The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Jordan POV
I banged on the basement door, tears trailing down my face. Huge and sturdy, my hands were covered in bruises, my nails torn and ragged, several of my knuckles shredded and bloody. It was no use, even though I was forced to admit that, it didn’t slow me down from continuing to try.
“Let me out” I screamed “You can’t keep me down here forever. This isn’t right, somebody will come looking for me” I threatened, although I couldn’t be sure that would be the case.
I had been down here for several days, the door locked to keep me sequestered inside, given no food and no water. I’d been forced to drink the water from the bathroom vanity tap and my stomach growled loudly, my hunger overwhelming to the point I was almost passing out from starvation. I was so lightheaded and dizzy that it was an effort to move from the mattress in the basement to the bathroom. I was praying to the moon goddess on a daily basis but she had yet to hear my prayers.
Were they going to starve me to death? Was this a punishment for refusing to become a breeder? Or was this their way of showing me what would happen if I continued to try to defy them? I weakly banged on the door some more and then crawled over to the mattress, almost collapsing on it and curling up with my knees to my chest as I sobbed, my heart feeling like it was being torn in two, my chest tight, my body wracked with pain. I couldn’t survive another day in here, I just couldn’t.
I heard a sound I hadn’t been expecting. The sound of the lock on the door turning, the door itself opening with a large creaking sound. I blinked, my head raising slightly as Stella herself stepped inside the room. She c****d her head and looked down at me, a bag in her hand, perusing me with dismay and a look of disdain on her face.
“You look terrible,” she said bluntly.
Gee, thanks. So nice to see you too.
“I’m so hungry” I whispered “Please, can I have some food” I begged.
My father stepped into the room, with a tray of assorted food and a sneer on his face. He put the tray on the floor beside me, turned around, and walked away. My mouth watered and I grabbed the first available thing, a muffin, and gulped it down in two bites as Stella watched scandalized.
“Do try and eat in a more civilized manner” she scolded me, sounding indignant and disgusted as she watched.
I’d like to see her eat civilized after starving for several days, I thought scornfully, ignoring her and shoving handfuls of food down my gob until I took a deep breath, my stomach beginning to feel full and my energy rising.
“You’re not coming out of this room, looking like that,” Stella said snidely, peering down her nose at me.
I looked like a mess. Having been trapped inside the basement for several days, I’d long since given up on caring for myself. I was dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt that smelled heavily of sweat and body odour because I hadn’t bothered showering for the last two days, My hair looked like a rats nest and my eyes were red and puffy with large black circles underneath, while my skin was extremely pale and sickly looking from the lack of sunlight. I doubt anybody would look like a model in these types of conditions though.
Stella tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. “Hurry up and get in the shower” she instructed with a roll of her eyes “and make sure you do something with that dreadful mess of a hair of yours as well. You should be ashamed of yourself, for letting yourself get into such a state. Don’t you have any caring for how you look at all?”
I swallowed and got up on shaky limbs, tottering toward the bathroom. I started the water and peeled my clothes off, wrinkling my nose as I smelt how bad I was for the first time, stepping into the freezing cold water and quickly scrubbing my hair with shampoo and conditioner, before cleaning my body thoroughly. Stella poked her head in and handed me a razor, her eyes sharp. “Shave everything,” she said frostily.
I quickly shaved, and then washed myself again, before hopping out and wrapping myself in a towel. I padded back into the basement and Stella stood there, eyeing the wristwatch she had, a look of concern on her face.
“About time,” she said snidely “I was beginning to think you’d drowned or something. A klutz like you, it would hardly be surprising.”
I went over to my dresser, which was broken, and began to rifle through the drawers but Stella held up her hand and stopped me in my tracks.
“I have something for you to wear so that you look decent for once,” she said with a long-suffering sigh, holding up the bag and beginning to dig through it.
I was a little shocked. Why had she gone out and bought me stuff? It was almost like she was wanting me to make a good impression but why? My stomach began to churn with suspicion.
She handed me some white lace panties and a matching bra.
I quietly put them on, stunned when they were the perfect size. The bra enhanced my breasts, making my cleavage look even more round and luscious and the panties made my legs look longer and slimmer. Stella pursed her lips. “It’s the best I could do” she murmured “I can’t make a diamond out of coal” she uttered and I deflated.
