The Replacement Aplha

The Announcement

***Flashback***

***9th Grade***

Quinn and I had stopped at my locker between classes. We had just started debating the answer to a history exam question from the previous period when Kassidy, a friendly but empty-headed girl from our class, approached us.

“OMG” she shouted into my ear, “you have to be THE luckiest girl in the pack!”

I turned to her, dumbfounded. Kassidy and I rarely exchanged ‘hellos’, and now she was leaning beside my locker and twirling her hair as if we were best friends.

 Quinn and I exchanged glances.

 “Come on, you know,” then, quieter, “Ben?”

“Kass, neither of us know what you are talking about. Can you fill us in, please?” Quinn remarked.

“You? Ben? Mated?” she exclaimed, giving me a look that made it seem like I was the dumb one in the conversation.

Then it clicked for her.

She put a hand over her mouth and gasped dramatically. “You. Don’t. Know.”

I fumbled with a pencil in my hand nervously. Any sort of attention, even if it wasn’t from a boy, made me nervous.

“Ben Cauley’s 18th birthday was yesterday. Apparently, he’s been going around the entire school telling everyone that you’re his. Like, his mate. He’s claimed you.”

I slammed the locker door. Rage boiled inside me. Kassidy did hang around Belle, but I’d never thought she would play such a mean trick. That was Belle’s forte.

“That’s not funny, Kass,” Quinn said, firmly but gently.

Kassidy looked shocked. “No. For real. I wouldn’t…” she paused, “joke about something like that.”

I still didn’t believe her. I turned abruptly away and stormed down the hall. Quinn followed.  

I was so mad I almost didn’t notice the funny glances I was getting from the students crowded in the halls. They were huddled in small groups, whispering and gawking at me.

I ducked my head down and pushed through the ogling crowd. I grasped my books tightly to my chest. The next class I had was biology, my favourite, and nothing, not even a horrible, mean, joke, could ruin that for me.   

I entered the class with Quinn close behind me. I looked over at Ms. Taymor’s desk and felt my heart drop when I saw it was still empty. s**t.

A few students had already taken their seats, but there was still several minutes before class started. Pretty much every student’s eyes were glued on Quinn and I, aside from a couple of quiet Omegas with their heads in a book.  

I heard the clicking of heels and I knew immediately who was approaching from behind. Belle.

“This is bullshit,” Belle said. I turned to face her.

She was short, much shorter than my already 5 7’ stature. Despite her small figure, Belle demanded power. She had an attractive, athletic build and an icy blue-eyed glare that could stop an Alpha in his tracks.

Her straight brown hair was slicked back behind a Gossip-girl inspired headband,  a trend that had becoming increasingly popular over the last year.

Beside her, an apologetic looking Kassidy stood. To her other side, daughter of a Delta, Penelope. Her friends called her ‘P’ for short.

Obviously, I did not.

Before Belle could utter another word out of her perfectly lip-glossed mouth, the school wide intercom chimed its familiar tune.

I expected to hear the gruff voice of our middle-aged high school principal. Instead, a deep, smooth voice blared through the speaker from the front of the classroom.

“Hello everyone, and welcome to another fun-filled day at Rocky Mountain High!” the voice exclaimed sarcastically.

A few of the students snickered.

I didn’t. I froze in my place.

I knew that voice.

It was Ben Cauley’s.

“It’s me, you’re soon to be Alpha! It’s so nice to see all of your chipper faces on this lovely Wednesday morning!” Ben said.

Then, a short pause, followed a couple of muffled background noises blaring from the speakers.

“Well it seems like the Principal McGennie is not too happy with my guest appearance in his weekly morning updates. I have locked the doors to his office,” keys jangled into the speakers, proving Ben’s claims, “but I doubt that will stall him for too long, so I’ll make this quick.”

            Please, don’t be about me, I silently begged. I was still standing in the front of the classroom. This time, even the bookworm Omegas had their eyes on me.

“So as you all know I had my 18th birthday yesterday. For anyone that was lucky to be invited, it was a night to remember for sure. I honestly still might be drunk. However, I digress. What I really wanted share with all you lovely folks is something even more important." 

Another pause.

“I’ve found my mate! I’m sure you are all dying to know who it is! Can I please get a drumroll?”

To my horror, the students at the desks began to pound on the tops of them, their eyes all locked onto me. I had to look away.

I turned, facing the chalkboard.

“Her name is Scarlett Brookes!” he finally shouted, after what felt like ages. 

