Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 166: Sage POV
Everyone was excited to have a few new faces around the pack, everyone was buzzing as they finished roasting marshmallows and were cleaning up. Yet looking around I couldn’t see Andrei anywhere and he had been missing for about 20 minutes. I knew he was struggling with bringing them here. I could feel his guilt but also hatred but then the guilt would return a never ending tug of war within him.
Feeling someone tugging on my shirt I look down to find Jonah. He had sticky marshmallows all over his face. “Have you seen Mr Andrei?” he asks looking around and I was quite surprised by how taken with Andrei he was, up until Andrei snuck off Jonah had been attached to his h!p.
Zane tried to explain that it was normal for children that have lost their parents to seek higher power, higher ranking wolves for safety, that it is inbuilt in children’s DNA.
“No, I am looking for him, you can help me find him if you want?” I told him. He holds out his hand and I look at the sticky mess of melted marshmallow attached to it before taking his hand.
His hand sticking to mine with its gooey goodness and I smile at his hand sticking to mine.
Walking over to Casen and Malik who were sitting on fold out chairs by the fire I stopped. Malik smirks at Jonah when he sees his face covered in chocolate and marshmallow.
“Have either of you seen Andrei?” I ask and Malik nods toward the packhouse. I look over my shoulder, the door is wide open still and my brows furrow wondering if he is alright.
“Come on Jonah” I tell him when Malik clears his throat making me turn to him. He stands up, holding his hand out to Jonah. “Come on little man” He says.
“He was looking for Andrei, I was-”
“Not tonight Luna, he didn’t look like he was in a good mood. Probably best Jonah stays with me and the boys tonight” Malik says.
“Come on buddy, let’s draw you a bath” Malik says, swooping down to pick him up and tossing him over his shoulder. Jonah squeals loudly laughing. Well at least I know he will be safe tonight. I wasn’t really sure where we were going to put everyone because Andrei walked off but Zane I knew would look after his mate and her siblings.
I walk around picking up rubbish when Clay comes over to me taking the rubbish bag from my hands.“ Go on Luna, we got this. Get to bed” He says and I go to object and help but he shakes his head.
“Go check on the Alpha” He says walking off with my rubbish bag. I sigh before going back to the packhouse.
I needed to wash my hands, my fingers were sticking together from Jonah and I had a big hunk of marshmallow stuck to my pants that looked like snot, maybe it was but I wasn’t taste testing it to find out.
I shut the front door and listen as the locks click into place before trudging up the stairs when I see the surveillance room door open and the light on. Walking over, I push the door open. “What are you doing?” I ask Andrei who was sitting at the desk there.
“Nothing, just checking the cameras, where is Jonah?” He asks.
“Malik took him back with him and Casen” I tell him.
“Probably best” Andrei says, running a hand through his hair. I lean over the back of his chair and wrap my arms around his bare ch3st hugging him.
“Everything ok? ” I ask him, feeling his emotions are everywhere.
“Jonah’s parents worked for Jackson, the man whose pack was responsible for K*lling mine”
Andrei says. My stomach sinks wondering what that meant for Jonah because mate or not he won’t be hurting that bubbly little boy.
“That’s not all, though”
“What more is there?” I ask him, praying for some good news.
“That rogue I K*lled, Lior. That was the man who was entrusted to look after Jonah. I K*lled his guardian and Jonah lived in a cave for months by himself until they found him” My stomach sinks at his words. Jonah had no one left?
“I’m sorry I am having trouble reading you, you feel angry but sound sad” I tell him.
“I am both, I K*lled his only family member that we know of, but I am also angry because I have a murderer’s son in my pack territory” he says with a sigh.
“So what’s that mean for Jonah?” I ask him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean are you going to let him join the pack?” I ask him and he grabs my arm pulling me to sit in his lap.
“I can’t let him join my pack-”
I go to tell him no, that he couldn’t abandon him to be rogue but he waves me off.
“Let me finish, I am not a monster Sage, he is a child. But he is too young to join a pack without parental or guardian permission.
We have laws to prevent underage people from joining packs, could you imagine how many runaways packs would have if it was allowed. He can’t join and I will have to see Kat to get her to override pack laws to allow it”
“But she will, Kat wouldn’t abandon a child, she has kids herself” I tell him.
“Yes but before she can override it, there will be a call sent out looking for any relatives alive
through all the packs in the country so, it may take a while, then we just have to find him a home, there are plenty people that would take him if we can’t find a relative” Andrei explains and I sigh.
“So he can stay, until Kat overrules the law?” I ask him.
“Of course he has no where else to go”
When will we see Kat?” I ask him, running my hands up his ch3st to his shoulders. His skin is warm but sticky under my palms when Andrei clears his throat.
“Ah what the heck is on your hands, that you rubbed all over me” He says, grabbing one and looking at his ch3st. I snort a laugh, forgetting the marshmallow stuck on my hand and now it was stuck in his ch3st hair.
“ Sorry Jonah was holding my hand, it’s just marshmallow” I tell him trying to pull it out when he jumps.
“Just leave it before you rip out more of my hair” He says, rubbing his ch3st.
“We can see Kat after the Alpha meeting” He says before standing up and I quickly jump off his lap.
