The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Grant POV
The ball was full of gorgeous girls, all of them eyeing me as though I was a piece of meat, pressing up against me seductively, fluttering their eyelashes, flipping their hair over their shoulders, and sensually moving their bodies in a blatant attempt to get my attention. It wasn’t working. The only person I was interested in was Jordan and the second I had approached the table where she was sitting, she’d cut me off and told me in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested and to leave her the hell alone. I was miserable. I really had made her despise me. It was clear in the way she spoke and the way she looked at me, her eyes full of hatred and anger, that she was never going to forgive me for the years of torment I had put her through. My wolf Hades was barely speaking to me and I didn’t blame him. I’d really f****d up.
“Grant honey, try to smile. I know that it’s a lot of pressure and your father and I have agreed that if nobody catches your eye, then we can hold another ball in a few months’ time and try again. We don’t like seeing you so despondent” his mother said quietly, a kind smile on her face “We were hoping that there was somebody though, seeing as you did bring a certain girl to the ball” she prodded.
I said nothing. I might have brought Sarah to the ball but that didn’t mean that I was interested in her. I was simply fulfilling a promise I’d made to her a while back. All I could focus on now were the intense feelings I had for a mate that had rejected me right to my face.
“Son, there are plenty of girls wanting to dance with you. Why don’t you invite one of them to dance” My father asked, holding a champagne glass in his hand and sipping at it, his other arm around my mother’s waist as he held her close.
I sulked. The idea of dancing with anyone but Jordan made me cringe inside. I was acting like a petulant child and I knew it wasn’t attractive. In fact, I was certain it was making my parents exasperated, especially considering they had held this ball for my sake.
“Do I have to?” I groaned “They all seem so shallow and vain” I added with a growl.
“Son,” my mother said sounding shocked “that’s hardly an appropriate thing to say about these women, considering you haven’t even met them yet. I’m sure if you got to know one or two of them, they would surprise you. Just give it a chance” she urged.
My father cleared his throat and handed his champagne glass to a waitress nearby, smiling kindly at her, and then turned to his wife.
“Speaking of which, would you do me the honor of this dance, gorgeous wife of mine,” he said gruffly as my mother blushed, her eyes twinkling.
“I would love to” my mother gushed.
My father beamed and led her to the dance floor, holding her close and swaying with her to the tempo of the music as I watched feeling a spurt of jealousy.
A redheaded girl that looked like a supermodel came up to me, with a wide smile on her face, and a confident look in her eyes. “Alpha Grant” she purred, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder and thrusting her breasts forward “Would you like to dance with me?”
I was about to say no and then reconsidered. What was the harm I thought a bit grumpily. It’s not like Jordan was going to dance with me. I couldn’t see Sarah anywhere either, now that I looked around the room. She was probably freshening up and redoing her makeup I sneered to myself. At least this girl looked like a 9 out of 10. I took a point off for the fact her nose was slightly too big for her face.
“Sure” I muttered nonchalantly and she took my hand, tugging me to the dance floor.
I smelled her perfume and wrinkled her nose. God it was putrid. A strong combination of honeysuckle and vanilla bean that overwhelmed the senses because she’d put so much on. I put a fair distance between us as we began to dance, barely paying attention to the steps, looking around for Jordan, and noticed a bit disgruntled, that she wasn’t anywhere to be found either, but her friend Jaxon and his friend or mate was still sitting at the table chatting with each other. Had he abandoned Jordan or was she too, off doing something? I sighed.
“I’m Cat,” the girl said smiling up at me.
“Okay,” I said absently, and she frowned. Strange name I mused.
The music changed and I let go of her hand. “Wait” she protested, grabbing my hand again and trying to pull me closer. My feet planted themselves on the ground and she was forced to move instead, pressing herself against me, that vile intoxicating perfume making me want to gag, murmuring in my ear “How about we find a room upstairs and get to know each other a little better” she said seductively.
The irony was, that I would have normally taken her up on that offer, vile perfume and all. Now though, I stepped back and regarded her cooly. Even Sarah had more class than this girl, who resembled a cheap hooker in her skin-tight dress that left very little to the imagination.
“I think I already know more than I need to about you already,” I said loftily, raising an eyebrow as she colored profusely ” and if it’s all the same to you, I’m not interested in finding out anymore.”
“You bastard” she hissed, her body shaking in indignation “How dare you?”
