The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Jordan POV
“Jordan why are you hobbling like a little old lady?” Jaxon asked again, prodding me with a finger as I sat in the passenger seat, staring bemusedly out the front window, the pain in my ribs throbbing with pain as I struggled not to wince.
“I um fell,” I said blankly “off a ladder.”
He winced in sympathy. “How bad is it?” he demanded.
I didn’t answer. He pulled the car over to the side and parked, pinning me with a glare. I flinched. Geez, he was being way overprotective. It felt like an older brother taking care of his little sister. It was nice, but overwhelming at the same time. He folded his arms across his chest and stared hard at me. I blinked, avoiding his gaze sheepishly.
“Well,” he said angrily “how bad is it? You could barely walk” he snapped “Why didn’t you just stay home?” he asked confused.
I didn’t want to tell him that I’d rather be at school in pain than risk staying home with my father. I gave a nonchalant shrug and gasped at the pain. Jaxon’s lips flattened. Before I could stop him, he reached over and lifted my hoodie and shirt, inhaling sharply as he saw the bandage wrapped around my ribs. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“That looks like you fell from a great distance if you broke several ribs” he commented, “what were you doing up so high?” s**t. Think of something Jordan. “There was a um, injured bird in a tree and I was trying to help it,” I said weakly.
Yeah, right, like he’s going to believe that I thought scornfully.
“God you’re an i****” he huffed.
Oh my god, did he just believe that lame ass excuse? Was I really that pathetic that he believed I was capable of something so stupid? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Jaxon shook his head at me.
“Honestly Jordan, you need to be more careful. What if you had broken a leg or an arm? I bet you’re in a lot of pain” he chided “No wonder you were walking so slow. I can’t believe your dad let you go to school like this and didn’t even give you a lift” he muttered annoyed.
Considering my father was the one who had done this to me, I was hardly going to further invoke his anger by asking for a lift to school but I wisely decided not to tell Jaxon that. Jaxon exhaled loudly.
“I’m not letting you walk around like that all day,” he said with a grimace “You’ll barely be able to sit for your classes, let alone be able to get to them in time. You could go to the nurse’s office again” he suggested thoughtfully but I shook my head, remembering how bitchy she’d been last time “but I suspected you wouldn’t want to. That leaves me with one other option,” he said grimly.
Huh. What option I wondered. What on earth was he blabbering about now? His canines grew out of his mouth, and I gaped at him. Surely, he wasn’t about to… It was considered a great honor and privilege for an Alpha to offer something as important as this to someone so below them. I had to be wrong. But I wasn’t. He bit into his wrist, hard, drawing blood, and offered it to me, like I was some sort of vampire. “Drink” he growled.
“But, Jaxon, I can’t, I’m just…”
“An important friend of mine. Now don’t make me have to bite myself more than once” he hissed and raised his arm to my mouth as I hesitated.
He glowered and I quickly put my mouth to his wound and began to suck. I only needed a few drops and looking satisfied, Jaxon pulled his arm away, allowing his wound to heal. I was still in a state of disbelief.
“Jaxon I can’t believe you just did that” I whispered.
He winked. “I wouldn’t do it for just anyone baby cakes” he drawled “and don’t tell anyone. I’ll end up with a bunch of girls looking to suck my blood and it’s not exactly a fetish of mine.”
I giggled, even as I felt the heat begin to spread throughout my body. I gave a loud groan as I felt my ribs beginning to shift and move, pain shooting through me as I swore vehemently under my breath. Then it stopped and I tentatively moved, while Jaxon grinned at me. The pain was gone. I couldn’t believe it. I unwrapped the bandage, not even caring that Jaxon could see underneath my shirt, and looked down at my ribs. You couldn’t even see the damage anymore. There weren’t even any bruises. It looked like nothing had even happened.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” I said wonderingly.
Jaxon rolled his eyes. “Duh. Alpha blood accelerates the healing immensely. It’s one of the things that makes us so special and powerful” he explained patiently “A lot of Alpha’s won’t give their blood to anyone but their Beta’s and Gamma’s.”
“But you gave it to me,” I said confused.
“I happen to like you,” he said gruffly “Plus I need help with my history paper” he drawled “and I figure this is a good exchange” he added, looking pleased with himself.
I fought back my laughter. I would have helped him with his paper anyway, but if he wanted to pretend this was a fair exchange, then I wasn’t going to burst his bubble.
He started the car and drove to the school, parking near the front, and as usual opened the passenger door for me as other students openly gaped.
“Why thank you kind sir” I breathed.
He patted me on the ass and I giggled, while several girls gasped and began to mutter amongst themselves.
“Anytime honeybun,” he said loudly and I laughed out loud this time as he tucked my arm into his and began to walk toward the lockers.
