Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 225: Marabella POV
We were about ten -fifteen minutes from home. My stomach twisted with Kyan’s last text message, and it was all I had thought about the entire way home.
Yet, I believed he would go through with it. I believed he would drag me there himself if I didn’t show up to Rose’s birthday when another thought occurred to me. Jonah.
When he said I would regret it, did he mean by hurting him? That was the only way to get even, my family was untouchable, but Jonah wasn’t.
“Well, ring him, “ Kora hisses at me, and I fumble with my phone; I start typing when Kora starts to worry, insisting I ring him to be sure. Her worry made my already heightened anxiety so much worse.
“You ok?” my father asks, and I nod, dialing his number.
“Yeah, just want to check on Jonah,” “But you just saw him. He will be fine, “
“But if he goes to Kyan’s?” I chew my lip nervously.
“Did he threaten Jonah?” My father growls, and I shake my head because he hasn’t. Still, the worry ate at me.
“Marabella?”
“No, but he wasn’t happy. What if he does something to Jonah?”
“Not likely. Those two seem close, always have been, but if it makes you calm down, just ring Jonah, “ My father says before yawning. He covers his mouth with the back of his hand, and I suddenly felt guilty for making him pick me up.
“Jonah?” Kora mutters, and I shake my thoughts away, hitting the call b*tton. The phone rings as my father pulls into the service station just outside of town. The first time it goes straight to voicemail.
“I need coffee, want one?” my father asks, and I nod to him before redialling Jonah’s number. My heart rate increases the longer it rings, and Jonah finally picks up, and I let out a breath of relief.
“Told you he is fine, “ My father says before getting out of the car.
“Jonah?” I yelp, relieved to hear his voice. “Hey, what’s up? I am—”
“Don’t go to Kyan’s Jonah. Promise me you will stay away from him, “ I shriek in panic. I didn’t know if Kora or I spoke. Our thoughts felt like they were muddling into one.
“Huh, I am with….” I hear a growl that is more like a roar as Jonah’s words are cut off.
“Oh f*uc*k,” Jonah says before I hear a crashing sound and snarls booming through the phone.
“Mine, “ Comes a deep gravelly voice that raised goosebumps on my arms. Whose voice was that? I wondered when more crashing sounded in the background.
“Jonah?” my voice trembled, I could more bangs and crashing sounds.
“Kaif, stop, “ I hear Jonah’s voice stammer out before the sound of glassbreaking reaches my ears.
“Jonah! “ I shriek, ripping the phone away from my ear. Kora pushes against my skin, and my claws slip into my father’s car seat, and the phone slips
through my fingers as my gloves tear off my hands. “ Kora, “ I grit out, trying to stop her from shifting.
Snatching my phone from where it fell in my lap, more crashing can be heard before I hear a long, harsh wheeze come through the phone before hearing another voice, not Jonah’s or Kaif’s.
Jonah POV
“Jonah?” Marabella shrieks through the phone, and I pull it away, my ear ringing from how high-pitched her voice rang out. Placing it back to my ear, I answer her.
“Hey, what’s up? I am— “
“Don’t go to Kyan’s Jonah. Promise me you will stay away from him, “ Marabella rushes out, not letting me finish.
“Huh, I am with….” A furious growl erupts behind me and makes me turn to look at Kyan, only to see Kaif had f0rced forward.
“Oh f*uc*k,” I curse, trying to jump up off the bed just as Kaif lunges at me, his claws slashing down my chest as I roll off the bed and smash against the
floor. The phone slid across the floor, and I could hear Marabella’s frantic voice screaming out to me, but I was distracted and unable to answer when Kaif’s foot went to stomp on my head.
”Mine, ” Kaif’s terrifying voice booms loudly, and I only just move my head to the side before his foot crushes my skull, his heel coining down on my shoulder, and I gr0@n before punching him between the legs as he stood over me. He growls, but his knee gives way as he lurches forward, stumbling over the top of me.
I start to shift when Kaif kicks me, sending me flying into the wall and books topple down off the shelf smashing on top of me. His kick to my stomach winds me, and I gasp for breath as I crawl to my feet.
”Kaif, stop, ” I scream at him when he grabs me by my shorts, his claws on his other hand sinking into my shoulder before he tosses me into the dresser mirror.
The mirror shatters before the frame falls on me, and I roll off the dresser. Marabella screams my name through the phone, which only angers him more as he looks around frantically for her voice.
Giving me a moment’s reprieve as I prepared to shift. A large chunk of the mirror was embedded in my shoulder blade, and I yank it out with a pained gr0@n.
Kaif, hearing it slaps at his back as the line slices through him, and his back arches from taking on my wound before quickly healing himself.
”Jonah, Jonah, ” Marabella cries into the phone, and Kaif growls, upturning the bed as he looks for the phone when the door bursts open. Lucas rushes in with a bat, a goddamn bat.
