Rooming With The Enemy Alpha

5. Threats

(Danielle)

The alarm rang, and I groaned, slapping at it until the noise finally died. Morning. Again. The worst part of the day. Goddess. I wished the day would start at five in the evening.

"How are you feeling?" Rexi asked, her voice still a little sleepy in the back of my mind.

I sat up slowly, yawning and cradling my wrist in my lap. Nurse Lilly had wrapped it up with some ointment to dull the pain after she cleaned the wound properly. It still ached, but not like yesterday.

“Okay. It’s healing well,” I murmured, stretching out my legs before dragging myself out of bed.

After a quick shower and pulling on my softest sweater and jeans, I tugged a brush through my curly hair and grabbed my sketchpad before heading out. Fridays meant slower mornings, fewer classes, and the possibility of no disasters. Hopefully.

I had art first period, and it was my favorite class by far. No chemicals, no Aaron.

The campus was quieter than usual as I strolled toward the main building. The sun was soft behind the clouds, and for a second, I felt almost…normal.

Millie spotted me near the entrance to the art class and jogged over with a smile.

“Is your hand alright?” she asked as we walked in together.

There was something peaceful about walking into a room that didn’t smell like disinfectant and teenage sweat—just fresh paper, paint, and the faint scent of charcoal. The walls were lined with canvases, bursts of color and texture that told a thousand stories without ever needing a single word. Here, no one cared who you were mated to or how well you shifted. It was just about creation—about line, form, light, and imagination.

I took a deep breath. This room was where imagination came alive.

“It’s healing. Not a big deal,” I replied, giving her a small frown. I didn’t want to make a thing out of it.

“Yes. It's a big deal," she said, studying my left hand. "That was during your detention, right?” she pressed, eyes wide. “Goddess, Dani. You have to be more careful.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” I muttered just as Ms. Thompson walked in, effectively saving me from more of Millie's advise.

Arts and fashion—my sanctuary.

“So, you all know... what to do. Draw to your heart content,” Ms. Thompson said, barely looking up as she scribbled something on her tablet.

I slid into my seat and opened my sketchbook. The feel of the pencil in my hand, the blank page beneath it—it was my kind of therapy.

“Wow, that’s gorgeous,” Millie said, peeking at my latest design.

“Thanks, Mil,” I said, glancing at the dress taking form on the page. Flowing lines, layered skirts, a backless bodice. Elegant and stylish. I already planned the fabric and colors in my head.

"You know... the Christmas Moon Ball..."

"And..."

"You can wear it. You'll look gorgeous," Millie said, eyes wide on the sketch. It was still an idea, but it was slowly becoming more.

"Well, I don't think I'm going," I said with a frown, thinking about my father's phone call.

"Why not?"

"Just..." I shrugged.

I loved Millie, but I didn't want to drag her down or make her sad. She would get angry and upset if I told her what my father had said about not wanting me home for Christmas, and when she got angry, she became overprotective.

When the class was over, I closed my sketch book.

"What do you have next?" Millie asked, closing her backpack.

"I have maths."

"I have tracking class," she said, waving at me. "See you later."

I walked toward the math classroom. Just as I opened the door, a familiar voice stopped me.

“Danielle,” he said. “Aaron told me what happened yesterday during detention." Liam Bennett said with a frown.

Of course, he did.

“I’m fine. None of your business,” I muttered, walking in, pulling the door open.

Liam didn’t say anything for a second. I could feel his eyes on me, the judgment simmering just beneath the surface. We didn’t really talk with each other after Daisy, but he hated me on principle. But he was extremely loyal to Aaron. The enemy of your friend is your enemy, or some crap like that.

“I’m just saying, you should be more careful,” he added.

I didn’t answer. I was too busy pretending he didn’t exist.

I sat down on my desk when the door opened again, and Aaron stepped in.

He gave me a look, his eyes going to my hand. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it. Without a word to me, he walked past me and sat next to Liam.

I had this intense urge to look back and see, but I didn't.

Nothing changed. Of course, nothing changed. What did I expect? Just because he helped me once didn't mean all was well between us.

Nothing would be well between us.

***

The class dragged on, every second crawling slower than the last. I tapped my pen against the corner of my notebook, staring blankly at the board, feeling eyes on my back.

