The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella - Chapter 163: Chapter 163

Josie POV
I barely finished my breakfast before I felt it, the overwhelming nausea, accompanied by the undeniable urge to vomit, standing up abruptly and rushing to the sink to puke up my stomach contents. Rohan quickly stood and held back my hair, while some of the pack members murmured sympathetically. I sensed Sandra’s eyes burning as she stared at the back of me. She had been quiet at the table, content merely to glare at Rohan as she ate, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. As I gagged and my stomach roiled, she approached, while the rest of the pack slowly dispersed, leaving only omegas behind who began to quietly clean up the mess that had been left behind.
“Oh you poor thing” Sandra exclaimed with false concern “How difficult this must be, feeling nauseous and sick all the time.”
I swallowed hard, my hands clutching the counter, my nails digging in. Rohan shot his sister a sharp look.
“Was there something you wanted?” he asked her harshly.
She blinked at him innocently. I let out a groan, my stomach still churning, Rohan’s hand rubbing my back to comfort me. My morning sickness had well and truly begun.
“You don’t have to be so unwelcoming” Sandra trilled as I tried very hard not to retort or make a comment about her being exactly that.
I gritted my teeth “Sandra” I said determinedly, turning my head and looking at her with a pale face “Did you come over here for something?”
She looked at me innocently. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright” she commented breezily.
I was suspicious. The last few days had been filled with nothing but sly digs and the occasional hurtful comment but otherwise relatively quiet. I turned and Rohan put his arm around me. Sandra fished her phone out of her bag. “I really must take a picture,” she said hastily.
“Oh, that’s not necessary…” I began to say and then trailed off as she snapped a few before I could move to stop her. “You have a glow about you” Sandra beamed, overly cheerful as Rohan stared at her, his jaw clenching “Renae used to look exactly the same,” she said wistfully as I stiffened.
She gave a dramatic sigh “I remember how she used to feel sick all the time and how she used to cry about it. She hated it you know” she told me, leaning in close and whispering conspirationally “But I’m sure it will be different for you” she added, looking thoughtful.
Rohan looked furious. Sandra turned and walked away before he could say anything more. “Ignore her,” he said bitterly and I nodded, allowing him to escort me to the study, sitting down opposite him as he began to do his work.
I played on my phone, content to play games and laze the day away, occasionally needing to rush to the bathroom to be sick. Rohan was extraordinarily patient, constantly checking on me, making sure I was fed and even helping to keep my hair back while I vomited. Suddenly there was a commotion around the pack house and James entered the study, a grim look on his face.
“Have you been out in the foyer or anywhere else?” he enquired as Rohan and I shot each other a look.
“Only as far as the bathroom,” Rohan said tersely “Why?”
James sighed “You might want to come take a look,” he said looking sideways at me “Josie you might want to stay, I don’t want to upset you” he added.
Now I wanted to know what was going on. I got to my feet and shook my head. “I want to see too.”
Why did I have a feeling this had to do with Sandra? Questions burned on my lips but I held them back and followed James and Rohan silently, as he led us to the front foyer, where a crowd of pack members were gathered and staring slack-jawed at what had been placed on the wall. At Rohan’s command, the crowd slowly parted so that we could see what they had been looking at, all of them looking distinctly uncomfortable.
I gasped, putting a hand to my mouth. It was one of the photos that had been taken this morning by Sandra, blown up to poster size. Rohan had his arm around me, but there was a knife stabbed into my head and there was a heading underneath us that read ‘Killer Alpha and Fake Luna.”
Rohan flattened his lips. I glanced at him. “It’s just a stupid prank,” I said grimacing but Rohan looked fit to burst.
“There are more and they all have either knives or….” James trailed off.
“Or what?” Rohan snarled.
“Josie’s head has been replaced with Renae’s head with the heading ‘the real Luna” he said with disgust.
“That b***h” Rohan hissed, looking at me guiltily.
His hands were shaking with his rage. I on the other hand was remarkably calm. It was a pathetic attempt to gain Rohan’s attention or break us apart.
“I’m going to kill her” Rohan growled, “where is she?” he asked James and James shifted awkwardly on each foot before biting his lip and looking chagrined.
“Nobody knows,” he said heavily “I’ve already ordered the pack house and the grounds to be searched, anticipating your reaction” he paused as the rage on Rohan’s face grew even darker “Nobody has been able to find even a trace of her. She’s simply vanished” he said apologetically.
Rohan swore and punched the wall, putting his hand through it, plaster shards littering the floor. “f**k” he yelled and I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, aware of his desire to bring his sister to heel and punish her for her transgression. Maybe Sandra had left for good though? She’d accomplished what she had wanted and now there was nothing more for her to do? But looking at the large dagger that was protruding from the poster, I had a feeling that she was anything but done. “Rohan, calm down” I pleaded, feeling distressed as I saw him struggling to hold onto his composure “we’ll find her, but don’t lose your temper. Think about it rationally, where would she go?”
He shook his head, pulling his hand back and examining it, his hand miraculously uninjured and grimaced.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly and then turned to James, his eyes narrowing “you’re in charge of the hunt. Do not rest until she’s found. As of right now, she poses a danger to your Alpha and your Luna. Get every available tracker out there and double patrol. Increase the guards inside the pack house. I don’t want anybody getting in and out undetected. I won’t have Josie put at risk” he exhaled.
James nodded tightly. Rohan looked at me as I protested “I can help.”
My wolf had an extremely good sense of smell. “No Josie,” he said softly, pulling me into his side and kissing me on the head “I can’t risk you getting hurt in your condition. I know you think this is a prank, but I’m not so sure it is. Sandra was devastated when Renae died, she wouldn’t come out of her room for months afterward. I think this is more serious than you want to believe it is.”
“You don’t think that she would actually try to harm me” I stammered in disbelief.
But the look on his face said it all. He thought that Sandra was capable of anything and he wasn’t about to take any chances. For the first time, fear swept over me. How could one woman have that much hatred in her heart that she was willing to hurt her own flesh and blood in memory of somebody she loved?