“Jonah, run,” Lucas yells at me.
He swings the bat at Kaif, letting out a war cry, and Kaif pivots on his heel, grabbing it mid -swing and prying it from his hands before launching him back out the door in which he came in. Kaif stalks after him, and he slashes the door frame with his claws.
I clamber to my feet unsteadily, urging Jax to shift, and I feel my bones start snapping when Kaif freezes when Marabella calls out his name. He spins around, snarling, and smacks his head on the door frame forgetting to duck. He gr0@ns, his giant hand raking down his face as he rubs the spot he struck on the door.
“Keep calling him Marabella, “ Lucas calls out breathlessly. She must have heard him because she started calling Kaif’s name, his eyes scanning the floor before he barges me out of the way, scooping up the phone off the floor where it landed next to the ensuite. His fingers are too big to work the screen, and he growls in frustration.
“Kaif, can you hear me? “ Marabella asks. Her voice stammers out shakily, and Kaif prods the phone, his claws getting in the way.
“Why can’t I see? Why does it not work?” Kaif growls; his claws scratching my phone screen that had a crack down the screen.
The phone starts beeping, and I recognize the noise and realize Marabella heard him. The phone signally she was trying to change the call to a video one.
“Give it to Jonah. Jonah can do it, “ Marabella tells him, and Kaif growls, spinning to look at me.
“You, you do it. Make it work my fingers no good, “ Kaif says, gripping my arm and thrusting the phone in my chest, and I grab it, pressing the touch screen for it to connect.
Marabella’s tear-filled face appeared on the screen, and she seemed to be in her father’s car still when Kaif snatches the phone from me. His hands stroking the screen and cutting off the picture, and I take it from him. He growls, reaching for it, but I pull it away.
“You can’t touch the screen; it will hang up, “ I tell him, offering it back to him before collapsing on the floor at his feet.
“No, touching screen,” Kaif mutters to himself.
“Where did she go?” Kaif suddenly booms, and I roll my eyes when Lucas hesitantly steps in the room, hands up as he moves along the wall. The movement does not go unnoticed by the eight-foot monster staring at the phone screen.
“I can fix it,” Lucas says while holding his hand out for the phone. My heart beats faster as Kaif continued to stare at him for a few tense seconds.
“Hello, are you there?” Marabella calls out, and Kaif looks down at the screen.
“You fix,” he tells Lucas, who nods, reaching out and taking the phone from Kaif’s grip. He fiddles with the phone, and the phone must go back to the video call because Marabella speaks.
“Lucas, where are Jonah and Kaif?”
“Right here, but um Kyan is, um Kyan isn’t in control, “ Lucas stutters out as Kaif growls at him, reaching for the phone.
“Let him hold it; you will cut the phone out again,” I tell Kaif. Lucas holds the phone, turning it to face Kaif, who leans down, squinting at the screen, and I see Marabella’s startled expression.
She must have been expecting Kyan’s appearance with Kaif in control. By the look on her face, I know she wasn’t expecting to come face to face with his Lycan form. Marabella gasps, and her eyes dart to the side. I hear Ezra’s voice in the background sounding startled.
“What the f*uc*k is that,” ›
“I think it’s Kaif, “ Marabella answers her father.
“You come here. Here now. You are mine, not Jonah’s, “ Kaif tells her.
“Here now, you come to me, “ Kaif growls at her, and her mouth opens and closes as she glances away for a second.
“You can talk while like that. But you… you are?” Mara doesn’t finish, and I watch her on the screen as she stares at Kaif, he stands upright, and she gasps again. Lucas’s hand holding the phone shakes, and Kaif’s chest takes up the image of him on the screen.
“How do we get her here? You come when Kyan rings you this way,” Kaif says, looking down at me next to his feet.
“I live down the road from you Kaif, Marabella went home. She isn’t in the City, “ I could hear Marabella whispering with her father, her face turned away from the screen.
“Jonah, are you ok?”
“I ‘m fine, Mar- “ Kaif’s growl cuts me off, and he reaches for the phone, and Lucas jumps, pulling it away from him and pressing further into the wall.
“Your claws Kaif, you can’t hold the phone. You need to shift back,” Lucas blurts out.
“No, Kyan can’t, he won’t. He f*uc*k things up again. I won’t let him; she is mine, “
“Yes, yes, I am yours, Kaif, but you can’t stay like that. You will hurt Jonah, “ Marabella says, and I see her look away for a second before shrugging on the screen.
“He touches you, he deserves pain, you are mine, he put his peasant lips on you,” Kaif tells her. I roll my eyes at him.
“He is your friend, “ Mara tries to reason, and Kaif huffs, baring his teeth at me.
Mara shook her head, and I was pretty sure she would tell him anything right now to ensure I was alive.
