I WON'T BE YOURS, ALPHAS

I never knew the exact moment I started to hate my aunt’s husband. Maybe it was buried deep in some forgotten part of my childhood, thirteen years worth of memory my mind had chosen to erase for some reason, But what I did know, what I had always known, was that his presence made my skin crawl. And here, at my mother’s burial, standing beside the fresh grave, with grief making it almost impossible for me to breathe, I had never hated him more.His voice droned on, listing reasons why he forbade me from accepting the scholarship but I didn’t hear a word. My eyes were locked on him, on the way he stood too close to my aunt, his hand gripping her shoulder as if he owned her, and the way he angrily waved the letter in the air as if the choice to accept the offer belonged to him. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. He didn’t deserve to have a say, it was my life.“You are not going anywhere, Kiara. I forbid it! You are going to remain here and go to a school in this neighbo

Kiara’s POVThe cafeteria was full. Hundreds of students were seated as they talked, laughed and ate. The noise was deafening but the minute I walked into the room with Aurora, something shifted in the air. The room didn’t completely go silent because they were whispering and murmuring.“That girl is with Aurora?”“First it was Xavier, now she’s moving around with Aurora?”“What’s it with them? Is she really important or they’re trying to help her?”I could feel eyes on me from every corner of the room. My heart started racing as my stomach twisted. I wasn’t supposed to be here. Aurora didn’t look like she noticed—or maybe she didn’t care. Her bright smile was plastered on her face as she walked across the room with confidence, practically dragging me with her. “We’re going to be sitting with my friends,” she said as she led me to a table in the middle of the room. That was when I saw her. The girl with dark hair from earlier—the one who had made fun of me. She was even more b

Kiara’s POVI should have known better than letting Aurora drag me into it. “Stop being a party pooper, Kiara,” she said as she moved closer to me. “Try this outfit out, it’ll look perfect on you.”Swallowing hard, I took the black dress from her and moved to change my clothes. The dress was body hugging and as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn’t help but feel self conscious. It wasn’t the usual baggy tops and pants I usually wore—everything was on display with this mid length dress.“I know what you’re doing, and you need to stop,” Aurora said, noticing my hesitation. “You look stunning.”“I don’t know…” I bit my lips. “Don’t you think it’ll be better if I cha—““No,” she said as she placed her hands on my shoulders. “You need to trust me when I say you look beautiful in this dress, and no one would be able to take their eyes off you.”She seemed so sure, and her confidence rubbed off on me. I decided to be delusional and hoped that the night would turn out well for

Kiara’s POVI should have known that my nightmare wasn’t anywhere near over; it had only just begun.The moment I stepped out of the class and into the hallway, all eyes turned on me as laughter filled the air. People were whispering too loud—like they actually wanted me to hear it, their words cruel and filled with mockery. “Did you see how desperately she was begging for it?”“You should’ve seen her face when the door was opened. It was priceless!”“I can’t believe that she believed that Xavier would stoop as low as liking her.”I kept my head down as I forced myself to keep walking, my hands balled into fists. I thought maybe if I walked fast enough or maybe if I acted like it didn’t affect me, then it would all go away, and they'd stop talking about it. But luck wasn’t on my side. “She should even be happy someone touched her,” Cassie said loudly, her voice venomous. “I mean, if I was the one with saggy titties, I would be so embarrassed to take my shirt off.”They burst into l