Chapter 6

<<Mora>>

“I still have to piss.” I growl at Franklin before turning to the tattooed enforcer; he’s watching me with interest and his companion looks bored. “Thanks for the ride.” I make it sound like he did me a favour but we both know the bastard shot me up just to get me here. I figure if I pretend I want to be here, then the enforcers will drop their guard and eventually I can work out the landscape and finally a place to escape to. 

“Take her to the basement.” Franklin hisses from behind me; a shiver instantly works down my spine, my father has a basement and I’ve spent way too much time down there. I’m not openly scared of anything but the second I see a basement entrance, I have the sudden urge to run. Basements are dark, damp and filled with pain. I have no desire to spend my first night here screaming in pain for the entire War Academy to hear. 

“I thought she was supposed to be in the West tower with the Beta for protection?” The enforcer without tattoos growls as the one with pushes away from the van and moves to my back like he’s protecting me. 

“She’s an Alpha, as weird as that is, so she goes to the basement like every new recruit. She won’t get special treatment just because she has a pussy.” My eyes widen as Franklin steps closer to me; I see his nostrils flare and something like interest flash in his eyes. I get the impression that I could punch this stupid male, and he would still keep coming back for more; he might be a nerd but that doesn’t mean he’s used to hearing the word ‘no’.

“She’s not going in the basement.” The tattooed enforcer growls as he wraps his hand around my upper arm; he barely finishes speaking when several enforcers appear at the door; the light is blocked thanks to how many of them there are. We all turn to the door just intime to see the enforcers part to allow an Alpha to step through them. It's easy to tell that this Alpha is not a student. He’s dressed in a dark suit with a pale blue shirt; he’s got greying hair and his temples and his face is lined with wrinkles. He’s walking with purpose, his gaze firmly fixed on me until he comes to a stop almost an arm's width away from me. My wolf instantly senses his strength; he’s not like my father, this Alpha is actually powerful without having to beat the weak bloody. He’s exactly what an Alpha should be. 

“Hyde, I know you have to be here but I still run Irkwood, if I say she goes to the basement, then she goes to the basement.” The Alpha moves his eyes from me to look at the tattooed enforcer. I feel Hyde stiffen at my back and his hand tightens around my upper arm. If we were alone, I’d hiss and rip him away from me, but I force myself to stand still. I have several students and the head Alpha in front of me, showing any form of weakness now will cement my place here. 

“It's fine; just take me where I need to be. I need sleep and I really do have to piss.” I smile sweetly up at the Alpha before glancing at Franklin and winking; his face has turned sour like he’s pissed the Alpha has shown up. I’m sure he had something dark in mind but he won’t be able to pull anything with a fully grown Alpha around. I know the Alpha probably won’t be ally but for now I need him to think I’m full of corporation. 

I don’t see the hand coming for my face until the Alpha’s knuckles are cutting into my lip. Hyde snarls as my vision turns spotty and my head snaps to the right; I instantly taste blood as a dull buzzing sounds in my ear. Before I can right myself, the Alpha grabs my chin in a death grip and forces my gaze back to him. 

“Manners, Morana, manners.” I blink rapidly as his whisky-soaked breath washes over my face. I try to pull back from him but the grip he has on my chin is hard enough to bruise. 

“Let me go.” I growl back at him. Hyde has let my arm go so I’m able to reach up to grab the Alpha’s wrist. I put as much pressure as I can on his arm but he barely even flinches, let alone lets go. 

“Let me go, Alpha James.” The Alpha growls, his dark eyes drill into mine as he hisses the words at me. I know he wants me to repeat them back but I refuse to call someone Alpha when they haven’t earned that title from me. It takes everything I have to grit my teeth and force my eyes up to the dark sky; silence hangs heavy between us, neither of us willing to back down. 

"That's enough," Hyde growls from behind me. I’m not sure why he’s trying to defend me after the wolfsbane and how he brought me here but right now I’m just thankful I have someone willing to speak up to me. 

“How do we treat disrespectful Alphas here?” Alpha James roars loudly without taking his eyes off me. I flick my eyes over to the door to see every student that has gathered is on their knees with their heads bowed. 

“The box, Alpha James.” Two of the males shout at the same time; a cold shiver works down my spine as I slowly look back to Alpha James. 

"What's the box?” I hiss as I try to keep my voice even; I can’t show a single bit of fear or he will take that as submission. I was right about him being strong; I just didn’t see the bully side of him until now. I should have realised he was more like my father when he made himself known with a parade of students. 

“Oh, I think you’ll like it.” Alpha James drags me close to him by the grip on my chin; my booted feet drag across the gravelled drive as he continues to walk until he reaches the steps. “It's even got a bucket you can piss in.” My eyes widen as Alpha James starts to drag me up the stairs. I can’t look around for Hyde or the other enforcer thanks to Alpha James still gripping my chin. I’m not sure what good it would do if I managed to see them anyway. It's not like they can help me; no one can. My father sent me here and now I need to play along until I find a way out.