Broken Beyond Belief

Chapter 11: Shadows in the Hallway (Part Two)

Mira’s POV:

Algebra

By the time I made it to Algebra, my eyes were dry, but my skin still burned with humiliation. I walked into the classroom, kept my head down, and made my way to the back.

I didn’t notice anything until I sat.

Squelch.

Cold. Wet. Sweet-smelling.

Cream pie.

All over the back of my trousers.

Laughter exploded.

“Oh no! Mira… did the alpha give you another Creampie” Chantelle mocked loudly.

“Better not fall asleep,” Mya giggled. “She might start moaning again.”

“Oh goddess. Can you imagine? something as disgusting as her? Moaning your name?” Chloe said as she fake gagged.

“I mean I’d ride her” Cole responded. “ride her if she was the last living thing on earth and id already f****d all the horses” he continued as if the idea of me was so un-imaginable.

“You never know man… maybe it would be do-able is she had a paper bag over her head” Grey chimed in. The girls’ faces shone bright with amusement as hey chuckled in agreement.

As I began to look around… I realised the whole class was laughing at their jokes. At me. As if I was the joke. I stood there silent willing myself not to cry. Not to believe them. That the idea of me was so unthinkable… what if my mate agreed with them? The thought creeped in. sending cold chills down my spine. I looked up from the floor to see that even the teacher Mrs McCrow was shaking as she chuckled… even if she tried to hider her amused smile with a textbook, you could still see her body move as she struggled to hold in her laughs. She realised I had noticed, and her face quickly morphed into one of fury.

“Stop distracting my class you stupid girl! Get this mess cleaned up at once!” she bellowed as I ran from the class to the girls’ toilets in order to get some toilet roll to wipe the cream up with.

By the time I returned to class with the toilet roll and wiped down my seat, my face was burning, but my hands stayed steady. I couldn’t afford to let them see me cry again. I scrubbed until the desk was clean, then quietly sat and tried to catch up with the lesson.

At the end of the class, Mrs. McCrow walked over, scowling down at me.

“You stupid child, go and fetch the cleaner at once.”

I blinked.

“This desk is still sticky! I hope you do better than this at cleaning your own home,” she snapped, then turned on her heel.

I stared at the floor, nodding silently. When the bell rang, I slipped out, told the cleaner, and headed straight to my next class.

English Literature

The moment I stepped into the classroom, I felt it — the weight of whispers curling through the air like smoke. I kept my head down and made my way to the back row, hoping to go unnoticed.

No such luck.

“Don’t sit too close,” Chantelle hissed to Chloe, loud enough for others to hear. “You might catch whatever she's got.”

“Ugh, like... shame?” Mya said. “Or a fetish for people’s dads?”

A few students snickered. Caleb didn’t say anything — he just looked at me from across the room. Watching. His eyes sharp, unreadable.

I couldn’t look back.

Mr. Whitmore came in and launched straight into the lesson, ignoring the laughter that hadn’t quite died down. At one point, I thought he might say something. But he just kept going, calling on everyone but me.

When it came time to read aloud, I kept my head down, I had had enough embarrassment for one day, I loved this book and listening as the class worked together to read it aloud but the last thing I needed was everyone laughing at me as I struggled through each sentence… I did try and teach myself to read but I was beginning to fear that I would never catch up… in any of my classes. Thankfully, I wasn’t picked. No more fuel on the fire for today.

The class ended and lunch began. As I made my way to my usual hiding spot, I made the mistake of walking through the cafeteria instead of going around it.

Chantelle saw me immediately.

“Look who it is! Cream pie girl!”

The table burst into laughter. I froze mid-step.

“You hungry, Mira?” she asked, standing and holding up a full tray.

Something in her smile made my stomach twist.

“Because I saved you a little something special.”

She nodded to two other girls — ones I didn’t even know by name — and before I could move, they each launched cream pies at me. One hit my chest. The other splattered across my shoulder and neck.

The room howled.

More laughter. More jeering.

As I turned to run, a group of younger boys started moaning loudly, mimicking the hallway scene.

“Ohhh, Michael,” one of them gasped dramatically. “Don’t stop!”

“Do you think she does that at night?” another whispered.

“I bet she practices in the mirror.”

I sprinted into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. My hands trembled as I wiped the pie from my skin with toilet paper. I didn’t have anything to change… My other clothes were still in a bag under the floorboards covered in dirt from yesterday. I had nothing to hide the stains and smears that now covered my chest, arms, back and butt. I felt like today's humiliation would never send

So I sat there, curling into myself, letting silent tears fall as lunchtime continued… I began to drift away as my thoughts replayed the day. Replayed the torment. I hoped they were wrong, that I was worth more, but… above all… I hoped that my mate would think I was worth more. My thoughts were interrupted when the bell rang.

