Nerd's Badboy Alpha novel Chapter 5

Uncle Alfred is a giant of a male. At six-five, he's slightly taller than Alex and a little wider than him in frame. He shoots up to his feet at the sight of Alex and I feel his power surge through the room, making every hair on my body stand on end and compelling me to kneel before him and kiss his feet.

My aunt, three cousins-especially the two females-stare at us in shock. Bethany and Stephanie are two of the most popular girls in school and they're basically the accessories of the jocks like Alex Royce.

I kneel before my uncle, who puts his hand on my head. "I apologize for coming home so late, Uncle. I had a couple of things to take care of at school-"

Uncle Alfred pats me and tells me to rise, his eyes still locked onto Alex. "Why are you here, Alexander Royce of the Silverback Pack?"

"I honor you, sir, and bring only peace." Alex puts his hand over his heart and bows briefly before my uncle. "And Melody. She ran into some trouble at school, sir, and I helped her out."

My uncle's grip tightens on my shoulder. "What kind of trouble?"

"Some hyenas chased her to the Target parking lot, sir, and I witnessed the incident, so I followed them there... and took care of the business, sir."

Uncle Alfred's black bushy eyebrows meet in the middle. "Took care of business?"

"They were hassling Melody, sir, so I jumped into the melee and told them never to bother her again, sir."

He didn't actually say that, but I'm pretty sure those hyenas won't dare get near me again. I just have that feeling.

"Is that true, Melody?"

I look at my female cousins who are watching this whole scene unfold with their mouths open. Usually, when there's an eligible male around, these two become flirtatious little honeypots who do everything to make themselves look sexy and adorable, but not this time. They just look shocked. "Uncle Alfred, it's not a big deal. I'm a runt, okay? Of course, I get picked on at school. It's practically a sport."

My uncle glowers down at me. "No, it is not all right. You are a representative of my pack, niece, and you cannot allow yourself to be pushed around by a couple of hyenas. This will not stand. Because you didn't fight, we now owe a favor to the Silverback pack. Do you understand that?" He gives me a shake.

My Uncle's fury is a living thing on its own. It's scalding hot, wrapping itself around my neck like a tentacle, threatening to choke me. "Yes, Uncle."

"Sir, if I may interject." Alex steps forward. "You have no obligations to pay me back. I would have done it for anyone. She was in trouble and I helped her."

"Well, she wouldn't have been in trouble if-"

"Alfred," my aunt's voice says from the couch. She rises to stand next to him. "If Mr. Royce says we owe him nothing, then we owe him nothing." She looks at Alex. "You speak for your pack on this, Mr. Royce?"

Alex does not hesitate to answer. "Yes, Mrs. Ramsey."

My uncle is glaring at Alex again. "What does she mean to you, boy? Do you care for her?"

He winks at me before turning to leave with my gorgeous cousin Bethany, who snaps back to her old self and clings his arm like a vine.

Once Alex is out of earshot, my uncle crosses his arms over his wide chest and bears down on me. "I had no idea you were such close friends with the son of the Alpha of the Silverback pack."

I scratch the back of my neck. Sometimes when my uncle flexes his power, it feels like I've got ants crawling all over me. The more powerful the shifter, the itchier I get, and I get the itchiest with my uncle. "Ah... it's not like he'd be proud for anyone to know that I'm his sidekick, sir."

Stephanie pops up next to my aunt, glaring at me with blue eyes similar to my uncle's. "I have never seen the two of you talk ever. We've all been going to the same school since we were kids and I've never seen him talk to you."

"Never?" I scoff. "Are you sure about that? In all the years I've known him, he and I have never shared a class? He's never borrowed a pencil from me? He's never bumped into me in the hallway to say sorry."

Stephanie advances with her arm raised like she's going to hit me, but my aunt yanks her by the back of her shirt. "Mom, careful, this shirt is expensive." She goes back to baring her teeth at me. "Don't be a smartass. When did you get mouthy, huh? You've never talked back to me before, runt. What, just because you're Alex Royce's pet, you think you can step up to me? I will squish you like a flea."

I've surprised even myself. I never talk back, it's true. Stephanie pushes me around all the time, and I have never once pushed back. Because if she hits me, there's no guarantee I'd be getting up again.

"Look, man, I had a weird day, all right? I'm just going to eat my dinner in peace, then I'm gonna lock myself in my room like usual. You guys go on about your business."

I walk out of the family room and down to the kitchen, fully aware that I've made even my uncle speechless.