Chapter 5

ALEXIS POV

It is 9pm now and Marie’s is closed for the day. And as always, I do not spare an extra minute, and begin my journey home. I have had a long tiring day, just like every other day before this and right now, what I need to do so badly, is have a nice warm Granda Rivera’s meal and a long peaceful night sleep on my fateful old rickety bed.

And pray that Lori gets better and I don't face expulsion tomorrow.

In a few minutes, I am in my neighborhood fortress. That old slum neighborhood that housed all the low-class werewolves in Redwood. It is a place where criminals, drug addicts and prostitutes lurk around in every corner, their eyes prying on you. A place I have grown to love. I was born here, Grandma Rivera says. My mother had gotten pregnant for a random stranger during a one-night stand and when mother gave birth to me, she abandoned me at Grandma Rivera’s doorstep a few weeks later and ran away to a place where no one ever got to hear from her again. Whatever had happened to her, I really do not care.

She is a pathetic selfish woman who I can never acknowledge as my mother.

Even with the craziness in our neighborhood, if there is one thing I love about it more than everything else, that would be……..

My leg expertly catch the old worn-out ball that had bounced from its players in the field, to my foot. Some guys are playing football and the ball has gotten to my position where I stood.

Well, why wouldn’t it when I am the lord of football?

"Hey, Alex. Pass over the ball". A brown haired tall boy yell to me, clapping and signaling to me as he instructed. That is Sanchez, the overall captain of our street’s boys football team.

Instead of passing the ball like he instructed, I smirk at his words.

Let’s play with this baby.

…..football. I love it, till eternity.

I drop my bag pack onto the grounds and run with the ball into the center of the field, controlling the ball professionally between my feet, watching how the boys at first looked on in surprise and later joined me the next second. They are all chasing me now, chasing the ball in my possession. They want it, and wouldn’t watch me get it into the net. The keeper too seems to have geared into action and his body had this sudden new adrenaline flow.

I eye Sanchez from the corner of my eyes aiming at me, his leg straining, aiming to tackle the ball from my legs, and in front of me are three other boys waiting to grab the ball from me. But I was smarter and faster.

I tackle the ball to and fro my legs, confusing their eyes at that instant and then, very slyly and suddenly, I slip away from them, shielding the ball from them and rushing near the goal area. I can see and feel the guys running so desperately behind me and from all sides. Three others were in front of me too.

Balancing the ball before giving it a kick, I decide I have had enough of playing with the boys and watching the funny desperate looks on the face. I mark the goal keeper before I give the ball a moderately hard, yet smooth kick.

I know it should enter the net. It should.

And it did.

With a quick expertly dive the keeper made, he still couldn’t save the ball from going into his territory. It is a sweet swift barely- ten- minutes goal.

I give a shout of joy and punch my fists hard into the air. My name is Alexis Micah, and I never miss a goal.

The boys laugh with me, and not at me. This is the difference my neighborhood kids and my school bullies and my Boss’s daughter. They never laugh at me like the others do.

"Way to go, Alex. I am so ashamed of myself right now." Sanchez says, walking closer to me and giving me a fist bump before passing me a bottle of water in his grips.

How does he know what I need right now? Nevertheless, I give a thank-you nod and gulp down half of the water, saving the half part for him. I know he would need it later, figuring their match was yet to end.

"Thanks, Sanchez. I was born to play football." I answer with a proud chuckle and handed the rest of the water to him. I wipe my mouth dry with the long sleeves of my hoodie.

"And we are so proud of you, Alex.’ He replies and I nod again, going to pick up my bag pack, while he follows me from behind.

"The rumours are true. Aren't they?" He asks as he follows me. "You're mated to the Alpha's son. Donovan Alken?"

I bit my lip and run a hand through my long white hairs.

Everyone knows about Donovan and I now. How fast words fly!

"I guess." I manage an answer and slung my bag pack across my shoulder.

"You are one lucky chap, Alex. Future luna of Redwood pack? No way." He commented with a small chuckle and I almost roll my eyes at how ridiculous the whole idea sounds.

If only he knew.

"Luna, my foot. Wait till he rejects me."

Sanchez stares at me like I have just said the most craziest thing ever.

"Rejected? Are you shitting me, Alex? You are literally the most prettiest, hottest girl in this neighbourhood. I don't know how you don't see that. That Donovan guy is luckier than you are."

I try to stop myself from blushing at his words and I smile at myself.

"Stop it, Sanchez."

But he only maintains eye contact with me. Honesty filled in his baby blue ones.

"Really. You are one pretty thing, girl. You just have to take your heads off your books once a while, for others to see your beauty." He frowns and gives me an intent look, eyeing me from my head to my feet. "And get a change of your closet, would you? You look like a mine worker."

I laugh and hit my playfully on the arm before turning my back to walk away from him again.

"Fuck you, Sanchez."

His laugh follows me from behind.

"See you around, future luna."

I laugh again and continue to walk away and I stop again, recalling something else I wanted to tell him earlier.

I turn back to face him and am surprised to see him in the exact spot I had left him. Watching me.

"And, Sanchez..." he raises a brow at me and I continue. ‘Try not to get easily distracted, when you play football. I’ve marked you for ages. That’s your weakness. Just thought you should know, anyway. Urm….bye." I turn my back and continue to walk again and his words trail after me.

"I’ll try. But maybe today’s fault is that you play too good for a girl. Maybe when you stop putting fears into our minds whenever you step in the pitch, we’ll do better."

I didn’t turn to look at him. I just stop and listen, smiling slightly. I know he is smiling too. I can feel it.

Then I continue to walk away again without a second glance at him.