Auctioned at 18 | Claimed by Two Alphas

Chapter 14 | New Resident

Raina

An omega comes to help Annie to her room, and I’m left alone.

I feel like the weight of the world has been left on my shoulders and I… I don’t know how to cope with it.

I was never meant to be a leader.

I’m not responsible enough to be a Luna.

At Crucible Academy, I was always the troublemaker between Elyria and me. I would see visions of the way others were treating her, things that she tried to keep hidden from me, and I might’ve gotten into a handful of fights.

I didn’t care about the repercussions. I didn’t care whether or not I attended my classes properly. I just wanted to live happily with my twin.

Now, I’m supposed to aspire to be a Luna, and I don’t know the first thing about being one. I wasn’t raised in this environment, and I don’t know what’s expected of me.

I can’t handle the pressure of being responsible for everyone else, especially at the detriment of my own health, as Annie did.

Rising up on shaking legs, I head to the spiral staircase she led me to, and I walk up the stairs. When I get to the top of the steps, there’s a long hallway, but only two doors, both on the same wall. That’s peculiar.

I’m not sure which door I’m supposed to go to. Annie didn’t tell me. I open the first one on my right, which is a large room with lots of natural sunlight.

It looks too… perfect and clean. As no one has lived here, it has been kept to high standards to await its new resident.

Is this mine?

I walk into the room, scared I’m going to ruin it with each step I take.

The walls are a pastel yellow, there are dark green accents, and all of the wooden furnishings are a dark brown. It’s welcoming, and it makes me feel grounded.

The dark green curtains hide double doors that lead out to a large shared balcony with the room next to mine.

That must be Alpha Thorne’s room, he said he wanted me to stay next to him.

Curiosity prickles in my mind, but I resist the pull that tells me to go in there.

I have to stay in good standing with the Alpha. Right now, things seem too good, and I’m nervous about what will happen when I mess up.

I take a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air, wanting nothing more than to remain outside. It soothes something inside of me.

But when I look around, I notice that I am being looked at as well.

People are pointing at me and talking to one another about me, and I feel like a giant target. I slip back inside, leaving the doors open to let the fresh air fill the room, and I close the curtains so no one will see me inside.

As I enter my room, there’s a knock on the door. I stare at it, expecting it to just open. No one actually cared about privacy at Crucible Academy. They knocked to give you that split-second warning before they would barge into your room.

But no one enters.

I frown, wondering if I’ve started hearing things, but when I open the door, I see a cheeky, too handsome, Alpha standing on the other side.

He says, “Sorry it took so long for me to join you. I needed to tend to a few things and check back in on Annie. I see you found the room. Is it to your liking?”

“Yeah,” I respond with a nod, “It’s perfect.”

I turn back to look at the room, and he takes that as an invitation to enter. He slides in and smiles as he tells me, “If there’s anything you want to change about it, just say the word, and it’s done.”

I nod slowly, “Cool, thanks.”

He looks back at me, a smile still gracing his face, and I… I don’t understand.

Why am I being given so much?

He asks, “What do you like to eat? I can arrange whatever you’d like tonight? I thought we could spend some time and get to know each other a little better?”

“Why do you care?” The words slip from my lips before I can stop them. Surprise lights up his face, and he chuckles, “I think I’ve made my intentions known, Raina.”

“Why me?” I ask, my voice wavering softly. I look around the room and say, “I don’t understand what I’ve done to deserve all of this, Alpha Thorne.”

“Malcolm,” He corrects me. My eyes meet him as I say firmly, “Alpha.”

“Why are you fighting this?” He asks, with a chuckle. This is funny to him.

Of course it is. It’s all just a game.

A game that he knows he won. Because he purchased me. Because I am nothing more than his belonging.

My eyes narrow as I pace the room, trying to get some separation from him.

He watches me, everywhere I move. I look back at him, feeling more frustrated by the second. His eyebrows furrow, and he asks, “Do you need some rest, Raina?”

I frown, “Why would you ask that?”

He shrugs, “You’ve been through a bit these past couple of days. I know I could benefit from sleep.”

“Then why are you with me when you could be sleeping?” I retort.

The corner of his mouth twitches, like he wants to smile at me, like he finds humor in all of this.

I don’t understand this infuriating man.

He walks to me, places a kiss on my forehead, and brushes his thumb against my cheek in a gentle caress as he says, “Get some rest, Raina. I’ll have someone bring you food later, and we can meet for breakfast in the morning. Welcome home, get settled into your room, and there should be a pen and a notebook somewhere in here. Make note of any changes or anything that you want, and I will arrange it for you.”

My voice breaks as I state, “The only thing I want is my sister.”

His gaze washes over with sadness as he tells me, “Unfortunately, that’s the only thing I’m unable to arrange at this moment.”