I leaned forward, my eyes darkening as the color drained from her face “Sweetheart I’m an Alpha, you’re nothing but a slut whose willing to spread her legs for the chance to become something she’s never going to be” I said coldly “now get the hell away from me before I rip you to pieces right in front of everyone” I threatened.
She blanched and then nodded, backing away and scrambling back to her table, glancing over her shoulder fearfully as I let out a sigh and moodily surveyed the room.
My mother came back up to me, looking puzzled. “What was that all about?” she asked “That girl couldn’t get away from you fast enough” she blurted out while my father nodded looking curious.
“She tried to proposition me” I snarled “and learned the hard way that I wasn’t interested.”
My mother looked scandalized. I smirked. My father raised an eyebrow and looked highly amused. “Well nobody said you had to stay celibate,” he remarked as my mother playfully shoved him.
“John” she hissed “At least try to be a good role model for your son” she snapped.
“But you and I didn’t wait” he began and then fell silent at the look in her eyes.
My mother gave a long-suffering sigh. “Honey I was really hoping that tonight would go well for you,” she said a little sadly. “Do you know where Jordan is?” I asked abruptly, changing the subject, my eyes sweeping back over the room.
“Jordan?” My mother said slowly, glancing at me surprised “Why?”
“I’m worried about her. She um, didn’t look well” I improvised quickly.
My mother relaxed. “She was a bit tipsy” she agreed with a chuckle “so I offered her a room to go lie down in and rest. She just needs to um sleep some of it off. Clearly doesn’t have a head for alcohol,” she said with a shake of her head and a bit of a giggle “such a nice girl though” she added fondly.
So that’s where Jordan was. My mother was looking around the ballroom. “Huh, I was kind of hoping he would be here by now” she murmured with a bit of disappointment in her voice.
Huh. Who was he? “Who are you talking about now Mother?” I asked a bit impatiently, wondering how I could get Jordan’s room number from her without causing suspicion.
Maybe if I spoke to Jordan privately she would be willing to hear me out.
“Your cousin” my mother admonished, shaking her finger at me in dismay “Don’t you listen to me? I went over the guest list with you” she added with a sigh.
“Which one?” I had numerous cousins.
My mother rolled her eyes. “Your cousin Blaze. I know he’s a bit older than you, but he’s one of the strongest Alphas in the country now and I thought he might be able to offer you some guidance for when you become Alpha of our pack” she explained “not to mention it would be nice to see him again. It’s been a few years since we caught up with him” she said wistfully “I’ve heard he’s grown into a mature young man.”
Ah, Cousin Blaze. The whole holier-than-thou cousin who was a killjoy and didn’t like to have fun, I thought with a scowl. We had never gotten along as cousins and he’d spoilt my fun whenever he had the chance. He used to accuse me of being a bully when I made fun of other pack members or treated girls badly. As if he was better than me. My mother admired him though, and made him out to be some sort of gentleman. But I knew better, you didn’t become one of the strongest Alphas in the country without becoming a bit ruthless. I suspected that his so-called morals had dropped a bit
more.
I heard the sounds of heels clacking behind me and turned to see Sarah approaching, a sweet smile on her face. “Sarah,” my mother said warmly “how are you enjoying the ball?”
“Oh, it’s incredible Luna Mary” Sarah gushed “You’ve really outdone yourself. The whole thing looks amazing.”
“Oh thank you,” my mother said touched. She put a hand to her hair, beaming at Sarah.
I inwardly rolled my eyes. Sarah touched my arm, her eyes beseeching me, her lower lip trembling and tears coming to her eyes. My mother looked dismayed. “Grant,” she said in a choked voice “could we possibly talk in private? Please? I just, I feel so…” she trailed off and shot my mother a helpless look.
“Oh my goodness, Grant of course you should go and speak with Sarah. You brought her here as your date and you’ve been neglecting her” my mother scolded me. She turned to Sarah. “Do you still have my room key?” she asked.
Sarah nodded. “Fantastic, go and find an empty room to go and talk” she urged us both “Get whatever you have on your chest out of the way. You two are such good friends and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
I sighed. I took hold of Sarah’s hand. “Come on,” I said gruffly, feeling a bit ganged up on “Let’s go talk,” I said heavily as she blinked back her tears and my mother smiled at me approvingly.
I was only doing this to make my mother leave me alone, I thought sardonically. I was going to let Sarah speak, tell her to shut up, and make my way downstairs. At least, that was the plan initially. How quickly that would change.