Alpha's Forbidden Desire

THREE – ORA

Rrrrrrrriiiiinggggggg!!!

I breathe a sigh of relief when the bell finally goes off, signalling the close of school for the day. A quick glance at my pink Kitty Kat wristwatch tells me that it's barely one PM. That gives me enough time to run a few errands at home before the allotted time for the compulsory appearance of all Blood Moon District's citizens at the square.

After Cole was done giving me the humiliation of the century, Mrs. Peterson was finally able to restore order to the class, stopping Valeria and her gang of bitchy friends from rubbing salt in my injuries.

But deep down, I know that Mrs. Peterson merely delayed my gratification. I know Valeria would never let such juicy, public disgrace slide. She probably had one of her airheaded minions recording the entire scenario for her vlog – Gossip With Valeria.

Not that I'm really bothered. Going undercover to hide my powers and being at the mercy of the likes of Valeria for the past eight years, I have learned to develop thick skin. The pain and humiliation from their hurtful words only last for a moment. I have learnt to lock it all up in the big, black box where I keep all my dreadful memories.

I pull up the zipper of my black hoodie. Today, I woke up with dread in my stomach and a dark cloud swirling over my head, so I dressed to fit my mood with black boyfriend jeans, a black tee-shirt and tennis shoes equally in black. Most people call me dorky and weird because of my clothes but I don't really care.

I inherited my mother's conspicuous curves, so at seventeen, my breasts and ass are above normal size. I love to hide them beneath huge clothes.

I pull my hair in a pony tail and gather my books together. If I'm quick enough, I would be able to escape Valeria and her gang before they decide to corner me again.

I step out of class with the intention of finding my best friend, Leonardo, and getting the hell out of here. Today has already been too shitty so far.

I navigate the student filled halls with a bent head. That way, it is easier to avoid the stares and reproachful glares. It doesn't stop the whispers from filtering in though.

"Just look at her…"

"I heard Cole talked to the low blood today…"

"Ugh! She has such horrible hair…"

"Her clothes are always so hideous…"

"Disgusting little human…"

My bent head does not stop the mild attacks either. Something light hits my back. Someone probably threw a spit ball. I don't wait to check out who it was. I square my shoulders and keep walking down the hall.

Then I feel it.

A strong gust of wind sweeps through the hall, whipping my hair against my face.

It happens in a split second. A heavy book falls at my feet and I stare at it, wide mouthed. I raise my head and meet the startled, wide mouthed stare of the sophomore who threw the book at me…or atleast attempted to.

My mind transports to that day in the ninth grade. Valeria was being a b***h as usual. She and her minions backed me into a dark corner, exposing their fangs with the intention of injecting the human killing serum into my blood and killing me once and for all…not that I would have died anyways. I'm not human.

That was the first time I felt the dull, steady throb of mystical powers at the tip of my fingers. I remember shutting my eyes and preparing to blast them into the third dimension when a powerful gust of wind swept over us, knocking Valeria and her goons to the ground.

Since then, it feels like I've had some kind of all-knowing Guardian Angel watching over me.

Valeria's attempts to hurt me since the ninth grade have all backfired horribly. All she does now is slowly and surely chip at my self confidence with her venomous, sharp edged tongue.

The students are murmuring wildly amongst themselves now. I walk as quickly as my legs can carry me.

Not that I'm a coward, far from it. I just really hate confrontations.

My temper, as my Dad has always told me and I have seen myself, has a direct connection to my powers.

When I get angry, dangerous, golden sparks shoot from fingers, and a dark cloud swirls over my head. Dad and Mum have been secretly training me on how to control my fast growing powers for the past three years.

Let's just say that hasn't worked out too well.

I risk a peek beneath my lashes, relief flooding my system when I sight the entrance doors.

Almost there. Almost three.

Then my heart thuds painfully against my chest.

Danger is close by. I look up quickly, darting my eyes over the crowded hallway. Sure enough, Valeria and her dangerous flower girls barrel towards me in a cloud of girly perfume and pink lipstick.

Shit!

I make a quick U–turn. Perhaps I can find an empty classroom to hide in for a while.

"Stop right there, Devereaux!"

Valeria's high pitched screech rents the hair and an unnerving hush falls over the halls. All eyes immediately turn in my direction. I freeze. Here we go again.

The only audible sound in the hallway now are the loud clicks of their heels against the tiled floors as they approach me.

How the hell are they able to walk in those things for an entire day? I can bet on my mother's most powerful spells that Valeria probably set the trend and all her air-headed, spineless minions just followed her.

A hand grabs my shoulder roughly and spins me around. Stunned, I come face to face with the Queen B herself.

The strong urge to turn her into the bat that she really is swamps me, but Dad says no power plays at school. He should be glad that I'm a stickler for rules.

"Why, hello, little human. What's all the rush? We were not done with our little conversation earlier."

I stand still, head bowed, mentally willing the hum of electricity at the tip of my fingers to beat a hasty retreat.

