Chapter 69: Her Alpha’s Orders Chapter 68

Jo-anne POV

She was standing in Ella’s room, her hair was lightly curled and pulled up, a few curls were framing her face, her make-up was done, a soft coral-coloured l!pstick, with smokey grey eye shadow that had a nice sparkle to it, and grey eyeliner. All to match her light grey silk knee-length dress.

Her back was completely bare and her moons were on full display for everyone to see. It didn’t bother her at all, she actually thought they were pretty and she quite liked having her back bare.

Tonight was still hot. It could only be a good thing.

She was wearing heart shaped pink ruby halo drop earrings in a rose gold finish and was wearing a matching Halo pink ruby heart tennis bracelet, items she had purchased for herself, they went with her choice of l!pstick, tying the outfit together. She was wearing grey pointed toe 3 inch stiletto’s with a gold metal heel, to match her dress.

“Wow Jo-anne you look Beautiful.” Ella smiled at her. “And tall.”

Jo-anne smiled, yes those heels pushed her height up over the six feet markjust. “Thank you, now let me look at you.” she turned from the mirror to look at Ella.

Who was wearing a white ruched body-con knee-length dress, with spaghetti straps, it accentuated all her curves, her long black hair was braided tightly from the left side around to the right side, one continuous braid and then hung in a long pony tail over her right shoulder, she was wearing light soft make up with pale pink l!pstick and a glimmering golden eye shadow. White 3 inch stiletto’s three white gold bangles and a white gold tear drop pendant that fell just shy of the top of her dress, drawing the eye to her breasts.

“Stunning Ella, T.J. won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.” Ella smiled, “Do you think it will, sway him into my bed?”

“Well now, if I was him. You’d already be there.”

Jo-anne winked at her and they both laughed “Photos.” Jo-anne grinned at her and got her camera out. “Make it sexy Ella, I’ll send it to T.J. Ella laughed “How about super innocent and all cutsie.”

“How about a loll!pop in that mouth of yours? Food for thought.” Jo-anne grinned right at her.

Ella burst out laughing “You’re terrible! But I love it.”

“I’m trying to snag you the Beta. I know he wants you. The stubborn bastard is holding himself back. He told me he likes you.” Jo-anne told Ella.

She took lots of photos of Ella and then a bunch of them together, even handed her camera over to Ella, who was insisting on snapping a few of just Jo-anne. She had really missed their friendship, a lot. Ella had always been the cheeky one.

Getting her to sneak out of the house, and she’d spent a lot of time in the Delta suite, Ella’s parents never seemed to mind though. Jo-anne had been a giggly girl just like Ella, but she had known when to say please and thank you. Knew how to behave and did so.

They walked down the stairs together, could already hear the music playing. The ball had started at 6 and it was nearly 7 now, neither of them worried about turning up early. Ella had been to over 20 mating balls and never found her Mate. She was not expecting to fine anyone here tonight, she had come across most of these people at their own balls or ones thrown here. There was only one pack here she didn’t know. The Pale Moon Pack. But still she didn’t think she would find anyone.

Ella was simply going in the hope of catching T.J. and tonight Jo-anne had every intention of helping her friends catch each other, seeing as they both liked, really liked each other. It was very clear, not just to her but to many others in the pack, that the two wanted each other. Why T.J. hadn’t claimed Ella yet, was beyond her. Kept his hands steadfastly to himself.

Jo-anne knew the man liked her, he’d admitted it, and the two of them were more than old enough to decide if they wanted to be chosen Mates. She didn’t think that West would object to it. But maybe T.J.’s mother would.

They were walking through the pack-house foyer when Jo-anne heard her name. Both she and Ella turned to look to see who it was. Alpha Jayden was walking towards them. “Hello.” she smiled at him.

“You look beautiful.” he smiled right back at her.

“That is a very nice tattoo, very sexy.”

Ella giggled softly, the man was all charm it seemed, dressed in a dark blue suit, with a black vest and a silver tie. “May I escort you two lovely ladies to the ball?” though he was addressing both of them, his eyes never left Jo-anne’s as he walked towards them.

“I guess so.” she nodded.

