Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 213
Anxiety gnawed at me as I waited for Jonah to hop out of the shower. We were staying at the penthouse above the Casino that Jonah used when he stayed in the City.
Hearing the door open, I look toward the bathroom as he steps out. Towel low on his hips. His body was hard, lean, and muscular, not an ounce of fat on him; he was tall too.
He closes the door quickly, turning toward me, his dark blonde tousled hair w*et and droplets spilled onto his hard chest, running down his pecs before trailing down the hard ridges of his abs. He had both his nipples pierced, I noticed, something that I hadn’t noticed before, but then again, this was the first time I had seen him in this state of undress, his sunkissed skin on display so openly.
My eyes follow down to the v-line that escaped below the towel. Jonah and Uncle Andrei, and I know, trained rigorously because Jonah wasn’t Alpha born ; he would have to fight his father for the title, or his father would hand it down to Rose, his sister, when she came of age. Yet knowing that and seeing the hardened muscles of his body, I never truly appreciated how hard he worked to become Alpha.
Uncle Andrei had been training Jonah since he was eight, preparing him for the Alpha title fight. Jonah looking up meets my gaze, his cerulean blue eyes darting away quickly before clearing his throat awkwardly. I dropped my gaze; heat crept up the back of my neck, staining my cheeks in my blush.
“Showers free,” Jonah says just as awkwardly. I made him uncomfortable. That thought makes my mouth dry, and I nod once before standing up.
Grabbing my bag, I was about to open it when Jonah spoke.
“I only packed your Pajamas and a change of clothes for tomorrow. Did you not see the dress in the spare room?” He asks.
My stomach twists in knots at the thought of having to wear a dress. I hadn’t worn one since I was a child. I shake my head, and Jonah wanders off down the hall before returning with a dark blue floor-length dress.
“It’s formal attire? ” I ask, my voice more of a shriek.
” If you don’t like it, I can get Lucas to rush down a pick you one?” He asks, and I shake my head.
“No, I like it. I just thought I could wear my jeans; I didn’t realize it was formal wear, ” I tell him.
“Kyan prefers a certain image, believe me, I am not too happy about wearing a suit, but, ” he shrugs.
“There are heels in the room; I will hang this up for you,” he says. My stomach sinks yet again.
Great, I was going to make a complete @ssof myself. I struggled walking in flats, let alone heels. Why would my mother make him take me to this? She knew I hated having to go to functions, especially formal ones. I didn’t even attend my year ten formal.
Opting out and only attending the ceremony in black slacks and shirt before heading home Instead of going to the formal.
I hadn’t wanted to go ; it would have just been another way for them to torment me. Plus, it was also the day after mum disfigured Jasmine. They were best friends and still are, but mum said Jasmine stepped out of line when a pet*ition went around for me to be pulled from contact sports. Saying I was a risk to other students after I nearly K*lled my teacher.
Eziah, luckily was quick to act, hailed a hero , and I was called a parasite, a bad omen to my pack, not that anyone said anything in front of my family.
Mum found out when the pet*ition was handed to the school board. After some digging, she found out Jasmine had been the one to mention it initially, Marley never forgave me, and neither did Alicia.
Mum slapped Jasmine and humiliated her in front of the school a*s*sembly; her claws slipped from her fingers, raking down her face.
She never healed, and I think my mother used her powers to ensure it, to make it a clear warning to those that spoke out about me. Alicia’s mother , Rebecca, was f0rced to submit in front of everyone and apologize to me ; I was humiliated. I understood why she did it, a show of consequences, but it never helped my situation and only made me isolated.
Alicia was my brother’s girlfriend at the time , and he dumped her in front of everyone present, making her hate for me tenfold, and said he wouldn’t have anyone that would shun his sister.
I shake the memory away; it was never a good thing becoming lost in my thoughts ; my thoughts never had much good to say.
” Marabella, are you ok? ” Jonah asks, walking back
out with black slacks on and a dress shirt. The b*ttons were still undone as he pushed his belt through the loops of his pants.
“Yeah, sorry. I will be quick,” I tell him, escaping into the bathroom and shutting the door. I click the lock in place, not that Jonah would ever come in, but I always did. Shedding my clothes, I turn the shower on. Stepping in quickly and w*et my hair before reaching for the soap. The dark tan of my skin made the scars that laced my thighs stand out more.