"He keeps staring," Rexi said.

"Ugh. He is making f*****g holes on my back."

I turned around, just enough to glance over my shoulder, frowning when my eyes met Aaron's sharp brown eyes.

He sat two rows behind me, arms folded, chin tilted slightly as he stared at me. When he saw me, he frowned, but didn't look away.

I narrowed my eyes. “What?” I mouthed, keeping my voice low.

Aaron didn’t answer. He simply blinked, shrugged, and then looked away like he hadn’t been caught red-handed burning holes into my spine.

I scoffed under my breath and turned back around, scribbling down the problems in my notebook.

When the bell rang, I packed my things in a rush, trying to shake off the strange tension still clinging to my skin. Aaron hadn’t said a word, but his silence was louder than anything he could’ve spoken.

I walked toward my locker, weaving through the crowded hallway filled with laughter, slamming doors, and sneakers squeaking on linoleum. Millie was already gone, probably snagging us a spot in the cafeteria.

I opened my locker with a sigh, my stomach already begging for food. I stopped when something fluttered out.

A folded piece of paper fell to the floor.

My brows furrowed. I bent down, picked it up, and unfolded it.

You should’ve stayed quiet. Now you’re going to regret everything.

My stomach twisted as I read it again and again.

What the hell was this?

I looked around quickly, but no one was paying attention to me.

My fingers clenched the note tighter. Sick prank. This must be someone trying to be funny. Right?

I shoved the paper deep into the back of my locker, slammed the door shut, and forced myself to breathe.

No. I wasn’t going to let this spoil my mood again. Everything in my life was already teetering on the edge. What was one more thing to push me off?

I squared my shoulders and made my way to the lunchroom, trying to pretend my heart wasn’t pounding like a war drum in my chest. But the words from the note kept circling like a storm in my head.

You should’ve stayed quiet. You’re going to regret everything.

Who the hell would go to such lengths?

I already knew half the wolves at Semer School couldn’t stand me, but this… this felt personal. Not just bullying. A warning.

“Danie, here!” Millie’s voice pulled me from the spiral. She waved from across the cafeteria, already seated at our usual table with her brother Jessie and Sean. “I’ve got you a hamburger!”

A real smile almost tugged at my lips.

I turned and slammed right into Samantha, and she wasn't alone.

F.uck.

“Oh,” she said, in that fake sweet voice she always used when teachers were around, smiling at me. Her eyes, though—sharp and cold—flicked over me like I was something stuck to her shoe. “Watch where you’re going, Danielle.” She looked at me with a wince. "You're a danger to yourself and others."

It was a subtle barb, and Aaron's jaw clenched.

Ugh. I hated that b***h.

"Let's go," Aaron said, looking about five seconds away from snapping. His arms were crossed, jaw tight, and his eyes weren’t even on me—he was glaring at Samantha instead of me, and that was saying something.

Whenever I was around him, I would be the lucky one to get the full force of his wrath and hatred. But not today. How fun!

I didn’t know what she’d said or done before I’d walked up, but I was glad it wasn't me this time. Aaron looked pissed, like he was holding back from saying something cruel.

Samantha, oblivious or pretending to be, looped her arm through his with a little too much possession, her eyes shining. “Come on, Aaron. Let’s go sit before all the good seats are taken.”

He didn’t move.

In fact, his gaze slid to mine. Briefly. Just for a second before he turned away.

“Whatever,” I muttered, stepping around them without another glance.

“Try not to destroy any lives, Danielle,” Samantha said sweetly behind me.

I bristled, gritting my teeth as Aaron almost dragged her away.

I was already pushing through the crowd to get to Millie before I did something I regretted.

***

"What was that?" Millie asked when I sat down.

"That's just Samantha being Samantha," I said, grabbing my burger. "Thanks for this."

"Of course," she said, turning to say something to Sean.

"Hi, Jessie," I gave him a small smile. He was a few years younger than Millie, and he was like a brother to me.

"Hey, Danie. Is your hand alright now?" he asked, motioning to my wound.

"Of course... How's your classes going?"

"Boring. I wish we were already in combat training," he said with a grunt. "But Mr. Miller would only let us run around."

Laughing, I looked around the table. These three were the only people I had left now.

The only one who cared.

But strangely... they were enough. More than enough.

___