Chapter Four

A sudden knock on the door woke Ella up. She rubbed her bleary eyes and glanced at the windows of her room. The sun has already risen and the birds were chirpings inside the forest. 

“Ella, you need to prepare for school now,” her mother said outside the room. Ella groaned and covered her face with a large pillow. The school was tiresome for her but she couldn’t ignore it. At the very least, she wanted to graduate and help her mother. 

“Ella, it’s your first day in your new school. It would be very bad if you’re late,” Elisa said and knock on her daughter’s room once again. 

“Can you give me five minutes, Mom!?” Ella yelled inside. Elisa heaved a sigh and leave Ella be. After five minutes of just staring blankly at the plain white ceiling in her room. She slowly stood up and walk inside the bathroom. 

Ella stepped into the shower, her toes flinching as they touched the solid cold floor. She removed her nightdress and turned the dial, releasing warm water that fully awakened her being. The water trickled on her hair down to her body. She closed her eyes and bathed her skin lightly. 

After her shower was finished, she went to the drawer and picked a white crop top with the word ‘QUEEN’ printed on it and a pair of pants. Ella wore it and headed downstairs, bringing her bonnet and bag with her. 

“I cooked our breakfast. Let’s eat and I will take you to your school,” Elisa said. Ella sat on the vacant chair and picked a ceramic plate and filled it with foods that her mother made. Together, they ate their food silently. 

“Are you ready?” her mother asked after cleaning the dishes. Ella wiped her lips with a handkerchief and nodded her head. “Then, let’s go,” Elisa added and picked the car keys on the table. Ella followed her mother outside and opened the passenger’s seat. Fifteen minutes had passed and they already arrived at the school. Elisa parked her car and glanced at her daughter.

“Remmington University,” Ella mumbled while looking at the school.

“Will you be okay? Gwen promised me to accompany you,” Elisa said. Ella had the urge to roll her eyes because of her mother’s remark but decided not to. She removed her seatbelt and grabbed her bag.

“Mom, I’m not a kid anymore. I’ll be fine,” she said. The truth was, Ella doesn’t want to upset her mother by saying unnecessary things about Gwen. She bid her goodbye and slammed the door closed, gently as possible. 

“Take care, sweetie! Love you!” Elisa said through the open window. Ella waved her hand and smiled. She waited for her mother’s car to go and entered the university, wearing her bonnet. While walking, she overheard the students talking about her, but she chose to ignore it. 

“Ella? It’s you!” Gwen enthusiastically said and hugged her. Ella pushed her lightly and gave her a tight smile. Gwen frowned, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.

“You look good today,” Gwen complimented. The crowd suddenly went wild. 

They gathered at the main entrance. Ella stared at them with a confused expression on her face that she didn’t even bother hiding. And like in a drama, five boys entered, hands on their pocket and looking smug.

“Who are they?” Ella asked. Gwen glanced at her and back to the boys.

“Ah…they are the h-heartthrobs in this university,” she stuttered and nervously laughed. Ella looked at her suspiciously. Gwen quickly avoided her gaze while fidgeting. 

“Right,” Ella said. A particular boy in the group caught her attention. He was emotionless and attractively handsome. The other boys had good looks too, but he stands out the most. He had an aura of being mysterious. He’s wearing a plain shirt, but he’s oozing with sex appeal. Ella mentally groaned. 

“Snap out of it, Ella! Remember your rule: Strictly no boys,”

she muttered inside her head. Gwyneth saw Ella checking them out and she couldn’t help but giggle. She poked Ella’s shoulder lightly and smiled.

“Do you like someone on that group?” Gwen asked. 

“Nonsense, I don’t have,” Ella harshly answered back. She doesn’t need friends nor boys in her life. She’s done with it. Ella put her trust in them and what she received in return was pure suffering, the trust she had was broken. For Ella, boys are all the same. They will use, trick, and hurt a woman like her.

“That’s Alpha Blaze,” Gwen said and pointed at the boy who was wearing a plain white shirt. Gwyneth saying his name made Ella’s heart beat fast and do a somersault. 

“Alpha?" Ella curiously asked that made Gwen stiffened. "Like some sort of a gang leader?" she added. Ella felt her visibly relaxed.

“N-nevermind. You are going to Dean’s office right? I’ll take you there,” Gwen said and smiled. Ella eyed her suspiciously again for dodging her question but regardless started following Gwen to where the Dean’s office was located. 

Gwyneth knocked on the door thrice before opening it. “Good morning, Dean. The new student is here,” she said. The middle-aged woman wearing eyeglasses smiled at the girls. Ella smiled back and they went inside. The Dean handed Ella a paper containing all of her class schedules. 

“Thank you, Dean,” Ella said and took the paper. The Dean nodded her head and watched the girls left her office. Ella started walking away from Gwen, but the girl kept following her, insisting to be her guide. 

“I don’t need a babysitter, Gwen! I can handle myself. Thanks for coming with me,” Ella snapped at Gwen. Gwyneth was taken aback by Ella’s sudden outburst, but instead of getting angry at her, she smiled and bid her goodbye. Gwyneth’s action made Ella sighed. Her conscience was eating her slowly, but she has to build a wall around herself. She doesn’t want to get hurt again. 

Ella started searching for her classroom when she suddenly bumped into a solid wall that made her fall to the ground, but she was surprised when the said wall talked. 

“Fvck! What are you doing? Are you blind?” a voice said. Ella looked up and saw that the person she bumped into was the same guy who was wearing the plain shirt that Gwyneth called Alpha Blaze. 

“Fvck! What an idiot!” he said. Ella hearing this, rage in anger. She stood up and faced the boy. 

“Excuse me, that’s way out of line!” she angrily said. “I get that it was my fault, but you are also not looking while walking. So, we are just the same!” she added while panting heavily. Ella won’t back down to the likes of him. The guy dared to not look into her eyes. 

Blaze picked up the phone that fell on the ground and looked at Ella. He suddenly felt like the world stopped moving and all that he could see was the girl in front of him. 

“Mine,” he huskily said and hugged Ella.