Looking back up and away from my mutilated body, I washed quickly before getting out. ‹
I quickly wrapped the thick grey towel around me when I was done before popping my head out the door. Breathing a sigh of relief when I noticed Jonah was nowhere in sight and I made a dash for the room. Locking myself in, I dried myself.
Jonah had hung the dress on the back of the door, and I touched the silky dark sapphire blue fabric. I realized quickly that the dress would be figure- hugging, and that realization made my stomach squeeze uncomfortably.
The heels sat next to the dresser, and I gr0@ned. I was going to break my neck in those. At least I would get out of going, I chuckle. One could wish Jonah would still probably drag me along at my mother’s request.
Slipping the dress on, the back is see -through lace , the front dipped low, showing off cleavage I was not comfortable with, and my bra could not be worn without looking out of place and being noticeable. The fabric was tight against my large bust and h-i-ps before the dress cascaded to the floor.
I felt like an imposter. I looked out of place and felt uncomfortable in my own skin, too much of it on display. I didn’t belong in the world, definitely not in a dress like this. Unhooking my bra, I quickly removed it before putting the top half of the dress back on and awkwardly doing up the zip that held the lace together at my back—towel drying my unruly wavy hair that fell to just below my b*tt. I tried to figure out what to do with it.
I was never good at doing hair and left it in a ponytail or bun for the most part. I couldn’t leave it down; it would drive me insane. Sometimes I regretted never cutting it, but I always loved the feel of the brush when mum would run it through my hair.
Every night she would come in and brush it, even now. I think it was her way of checking on me, her way of getting me completely alone to talk, and after a while, it became routine. I wished mum was here, she would braid it for me, and I doubted very much I could do it myself.
Sighing, I run my brush through it and pull it into a ponytail when I hear a knock on the door.
“Marabella, we need to head down soon, ” “Yep, be out in a sec,” I tell him before looking nervously at the glittery heels black heels.
Grabbing them, I open the door only to bump into Jonah. Smacking into his hard chest, his hands grip my arms to steady me. Not to self, muscle looks nice, but damn, it was not fun to smack into it. Was any part of him soft?
“You ok?” Jonah asks before letting me go and stepping back. His eyes run the length of me, and a growl escapes him making me jump, and my eyes dart to him; his wolf coming forward makes me step back; the movement makes him shake his head, his eyes returning to their blue color.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he mutters.
Jonah looks me over again before he presses his lips together. “I know you don’t want to go, but you could put some effort into doing your hair,” he says disapprovingly. My face heats, my hair is untameable, I s*cked at being a girl, shamefully so.
Jonah grips my arms, spinning me around, and I hear his breath hitch before feeling his fingers trail up my spine. “f*uc*k, you’re beautiful,” he growls. His words startled me. Did he really think that, or was he being polite? Jonah never said things like that usually; he was a lot like his father, a man of few words.
I looked at him over my shoulder, and his eyes were flickering again, his gaze on my neck, and I felt the blood rush to my face.
“Jonah?” I whisper, and his gaze flicks to mine.
“Huh,” he scrubs a hand down his face. “Oh, right, ” he says, reaching his hand toward my hair. I pull away from him, wondering what he is doing.
“Stay still, eyes ahead, ” Turning back; I stare at the wall.
A shiver runs up my spine as his fingers graze the back of my neck, and he clears his throat before
tugging my hair tie from my hair. My hair fell down my back to just below my bottom in long waves.
“Jonah, I can’t leave it down. It will drive me Insane pulling it from my face,” I tell him. He steps around me before moving to the dresser, grabbing my brush, and coming over.
His hand moved to my hip as he led me further into the open plan living room. He sits on the leather couch before tugging me down to sit between his legs.
“I’m braiding it; just keep still for me,”
“You can braid; not even I can braid, ” I tell him before running the brush down my hair before stopping.
Jonah taps my thigh. “Sit up, you sitting on your hair,” I lift my bottom, and he pulls hair out from under me.
“And yes, I used to braid Rose’s hair; she always said mum was too rough with the brush, mum taught me, ” Jonah chuckles.