She handed me a hairbrush and I began to brush my long hair, which easily fell past my back and ended at my bottom. It took a while, I had so many snags and knots in my hair, but eventually, my hair was shiny and glossy. I went to put it up and Stella shook her head decisively.
“Leave it down. Your hair is one of your best assets” she said gruffly.
Okay. Strange compliment, but a compliment nonetheless. I put the hairbrush down on the dresser, feeling shy. I was still in my underwear in front of Stella but she seemed to be intent on preparing me for something. I just had no clue what it was and was barely paying me much attention to make me feel too self-conscious.
She handed me a dress and I held it in my hands, my eyes widening in awe. It was a stunning dark purple color. It had spaghetti straps and a zipper up the back. It contained a sweetheart neckline and was tight around the bodice, and then flowed from the waist down to my knees. It was cute. The purple really brought out my eyes and suited my complexion. It was also a really fancy dress, not really intended for everyday use. It was more suited as a cocktail dress; I thought a little confusedly. Something someone would wear out to a fancy party or date.
Stella did the zip-up, looking triumphant. “I knew I got the right size” she crowed “It fits you perfectly,” she said with satisfaction written all over her face.
“It’s a really nice dress,” I said biting the inside of my cheek “Are we going somewhere?” I asked tentatively. It would be out of the ordinary and against my father’s character to allow me out of the pack for any reason.
She shook her head. “No and don’t ask any more questions” she huffed.
I fell silent. She pulled out some shoes. They were black kitten heels with bows at the back. I slid them on, tying the straps around the ankles, and stood on them awkwardly trying not to sway back and forth as I got used to the feeling of them.
“Your legs don’t look as fat now,” Stella said harshly, nodding up and down with a pleased expression “In fact they look quite lovely. Almost as though they are of normal, average size.”
I was hoping we were done by now. Apparently not, because she pulled out a necklace and bracelet. A simple heart locket and gold bracelet which she helped me put on. I had never owned any jewelry before. As it was I had somehow lost the nautilus necklace I had been gifted and while I still had the bracelet Jaxon had given me, I kept it well hidden.I was more than a little suspicious now. The bangle felt more like a restraint or a handcuff, heavy on the wrist and I felt a sense of foreboding as Stella began to slowly circle me, her eyes critical as she looked for anything out of place. “Straighten your posture” she hissed.
I straightened my shoulders and my back, feeling awkward as all hell in the high heels.
“I should have got you a small coat or something, to make your arms look less big,” she said in a pained voice, “but it is too late to remedy that now. Otherwise, I’m sure you’ll pass inspection,” she said in a hopeful tone of voice.
Pass inspection? What the f**k did that mean? “What do you mean, pass inspection?” I queried, my voice shaking slightly. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound pleasant.
She smirked. “Oh, quit your bellyaching, Jordan. Stop asking questions. Do you want to end up back here, locked away in the basement? Haven’t the last few days taught you anything? You missed out on graduation and the last day of school by the way.” She added.
I had suspected as much. My shoulders dropped and she struck me on the shoulder, forcing me to straighten back up again.
“Your friend Jaxon called. I told him you were sick” she said nastily “which should buy us a few more days at least. How irritating that you have a friend who gives such a damn about you. I really hope he’s not going to cause us any problems” she hissed, her eyes flashing with anger as she spoke to me.
For a second my hopes rose. Jaxon had called, looking for me! He still cared, even if we weren’t attending school together. I felt a warm glow inside. Maybe, I thought with my hands clasped together, maybe Jaxon would realize something was wrong and come to the pack.
Stella arched a brow and then dug out lipstick and some mascara from the bag. She began to apply it as I stood still as a statue. “Much better” she muttered “Your face looks like a frigging vampire” she complained.
Well maybe because I haven’t seen the sun in days, I wanted to retort. Part of me wished I was a vampire because then I would drain her blood and rip her head off, blood spurting everywhere. For a moment I got distracted as I envisioned doing just that. A small smile curved on my lips. She let out an impatient grunt.
“Jordan” she snapped as I turned questioning eyes on her “Let’s go” she snarled, grabbing my arm with strong arms, her nails digging in as she began to haul me upstairs.
“Where are we going?” I asked with desperation.
“You’ll see,” she said archly as we made our way into the main part of the house.
She led me right towards the study, where she opened the door with one hand, shoving me inside and stepping in behind me, the door shutting with an ominous clang, a bright smile on her face as I saw a stranger in the room, sitting opposite my father, his head turning around to look at me as my father smirked.