“You let him, “ Kaif roars, ripping me up off the ground, and Marabella shrieks as Kaif gripped my throat.
“You come here, or I hurt him, make you watch, “ Kaif snarls, his grip tight as his claws slipped into my collarbone before I hear it crack. Kaif gr0@ns and drops me, clutching his shoulder, my pain becoming inflicted on him.
“I will come to you on Rose’s birthday, but you need to shift back, or I won’t visit, leave him alone, you….
you, “
“Lycan,” Lucas offers.
“I thought they didn’t exist, “ Marabella mutters, looking away.
“Well, how the heek else you explain that, “ I hear Ezra’s voice.
“Did you know?’ She asks her father, becoming distracted, and Kaif growls low in the back of his throat when Ezra scoffs.
‘No, how could I know? I don’t even think your mother knows this one,”
“Who is with you, who is that? You kiss him too?” Kaif snarls, and Marabella’s face turns back to the screen, looking appalled.
“What no, he is my father, “ “You not kiss him then?”
“No, definitely not, well maybe on the cheek, but not like Jonah, “ Marabella says, and Kaif nods before scratching his ear making it fold over on top of his head.
“You do not kiss Jonah anymore, only like father, “ Kaif glares down at me. This uncivilized brute was impossible. Right now, I needed Kyan back. Just beneath my skin, Jax was ready and alert since Kaif wasn’t willing to shift back and give Kyan the ultimate control.
However, Kaif almost seemed normal right now. Besides the hairy monster standing over me, we managed to speak with him, which was the most I had seen him speak. Not that he couldn’t, but in this form, usually Kaif just growls and grunts.
This animalistic side is unreasonable and unmanageable ; his injuries are the only way to f0rce him to let go of control. Though Marabella had pulled him back, he seemed almost human, despite being in this form.
“No, no kissing, but can you give Kyan control?”
“You like Kyan?” Kaif asks, and Marabella bites her lip and nods, clearly lying.
“Me no like him either. He has sh*t for brains and washes his hands too much,” Kaif huffs.
“I give you Kyan; you come here on the flowers birthday, “
“No, Rose! You simple -minded brute, my sister,” I tell him while shaking my head.
“The dwarf with the rainbow in her hairs?” Kaif says with a huff.
“Yes, Rose, you have met her heaps of times,”
“No, Kyan meets her, I only meet you and him,” Kaif says, pointing a sharp curved claw at Lucas, who pulls away.
“Kaif, change back, please” Marabella begs. “Then you come here; you stay with me here, “
“Mm-hmm, “ Marabella hums, nodding her head to him. Kaif seems unsure as he flexes his hairy fingers, and I feel Kyan shackled within Kaif. The same monster, and warlock merged into one, creating a bigger more threatening beast. Still, there was only one Kaif, and this was his proper form, one Kyan only understands as instinctual barbaric and purely Kaif.
Usually, the slivers of Kyan I get were just fragments, while Kaif is almost calm. I realized Kyan subconscious was constantly at battle with Kaif’s urges, making me wonder if Kyan realized how much he fought, or did he think they were one in the same because I could feel two sides to Kaif, Kaif being the most dominant. Still, Kyan, I could feel beneath the surface, I just never realized before.
“Ok, but you come to me soon,” Marabella nods her head, and Kaif shifts suddenly, and Marabella shrieks, her lips pressing into a line, and I see a hand go over her eyes. I realize Ezra had covered her eyes by the wedding band on his ring finger.
“Point the camera elsewhere, “ Ezra booms, and Lucas jumps, scrambling with the phone and turning it around. Kyan cracks his neck and back before shooting a glare at Lucas. He stalks over to him, snatching the phone from his grip.
“What did you do?” He bellows at Marabella.
“Nothing, I rang Jonah, not you *sshole,” I was shocked by her words; I never heard her speak back to anyone, let alone with the tone she used.
Kyan growls, and I hear the phone cut out as she hangs up on him.
“What happened? “ Kyan demands while turning to face me.
“Wait, you don’t know?”
“Would I be asking if I did?” Kyan snaps. Lucas and I look at each other.
“See, this is exactly why we can’t share her. When it comes to Marabella, all bets are off. He will take complete control of me when it comes to her. He blocked me out, he never does that, we merge, but he doesn’t block me out, she is my weakness, can’t you see that?” Kyan snaps, pointing at me.
“Kyan?”
“Shut up this has nothing to do with you, “ he snarls glaring at his uncle over his shoulder.
“He listened to her, Kyan; he stopped because of her, “ I snap back at him, and he pauses, his mouth opens with his next rant before he closes his mouth, clearly stunned.
“That’s not possible, “ Kyan murmurs, looking at Lucas, who nods to him.
“Just like your father said, Mara is Kaif’s redemption, “ Lucas says.
“Not at the cost of her life; she won’t be, “ Kyan says before stalking out of the room.