CHAPTER 5: OWNERSHIP SPOKEN ALOUD
1269 Words
CHAPTER 5: OWNERSHIP SPOKEN ALOUD
POV: Mira Vale
"Come on, Mira. Let's walk.”
The hall seems too small. The ceiling is too low. Three of them stand there, taking up space like a wall of purpose. Marked as second place. Too old to not know the rules. Strong enough to break them.
I don't move.
I grip the doorframe behind me tightly. My ribs are screaming in pain. I can't run past them. I can't fight them. They are aware of that. That's why they're happy.
The one in front says, "Don't be difficult." He is tall, has blonde hair, and a clean face. The kind of boy teachers can trust. "We just want to talk."
“Talk doesn’t start in groups,” I reply.
Another person laughs. "Look at her. Still has teeth.”
The third one leans in closer, and their eyes go to the blood on my sleeve. "Council said unprotected." That means no guards, no escorts, and no consequences.
My heart is beating so fast that it makes it hard for me to hear.
I say again, "Move."
No, they don't.
Hands grab my arms. Not rough yet. Testing. Like putting your fingers around glass to see how easily it will break.
I jerk back, slam the door shut, and lean against it. The impact shakes my bones. A fist hits the wood right after that.
"Open it," someone yells.
The handle turns violently.
Fear rises quickly and clearly. I push my shoulder against the door and breathe quickly. I won't be strong for long. I know it. They are aware of it.
Again, the door shakes.
Then it breaks.
There are wood splinters near the lock.
A hand reaches through the space, fingers reaching out blindly. I trip back as the door bursts open and hits the wall.
They fill the room.
I swing without thinking, and my fist hits someone's jaw. My arm hurts a lot. Someone puts a hand over my mouth. One more person grabs my wrist and twists it hard.
"Enough," the blonde snaps. "Not the face. Not yet."
But.
I bite down hard on the hand that is over my mouth. He swears and jerks back. I take the chance to push past him and run for the door.
I get three steps into the hall before someone grabs the back of my uniform and pulls me down.
I hit the floor hard, and the breath leaves me.
They pull me down the stairs.
My nails scrape against stone for no reason. This time I scream. I don't care who hears.
"Shut her up!"
Again, a hand hits my mouth. I kick wildly, and my heel hits something soft. Someone says a bad word.
They drag me outside, and the night air hits my face.
There isn't much in the yard anymore. A lot of students are inside. The lamps cast long, twisting shadows. Laughter floats nearby, but it's too far away to help.
They push me up against a wall.
"Should've stayed in your room," the blonde says, out of breath. He tightens his grip on my throat, but not enough to kill me. Just enough to make me remember how close it could get.
I scratch his wrist. The edges of my vision are getting dimmer.
Someone says, "Let's mark her." "So that everyone knows."
Terror flashes bright white.
A loud sound breaks through the yard.
"Enough."
The voice is calm.
Absolutely still
Every hand on me stops moving.
Bootsteps come closer, slowly and carefully. The pressure on my throat goes away and then comes back. I slide down the wall, coughing and breathing in like I might run out of air.
The yard is quiet.
I look up.
Kael Duskwood is standing a few feet away. His dark uniform is smooth, and his face is unreadable. Two guards stand next to him, ready to fight. More figures come out of the shadows behind them—students, drawn by instinct and curiosity.
Witnesses.
The blonde quickly steps back. "Alpha, we didn't—"
Kael raises one hand.
The boy stops talking right away.
Kael looks at me. Looks at my ripped uniform. The bruises growing on my neck. How I'm shaking.
His jaw gets tighter.
He asks, "What are you doing with her?" in a calm voice.
The blonde swallows. "Council said she unprotected."
"That lets you touch what's mine?"
The words cut through the air.
Mine.
The yard goes completely quiet.
I stare at him, and my heart is pounding so hard it hurts.
The blonde's eyes get bigger. "Belongs to—"
Kael gets closer. The guards move with him.
Kael says clearly, "She is bound to the Alpha line." Everyone can hear it clearly. "By my word."
Gasping sounds go through the group of students.
My stomach drops.
Kael reaches out to me.
"Stand," he says.
I don't want to touch him.
I have no choice.
I shake my legs when I take his hand. He has a strong, steady grip. Too steady. He easily pulls me up and puts me next to him, wrapping one arm around my shoulders in a way that looks almost gentle.
No, it's not.
It's a claim.
Kael says, "You won't touch her again," and his eyes stay on the boys in front of us. "You won't look at her. You can't say her name unless someone else does.
The blond quickly nods. "Yes, Alpha."
"And what if you do?" Kael asks in a soft voice.
The guard next to him raises his weapon just enough to make the promise clear.
The boys go back. Quickly. Silent. Gone.
There are whispers all over the yard now. Guesswork. Surprise.
I feel it all pushing in.
"What did you do?" I say softly.
Kael doesn't look at me. "I put a stop to them."
"You claimed me," I hiss.
"Yes."
The word is final.
I pull back, and my anger rises with fear. "You can't—"
Then he turns to look at me. His eyes are colder up close than I remember. More pointed.
"You were only seconds away from being marked," he says in a soft voice. "Or worse."
"That doesn't make this right."
"Yes," he says. "It makes it necessary."
I shake my head. "You could have escorted me. You could have ordered for guards. You didn't have to—
"Protection without claim would have failed," he says. "You saw how quickly they moved."
My chest feels tight. "So now I’m owned?”
Kael leans in closer and whispers so only I can hear. "You're alive now."
The guards come in and make a wall around us. The students who are watching are pushed back, and whispers of protest and excitement rise.
I see what this looks like too late.
An Alpha publicly claiming a girl.
Bound.
Protected.
Controlled.
I say, "You can't undo this."
Kael is now looking me straight in the eye.
"I know."
He looks at the guards. "Get the Alpha quarters ready."
My heart skips a beat. "What?"
"She stays with us," Kael says as he turns away. "Starting now."
Us.
The brothers.
The yard is full of noise.
I dig my heels in. "I'm not going."
Kael stops. Looks back at me.
He calmly says, "You can't say no." "Not anymore."
The guards are getting closer.
As they start to take me away, someone in the crowd yells out, sharp and mocking.
"Be careful, Mira. Alphas don't share what they claim."
Kael stops.
He turns his head a little and says, "Cold enough to freeze bone."
"They don't have to.”
- Writer
