A NEW CONQUEST
Somehow, he derived joy in his action. Aria had barely taken a bite when the cheeseburger was snatched from her hand. She had not had breakfast that morning and the cheeseburger was all she had carried. She was going to protest when she looked up but on seeing who had taken it, she let it slide—she couldn't fight him. Kai. "I'll take this with me," Aria sighed. Instead of her anger, something else stirred within her, her nose picked his sweet smell, her Omega wolf recognizing his Alpha pheromones despite her suppressants. When she looked at him, she didn't see her bully, she saw a man she wanted to protect her, his broad shoulders and distance from his head to the ground, everything was perfect. She rose to her feet. "You want to stand up against me?" He looked amused but Aria knew better than to dare to challenge him. As a future Alpha, challenging him could bring upon her pack punishment or something worse so she didn't even dare it. She walked away. "Better," she heard him behind her. She could only endure a bit more with high empty hopes that the policies would change when they graduated and she could finally escape to human territory. Thankfully, she still had her soda in her back pack and she had to depend on that for the rest of the day since she didn't carry money along. As she walked away, Kai found himself a table at the cafeteria and enjoyed the cheeseburger—her cheeseburger bit he cared less that she didn't have what to eat. "I saw what you did..." Ryan joined him at the table. "Tsk. I was feeling hungry and I didn't bring money along." He shrugged off the feeling of guilt as he finished up the burger. "And you didn't think she might not also have anything else to eat?" Ryan found himself defending Aria before Kai. Kai was from a very wealthy family and as a future Alpha, he could easily afford anything he wanted. "Are you defending her now?" Kai raised a brow and Ryan shook his head before leaving the table. "Where's he going?" Jaxon and Edwin approached the table just as Ryan left. "What do I care?" Kai was the typical arrogant Alpha male that didn't like being questioned and Ryan's questions already pissed him off. "Hi Kai." Several Beta girls had accompanied them as well. Kai barely paid attention to them as he lounged with his friends, his eyes scanning the cafeteria for someone. His wolf was restless. Ryan returned, jokes went about with Kai lost staring at someone. "Hey Alpha boy." Jaxon snapped his fingers in Kai's face but his gaze didn't waver. "Do you think she's pretty?" He had seen her sitting at the corner eating another cheeseburger and for some absurd reason, his Alpha wolf found her really attractive, even though she was clearly an Omega trying to hide her scent. "Who?" The guys followed his gaze and burst into laughter. "Wait, don't tell me the almighty playboy Alpha is interested in a low rank shewolf." Edwin's comment made them laugh except Ryan, he didn't see her that way anymore after the ride that morning. "I think she's cute, smart and different from other girls." Ryan spoke from.a place even he couldn't understand. "Well. I think there's something about her scent that I can't yet place." The boys debated on the topic but Kai never took his eyes off Aria. "I want to claim her." He deadpanned. "You can't be serious." They took the statement lightly because it was too unreal but Kai knew he was serious, she did things to Ros, his wolf that he couldn’t explain. His Alpha instincts were serious and he was confused about his feelings towards an Omega but he couldn't do anything about it except giving in. "She's different, he doesn't stand a chance, he's literally her biggest bully." Ryan argued. "Omegas are made to submit but this one looks different." Jaxon also agreed. "And what if she does?" Kai looked like hecwas enjoying the thought of claiming her but Ryan didn't like the direction the conversation was going so he excused himself. "I'll challenge you to it then." Adrian told Kai almost immediately after Ryan left. "To what? She's not some sort of prize in a lane game." Jaxon frowned but Kai smiled, leaning back in his chair, he crossed one slender leg over the other and drummed his fingers on the table. His eyes danced with amusement, a raised brow and slightly curled lip, he was willing to do anything to claim her—the challenge was a good excuse to chase. "What's the deal?" Kai asked, amusing friends, they barely paid attention to the girls around them as they made their bet. "What deal?" Ryan returned. "If Kai succeeds in getting Aria to submit to him completely, Adrian will be his servant for three days. But if Kai fails, he'll owe Adrian $10,000 and be his servant." On the spot Jaxon came up with the terms like they had it planned beforehand. "Why does Kai have to still pay a f*e, to make it fair it—" Edwin protested "Deal," Kai said. "There'll be no need to worry about me, Aria is quite an easy nut to crack." He stared at where she had been sitting and frowned when he saw it empty. Kai was confident that he could get any female, Aria not excluded to submit completely to him. He had the charm, allure and wealth. His magnetic field was a little too strong. As usual, it drew in a metal—Cassie walked to their table and dropped her soda. "Hi Kai, I was thinking..." She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "What?" His expression was blank. "How about I finish what I started in Mr. Blackwood's class at my place this evening." Kai scoffed. "Me, at your place?" He rolled his eyes. "Or I can come over to yours," she jumped on the suggestion like it was an offer. "I don't claim a girl twice Cassie. Edwin is interested in you, you should give him a chance." With that he rose to his feet and excused himself. He went to look for her and find her, he did. Blocking her path in the hallway, he asserts his dominance over her, his Alpha dominance making her shrink. "So you had another cheeseburger yet you weren't willing to share," he looked at her like a predator did his prey and before she could comment, he was pulling at her hair again. "That's enough, let her go." Mr Blackwood saw them in the corridor and came to Aria's rescue. Kai was barely moved, he felt victorious even at Aria's submission—though not in the way he craved it but that sufficed for the time being. The last thing Kai ever took into consideration was Aria's feeling, he never cared if his actions ever hurt her or not but someone was beginning to care and he just watched from the shadows as she ran holding back tears. He wanted to end all of her misery but he didn't know why and until then he had to lay low.BROKEN GLASS~The night before the party~"I'll meet you there after I figure out what I'm going to wear." Jaxon laughed at Kai from the other end of the call and Kai ended it.Tossing the phone on the bed all the way in his room, Kai stood in front of his closet, staring at the numerous clothes on different hangers, ranging from casual to official. He had never thought so hard of what to wear like this before. There was a first time for everything, and all because of what—rather, who?