Tasting 147

147–The Rumors

Nora:

I was still on the ground, being the object of everyone’s harsh gazes. Brody and April were just

staring at each other. Everyone was kind of waiting for a reaction from Brody this time.

“I have proof too. A picture of–,” as April tried to continue, Brody held up his palm and silenced her.

“She didn’t reject me,” he said ‘out of the blue. “I told her I was going back to my pack for some

issues, so we must talk after I return. So whoever is giving you information is lying to you.” The way

Brody defended me with a lie caused me to stop crying and immediately feel guilty.

“Brody! What are you doing? Why are you lying?” April grabbed his hand, but he shrugged her off.

“Everyone here will be punished for behaving this way with the alpha king’s stepdaughter,” he

announced loudly. Everyone watched Natalya with a frown and sighed in defeat.

“Go ahead, give me 10 rounds without a break,” he pointed his finger at the track, and everyone

quickly lined up, including Ryker’s team. It was the first time I was happy Ryker wasn’t around. I

didn’t want to be in the same air as him and be called all those names and things.

“Go, April!” Brody, when he noticed April not moving, yelled at her in a commanding tone.

13.101

147–The Rumors

She passed me one deadly glare before she joined the team to fulfill the punishment. Brody then

turned to me and sighed, holding out his hand. for me. With tears still streaming down my face, I

took his hand and got up.

“You should go home now,” he suggested, his eyes showing a hint of sadness. I didn’t know if he

believed his cousin or not, and I was too afraid to ask him.

“Why?” I asked hesitantly.

“There have been some rumors spreading around about you and our stepbrothers. The news has

reached the teachers, and I am just coming from the meeting. The principal is furious, and so are

the others. I would suggest you go home and let Lord Atwood and your stepbrothers deal with this

mess,” he said. He kept his tone normal, but the way he avoided making eye contact with me every

once in a while scared me.

Maybe he thought, just like the others, that I was having inappropriate relationships with my

stepbrothers. The issue wasn’t even that, but the fact that it was all true.

I had led it all to me. All this time, and even since the beginning, I never cared about what would

happen when someone found out about my taboo relationship with my stepbrothers. Why was I so

clueless and fearless?

“But I didn’t do anything,” I couldn’t even look him in the eye and say that. In my defense, I wanted

to say that I was not their stepsister only, that I was their mate, but who would believe me when the

stepbrothers aren’t even ready to tell anyone about it?

“Nora! I believe you, but the others will need some time to digest that kind of news. Please go back

home before the principal and the

22 434

teachers call for you. It will be very traumatizing for you to hear the kind of questions they have for

you,” he assured me when he told me the teachers and the principal already had some harsh

questions ready for me.

And then I recalled Lord Atwood. Oh Gosh! He will find out now.

How will he react to it?

“Okay,” I uttered miserably. He stepped back and then jogged away, joining the team. I don’t know

why, but I kind of hoped he would offer to drop me home. But I guess it was too much to ask from

him when he had an ongoing class and I was accused of such nasty stuff. Rushing back into the

school, I quickly changed and grabbed my bag to leave. To my dismay, the minute I was leaving the

changing room, I encountered three teachers standing there and blocking my way.

It was Miss Pam, Miss Livia, and the male teacher, Kurt. They all looked like they were judging me,

and I hated being under such scrutiny.

“Bring your stepfather to school tomorrow,” Sir Kurt said. My world shook beneath my feet, and fear

engulfed me. I didn’t want this rumor to reach Lord Atwood.

“But why? I didn’t do anything wrong. Those girls are just spreading rumors out of hate,” I tried to

reason with them, but their folded arms. and judgmental glares made it hard for me to continue

explaining myself.

“You have been accused of something very disgusting and a serious sin and crime. I would suggest

you shut your mouth and bring your stepfather in the morning. We will have the conversation with

you in front of him,” Miss Pam muttered, shaking her head.

“And definitely, we are not accusing you of anything. It is just that this

147 The Rumora

needs to be discussed so that whoever is spreading such rumors gets the punishment they

deserve.” Miss Livia quickly jumped in to make. her stance clear.

The others didn’t seem to agree with her. She was a new, young teacher, probably not even 25. She

was known to be a young she–wolf with the brain of a computer. Hence, she was appointed to such

a big position at such a young age.

“Now go!” Sir Kurt signaled me with his head, and I didn’t stay back either. Their eyes and the

accusations had left me so terribly shaken up that I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Once I was briskly running through the hallway, I began to recall the times I took care of Natalya.

The fact that she stayed in my home only to get my secrets and then share them with the world

broke me into a million tiny pieces.

Was all that anger because she got rejected by Cain? Was that all I wa’s to her, a ladder to climb

into my stepbrothers‘ pants?

But the worst part was still not over. The news was going to spread, and I was going to be under so

much scrutiny.

1310