Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 25
Going back to my room, I got changed into my own clothes before heading downstairs. I really wanted to go home and grab a few things, like my sketchbook and a book I was reading. Chucking my shoes on I walk over to the dresser grabbing a hair tie from the draw and pulling my hair into a ponytail before realizing I had a huge red mark in my neck. I stare at my reflection and the red and purple mark on my neck.
The Alpha left a hockey on me, in plain view where the entire world could see it. I pull my hair back down, brushing it over my shoulder trying to cover the dreadful mark. Great, now I need concealer for Monday, I thought to myself.
The idea of going to school and facing everyone after what Angie did made me want to puke. Maybe the Alpha will let me have a day off or drop out. I don’t need a diploma. I can work at a cafe or something Sh*tty like that but even I knew how lame that sounded. nobody’s dream job is to become a waitress.
Grabbing my phone, I walk back out of the room and start heading down the stairs. When I get to the bottom floor I see Mateo coming out of the basem*nt underneath the stairs.
“What are you doing?” I ask before stopping when I see Angie walk out along with her two accomplices. Angie looks at me before dropping her gaze and baring her neck to me which I thought was a little strange, you only do that for those of higher rank or the Alpha. It made me wonder what Mateo or the Alpha did that would make them like that.
“Hey Kat, just letting these ones out of the cells” he says. So they spent the last two days in the cells? That would explain why I never saw them the night of the pack run.
Angie walks over to me before stopping and Mateo has a triumphant grin on his face as he folds his huge arms across his broad chest.
“Look I’m sorry, Kat. Honestly I never should have done that. Please forgive me, I gave the Alpha my phone and he deleted everything, please don’t banish me or my family” she says making me confused, banish her family, I don’t have that sort of power even if I wanted to, and I don’t want to, I just want to be left the hell alone.
“Well that’s enough, go home and packhouse and pack runs are off limits till the Alpha says so” Mateo tells them. The girl and boy that were with her mutter quick apologizes before rushing out the front door.
I just stood there a little d*um*bfounded, she apologized. Hmm. Turning around, I head for the door.
“Um, where do you think you’re going?” Mateo asks.
“Ah home to get something” I tell him reaching for the door knob.
“No can do princess, I am under strict orders to keep you guarded so therefore no going anywhere till your… Alpha says so”
“What? Where is he, he can’t keep me locked up in the pack house. I am going home to grab something geez, he isn’t my dad and isn’t my mate, so he can’t tell me what to do” I tell him annoyed, why can’t I leave? I didn’t understand, my mum is safe, he should know that now.
“Sorry princess, he is the Alpha and I have to follow orders” Mateo says.
“Then tell me where he is, I will ask him myself”
“He is in his office on the phone to the border patrol,” he says. I huffed, annoyed and stormed off in the direction of his office. I push the door open and see he is on the phone, he holds a finger up telling me to wait before hanging up the phone.
“What’s wrong?” He says, motioning for me to come to him. I shake my head and Mateo walks into the office closing the door behind me.
“Why can’t I leave?” I ask and Ezra wipes both hands down his face.
“Argh really of all the times you could have left you choose right now?” He says hopping up and walking around his desk and leaning on it in front of me.
“Why is now a bad time, I just want to go home, and grab something”
“Jackson knows you’re here, your mother was spotted near the border the other day. I don’t care where you go Kat, but I would prefer you stay with me for a bit. They haven’t crossed the border but his men have been hounding my warriors for entry”
“I don’t understand all this because my mother hit the Alpha’s daughter?” I ask and he shrugs.
“Jackson never really made sense, but I think it is more to do with me having your family in my pack. He probably wouldn’t have cared if you went to another” The Alpha answers.
“Wait, why would that matter?”
“Because Alpha Jackson was close with my father. Jackson Hates me because I K*lled my father and threatened his oldest son if he retaliated”
“But change of power happens all the time, so would he hold a vendetta against you over something that happened years ago?”
“Yes he would because my father was Jackson’s cousin, this pack was originally my mother’s until my father discovered she was his mate and he took over her pack” he tells me and I was shocked, I didn’t know they were related, they look nothing alike, not even the slightest resemblance and even their way of living and running their packs was vastly different, but what shocked me more was that his pack was run by a woman,before his father took it.
“If you want to go that badly, I will take you,” he says.
“Wait, does that mean I can get out of school?” I ask suddenly excited about not having to go.
“Nice try, and no Mateo and I will go with you”
“Wait why do I have to go, she has the most boring electives?” Mateo whines and the Alpha shoots him a look.
“Wait, you’re not actually coming to my cla*s*ses right?” I ask Mateo.
Neither of them said anything but it did make me wonder how bad this threat from Jackson was for them to be taking such precautions.