My cheeks immediately flushed with the mention of my name. I felt so uncomfortable that I could have broken down into tears right on the spot.

Quinn grabbed my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. It didn’t make me feel a whole lot better, but at least it prevented me from crying in front of my entire class.

“Most of you know her as the 9th grade Smokeshow with the blonde hair that always has her nose in a book. As a graduate of this year, I will admit that I am a little older than she is.”

 My heart was pounding so fast I felt I was going to faint. Was I? I quickly recalled the symptoms of fainting: nausea, dimming vision, sweating.

Was I sweating? I had no clue. I currently felt like spewing up my breakfast.

“But by the time she’s 18, I’ll be 22. And that’s pretty hot.”

A couple of the guys in my class cheered. I could barely hear them.

“So anyway. I know she was born to an Omega father, but I swear to Goddess if any of you mention that to me, I will personally see to it that you will never be able to show your face to any pack members…”

 Loud banging and shouting pierced through the speakers like glass followed by a wolf's growl. It was quite clear that the administration was trying to break into the principal’s office.

 “Okay, I am going to wrap this up. Boys,” he snarled in a low, terrifying pitch, “consider this a warning. She’s off limits. Off. Limits. Trust me. Lead Warrior Justin has taught me quite an interesting move that involves crushing nuts with the palm of my hand. Let that be your first, and only, warning.”

The speakers cut out. I wasn’t sure if Ben had stopped the intercom on his own accord, or if Principal McGennie had finally broken in.

Everything seemed hazy. I turned to Quinn, who had an astonished look plastered across her face.  

“What the actual f**k,” Belle stated. She started to walk away.

Somehow, through the fogginess, I managed to say, “Belle, if I am to be the Luna, wouldn’t you to be on my good side?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Scarlett, there’s no way an Omega like you would ever be Luna of this pack. I will not believe it until I see his f*****g mark on your neck.”

And in response, I raced towards the nearest garbage can and hurled any remaining breakfast I had left in my system.

Once Ms. Taymor finally made it into the classroom, her pale face easily nodded in agreement as I asked to be excused for the rest of the day.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered to me on my way out the door, “Ben will be punished.”

Right. I thought. Once his father gets involved, a little slap on the wrist is all he’ll receive.

I hastily collected my items from my locker and started may way towards the door. It had been an unusually warm spring. I had on a light pink spring coat that had sleeves that were getting a little too short. 

I sighed. A new coat was another expense that we likely couldn't afford. 

As I stepped out into the warm spring sunshine, a delicious breeze hit my face. I drank in the smell of lingering rain from early this morning.

Suddenly, a boy stepped out in front of me.

I recognized him instantly. It was Thomas Cauley, Ben’s little brother.

He had on a plain white shirt tucked into tan pants. His brown hair was neatly combed to the side. It honestly looked like he would be on the cover of ‘Perfect Son’s Magazine’. If, of course, such a magazine existed.  

Although Thomas was two years younger than me, my heart oddly skipped a beat. At 12 years of age, Thomas was tall. He had a dark complexion and thoughtful eyes. He was quite skinny but made up for it by his brilliant smile.

“Hi,” he flashed a painful grin at me.  

“Uh...” was all I managed out.

This day had been the absolute worst day of my life. Aside from, of course, my mother’s death.

 Humiliated in front of my peers, laughed at, sworn at, all I wanted to do was crawl into my bed.

I began to walk across the schoolyard in the direction of the Omega community. To my dismay, Thomas followed.

“You’re Scarlett Brookes, right?” he called, jogging to keep up with me. 

“Yeah,” I mumbled, speeding up further. Although I had inherited Mom’s looks, I did not inherit her clumsiness. I knew my legs could carry me at an inhuman pace. 

Thomas began to quicken his stride to match mine.   

“Look,” he said, as he caught my elbow gently, “Scarlet, please, stop.”

I spun around and looked him squarely in the eyes. He was about my height, so this was easy. Although his eyes were dark, they did not bare any dominating resemblance to his bother’s.

“I’m…” he stopped for a moment, touching a small pink scar on the top of his lip, “so sorry.”

“What?” I asked, confused,

“I came to the high school to find you as Ben was bragging this morning about his plan to announce the name of his mate in front of the entire school. Look, I have to get back to my English class or my mom will kill me,” he said, “but I want you to know… I am so sorry.”

And with that, Thomas sped away, his sneakers slapping the pavemented path towards Rocky Mountain Elementary.

I stood there in shock, hand grasping my backpack full of schoolbooks.

What the Harvest Moon could he be sorry for?

SR