Kidnapped By An Alpha Jerk

Chapter 48

April's POV

"Ap? Come on! Everyone's waiting for us!" Nina yelled. We were back in the house where they first took me after I was kidnapped and I claimed the same bedroom I had stayed in. 

My mother accompanied me here and promised that she would be back after three weeks to pick me up; she was staying at my apartment after Nina and Kayla begged her to let me go on a road trip for the summer. Well, the 'road trip' consisted me of staying here – they weren't willing to take the risk of moving me on an open road with no promise of immediate help in case I needed it. Great. 

I hated having plans altered because of me. 

I felt like a burden.

I was a burden. 

"Coming." I mumbled. 

She paused at the doorway staring at me for a few moments. I forced a grin, assuring her I was fine, she smiled back uncertainly and gave me look clearly reading: if-you're-not-down-in-2-minutes-I-will-come-up-here-and-personally-drag-you-down. 

I swung my legs out of bed and paused, waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. I would often feel as though I was submerged in an oblivion of hazy lights and pulsating colours and it would take me a few minutes to snap out of it. My sides also hurt - sharp shots of pain would coarse through them. But I think that was because of the surgery. It was scary. 

I pushed my hair out of my face – it had grown longer over the 6 months and hung down my back, but it wasn't as long as I would have liked it, of course. No girl was fully happy with the length of their hair unless you were Rapunzel. I made it to the full length mirror and assessed myself closely. I looked a lot better than before - Aiden had watched me as I ate and encouraged me to eat more so I was now gaining weight again. He even cooked for me - he was surprisingly good. No scrap that, he was damn well amazing. But despite that, I still felt sick looking at food I would have devoured 6 months ago without a problem and I hated that feeling. 

Downstairs, people were milling around a large barbecue being handled by Carlos, the air sweet and spicy with food. I exited the room and began the descent down the stairs, trailing the banister with three fingers as I went. I was halfway down the stairs and a knot of sickness was beginning to form deep in my stomach. You know a few people from the pack – Kayla's coming... Noah too... 

My mind froze and pondered over those two people for a while. I wasn't sure what to expect from the other pack – apparently after my accident, Noah toughened up and came to see me in hospital and apologized to Aiden about what had gone down that night. There was tension, but the animosity had been contained and Antonio had made him invite the other pack for peace's sake. 

"April?" Someone yelled my name and I cringed at the loudness. "What's up little A?" Beau ruffled my hair with one hand.

"Not the hair." I huffed.

"Ah, but it always has to be the hair, April."

"Why?"

"Why?" He repeated. "Because it irritates you and irritating you is my favourite thing to do in the world because you actually rise to the bait." 

I slapped his hand away and did the same to his hair, resulting in him grumbling at me. "Not the hair?" I mimicked, laughing. 

"Rude." He trailed off, glancing around at the people around us.

"Looking for someone?" I prompted. A mate?  "A... special someone?" I grinned as I said the words, watching his reaction. "Beau? You can talk to me, you know? I've heard I make an epic Cupid."