“I am not going to school with either of you. I get in enough trouble as it is without either of you with me, Angie will claw my eyes out and you as if I would get any work done with your running commentary” I tell him looking at Mateo.
“Angie won’t be a problem, she knows her place now” Ezra tells me.
“Yeah she does behind me so she can stab me in the back, that girl is just waiting for an opportunity to strike again” I tell him, folding my arms across my chest.
“Then I will sit through your cla*s*ses” the Alpha offers.
“What no, I don’t want everyone thinking I am hiding behind the Alpha, no definitely not”
“You do realize you’re arguing with your Alpha right? and not being punished for talking against him” Mateo says making me stop, Sh*t he was right. I could be in the cells for this behaviour, I am supposed to do what he says no questions asked.
“Sorry!” I tell him, turning to walk out.
“Kat stop, ignore Mateo he is just playing, besides I like that you talk back to me, you’re probably the only one game enough too” he says with a smile on his lips.
“I didn’t mean to, I was just trying to explain, you coming to school with me will make my life harder” I tell him and he seems to think.
“Fine but Mateo goes and I will stay here I guess, but at lunch time you go to my office and stay with Mateo” he offers. Fine was better than nothing, at least people won’t stare if one of them isn’t sitting next to me in cla*s*s.
“Deal?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Fine,” I tell him.
Mateo goes to leave before stopping at the door, he looks back at me. “Oh what do you want to do for your birthday on Monday?” D*mn that’s right I am 18 on Monday.
“What I do every year ,sit at home and watch movies stuffing my face” I tell him.
“You don’t want to do anything, anything at all?”
“Yeah I’m more of a homebody, I prefer quiet”
“Movie night it is then” Mateo says. The Alpha clears his throat making us both look at him.
“Actually, maybe I could take you somewhere” the Alpha suddenly asks, making me turn around to face him.
“You want to take me somewhere?” I ask, a little lost as to why he is breaking so many of his own rules about being involved with pack member’s and it was making me uncomfortable because that means he is drawing attention to me.
“Just us and not far. then when we come back we can have a movie night?” Ezra says, looking at Mateo.
“Sounds good to me, go on Kat. You can’t just sit at home on your birthday”
“Well technically I’m not because he is sending me to school” I tell him.
“She does have a point,” Mateo says to Ezra who looks a little off, almost upset like I just rejected him.
“But I will go wherever it is you want to go” I tell him and he smiles before Mateo makes Sh*t awkward.
“Now group hug, look at us all working together,” he says crushing me into the table before reaching behind me and grabbing the Alpha’s shirt and ripping him toward us.
“I am beginning to think you just like touching the Alpha” I tell him as I get crushed against Mateo’s sweaty armpit. Eww!
“I do, he is one fine specimen and has quite a nice a*s*s,” Mateo says.
“You’re gay? But I thought you went to brothels together?”
“I’m not gay, I’m bis*e*xual, therefore I admire both genders” Mateo says.
“That explains so much, wait are you bis*e*xual too?” I ask, turning to the Alpha.
“Nope, I’m straight” the Alpha answers. I wonder how I missed that, but despite him being bis*e*xual Mateo and him seem extremely close. Hmm Interesting. When Mateo suddenly suffocated me in his armpit, I tried to shove him off without inhaling his scent.
“Get my scent all over you” he says, rubbing himself on me and the Alpha. The Alpha shoves him away, shaking his head.
“Geez I really question my judgement when it comes to you sometimes” he says.
“Yeah right. You know I could kick your a$s and everyone else’s if need be, you need me” Mateo teases.
“Is that so?”
“Yep besides no one else would put up with your grumpy a*s*s” Mateo tells him.
“I don’t think he is grumpy” I tell Mateo, in fact I was yet to see him ever get angry at me.
“Yeah because he wants to get in your pants, everyone else he is a jerk to, except me of course because I am awesome” Mateo says.
“So are you going home, or staying now?” The Alpha asks.
“What did you want from them anyway?” Mateo asks.
“My book and sketchbook, it can wait. I will get mum to bring it to school on Monday” I tell them. Mateo nods before reaching over and grabbing my hand
“Good then you’re coming with me” He says tugging me out the door.
“Where are we going?”
“To get lunch”
“Argh please tell me it’s not pizza?”
“Yep pizza,”
“Goddess knows how you’re not the size of a house” I tell him as he jerks me out the front door toward his truck. He unlocks it and I stare at the passenger trying to figure out how I was actually going to climb in it. I open the door when suddenly I feel hands on my waist before I am placed on the seat. Mateo then shuts the door and puts my seatbelt on. “Wait then can you run me home real quick?”
“It’s twenty minutes in the opposite direction I would hardly call that quick,” He whines starting up his truck. I press my lips in a line.
“Yes Kat, I will take you. But you don’t get to whine about eating pizza” He says, turning the car around and driving down the long driveway.