West would just have to deal with it. Alpha Jayden’s smile widened a little and he stepped right up to her and Ella went to put a hand on the small of each of their backs. Jo-anne quickly stepped away, did not need him to know no man could touch her.

“I won’t hurt you.” he raised an eyebrow at her. His other hand was now on the small of Ella’s back.

“It’s not that Alpha Jayden.” she shook her head.

“Then what?” he asked, his hand falling from Ella now.

Ella was also frowning at her now, mouthing ‘whats wrong?’ at her.

“It’s nothing. I just prefer that you didn’t touch me.”

He frowned right at her, seemed more than a little unhappy. “If you’re worried about your Alpha, I can handle him, I assure you.”

“I don’t want you and he to get into another fight.” she did admit, but that was not the reason she had stepped away from him, but it was a good enough reason for him to believe “I can walk on my own.” she grabbed Ella and pulled her in close to her, linking arms with her, so that Alpha Jayden could not get between them and not even accidentally touch her. Walked off and let him walk behind her and Ella.

They excused themselves and took their leave from him as soon as they walked into the ball room, “What’s going on Jo-anne?” Ella asked as they made their way, away from him.

“It’s nothing, Ella.”

“That’s bullshit.” she stood with her hands on her h**s staring at Jo-anne “Explain.”

“I can’t explain it, Ella.”

“Yes you can.” she stated flatly.

Jo-anne sighed, her eyes moved around the room, landed on West and he was looking right at her. “I can’t” she looked back at her friend. “Let it go,” she murmured.

“Fine but only for now.” Ella frowned at her, had her eyes narrowed she knew something else was going on and was going to demand an explanation from her later.

“In coming.” Jo-anne smiled, her eyes were on T.J. who was headed right this way, Cole was hot on the man’s heels. Ella turned and smiled right at T.J.

His eyes moved over her and lingered on the woman’s curves, then he grabbed the both of them around their waists. “Dance with me.”

Ella was grinning now. “Sure.”

Jo-anne chuckled “I’ll sit this one out.”

“Nope, I will dance with the both of you.” And then he pulled them onto the dance floor.

“Terence!”

“Bugger off Cole. I got me some orders to follow.”

“Terence!”

“Speak to West, if you don’t like it, Cole.” T.J. shot at him. Cole glared right at him and then stalked off.

Then he was dancing with the pair of them, a hand in each of theirs, twirled the two of them around, spun them in towards him and then out away from him. It was really fun, she had no idea the man knew how to dance, let alone with two partners at once.

Ella and Jo-anne were laughing and having fun with him. He was very gentlemanly with them, never once did either of their bodies come into contact with his. No-one seemed to interfere, as both of them danced with T.J. one song after another for a good half an hour. Then the music changed to a slow song and Jo-anne pushed Ella right into him, made them come into body contact. “You take this one.”

Ella smiled at her “My pleasure.” and slid her arms around T.J.’s neck as Jo-anne walked away from the two of them so they could slow dance together. Shame she didn’t bring her camera, would make for a nice photo, she thought as she turned to watch them, T.J. was all dressed up in his official pack suit with Ella leaning her head on T.J.’s chest, her whole body was leaned right into his.

T.J’s arms were around her waist and he looked very happy and comfortable. Why were they not Mate’s. She couldn’t figure it out. They looked so comfortable in each others arms, very relaxed and the girl fit neatly under his chin, like she was meant to be there.

Jo-anne felt a hand on her arm and turned to see who it was. Karen stood before her, why she was hear Jo-anne had no idea she was mated already and not highly ranked enough to be in the ball room herself today.

The woman’s eyes were filled with anger as she stared up at Jo-anne, then there was pain searing right into her chest. “If l can’t have a Mate, neither can you.” she grated and then was gone.

Jo-anne staggered back a step as she felt Clova vanish from her, looked down at her chest.

There was a blade buried in her just under her rib cage angled upwards. She gasped as she saw b***d running down her dress. Heard T.J. yell her name, as she fell down to the ground. People were staring at her, it hurt so much as she slumped on to her side. She heard a massive roar of pain rip through the ballroom from somewhere behind her, her hand touched the blade and she gasped in more pain as it burned her fingers.

