Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 169
Once we finished showering, Sage left for training and I walked outside heading to check the parcels that were dropped off by the couriers. We had ordered new traps, Sage didn’t agree, but someone stole the traps along the river a few weeks back and finally the order came and I wanted to sneak them out to the forest before Sage got back from training with Casen and Malik. Zane decided to have the day off so he could spend it with his mate.
Walking across the gr@ssoval to the small post office, I see a few people about and nod to them as I pass.
Today was starting to turn overcast as the storm clouds rolled across the sky. I look up at the clouds. I should still have plenty of time I think to myself.
passing the old huge willow tree that sat dead centre of our small town, I see Jonah sitting facing the trunk, his chin propped on his hand and as played in the dirt glaring at the tree. Malik had ordered him to sit there for time out.
I shake my head continuing on toward the post office. The small red and white building was the only one that wasn’t ruined, probably because it was the only place that didn’t house anyone, it was also a general store for backup and emergency supplies if the trucks were running late and everyone has their own key to get in now that Martha the lady that used to run it was no longer with us, another casualty of Jackson’s pack and band of rogues.
Unlocking the door, I find the two medium sized plastic tubs. I stack them on top of each other before grabbing them. Walking out I was about to lock the door when I looked over my shoulder at Jonah, deciding to grab him a juice box from the fridges in here before grabbing a small packet of chips.
I place them on the plastic tubs before locking up. Grabbing the bottom tub by the hand grip I start heading back across to the pack house detouring slightly to the willow tree. Jonah looks up at me with a big toothy grin splitting onto his face.
“Malik said I have to wait here until training is over” He says and then pouts, crossing his tiny arms and jutting out his bottom lip. I huff placing the tubs down and handing the juice box to him. He smiles, jamming the straw in it and slurping away before I hand him salt and vinegar chips.
“Now behave, I will be back soon to check on you” I tell him, grabbing the boxes.
“Can I help?” He asks and I look over my shoulder.
“Nope, now stay here, you better be here when I return” I tell him, walking off toward the packhouse. I walk around the back of it to the treeline and place the boxes down before opening them.
I grab the traps out by the chains so they are easier to carry before stomping into the trees heading for the river. It took me a good hour to
hide and set up the traps. Placing the last one down and setting it, I stand up stretching my back when I hear the chink of metal. Donnie excited in m y head wondering if something fell prey to my traps urges me to investigate.
I start walking back toward the last one but it was still fine so I continued on, stopping dead in my tracks when I saw Jonah standing there. The trap at his feet had been set off and he was trying to pry a huge stick out of it. The end snapping off and he nearly falls backwards on his b*tt.
I s*ck in a deep breath, my lips pressing together when Jonah spins around jumping when he spots me standing behind him.
“Jonah what are you doing, why did you leave your spot at the tree?” I demand trying to keep my cool.
“I wanted to help, but I kept finding these traps so I set them off” He says proud of himself.
“How many have you set off Jonah?” I ask through gritted teeth. He thinks for a second counting on his little fingers.
“This many” he says, holding both hands up and then adding a finger. I suppress a growl from escaping me trying to remind myself he is just a child.
“So 11?” I ask him and he nods his eyes, lighting up like he just did me a great service instead making me waste an hour of my life setting them up.
“You were told to wait by the tree” I tell him and he drops his head.
“I just wanted to help and then I saw the traps when I was following your scent”
“Why would you set them off Jonah, you don’t play with bear traps” I tell him.
“Because someone left them out and I didn’t want you to step on one. I was careful, I used a stick, my dad showed me how to set them off” He tells me holding up the stick which I could tell had been chomped down considerably from the traps. I rub a hand down my face annoyed at this small creature and his troublesome ways.
“You can’t really be mad Andrei, he thought he was helping” Donnie tells me and I sigh.
“Come on, it is going to rain soon” I tell him and he jumps excitedly leading the way back, running off and making me jog to keep up with him. I spotted 8 traps he had set off on the way back.
“Come on Mr. Andrei” Jonah waves and I roll my eyes picking up my pace when I step on something that is not ground, the trap catching my leg. Pain rippled across the lower part of my shin.
“Mother f*uc*king b!tch a*sf*uc*ker” I swear, dropping on my @ssto see my foot trapped in my own trap. I look at the trap tightly trapping my leg and cutting into my flesh.
I punch the ground furious when Jonah comes skipping back to me before stopping and looking at my leg, he turns a little green at the blood but it wasn’t broken but it f*uc*king hurt and I wanted to strangle the life from him.
“Jonah, are you sure you counted correctly and why is this one moved?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“I found that one first and I didn’t have a stick so I moved it between the trees” He says, his little eyes wide in horror.
I push the springs down on either side of the trap, the jaws opening up enough for me to get my foot out before they snap shut again. I look at my leg fighting the urge to curse him out or whoop his bloody a*s*s, it slowly starts healing when I hear a soft thud making me look in his direction.
Jonah passes out on the ground face down. Just my bloody luck, I think to myself hauling myself to my feet. I should leave him here to teach him a lesson, I think to myself when the thunder rumbles across the sky and I gr0@n before bending down and grabbing him by the back of shorts and shirt in my fist.
“Andrei he is not a bag for you to fling around” Donnie says disapprovingly as I start trudging back toward the pack house. I could hear everyone frantically racing around securing everything for the storm when Jonah came back from fainting as I stepped out of the treeline.
“Weeee !” Jonah squeals, holding his arms out the sides of him like a plane. I chuckle at him, of course he would think being wedgied and carried like a piece of luggage was fun.
I get a few stares as I step between the houses Jonah waving at them when I see Malik spot us. His mouth falls open before he recovers and his lips purse with determination and he marches over to us.
“Jonah! I have been looking everywhere for you, where have you been?” I place Jonah on the ground and he scrambles to his feet looking up at an angry Malik.
“I was helping Mr. Andrei” Jonah beams and I scoff. Malik’s eyes dart to mine nervously.
Malik sighs, rubbing his temples. Malik opens his mouth to say something but then closes it then thinks before his angry mask slips back on his face and he points back at the house he shares with the twins without saying a word to him. Jonah hangs his head looking at his bare feet and starts walking to the house.
“And I thought Casen and Vince were a bloody handful, that boy” Malik says and shakes his head.
“Any idea on when you will put a call out for any family?”
“The Alpha meeting, but I will ring Kat and ask if she can send her Doc out to collect blood to see if anything comes up in the blood banks database” I tell him.
“Yeah hopefully he wasn’t born a rogue, or they may not have any records or matches” Malik says watching after him. Lightning cracks, streaking across the sky and the wind picks up.
“Sage?” I ask him.
“Casen took her home, I see you finally marked her” Malik says as he nudged me with his elbow.
“Yeah” I say, unable to contain my happiness, my lips tugging up.
“So what happened to your leg?”
“Jonah happened, it’s fine he thought he was helping and it has already healed” I tell him.
The rain starts to come down and I look up at the dark sky and everyone has finished securing everything. “You should head in Malik, looks like we are in for it with this storm” I tell him.
He nods, patting my shoulder with his hand before jogging home and I head inside myself. I could hear Sage upstairs doing something but instead I went to the kitchen to retrieve my mobile from the kitchen bench where I left it.
Taking it off charge I dial Kat’s number, needing to ask about Jonah and the Alpha Meeting in two days time but as much as I hated to admit it, I also wanted to know when my father was coming back. Hitting call, I listen to the phone ring waiting for my sister to answer.
We had so much going on this week and Jonah was now also added to this list, yet a s annoying as he is I worry what will become of him because the kid needs constant attention maybe a leash.