“Mum blamed Rose, said she squirmed too much and went to hack at it with scissors one day and dad snapped her, it was always a battle for mum to do her hair of a morning, so she taught me and I did her from her first day of school up until she could do it herself, ” Jonah tells me.
“Will Rose be here tonight? Gosh, I miss her,” I ask, hoping she would be.
“No, she has exams next week, and she wants to study, plus she hates being in the spotlight, just like mum and you, ” he murmurs the last word below my ear when leaning forward.
His fingers moved quickly through my hair, and it didn’t take him long before he was nearly finished.
“How is Rose?” I ask him.
“Good, I spoke with her earlier. She had a boyfriend for a bit and dad disapproved; she wants to transfer to your school next year after she and he fought. Dad said maybe she could but only if she behaved,”
“Behaved?” I asked him.
“Yes, Rose and mum got into a fight after she caught Rose skipping school to hang out with Tyran, man. Did dad kick his a*s*s,” Jonah chuckled.
“I’m surprised you didn’ t,”
“I never said I didn’t; why do you think I was back up home? She deserves better.”
“That’s why you came back?”
“Yes, I wasn’t planning on going home until I spoke to Rose this morning, I was only planning on picking you up, but when she rang me and said her boyfriend upset her, I ducked home real quick, ” Jonah tells me.
“Bet Rose wasn’t happy, “
” Not at all, but once I met him, I understood why dad didn’t like him, c*oc*ky sh*t, I wasn’t Impressed, “
“Why weren’t you impressed?”
“Because she can do better than him for one, and secondly he mouthed off at my father when I got there, saying he was going to claim Rose as his chosen, Rose looked like she was about to slap him, but she didn’t get a chance, “
“Yes, she was always daddy’s girl,” I chuckle, and Jonah nods.
“Yes, dad told him he wasn’t to step on pack territory again; he was the beta’s son from White River Pack; now Rose wants to transfer schools, ” I nod. Rose was similar to me, we were both nerdy, and maybe that’s why we got along so well, though she was more sociable than me.
“They’re all done,” Jonah tells me, draping my braid over my shoulder to show me.
I touch it before looking over at him behind me. ” Thank you, ” I tell him, and he pats my side, wanting me to get up. I quickly move to sit beside him.
Grabbing the heels, I slip them on, doing up the buckles. Pushing off the lounge, Jonah grips my arm, pulling me to a standing position. I was now the same height as him and felt so unsteady on my feet. I gulp down at the high heels.
“Jonah, these are way too high,” shriek clutching his forearm.
“You will be fine; I won’t let you fall, your mother warned me and said you hated heels when I rang to ask if I could kidnap you, but you can’t wear sneakers with your dress.”
“What? So mum didn’t f0rce you to bring me along? It’s alright, Jonah, I know mum asked you to take me; she thinks I spend too much time alone, ” I tell him, shaking my head at his lie.
“Ah, no, Mara. I rang her last week to see if I could bring you,” Jonah says. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he shrugs before watching me.
“So you asked, she didn’t f0rce you to take me, this isn’t a pity thing?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes, I asked. Is that so hard to believe? I like hanging out with you,” I roll my eyes, and he growls, gripping my chin.
“Just so you know, Mara, I see you. I always have. You can hide sh*t from everyone else but not me; I see through it. Just like you lying about that girl calling you a skank, ” my cheeks flush with embarra*s*sment.
“I know you’re not,” Jonah says, letting my chin go. “How I could be, and you would have no way to tell?”
” Because I can smell your innocence. If you were a skank, you wouldn’t be a virgin, ” Jonah chuckles. My face heats even more at his words.
“Hey, nothing to be ashamed about; it’s a good thing; you should save yourself for your mate.”
“Are you going to tell mum and dad?”
“About the girl? No, why does she always b*ull*y you? Do I need to tell them?”
“No, It was a once-off; I ran into her by accident” he didn’t look like he believed me, but before he could say anything else, someone knocked on the door.
“That would be Kyan,” he says, gripping my hand and tugging me along. I hear keys in the door before i t suddenly pushes open, and Kyan steps in, closing the door; his back was to us as we walked toward him.