School From Hell

Addy

Myra parks her car next to her brother’s sleek, black sports car. I scan the area, my gaze landing on him with his girlfriend Macie clinging to him.

“Did your parents ever talk to Drake about her?” I ask. “I remember that dinner she invited herself to. They didn’t seem too thrilled with her.”

Myra chuckles. “Drake’s made it clear to her that when he finds his mate, she’s history. But she’s convinced he’ll reject his true mate for her. That’s not going to happen. He’s just using her for sex, and she doesn’t have the temperament to be Luna.”

I watch as she passionately kisses him. “Why does he keep her around if she’s not his mate? He’s turning eighteen this summer and has been searching for his mate. Do you think she’ll show up soon?”

“I don’t know what he sees in her,” Myra admits. “She’s nasty when he’s not around to keep her in check, but she uses his name to get out of trouble. He needs to find his mate soon before Macie gets her claws in deeper.”

I smile. “I wonder what his mate will be like. Will she be from our pack or another?”

Myra shrugs. “She has to be from a Beta or Alpha bloodline. That’s the only way an Alpha can have a mate. My parents said that’s the only bloodline that can handle the pressure of being Luna and doing what’s needed for the pack. Macie’s parents are Omegas. They’re high-ranking, but not high enough for him.”

I can’t help but grin. “Have you caught a scent yet?”

She laughs. “No, that’s why my parents are throwing a big birthday party for me tomorrow. They’ve invited all the unmated males to increase my chances of finding my mate. Who knows? Maybe all three of us will find our mates tomorrow.”

I nod. “Your brother needs to find his mate soon. He needs to get rid of Macie. She thinks she’s in charge because she’s dating the future Alpha.”

Myra agrees. “He’ll take over for my dad after we graduate this summer. Drake stayed in school an extra year because he needed to take more classes for his future role.”

We get out of the car and I sling my backpack over my shoulder. As we walk towards the school, I can feel eyes on us and hear the snickers and whispers. I keep my gaze on the ground, trying to ignore them. Myra, on the other hand, strides into the school with her head held high, ignoring the pointing and laughter.

She stops and growls at them. “Got a problem?”

They scatter, leaving us alone. I give her a small smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”

She scowls at the retreating students. “My brother told them to leave you alone. He doesn’t tolerate violence towards his pack members. They didn’t listen. You were hurt badly yesterday before I got to you. I don’t want to lose my only friend.”

I run a hand through my hair. “There are plenty of girls who would love to be your friend. Don’t get me wrong, I love our friendship. But I don’t understand why you chose a ~reject~ like me to be your best friend.”

She laughs. “Oh, Addy, if only you knew how good a person you are. Most of these girls would just use me to get close to my brother. They’d hang out with me until he showed up, then they’d ditch me to follow him around like a dog in heat.”

We stop at our lockers, which are side by side. I see Drake talking with a group of boys. Suddenly, he goes rigid. He stops talking and sniffs the air. Then he slowly turns his head. No, no, no. It can’t be.

I throw my backpack into my locker and slam it shut. I run to the bathroom, lock myself in a stall, and climb onto the toilet seat. I hold my breath and cover the area that gives off our scent. I try to stay quiet as the bathroom door bangs open and a low growl echoes off the walls. I see his shoes stop in front of my stall and hear him take a deep breath. Then, he leaves. As the door closes, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Addy?” Myra’s voice echoes in the bathroom.

I shake my head. I can’t believe the moon goddess would do this to me. Of all the females, she chose me to be Drake’s mate. Why? I’m not worthy of him.

Myra knocks on my stall door. “What the fuck was that about? You ran in here like your ass was on fire and my brother chased after you. But he came out growling and looking pissed.”

I unlock the stall door. “Sorry. I felt sick. It must have been the bad fruit I had for breakfast.”

She gives me a skeptical look as I wash my hands. “That’s bullshit and you know it. Tell me why you ran like that.”

“I told you, it must have been the food,” I say, trying to push past her. But she doesn’t move. I hate being so small and weak. I don’t have much strength because I don’t get much food at home and I’m not allowed out of my room.

A smirk slowly spreads across her face. “You found your mate, didn’t you? That’s why my brother followed you in here and was pissed when he left.”

I drop my gaze to the floor. “Please tell him he can reject me tomorrow. I don’t want to be hurt like that on my birthday.”

She smacks my head, making me flinch. “Why would you think something like that? He’s been worried about when his mate would show up for months. Why did you run like that?”

Tears well up in my eyes. “He’s the future Alpha of our pack. I don’t deserve this life. I’m a ~reject~. Look at the bruises on my arms. There’s no way I can be his mate. I’m battered, broken, and abused.”

She wraps her arms around me. “He’s going to be thrilled. I promise. Just think about it. You’ll be my sister-in-law. We’ll be best friends and family.”

I look up at her. “Help me avoid him, please. I’m not ready for that kind of attention. If they hate me now, it’ll be worse when they find out. They’ll all want to hurt me, especially since it means taking him away from Macie.”

She grunts. “She knew this day was coming. I don’t care if she’s out of the picture. I can’t believe you’re going to be part of my family. We’ll be the sisters we always wanted to be. And once he introduces you as his mate, no one will dare touch the future Luna.”

I push past her and head for the door. “You don’t understand, Myra. I can’t do that job. It’s not in me. My wolf hasn’t shown herself in years. How can someone like me lead a pack? He needs someone strong, not this weak, pathetic girl.”

I open the door and scan the hallway. Seeing that it’s clear, I head back to my locker and grab my backpack. Myra follows me to our first class. We take our usual seats in the back, trying to ignore the stares and whispers. The teacher starts the advanced chemistry lesson, but my wolf is pacing in my head, making it hard to concentrate.

“Would you just chill out? I need to pass this class to get into college,” I say, my eyebrows knitting together in frustration.

She flops down, rolling her eyes at me yet again. “You’ve found our mate. What am I supposed to do? Just lie down and wait for you to get your act together? You bolted like a scared rabbit when he picked up our scent. Now he’s going to be on our trail until he finds us. You need to face it; you’re the future Luna of this pack.”

Suddenly, the teacher’s voice pulls me back to reality. “Addy,” she says, “could you answer the question, please?”

I clear my throat, my wolf repeating the missed question in my head so I can give the right answer.