THE ALPHA WHO HATED ME
pte
NE POINT
ng has changed. The air feels different. Charged with malice. Students who
the bond sits aches with each heartbeat. Sleep didn't come last night. Every time I
away f
rns like acid
h step feels like walking through quicksand. Heavy
untain. They see me coming and start whispering.
e she
ied to force he
the
d walk faster. But there's nowhere to h
ight. Too shaky. Too clumsy. The metal feels ice-cold against my ski
My books scatter across the
ce says. "Sor
n's friends from the cafeteria. He's not s
pping on one of my notebooks as I try to gather
ome laugh. Others pretend
ps moving. Keeps stepping on things. Keeps mak
re?" anothe
n's inner circle. His presence makes my wolf cower
helping our new student underst
r steel. "Some people need ex
t accidents anymore. Thi
l like water. My whole body trembles with fear and rage and so
ays as I hurry away.
own the hallway. Settle
s who shared tables with me yesterday suddenly fi
nything. His eyes hold sympathy, but sym
d. It bounces off and falls to the floor. I don't turn aroun
says: "Ome
board. Force myself to take notes. To pretend I
r hits me. T
ional
your p
cts don't b
esigned to remind me of yesterday's humiliation. Of
re beneath the pain, something else stirs. Something that whispe
ierceness. I push it down quickly.
conversations buzzing with excitement. They're en
est stall. Press my back against the cold door and finally le
us's voice. "Be brave, little wolf," he used to whisper w
roken. Shattered into pieces I do
s. Students part around me like I'm disea
what happen
ght Ronan Nightban
are so d
d put her out
lood run cold. There's real
a isn't there. Neither are the other students who seemed fri
on, but it dies when I walk by. Head
mouth. My stomach churns with anxiety. With the
ee three girls standing there. Alphas, judging
leader asks. She doesn
ering prey. Their scents are expensive
e leader continues. Her name tag says
. Every instinc
performance yesterday," anot
ical blow. The bond in my
. "Throwing yourself at someone so far above your stati
er legs, too humiliated to even growl. The scent of their expensive perf
" the third girl chimes in. "All
lves without a pack," Madison adds.
lear. I'm being hunted.
ontinues. "Make sure you und
ard enough to leave marks. My wolf snarls low in my chest, more wounded than
d chain. You don't speak unless spoken to. Don't look Alphas i
ns. I can feel
betters. That means Alphas. B
er that you're only here on charity. One wo
About how easily he could des
nd?" Madi
use I have
and stands. "We'll be watching you.
ersation carries across the cafeter
u see h
path
right to
never
ail marks bloom purple against my pale
arg
. Every cruel word and hostile glare has chipped
he metal door shows a girl I barely recognize. Ho
mes before realizing someone has superglue
an my forehead against the cThis is what Ronan's
ryt
le?" a famili
e. Her face is carefully neutral
ine,"
closer. "What they're doin
," I whisper. The wo
deserv
. Wanted something I had no right t
to me?" I ask. "Won't
before she speaks. Something flickers
Ronan's rejection was the worst part? That was just his op
here's knowledge in her voice.
do you
Already distancing herself from
e empty hallway, understa
ng. This isn't just crue
ized. Planned
just reject
clare
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