"What? Cat caught your tongue?" She snickers.

I finally look up at her – at all of them. They are dressed almost identically in dangerously short tennis skirts, sweater crop tops and f**k me stilettos.

Valeria, however, added a designer fur coat to complete her b***h-in-heat ensemble. I stiffle an eye-roll. I am pretty sure that the money she splurged on that piece of fur alone can pay my entire way through college.

"Uh…uh, I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"Oh, shut it. Do not speak. You will just end up wasting my time with your little human garbling."

She closes in on my personal space and a breath catches in my throat. She is way too close for comfort, but I refuse to back down.

Even my cowardice has a limit.

Her eyes narrow as she takes me in. Her pretty face is twisted in almost bitter rage, and her lips are curled in distaste.

What the heck have I done now?

"He touched you. After six f*****g years of no contact, my Cole touched you. He looked at you, talked to you." Her fingers on my shoulders tighten and I stiffle a groan of pain.

"What did you say to him, you disgusting little pipsqueak. You better not lie to me. If I find out that you've gone behind my back to see Cole, I will f*****g end you myself."

Shocked, I stare back at her dumbly for a moment. This is about Cole?

I take a deep breath to calm my tumbled nerves.

"Valeria, like you said, Cole hasn't spoken to me for years now, and that's truth. I do not know why…"

She holds up one perfectly manicured finger.

She releases my aching shoulder and I stiffle the urge to rub the pain away.

"I'm really beginning to wonder who you think you are, Ora Devereaux." She spits my name like it's a taboo. Well, in a way, it is. Then her eyes brighten like she has just received an insight from the Goddess herself.

"Oh, I know! I know exactly who you are in this town."

Then her eyes narrow into slits.

"You are a nobody, an outcast. You're a f*****g abomination. I do not understand why the King Alpha allows you family of low class humans to live in Blood Moon District, but I do not want you to forget your place.

I saw you light up like a Christmas tree when he touched you."

She laughs, a high pitched, bitter laugh.

"But of courses, you should know Cole Anderson St.Pierre by now. He doesn't have time for the trash. Now, I suggest you reset every single part of your dumbass brain that believes both of you can ever be friends again. It will never happen. Not in this lifetime, or the next."

Her blue eyes turn a startling shade of black. This can only mean one thing.

Her wolf is close to the surface. I need to get the hell out of here.

"I…I assure you Valeria. I do not have any interests in Cole. You know that." Liar.

Valeria's dark eyes glint in the hall's overhead lights. Okay, now she just looks downright dangerous. Against my better judgement, a sliver of fear shoots up my spine. No one will come to my rescue if Valeria decides to attack me right here in the hallway. I'm on my own.

"Do I, Ora? Stay the hell away from Cole. He's mine. We are going to be mated for life on the rise of the full moon in a few days. He doesn't want you. I do not need to constantly remind you of the consequences that come with messing with me."

For a moment, I just stare at her in astonishment. Cole approached me in class today, not the other way round. He talked to me first. Didn't she see that? I would'nt go within an inch of him if I was being paid. According to Dad, his family is our greatest enemy, making him my enemy. One I need to stay away from from.

A strange emotion unfurls in my chest.

Hurt. Cole will never be mine. I might yearn for him for a thousand years, but he will never be mine. Fate wouldn't be so cruel to mate him to someone like me.

But with the hurt comes rage. Rage at Cole for turning on me without an explanation. Rage at Valeria for always thinking she can stomp on me.

Contrary to what Dad thinks, I can handle myself in an argument without exposing my powers to the world. I shake Valeria's fingers off my shoulders and get right in her face.

"If you really believe that Cole despises me that much, why then do you feel so threatened, Valeria? Are you scared that this little human may stand a chance of taking your man away from you?"

The hall erupts in a chorus of oohs and aahs. People boo at me from the crowd but I do not let go of my rage long enough to care.

I have been a trampled victim long enough.

I watch as Valeria's already darkened eyes morphs into an impenetrable black. She advances onto me, baring her fangs.

Pure blooded werewolves like Valeria and Cole develop a human killing serum whenever they are being threatened by a human. One bite from those deadly fangs and I could be put down for a long time. I cannot be killed by it because contrary to their beliefs, I'm not human.

I'm a goddamn witch.

I honestly hope someone comes to resolve this soon. I do not want to have to explain how and why golden sparks were shooting from my fingers.

I shift my gaze from Valeria's angry ones for a split second to see if the principal is within the vicinity and blinding pain explodes in my head.

It all happens in a blur. Another harsh blow reverberates against my skull, sending me crashing to the ground.

Then the scent wafts into my nostrils. Blood.

Disoriented, shocked, and in pain, I lie on the floors for a few seconds while Valeria and her girls giggle amongst themselves.

I touch a shaky finger to my temple to feel the extent of the damage. My fingers encounter a wet, deep gash. Make that three wet, deep gashes.

My fingers come away wet with blood. The crazy b***h slashed me with her claws.