Chapter 02

“…so you told your new family about me?”

“Eris, they are helping us.”

I snorted. “They are helping you.”

I was staring dumbly at the uniform on my bed.

“So I’ve to go to this new school.”

“You’ve to finish High school, I talked with West, and he helped me to get you into this school, no other school would have accepted you.” She stresses, she was seated in my bed. “You didn’t come downstairs for dinner, and you didn’t eat breakfast with us either. You can’t keep doing this, Eris. It’s not what I want for you.”

“Mom, stop. You want me to go to the school, I will go.”

She smiled now. “Hurry up, I will pack some breakfast for you, you can get a ride with Ocean.”

“I don’t want that. Give me a ride instead.”

She nodded with a smile. “I will, honey.” Got up from the bed and placed a kiss on my cheek.

Since I was eight, it had always been mom and I, and that was as long as I can remember. I hated that she hid the fact that she was seeing another man, that she had fallen in love and wanted to get married again.

Did she think that I would’ve been against it?

I was angry because she didn’t consider me, and lied to me.

“You’re going to love your new school…” Mom was rasping throughout the ride, I hadn’t seen her smile in a long time but just a few days in this house. She laughed a lot, smiled so hard that her cheek probably hurt.

“Do you want your car? I will ask…”

“It’s fine. You can just come to get me after school hours.”

She nodded and fell quiet.

She drove into the school gate, and I sighed.

“The mating ritual is tomorrow night, it’s a big event, Winterfall is the one hosting it this year, that’s why they have been busy. You’re coming right, you’re off age, you’re eighteen now, and that means you’re eligible to be at the mating ritual…” She smiled. “You will find your mate.”

I opened the car door and stepped out. “See you later.” I closed the door, I didn’t want to listen to her talk about mates and all.

I walked around the school with the road map in my hand, I didn’t want to ask anyone for help.

I got to a point and stopped walking, I heard the sound of grunts, and pleading.

I dropped my hands to my side and made my way down, faint voices were coming from there, and the smell of cigarettes.

He hit him again, the boy was already on his knees, and his uniform had been stained with blood.

“Please.” He begged, but he struck him again, hard, and kept hitting him, violently, ignoring the blood that was spilling out of his mouth.

I started to hyperventilate, flashes of that man above me, hitting me with his belt, kicking my stomach vigorously with his shoes on.

My hand went around my neck, I started to lose the tie that was on my neck, I couldn’t breath. It was bringing memories of the past that I wanted to forget.

My eyes got cloudy, and I leaned against the wall.

“Ocean, please…” I heard the voice again and peeped back at them, Ocean threw the cigarette out of his mouth and slapped him.

I gasped.

He stopped, and glanced back, he caught me staring at me before I could take my gaze off.

I backed away and started to walk further away from them, but bumped into him.

His hands went down to his waist.

“Were you spying on me?” He asked in a demanding tone.

I swallowed, stricken with fear. He saw them, and his gaze softened a bit, he reached out to touch me, and I took a step back.

“Don’t tell my father what you saw.”

He acts like a saint in front of the Alpha, but he is the complete opposite of it.

“Don’t act like you know me, then I won’t say a word,” I said in a shaky voice.

“But…” He smacked his lips. “Everyone knows because my father arranged your admission. Say something else.” With every step that he took, I moved back from him.

He scratched the back of his neck. “Just don’t get in my way, Iris, you might regret it and don’t say a word about this to my father.” He turned, and walked out, he was heading back there, to continue beating up that boy.

My knees weakened and someone grabbed a hold of my hand, and helped me. “Hey, are you okay?” The soothing voice asked, I stared at my side and nodded at him.

He let go of my hand and brought out a pack of milk. “Here. It will help you calm down.” He stretched out the milk to me. I took it from his hand. “Thank you.”

“I’m Kasper.” He gave me a sweet smile. “You must be the new girl, Eris.”

His presence has a way of calming me, it seems genuine, innocent, and pure.

“Did you get lost?”

“You saw me with him,” I mentioned.

“Yes,”

“So why did you come to me?”

“You looked pale.” He stated honestly.

“I thought I should give you this, we don’t talk about Ocean, he’s kind of like you know…” He chuckled nervously.

“What is he?”

“You saw how dominant he is…and even more bad…” He swallowed and shook his head. “I don’t think I should talk about that to you. I heard you’re related, his father talked about you joining our school. Eris Abbot.” He pointed at tbe name tag on my uniform, and I nodded.

Kasper wasn’t as tall as Ocean, he had a shorter, narrowed face, charming, and sweet. “I can walk you to class, we are in…” He gestured, and I nodded.

“Thanks, Kas.”

He chuckled. “I kinda like that. Kas.”

He walked me to class, talking all the way, something random, that didn’t have to do with Ocean, and the school and it helped me to calm and get myself again.

“I’m Eris Abbot. I have no intention of getting along with anyone. I want to write the final exams and leave. So you all better leave me the fuck alone.”

The teacher gave me a long stare after my introduction. “Find an empty seat.” She cleared her throat.

I walked into the classroom, Kasper was already seated and gave me a small smile. I walked over to the next row, Ocean was there, he had his eyes on me. I looked away and moved to the next, and took an empty seat at the back.

I heard whispers around me, and glanced towards my direction. I kept my head on my desk till the end of the class.

I didn’t go out of the classroom even when it was lunchtime, I brought out the food that mom packed for me and ate.

“…that’s Ocean’s sister. The Alpha mentioned her joining the academy. She’s so weird.”

“Step.” I corrected the girl, she was standing outside the glass window.

“Ocean and I ain’t related, and our parents ain’t married yet, so mind your word.”

“But you got expelled from your school, isn’t that the reason you came to the pack because no other school would accept you since you’re in your final year? Talk about some nepotism.”

I slammed my hands on my desk.

“I thought you were lucky, you don’t know how it feels to be close to Ocean. He’s super hot, with that smoky ass when he walks or plays hockey. I can’t wait for the mating ritual, one of us might be the lucky one.” She was probably daydreaming, and I decided to ignore her as long as she didn’t involve me with Ocean West.

“Get in the car. I will take you home.”

“I will walk.”

“It’s about five miles and you don’t know your way around here.”

“I will walk.”

“Don’t be stubborn and get in the car!”

“Eris! Get in the car now!”

I flinched at the sound of his harsh tone, Ocean was everything that I was scared of.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” I yelled back at me.

“I’m trying to be nice.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“And you think I want to? My father forced me to do this, I don’t want to be around you weird ass either.”

I ran a finger through my hair. “You know what, Ocean. Fuck you!” I placed my AirPods in my ears and started walking out on him.

He got into the car, and followed me, I clenched my fist, I won’t get in his car, and I meant it. Then, he turned around, and drove off, leaving me in the streets.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and called Mom to come get me. I had no idea where I was, but she was taking my calls. I tucked it back into my pocket and kept on walking.

“Eris.”

I turned around, and someone was riding a motorcycle behind me. He took the helmet off.

“Kas…”

He smiled.

“You want a ride home?”

“Do you know where I live?”

“I think everyone in the packs knows the Alpha’s mansion, isn’t that where you’re going?”

I gave him a small smile, and he handed a helmet to me. “Here, take it.” I took the helmet and wore it.

“Get on it.”

I did and held onto him. He was like a mist that carried fragrance.

We got to the mansion and I hopped off his Motorcycle. “I hope to see you at the mating ritual, Eris. I have a good feeling. You know fate brought you here to Winterfall.”

I gave him back his helmet.

I wasn’t quite sure about the fate part.

“So, I will see you at the mating ritual, tomorrow night?”