over the last few days.

Had he always been so distant, and she was so busy work that she didn't notice?

Sunwoo acknowledged the wolves in the room.

One of the bigger wolves, which looked the size of a Beta to Jihyo, stepped forward. "Hey, Alpha. We're thinking about having a bonfire tonight. Is that okay?"

Sunwoo thought about it. "Yeah, it may scare away any rogues. Sure."

The wolf's eyes shifted toward Jihyo. "Are you bringing out future Luna? You haven't really introduced us yet."

Sunwoo glanced down at Jihyo. "If she's up for a bonfire."

Jihyo smiled. It may be a good idea to see Sunwoo with the other members of the pack. See how he dealt with them and interacted. "Sure," she said with a nod. "That sounds fun."

"Good," Sunwoo said. "Let's go put your things away."

Jihyo felt the pack staring at them on the way up the stairs. She felt the pressure ease once they made it to his room. There was a mini-fridge in the corner of his room, like the ones in a college dorm. "You can put your food in here, and your necessities wherever you need them."

Jihyo started putting her things away slowly, feeling Sunwoo's gaze on the back of her neck. "It's rude to stare."

His chuckle came from closer than she realized. "You're right, but I can't help it."

Jihyo placed the last of her favorite snacks into the small cabinet next to the mini-fridge and looked up at him. "I am pretty good-looking," she teased.

"You have no idea," he said, grabbing a t-shirt from his chest-of-drawers, and ripping the other one off.

Her gaze lowered to the rest of the bag in an attempt not to drool. "Can I ask you a personal question?" he asked.

"I'm sleeping in your bed," she said. "I don't know what's more personal than that."

Sunwoo smirked. "Have you heard from your boyfriend?"

Jihyo grabbed her shampoo and conditioner and got to her feet. For her pride, she wanted to tell him that he'd left her non-stop messages, and checked on her constantly. "I haven't spoken to him," she said instead.

It wasn't as if he couldn't sniff out her lie anyway. Why not tell the truth?

Sunwoo nodded and grabbed the empty snacks from the floor. Jihyo narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "You don't have anything to say about that?"

Sunwoo chuckled. "Oh, little fox, I have plenty to say about that."

She glared at him. "Say it then."

"I think he's an asshole. You've been missing, to his knowledge, and he hasn't even checked on you? What type of relationship is that? He gets back, and the same day, he leaves for a week. Sounds like a cheater to me."

A sharp pain pierced her stomach. It wasn't that it hadn't briefly crossed her mind. Of course, it had, but she'd chalked it up to be about work.

"Well, I'm the one kissing a stranger in the front seat of his Jeep, so the joke's on him," Jihyo said, holding her belongings tighter to her chest.

Sunwoo smiled. "You're right, and if you decide to stay, I plan to give you plenty more than that-if you want it."

We want it! her wolf shouted.

Jihyo pursed her lips. "If you're lucky. Don't let that little kiss go to your head, Sunwoo."

Sunwoo smiled, a slither of his perfect teeth showing from underneath his full lip. "I've always considered myself pretty lucky," he said.

Jihyo walked around him and placed her things beside his in the bathroom. Her heartbeat skipped a beat or two remembering the kiss. If only Iseul hadn't come up and ruined it all.

Sunwoo's breath hit the back of her neck, and she jerked around to face him. WIth the counter behind her, she was wedged between it and Sunwoo's chest. "You deserve better than that, Jihyo. I'd panic if I didn't know where you were for a moment. Not knowing where your significant other is, and not trying to find out, is a red flag."

Jihyo swallowed, watching Sunwoo's light eyes move around her face as if he wanted to memorize it.

"And I'm assuming you don't have any red flags?" she whispered.

Sunwoo smiled. "Stick around and see. I'm looking forward to the bonfire. I hope you like s'mores," he whispered.

Jihyo held her excitement. She hadn't had s'mores since she was a child, when her father would make them.

A brief sense of sadness swarmed her chest. Her father had been taken too soon, and this pack was responsible.

Sunwoo lowered his brow in concentration. "You're sad."

Jihyo looked down to avoid the urge to cry in front of him. Sunwoo laced his fingers on the back of her neck and angled her face to his. "Tell me."

"My dad and I use to eat s'mores together."

Sunwoo traced his thumb gently against her throat. "I'm sorry about your dad. I truly mean it. I never go into a pack war with the intention of taking away someone's father or husband, Jihyo. I have to protect mine though. I wouldn't be alpha if I backed down from a fight."

Jihyo wanted to understand, but it still hurt her chest. "I'm starving," she said, changing the subject, she slid out of his grasp.

She didn't miss the look of pain on his face, but he quickly hid it. "It's getting close to dinner time. Once the sun goes down, we'll start the bonfire. Maybe you can hang out with your mom until-"

"No," Jihyo said. "Can we not invite her to the bonfire?"

Sunwoo's eyes widened. "I can't not invite her, Jihyo. They'll see the smoke anyway."

Jihyo groaned. "I don't want to be pressured tonight. It's been a pretty good day. She'll ruin it."

"I won't say anything, but they'll probably show up. How about I keep you busy tonight?"

Jihyo wasn't sure what that meant, but she'd take it. "Okay. Anything to get away from the wedding talk or the urge to become a mid-wife."

Sunwoo smiled. "I have a few ideas."