Silver.

Found T.J. leaning right over her, pain filling his grey eyes “Jo-Jo.” he gasped in horror, his eyes on hers.

“Don’t touch it.” she got out, trying to warn him it was silver.

She could hear Ella yelling for a doctor or a medic of any kind, could hear the panic in her voice.

Then West was looking down at her “Jo-anne.” he gasped, sounded like he was in pain. She looked at him, saw pain in his eyes just like T.J.

Moved her eyes back to T.J. “It’s alright, it doesn’t hurt that bad,” she whispered.

“Get it out of her West.” she heard him yell.

“She’ll bleed out Terence.” he shot back.

Then she felt that blade get yanked out of her and gasped in pain.

“Terence get.. her… to the hospital. I can’t.” it was West. He sounded like he was in agony, barely able to produce words to her.

T.J. picked her up and they were moving out of the ballroom. She heard a massive roar of pain behind her. “T.J.”

“Hold on Jo-Jo.”

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore.” and it didn’t. The pain was getting less by the minute. She could feel Clova now, but her wolf was fretting and panicking inside her mind. Tried to tell her it would be okay. It seemed hard to reach her, her wolf felt so far away, knew Clova was trying to heal her, but their connection seemed weakened.

“Stay awake Jo-Jo, don’t go to sleep.” he yelled at her.

But she was tired and was starting to feel cold.

“Talk to me Jo-Jo, say anything.”

“Ella,” she sighed, “Wants you.. just as much.” and then there was darkness.

The lights were very bright, T.J. was staring down at her. “Oh thank the goddess, Jo-Jo, you scared the hell out of me.”

“What happened?” she g*****d, putting her hand to her chest “Arg.” pain touched her.

“Thankfully, the blade missed your heart. You’re going to be alright.”

“It hurts T.J”

“I know and it will for a while. Who was it Jo-Jo?”

“Karen,” she answered, “my stepmother.”

“She’s a dead woman.” he snarled angrily.

“No T.J. don’t hurt her.”

His eyes met hers, he was furiously angry.

Don’t you dare say that.” he snapped at her “She bloody well tried to kill you.”

“It’s… I need to ask why.”

“Your not going anywhere near her.” he yelled at her and then he was gone, banged out of the room.

Jo-anne closed her eyes, her father and now her stepmother had both tried to kill her. It didn’t make any sense, she had to find out why. Sat herself up, clutched at her chest. Felt a hand on her.

She turned to see Ella sitting next to her bed. “Ella.”

“I’m here Jo-anne.”

“What’s going on?”

“Man hunt. Well, she-wolf hunt I should say.”

“I have to speak to her.”

“No, you have to rest, that blade only just missed your heart, Jo-Anne, like by a millimetre.”

“I’m fine”

“No you are not. Lay down.” she stood and pushed her back down on the bed gently.

“Ella help me.”

“When you’re all healed up.”

Jo-anne closed her eyes, Clova was lying inside her mind still in pain, they were dying.

No-one knew it yet. But she did, so did Clova. She could sense her own wolf’s sadness. She couldn’t heal her, her head was down between her paws and she felt dull and lacklustre.

Forced herself up, shoved Ella’s hand away from her, looked down at her b***d-stained dress, pulled the dressing off and looked at her skin. It was healed over a scar remain due to the blade being silver, one more to add to her body, she thought absently, but she knew something was still wrong inside of her.

“West’ she linked to him ‘don’t kill her. all she got back was rage and fury. There were no words, he severed the link.

“Ella help me, they’ll take her to the cells.”

“West will kill her, Jo-anne and so he should.”

“I need to understand before he does. Help me to stop him Ella, please.” she begged her. Ella was staring at her. “You’ll stay right here. I will go and find Terence, only if you stay here.

“Be quick about it, Ella.” Jo-anne nodded and lay back down. She was tired and knew why. There was no point telling anyone. It would only hurt them, better to just keep quiet. Let them think she was okay. Clova whined in her mind ‘Just rest my sweet girl, don’t fight it. We need the energy.’ She told her wolf.