3. LIVING UNDER HIS ROOF

LUELLA 

“Do you know each other?” Alpha Richard asked, looking between us.

I stopped breathing. Like actually stopped, because the boy sitting right next to me, the same one who took pride in humiliating me just a few hours ago was staring at me like I was the inconvenience. And worse? He was my mother's boyfriend's son.

Oh my God.

I laughed. Not because it was funny, but if I didn't, I might actually scream at the universe for having a sick sense of humor.

Do we know each other? 

That's rich from a man who made my mother change my school, just so I could fit into their worlds, but I bit back my tongue before I could say something I'd regret.

“Unfortunately.”

My mom nudged my leg under the table. “Luella.”

“What?” I shot back quietly. First she brought me to a different city against my will, and now, I have to stay under the same roof with this asshole?

“Luella,” she warned.

Asher leaned, frowning slightly, but he didn't look much surprised. Did he know who I was earlier then?

Richard smiled, trying to ease the tension. “You two must have already met at school. How was your first day?”

I pulled the seat beside him to sit since everyone was staring at me like I was the villian. “Daunting,” I muttered.

Asher finally lifted his head, eyes darkening. “More like… reckless.”

My stomach twisted at the sound of his words, and everything finally made sense. Why everyone was sucking up to him in school, why the teacher bowed to him— it wasn't because he was anything special. He just happened to be the Alpha's son.

Dinner turned out to be worse than Lunch. Once our parents noticed the discomfort, they didn’t bother making any more comments and everyone just ate in silence. As soon as we finished eating, I pushed my seat back, leaving a screeching noise. My mother always said leaving the table first when adults are in the room is rude, but if I were to spend another second here with him, I was afraid I’d lose my mind.

“Excuse me,” I muttered, already turning on my heels when Alpha Richard broke the silence. 

“Asher, why don’t you show Luella around?”

“She’ll be fine,” he said without a second thought. His father shot him a look and he released a groan before walking ahead of me. I strode behind him, leaving our parents behind. As soon as we reached the empty hallway, he stopped in his tracks, and I almost collided with him.

“What the fuck…?”

He grabbed my hands roughly, slamming my back against the wall. Pain shot through my veins as I glared at him. “What the hell is your problem?” 

He inched closer, pinning me against the wall with his body, and I couldn’t help but feel smaller under his gaze. Why is he so tall anyway? I inhaled sharply, trying to keep my breath controlled, but the way his eyes burned into my skin made it hard to concentrate.

“Listen to me carefully,” he commanded. I found myself actually listening to him even though I wasn’t the type who liked to be ordered around. “You are no sister of mine, and just because your mother managed to whore herself to my father, doesn’t mean you are welcome here either.”

Whore? That is what he thinks of my mother?

I scoffed in disbelief, pushing off his arrogant ass as I stared at him dead in the eyes. “You will not speak about my mother like that,” I hissed. “Just because your father is an Alpha doesn’t mean I will stand still and watch you disrespect my mother. You’re not the only one uncomfortable about the new arrangement, so you either live with it, or take it up with your father.”

I brushed my shoulder against his as I walked away, but I had barely taken a step when he yanked me back. “You don’t belong here,” he said through gritted teeth like that wasn’t already obvious. I was doing fine back at home, but he is not one to reason with.

“And just like the others, you’ll crawl back to your hole pretty soon.”

“Gladly,” I snorted.

He bared his teeth, jaw clenched as he inched closer, fanning his hot breath against my skin. “You don’t want to test me, Nuella…”

“It is Luella,” I hissed.

“Speak to me again in that tone and I’ll make sure you and your mother aren’t welcomed anywhere else in the world. Nuella.”

He yanked me out of his way as he stormed off, leaving me boiling with rage in the hallway. That rude son of a bitch. My hands curled into a fist as I watched his shadow disappear. You think you can speak to others however you want? Well, that is only because you haven’t met your match.