“Close your mouth, before a fly lands in it” Jaxon advised one female student who blinked at him and then hurriedly closed it as her friends erupted into laughter.
I grabbed my books out of the locker. “So was your father really okay with me asking you to mine on Friday night and the whole ball thing?” Jaxon asked, leaning against his locker and ruffling my hair as I scowled at him.
I considered my words carefully. “He um, was a little concerned about it,” I said slowly “and a bit overprotective about it but he understands that it’s a great opportunity for me and that you are a good friend of mine.”
There, I hadn’t let anything slip, I thought satisfied with myself.
Jaxon frowned. “I didn’t cause any trouble, did I?”
I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to make my friend feel bad about the situation. “Of course not” I lied “Plus I’m really looking forward to meeting your parents and going to the ball.”
That wasn’t a lie. Jaxon’s parents sounded like a hoot and what girl wouldn’t want to dress up for a night and feel like a princess?
“You might want to run after you meet my parents” Jaxon groused “I swear, they are like having an older sister and brother, rather than actual parents” he whinged “Oh and it just gets better. I now know why my mother has been so tearful and a lot more crazy lately.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked genuinely curious “Why is that?”
He grinned. “She’s pregnant,” he said puffing out his chest “which means I’m going to be a big brother.”
“Oh wow” I whispered “Congratulations,” I said excitedly “That’s fantastic news. It explains why she was so emotional, all those hormones” I said sympathetically.
He shuddered. “Yeah, don’t remind me,” he said “This morning she was watching Titanic and sobbing while my father frantically tried to give her chocolate. Then she cried because she didn’t want chocolate but wanted donuts and we didn’t have any. My father was going on a donut run when I left” he laughed.
Oh, dear. Jaxon was going to have an interesting few months ahead of him, I thought to myself highly amused.
The bell rang. Jaxon gave me a wink. “See you in the cafeteria at lunch so you can help me with my paper?” he asked. “I don’t know” I hedged “I usually just sit outside. . .” I trailed off.
All the football team and the cheerleaders and Sarah sat in the cafeteria and it made me self-conscious, not to mention I was worried about the potential bullying factor, even with Jaxon there.
He frowned. “We can hardly work on the paper outside and my mother didn’t make me lunch this morning” he whined “I’ll starve to death if we don’t go to the cafeteria” he added with pathetic puppy dog eyes.
“Okay, okay,” I said laughing and holding my hands up in surrender “I’ll see you in the cafeteria.”
He fist-pumped the air and walked off as I scrambled to class, praying I wouldn’t get into trouble for being late. Damnit Jaxon.
My morning classes went smoothly, and I reluctantly headed into the cafeteria, my eyes scanning the room for an empty table. There was no sign of Jaxon yet and I went to the table in the far corner, dumping my backpack on the table, and waited anxiously for my friend to come. I was feeling apprehensive. Sarah was in the distance, chatting to her groupies, and hadn’t spotted me yet. I was tense, biting my lip and wishing I was outside, where it was safe. Suddenly I felt a hand grip the back of my hair and yank it back, bringing tears to the back of my eyes. Mitchell gloated, seeing the fear on my face as I reached up and clawed at him.
“Let go” I snapped. He pulled harder, causing me to gasp.
“You know, for an Alpha to show so much interest in you, you must be one hell of a good lay,” Mitchell said cruelly. What? He sneered at me. “So I thought, why not see for myself,” he said with a shrug, still holding me by the hair. “Mitchell this isn’t funny” I rasped, my heart thudding wildly in my chest. If this was some sort of prank, it was in very bad form. He dragged me up from my chair as I cried out and then slammed his hand against my mouth, pulling my back against his chest as I tried to kick him unsuccessfully. Several other football members came up to Mitchell, cold smiles on their faces.
“Help me” growled Mitchell “she must weigh a ton.”
My eyes widened and I looked around the cafeteria but everyone looked away or ignored my plight, chatting to their friends like I didn’t exist. Where the hell was Jaxon? The football players dragged me by the feet and began to carry me away as I screamed, the sound muffled by Mitchell’s hand. I bit it and he slapped me hard across the face, causing my head to whip back and I began to see stars, a ringing sound in my ears.
Where the hell were the teachers, I thought dimly, struggling to stay conscious, as I tried to kick and punch, the football players snickering at my attempts.
“All clear” one of the voices said out loud and I heard the sound of a door creaking open with an ominous creak before I was placed on something hard and wooden, the football players smirking down at me. I glanced around and my eyes widened. I was in the boy’s locker room and there was no sign of a coach or teacher anywhere. I gulped as Mitchell began to stroke my cheek, a hard glint in his eyes.
Jaxon I silently screamed, where are you?