He starts flicking the monitors off and I walk out toward the bedroom before walking into the bathroom. Grabbing a face washer and we*tting it then scrubbing my hands. I turn around just as Andrei walks in. He str!ps his shorts off before turning the shower on.
“Remind me to never give him marshmallows again, bloody sticky sh*t” He grumbles as he steps into the shower.
“I should make you lick it off,” Andrei taunts.
“God knows where you have been” I tell him before his arm slips out of the shower and hooks around my waist. He drags me into the shower with him.
“I still have clothes on” I shrieked when he shoved me under the water, making me sputter and ch*oke. He laughs and I shove his ch3st.
I start peeling my clothes off, dumping them out the door and they make a slapping noise as they hit the tiles.
“It’s good that Zane found his mate” I tell him reaching for the soap. I start washing his ch3st. “ Hmm, it is” is all he says.
“You don’t sound too happy about it” I comment.
“No, I am but it bothered me when they were talking about marking each other and I have had you here for months and you still haven’t allowed me to mark you, that’s why I came inside. All their lovey dovey sh*t was driving me nuts when they only just met, but I am happy for him, just a little jealous” He says and I chew my l!p nervously, concentrating on washing myself.
I go to say something but close my mouth. Sierra pushed forward, her voice sad as she spoke to me. “ Hasn’t he waited long enough, Sage? I know you are worried about going into heat but most mates mark each other as soon as they find each other, he let them come back and he hasn’t hurt anyone.
What are you scared of? Is it really him or more to do with us?” Sierra asks me.
“He will expect me to have s*e*x with him” I tell her when I feel fingers grip my chin. Andrei’s face comes into view as my vision refocuses as he tilts my head up.
“Talking to your wolf? I was wondering why you were so quiet, did I upset you?” He asks.
“No, it’s not what you said. Well it is but also not” I tell him.
“You still don’t want me to mark you, do you?”
“I do.. I just- ” I don’t finish not knowing what to say and suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
“He won’t hurt us Sage, hasn’t he proven that? Please you’re not only denying him but you are denying me by not letting me be with Donnie” Sierra says and her sadness bleeds into me.
She had grown rather attached to Donnie over the last couple of months and she adored Andrei but the thought scared me, she may have been present for what the rogues did to me but it wasn’t her body they did it too, she doesn’t fully understand the fear I have when it comes to s*e*x. Just his touch sometimes is enough to plunge me back there and we barely do anything and definitely don’t do anything below the waist. If just touching me brings back horrid things, what would the act itself do?
“Sage, talk to me please. You can’t keep me guessing on what you want or how you are feeling” Andrei says. I rinse myself off before stepping out and grabbing a towel. Andrei turns the water off also hopping out and I could feel his eyes boring into me, feel his questions writhing within him.
“ Sage, you never answered me and what was your wolf talking to you about?” Andrei says.
“ She was talking about letting you mark me” I tell him, drying myself. I walk into the bedroom before rummaging through the closet for one of his shirts.
“She wants me to mark you or she doesn’t?” He asks.
“No, she wants you to”
“But you don’t want me to?” He asks and I could feel his hurt through the bond, like I just stuck a knife in his ch3st making mine hurt in return.
“No, it’s not that.. But if you mark me ” my words dying out in a rushed squeak. My cheeks flaming, it was horrifying to me yet also embarra*s*sing I wasn’t one of those people that was comfortable talking about s*e*x, or anything intimate for that matter. Then there was the fear of it too, so it was just a jumble of all kinds of f*uc*ked up in my head.
Arms wrap around my waist before I am pulled back against Andrei, sparks rushing over my skin aat his touch. “You think that if I mark you, that means I will have s*e*x with you” Andrei says and I nod turning in his arms.
“I may be part animal Sage, but I am capable of controlling myself, I wouldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to do, especially that. I don’t expect that of you just because I can mark you”
‘See, please Sage’ Sierra begs me. I nod my head wondering how badly it will hurt when he does.
“Are you nodding to me or your wolf?” Andrei says bring me out of my head.
“Both of you” I tell him and he pulls back, turning his head to the side to stare at me.
“So I can mark you? Sage you need to spell it out for me because I can’t feel you like you do me” He says.
“Yes you can mark me, but can we hold off on the s*e*x stuff?” I ask him. He doesn’t answer, just smiles, his eyes flickering and I take a step back when I see his wolf come forward but he quickly recedes as Andrei reaches for me, pulling me back to him.
“Really?’ he says, pecking my l!ps and my face.
“Yes, really” I tell him, cringing away as his stubble tickles my face and neck.
“Nothing else but I can mark you, like right now?” he asks, pressing closer his l!ps k!ssing and attacking my face down to my neck.
“Yes, I have said yes” I tell him before shivering when he svcks on my skin, a shiver runs up my spine and my legs feel weak. Sierra was bouncing around in my head excitedly and Andrei sat on the edge of the bed pulling me on his lap so I was straddling him. His excitement bleeds into me through the bond and I find it a little bit contagious.
Andrei pulls me closer, his arm tightening around my waist while the other tilts my face to his before he brings his l!ps to mine. I feel his tongue trace across the crease of my l!ps wanting access and I k!ss him back. His tongue pressing between my l!ps and warmth floods me as he deepens the k!ss, his hand tangling in my hair and sparks rush everywhere and I m0an into his mouth pressing closer to him.