Mated To My Alpha Stepbrother (A Sunwoo ff) ✓

Chapter Thirty-One

˚₊໒🌙꒱Jihyo₊˚

Jihyo hadn't thought about being marked since she was a little girl. It'd been every shewolf's fantasy to be marked by their mate, preferably an alpha, but when the witch doctor said she didn't have one, she gave up the dream.

She remembered vividly crying her eyes out in her room, knowing she'd never have that special bond, or be cared for like the other shewolves.

Jihyo spent her life preparing to be strong, and take care of herself. To move outside of the pack life and find her reason for living within herself.

Now everything had been tossed on its head.

She had this alpha wanting to mark her, and she wanted it so bad she could taste it

There was nothing wrong with him. It was all her. What was that song? I'm the problem, it's me? Yup, Jihyo was the problem because she'd spent so many years dreaming up a life that she thought she wanted, and now it'd changed.

She wanted Sunwoo to mark her. She would wear his mark proudly, and become something she never thought she wanted.

Sunwoo opened the door to the dining hall where several wolves greeted them. One shouted, "Ready for training!"

Sunwoo nodded his head, and handed Jihyo a plate. "They're excited. They've been talking about it through mind link all morning, I actually had to turn it off, because it was becoming exhausting."

Jihyo began to fill her plate. "That's one thing that I don't miss about pack life. It's like being included in a group text that never ends inside your head."

He chuckled and shoved his shoulder into hers. "At least we can turn it off."

"True," she said, snagging a piece of bacon from the buffet bar. "Do the shewolves cook these meals?"

"There are some wolves and shewolves that do it. If a wolf likes to cook then I let 'em do it. I want our pack members to be happy. The only people I pick are warriors and guards, because I need the strongest wolves to fight for us."

Jihyo looked over her shoulder at the table of shewolves staring her way. She'd felt their stares from across the room. Soojin was in the mix of them, and began to laugh when Jihyo made eye contact with her.

Her wolf growled lowly, edging her towards the table, but Jihyo knew better than to fall into that trap. She was with the alpha and they were just jealous.

Nayeon popped up beside her. "Don't mind them, they're just jealous!" she said loud enough they all could hear.

Most of them lost eye contact.

"Nayeon," Sunwoo hissed. "Don't start drama this early in the morning. We have to go train with them soon."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'm just having Jihyo's back, Sunwoo. Calm your tits."

Sunwoo reached for her, but she jumped out of his way and ran away with a piece of toast in her hand.

Jihyo chuckled.

Sunwoo lifted her chin with his finger. "She's right. Don't worry about them. They'll eventually get over having a Luna. It's just an adjustment period."

Jihyo smiled. "It's fine. I don't mind a few challenges."

"Jihyo!"

"Oh no," she whispered, closing her eyes at her mother's voice. She turned to see her walking over with a huge grin on her face. "Hey Mom."

Her mother scooted in beside her and grabbed a plate. "I decided to come grab breakfast this morning because I wasn't in the cooking mood. how are things going?" she asked, her gaze dropping to Jihyo's neck.

She narrowed her eyes at her mother. "Fine. We were just about to eat."

"Well, I won't keep you. But I wanted to ask if you'd help me with some wedding planning stuff this afternoon? I know it isn't your cup of tea, but it'd mean the world to me. Also I want you to be my maid-of-honor. I don't feel close enough to anyone else at the moment."

Jihyo cringed at the thought of wedding planning. "Sure, Mom."

Her mother's gaze moved towards Sunwoo standing behind her. "Good morning. I didn't mean to interrupt. Shoo. SHoo. You two go enjoy your meal before training starts."

Jihyo her fingers against her temple. "I hate wedding planning."

Sunwoo snaked an arm around her waist and dragged her towards their table. "I'll save you. Go for an hour or so, and I'll come to your rescue. That's another good thing about being a mate. Automatic saving."

"What's the other good thing?" Jihyo asked, while taking a bite of her bacon.

"What?"

"You said another good thing. What's the first good thing?"

He chuckled. "What happened in our-my-bedroom earlier, plus much more to come... if you decide to stay?"

Jihyo grinned. "Right. If I decide to stay."

Sunwoo cleared his throat after several seconds. "Seojun called you earlier."

Jihyo lifted a brow. "Spying on my phone already? I would have thought you'd wait until you marked me to bring out the spying."

"It was vibrating while you were in the shower."

"Yeah, I saw it," she said. "It doesn't matter. He dug his own grave."

"You think he'll come looking for you?"

She shrugged. "He doesn't know anything about the pack or where my mother lived. He can't find us here, and even if he did somehow find us, it wouldn't matter. I've made my decision."

Jihyo liked the way Sunwoo smiled, and the proud look on his face.

"Did you break it off because he ignored you? Is that the only reason?"

Jihyo took a bite of her food and watched the insecurities splay across the alpha's face. "You look so cute when you're blushing."

Sunwoo narrowed his gaze. "That's not an answer to my question."

Twirling her fork around her plate, she grinned. "What other reason would I have to break it off with him, Sunwoo?"

Sunwoo slid his tongue across his teeth and attempted not to smile. "No reason, I guess."

Jihyo, feeling sheepish, got up and sat on his lap, raking her fingers through his hair. "I broke up with Seojun because he didn't care about me and someone else caught my attention."

Sunwoo tangled his fingers into her hair and brought her mouth down to his. She felt helpless when he kissed her. Like a young girl getting her first kiss. Like a princess being plucked from despair and tossed into royalty. Like a modern day Cinderella.

A loud whistle came from behind them and Jihyo broke the kiss to see a group of wolves howling at the two of them.

Jihyo's face turned red and Sunwoo tossed them a finger. "Barbarians," he hissed. "Let's finish. We don't have long before training and I'm itching to make those shewolves run a few extra laps."