‘You just have to admit that she's more than that stupid bet.’ Ros said. Kai didn't say anything; instead, he moved closer to his closet. Starting from the first clothes, he moved his fingers, heading to the last one, but finally stopping at a matching combo. He pulled out a black shirt, black leather jacket and a pair of blue jeans and put them on.‘You're running because you don't want to admit it,’ Ros said again, trying to get Kai's attention for a bit, and he successfully did. ‘There’s nothing
YOU DON'T OWE ME When Kai returned, he handed her a shirt, took off his jacket and without thinking twice, draped it over Aria's trembling shoulders."Change out so you don't catch a cold. I'll wait here for you and drop you home," the music had long died down, the Alpha's aura suffocating everyone in the room—he was angry. Ryan was worse—Aria reminded him of his mother too much, moreso, she was being maltreated like his mother had been for a crime they never committed. "Where are you going young lady?" Kai caught Cassie by the wrist before she completely walked past him. They had turned the music back on and a lot of people had started playing games and dancing but Aria was yet to return with Karen."It's my house and—""My territory." He completed her statement in a low whisper.Cassie felt her wolf shrink, she couldn't challenge the Alpha, even if she could, not in front of all the people present.Also, he had been acting strange the whole night, she couldn't predict his next l
One of the Beta girls stepped forward near the edge of the crowd, her lip curled just enough to call it confidence, voice loud enough to be heard but not enough to draw real attention, not yet.“Seducing an Alpha and lacing his drink is disgusting,” she said, head tilted like she wanted Aria to break under it, “bold move though.”Aria stopped.So did Karen.The room didn’t fall silent but it shifted, heads turning in that ripple way, half of them pretending not to listen while standing completely still.Aria’s brows pulled in.Her mouth parted but nothing came out.Her hand moved a little, just enough to reach for something that wasn’t there.Karen stepped forward fast, “What did you say?”The girl laughed, short and sharp, then turned to her friend with a smirk, like she’d already won.Aria didn’t move.She didn’t understand.She scanned the faces closest to her, the smirks, the tilted heads, the way none of them looked confused.They already knew.They’d heard it.She looked toward
One of the Beta girls stepped forward near the edge of the crowd, her lip curled just enough to call it confidence, voice loud enough to be heard but not enough to draw real attention, not yet.“Seducing an Alpha and lacing his drink is disgusting,” she said, head tilted like she wanted Aria to break under it, “bold move though.”Aria stopped.So did Karen.The room didn’t fall silent but it shifted, heads turning in that ripple way, half of them pretending not to listen while standing completely still.Aria’s brows pulled in.Her mouth parted but nothing came out.Her hand moved a little, just enough to reach for something that wasn’t there.Karen stepped forward fast, “What did you say?”The girl laughed, short and sharp, then turned to her friend with a smirk, like she’d already won.Aria didn’t move.She didn’t understand.She scanned the faces closest to her, the smirks, the tilted heads, the way none of them looked confused.They already knew.They’d heard it.She looked toward
LET THEM TALKOne of the Beta girls stepped forward near the edge of the crowd, her lip curled just enough to call it confidence, voice loud enough to be heard but not enough to draw real attention, not yet.“Seducing an Alpha and lacing his drink is disgusting,” she said, head tilted like she wanted Aria to break under it, “bold move though.”Aria stopped.So did Karen.The room didn’t fall silent but it shifted, heads turning in that ripple way, half of them pretending not to listen while standing completely still.Aria’s brows pulled in.Her mouth parted but nothing came out.Her hand moved a little, just enough to reach for something that wasn’t there.Karen stepped forward fast, “What did you say?”The girl laughed, short and sharp, then turned to her friend with a smirk, like she’d already won.Aria didn’t move.She didn’t understand.She scanned the faces closest to her, the smirks, the tilted heads, the way none of them looked confused.They already knew.They’d heard it.She
CHAPTER — THE STAINThe music had changed again, slower now, less frantic, the bass shallow like someone had turned it down to hear themselves thinkCassie hadn’t slowed downShe was standing near the hallway by the guest bathroom, one heel hooked behind the other, leaning into the wall like she wasn’t hunting somethingA girl leaned in, the one with the pink mini dress and a braid that looked too tight for her face, she was new, unsure, easyCassie didn’t smileShe didn’t need to“Did you hear what happened earlier,” she said it low but not secret, her voice made for control, the kind that dripped into ears and didn’t ask questionsThe girl blinked“No?”Cassie leaned closer, eyes flicking once toward the living room then back, like she was scared of being caught but not really“She laced his drink,” she whispered, then paused, like she wasn’t sure she should go on, “Kai’s, I mean”The girl frowned“What?”Cassie nodded once, serious now, voice smaller like that made it real“Swear i