5. WRONG ROOM.

LUELLA

Asher stormed out of the room after his remark, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his jaw ticked as he stepped away. This was just the beginning. Just wait until I have my wolf and can fight you fair and square.

“Sounds like a death wish. You stand no chance against his Alpha aura let alone a real fight.”

“Such a buzz kill,” Sabrina snorted. She picked up her bag from the floor and ran after Asher like a little pet.

I’ll have to put that bitch in her place one of these days.

“Okay kids, the class is over,” the instructor announced, shaking his head slightly. The students groaned as they picked up their bags and left one by one. I pushed myself up, dusting the dirt on my uniform when the instructor broke the silence.

“Miss Rivers?”

I looked up to see that he was already staring at me.

“Y-yes, sir.”

“I know adjusting to a new environment is not always easy, but I’d lie low if I were you. Those kids are not people you can mess with. Their parents run the city, and as for you…”

“I’m just an unwanted guest in the pack, got it.”

His eyes flickered with something I didn’t care to read. Everyone in this school was an ass, including the teachers. 

By the time I got to the bus station, the last bus had left, leaving me no option but to walk home. 

Great! Just what I needed.

My legs were still sore from all the walking and the physical assault Asher pulled on me, but who cares? It’s not like my mom could throw a huge chunk of cash at them and force them to treat me right.

Everywhere was already dark by the time I arrived home. I wiped the beads of sweat that formed on my forehead, when I met with my mother’s worried look.

“Finally! I was starting to get worried. Why didn’t you pick up your calls? We called the school and they said you left as soon as the school ended. Where have you been?”

I wanted to snap at my mom and remind her that I wouldn’t have been in this situation, if she had settled for a normal man back at home, but from the way her chest was heaving, I decided to keep my thoughts to myself… at least for now.

“I wanted to get familiar with the pack, but I missed the bus and had to walk home.”

Her eyes flickered with worry as she stepped closer. She grabbed my hands, examining my body. “My goddess. Are you okay? That is such a long distance. Go clean up,” she said, stroking my hair like I was still five.

Alpha Richard sighed behind Mom. 

“Next time you want to explore the pack, you can tell Asher to drive you.”

I nodded, forcing a smile on my face.

I crashed on my bed the second I got into my room. My legs had started shaking, and I couldn’t thank the goddess enough that tomorrow was the weekend. I didn’t even have enough strength to take off my uniform before drifting to sleep.

***

“Hey baby,” a gentle voice spoke beside me, waking me from my sleep. I forced my eyes open to see my mother sitting beside me. 

“Mom?” I cleared my throat, rubbing the sleep in my eyes.

Her eyes shifted to the uniform I was still wearing and she gave me an apologetic smile. “You didn’t walk home last night to avoid Asher, did you?” she spoke softly, and I sighed.

My mom reads me like an open book. It was hard to lie to her except she wanted to let it pass.

“I…” I closed my eyes, stopping myself before I could begin running my mouth. 

Mom already felt guilty for bringing me here, she’d blame herself more for that asshole action, but it wasn’t her fault that Alpha Richard raised a dick like that.

“I wasn’t used to having siblings, you know?” I forced out a smile and she pulled me into a hug.

“I know it must have been hard,” she whispered in my ear. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“Yeah, yeah… I can’t breathe.” 

She chuckled as she pulled back from the hug, and I noticed she was dressed up.

“Are you heading somewhere?” I arched my brows and a pink flushed in her cheeks.

“Richards wants us to go on a date,” she said, placing a hand on her cheeks to hide her blush.

“Isn’t it too early for that?” 

“Do you even know what time it is?” she shook her head. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, and my mouth hung open.

“It’s past noon? Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I just did,” she smiled and I groaned.

My stomach grumbled and I couldn’t even blame it. I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.

“Go and shower. I’ll tell the maids to prepare something for you,” she said, pulling the duvet away from my body.

Living a soft life sure looked nice on my mother. A smile crept on my face as I stared at her.

“You and Richard, huh?”

She blushed again.

“We’re planning to get married by the end of the month,” she tried to steady her voice, but I could feel her excitement. “You’ll do me the honour and be my chief bride’s maid, right?”

“Of course!” I grinned. “I am so happy for you, Mom.”

“Me too!”

My mom went on a date with Richard, leaving me to plan the day by myself. I had a little homework to do, but after spending hours on it, I grew bored. I left my room to take a walk around the house. It doesn’t matter how many days I have spent here, I didn’t think I could get used to this kind of luxury.

My father worked hard to give me everything when he was here, but that was nothing compared to an Alpha’s fortune. The image of the last time I saw him flashed in my eyes. His warm smile. The way he’d always hug me until I feel better. 

God, I missed him so much.

My eyes caught a door at the end of the hallway. I have been to almost every room in the packhouse except for that one. My heart skipped a beat as I lurched forward, and a part of me felt like I could be invading their privacy.

I turned the knob, hoping it’d be locked if it was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to enter, but it creaked open.

I have seen the maids getting all tense when they clean the room, and I never really understood why. I allowed my curiosity to get the best of me, and my body froze as soon as I stepped in. 

Asher’s golden amber eyes locked onto mine, burning with something fierce and unreadable. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” he barked.

A cold sweat ran down my spine. His jaw ticked, hands clenched together. It didn’t take six senses to know he was livid, and unlike the many times I wanted to talk back and put him in his place, I kept my mouth shut.

He stepped closer, and I backed away instinctively. He didn’t stop walking. I tried to flee, but my leg pushed the door accidentally, shutting it closed.

My head snapped to it, before turning back to see Asher who was now standing in front of me slowly.

His height towered over mine, making me feel awfully small, 

“Answer me when I asked a fucking question!” he snapped, making me jump from the coldness in his voice.

“I… I didn’t know you were here—”

He scoffed, looking unconvinced.

“Sniffing around the mansion wasn’t enough. How dare you step into my mother’s room?”

His voice dropped, and my heart raced.

Was it his mother’s room? Fuck. I had no idea.

“I was… I just wanted to take a look.”

He yanked my neck, slamming my back against the wall. I winced from the pain that shot through my veins. My body was already aching from that stupid duel with him, I couldn’t take the aggression anymore, or my ribs might tear apart.

“Listen very carefully,” He started. The sound of his words vibrated through my being. He pinned my hands above my head. His hand circled my wrist and I didn’t think he noticed it. His grip tightened on the bruise he left there after the duel, and a sharp string shot through my wrist. 

I bit down on the pain, refusing to give him the satisfaction he wanted.

“I can take just anything,” he spat in my face, “but coming here, disrespecting my mother’s memory with your dirt…” he trailed off, his hot breath fanning my neck, and my stomach curled in disgust.

“That is unacceptable.”

His grip tightened on my hand, and I let out a shaky breath. His eyes shifted to my wrist. He saw the purple bruise on my wrist, and he released me in an instant. His eyes flickered with something soft before they were masked with his usual stoic expression.

“Did I… do that?” his voice came out lower this time. For a split second, he looked at his own hands as if they belonged to a stranger. 

I yanked my hand away as if his touch burned.

“What? Are you ashamed now or let me guess… It’s not satisfying enough.”

“Luella…”

“Oh. Now you know my name?” I shook my head. A surge of rage coursed through my veins as I stared at him. I might have trespassed by coming into his dead mother’s room without knowing it, but he was just an ass who’d take any chance to bully someone he considered weak.

“I didn’t…”

“Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night,” I sneered. “Do us both a favour and stay the fuck away from me.”