Chapter 2: The Cafeteria Throne

The Cafeteria Throne

Liam's POV

I walked through the hallway like I wasn’t being hunted.

Like I had not dashed out of my seat immediately, I heard the sound of the bell signaling the end of class.

But make no mistake, I was haunted by a feral dog who can't let go of pride.

I could feel his eyes on me, even as I hurried away from the class. I hadn’t expected my first day in school to be like this. The raging Alpha, Noah Silvan, my cute little neighbor, who didn't stop glaring at me until the class ended and frankly, I wasn’t sure if he wanted to rip me apart… or eat me.

Possibly both.

Either way, I gnashed my teeth at my show of weakness. That was unlike me, an insult to my bloodline…

“Uh…hey! Hi!” a voice stumbled from beside me.

I turned,

It was a boy with round glasses, frizzy hair, and a face that struck me like someone in desperate need of approval. He held out a hand smiled, his brown eyes widening in glee.

“My name’s Felix! You’re Liam, right? That was some entrance in class… you looked…uh…cool.”

Cool?

I didn’t need friends. Not here. Not anywhere.

I stared at his hand, then at him in general, the small stature, the way he flutters his eyes, and shifts from one foot to another.

It's definitely not my type,

And he is a werewolf to top it off, but the weakest of their kind…, omega, i guess.

“I don’t do small talk. Or tag-alongs. Sorry, cute boy.”

His smile cracked like cheap glass, and his hand slowly fell back to his side.

“O-oh. Okay. S-sorry. I just thought…never mind.”

He scurried away like a wounded puppy.

I sighed, almost feeling sad for the poor boy.

Was that too much? Probably.

But this wasn’t a school. It was a den of wolves. And if I wanted to stay alive. And keep my identity hidden as long as possible, I couldn’t afford to look soft.

Besides, friends had a habit of becoming corpses around me.

*****************************

The walk to the cafeteria was a nightmare. After the encounter with the boy, I didn't want to talk to anybody else.

And that caused me an extra 10 minutes of walking through strange corridors until I finally located the damn food room.

The cafeteria was louder than the classroom. And worse, the stench was at its worst. The scent of wet burnt fur saturated the whole room.

I swallowed the urge to gag as I walked in, gathering attention even when I tried as much as possible not to.

But being used to it already, I ignored the murmurs and whispers as I made my way to the line for a glass of red juice I could find.

I was halfway to the line for a glass of red juice I could find when I realized that I still had a lot on my plates.

The girls.

A swarm of them.

They cooed, giggled, and flipped their hair like synchronized birds of prey. One even waved a tray at me like it was a mating call of their kind.

I couldn’t help it…I smirked.

My bloodline didn’t just come with power. It came with looks. The kind of regal cold beauty that drew attention even when I wasn’t trying.

Too bad I hated attention, as it will blow my perfect cover.

“Hi!” A brunette cut across the others and stood right in front of me. “I’m Shelby. You probably don’t remember me, but I saw you in the hallway. You’re so… gorgeous.”

My mouth dropped to an o shape.

“And, I know this is crazy, but... would you like to be my boyfriend?”

What the hell?

I blinked, stunned by her boldness. Not because it wasn’t flattering, but because… she wasn’t a wolf. She smelled… human. Purely human. And she had publicly confessed her love to me.

What’s a human girl doing in a school like this?

But she smiled so brightly, and her friends egging her on, their eyes so hopeful, I didn’t want to cause another scene.

I gave a small, polite smile. “I’m flattered. Really. But… I don’t swing that way.”

Dead silence, the kind where the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.

Then came the sobs and uproar.

“OH MY GOD, HE’S GAY,” one of them cried.

Before I could explain, they all scattered like sheep without a shepherded wailing dramatically.

I rolled my eyes.

I sat down at the nearest empty table after taking my juice.

“That always works,” I muttered to myself, not bothering to correct them.

************************

I was still in my thoughts when I felt a hush fall all over the cafeteria. I rested my head against my hand, letting my eyes drift across the room. Every damn person was staring at me again.

But this time, it was not the disgust and amazed look when I announced my preference to scare off the girls.

They had this amused, and “i can't wait for a drama” kind of expression

What was it with this place?

I didn’t do anything wrong.

I didn’t bite anyone. I didn’t flirt. I didn’t flash my fangs. I just wanted to eat…or at least pretend to eat and leave.

I sighed. I needed to talk to Aunt Cecilia. This place was turning into a circus.

And just when I thought the awkwardness of today had reached it, max

A shadow fell over me.

No, two.

I looked up slowly, already feeling the warning chill race down my spine.

I turned led by instincts, but to my surprise, i came face-first, into a wall.

No, not a wall. A body and a chest

A very firm, broad, ridiculously sculpted chest.

Two of them, actually.

My eyes widened before I could stop them. My nose flared from the closeness as a sweet smell hit me like a truck load of catties.

Wait, sweet smell? were they not supppsed to be werewolfs?

Before I knew it, my gaze dropped automatically, traitorously, to the tightly covered V--outline stretched across solid muscles that would make even weight-lifters weep.

My eyes slowly trailed upwards to the veins that coiled like artwork around a bulging forearm. His collarbone peeked out with just enough skin to make me momentarily question my entire life at the moment.

My breath cutted when my eyes went even further up to the owner of the perfect sized body that would make any girl droll.

The Alpha boy. Of course.

But his eyes looked like he was about to murder someone, and maybe that person was me.