Woodwork & Practical Skills

This was one of my classes that didn’t include the Hellhounds. For a second, I thought that might mean a moment of peace.

I was wrong.

When I walked in, a few students snickered. Someone made a soft moaning noise as I passed. Another whispered, “Hide the glue guns, she might start getting ideas.”

Mr. Clark, the teacher, looked up from his workbench.

“Enough,” he said, not unkindly — but without looking at me. “Everyone, focus on your projects.”

No one got punished. No one was warned. They just quieted down, and the silence pressed in around me.

I worked in the corner, sanding the edges of a small wooden box with trembling hands. It didn’t matter what I was building. I just needed something to focus on. Something that wouldn’t laugh or judge or look away.

Pack Lore: Origins of Lupine History

Last period. The only class that always seemed to give me a sliver of peace.

No one spoke to me here. No one mocked me. It was the only time I didn’t feel like I had to shrink into myself to disappear.

Mr. Aldric was an older wolf — grey-haired, sharp-eyed, always serious. He taught us about the first werewolves, the moon goddess’s original touch, and the wars that shaped our world. Today, we were covering the Black Moon lineage. My pack’s bloodline.

Or what would’ve been mine, if I had belonged here.

I took notes furiously. I didn’t dare raise my hand, but I listened harder than I did in any other class. I soaked in every word like it was a lifeline.

This class reminded me that there was more out there. That there were ancient stories and destinies and meaning. Maybe even for me.

Maybe.

After the class had finished, I packed my books and started making my way downstairs out of the school. As I exited the school, even pack members I had never seen before started making moaning sounds as I passed by or whispering and laughing to each other. I saw the hellhounds at the main entrance getting into the boys' two trucks and my stomach churned at the thought of them seeing me. I decided to disappear out of one of the rear exits and make my way to the forest path from there.

By the time I finally got home, I was so sore I could barely climb the steps. Every movement sent pain ricocheting through my ribs and shoulders.

I slowly made my way upstairs and changed into my pyjamas, as I had no clean clothes to wear. I then began making the boys dinner in silence. I didn’t eat, I wasn’t even in the mood to after today. I just set about my usual tasks… I cleaned the kitchen, washed this morning’s dishes, put on more washing and folded and put away the boys’ laundry. I then vacuumed the floors and gave the living room a quick dust and cleaned the downstairs bathroom. My arms shook with exhaustion, but I kept going.

I always did. There was no option in it for me.

Once the boys were fed and distracted with TV and drinks, I cleaned the remainder of the dishes and slipped back upstairs, collapsing on my mattress, staring at the ceiling.

I thought of my mate again.

Where was he? Did he exist? Would he be kind, or would he laugh at me like everyone else?

I decided to pray to the moon goddess. I prayed for my mate, that I would make him happy. I asked for guidance and maybe even a slightly better life. I didn’t want to pray for so many things. It seemed selfish but still… I couldn’t help as I lay there picturing what my life would be like with this amazing kind, loving man.

Please... let him be better than this. Let him see me. Let him want me, even if no one else does.

I closed my eyes and soon fell fast asleep.

My dream had been peaceful. I'd been running through a meadow surrounded by wildflowers until… it morphed again. The battlefield returned. My stomach clenched with dread as I began to recognise the scene I’d had to witness too many times before.

Michael stood in the center, blood-soaked and roaring. The Alpha of Bloodstone — David — charged him like a monster from the old legends. I screamed for Michael to run, but no sound left my throat.

And then the scream came.

Not mine. His.

David ripped the heart from his chest.

Michael’s face twisted in agony. His body crumpled. And I—

“MICHAEL!”

I awoke, screaming.

My room was awake. My skin was slick with sweat. My chest heaved as I clutched the blanket like it could save me.

Then I heard the footsteps. Heavy. Fast.

The door burst open.

Jacob.

“What the f**k is wrong with you now?” he hissed.

A sob fell from my lips as I stammered to explain “I’m worried about the alpha; I keep having horrible nightmares about the war” I whispered, curling tighter into myself.

He burst out laughing as a smile stretched over his face, listen little girl… the war should be over by tomorrow… Caleb, alpha Micheal, the beta, gamma and all the packs warriors or next in line for command like me and the boys are all going out tomorrow to put the Bloodstone alphas’ head on a spike and send them all running scared. Okay? He said plainly, as if it were matter of fact, “not that any of this is your business, but f**k me… I need my sleep.”

“Okay” I stammered back.

“Now Mira, you scream that name one more time, and I’ll make sure you never scream again. Got it?”

I nodded, trembling.

He left my room, slamming the door behind him.

I stayed awake the rest of the night, too afraid to close my eyes.

Jacob’s words were supposed to calm me.

But all they did was make the fear worse.