The Bikers' Prey: Roommates With The Cursed Alpha Brothers

Aria "Wolfless freaks don't get tips." The customer drops a single penny into a puddle of spilled syrup on his table and walks out of the diner. With a sigh, I reach into the mess, pluck out the penny, and wipe it clean on my stained apron. Every cent counts. Because with the final paycheck my boss is currently holding at the time clock, I finally have enough cash to buy my way out of this miserable pack forever. In the Silvermoon Pack, a wolf who cannot shift isn't treated like a person. Despite my father being the Beta, a man of power and respect, I work tirelessly at this diner booth just to survive. Because he couldn’t care less about me. Once my shift is over and my boss hands me my pay envelope, it feels like a weight immediately lifts off my shoulder. I have spent three years working double shifts, saving every single dollar, and hiding it away just so I can afford my dream university. Blackwood Howl University requires a huge tuition fee for anyone without a pack sponsorship. Since my wolf never emerged when I turned sixteen, I am officially classified as wolfless. My family treats me like an embarrassing stain on their reputation, and because they see it as a waste of time, they refuse to pay a single cent toward my education. So I had to get it done myself. Now, I finally have the amount I need. I walk home with hope fluttering in my chest. I push open the front door, desperately wishing I can just sneak upstairs unnoticed. My stepmother stops me the second I step into the hallway. Marlene stands by the kitchen, tapping her manicured fingernails against the granite countertop. Her lips thin into a harsh line as she looks me up and down like I’m disgusting. "You tracked dirt onto the entryway rug," Marlene says. She points toward the floor. "I expect you to scrub that out before you do anything else." I look down at my worn sneakers. They are completely dry. "I wiped my feet on the mat outside, Marlene. I’ve been on my feet for nine hours. I just want to go to my room." "Do you think I care how long you worked?" She walks towards me, stopping in front of me. Her eyes narrow at me. "You live in my house. You eat the food my husband pays for. So I expect you to keep this place spotless." “It’s my dad’s house,” I mumble under my breath. Her expression immediately turns angry. “What did you just say?” I shake my head. “Nothing.” Heavy footsteps suddenly thump behind me before she can reply. I turn to see my stepsister Selene, walk past me, carrying three massive shopping bags from an expensive boutique downtown. She drops the bags onto the couch and dramatically waves a hand in front of her nose. "God, you smell like a literal garbage can," she sneers. She pulls a luxurious leather jacket out of one bag and drapes it over her arm. "You really need to stay where we can’t see you when you come home. I can’t have my new Blackwood wardrobe smelling like trash." "You’re going to Blackwood?" I ask, staring at the expensive clothes. "Obviously," Selene says, rolling her eyes. "Dad paid the tuition deposit yesterday. It’s a very exclusive school for elite wolves, Aria. You wouldn’t understand." I feel a tight pang in my chest but I ignore it. As if on cue, my father walks downstairs. I instinctively stand a little straighter, and look at me. I still carry a foolish sliver of hope that he might actually greet me or ask about my day. He looks at Marlene, nods to Selene, and then his eyes slide right over me. He looks at me like I’m a dull object taking up space in his house. He walks directly toward his private study without saying a single word and shuts the door. A familiar, heavy feeling settles in my chest. I swallow hard. Once I clean the entrance as instructed with shaky legs and tired arms, I hurry up the stairs. My bedroom sits at the very end of the hall. It is small, but it is the only place I have to myself. I lock the door behind me and immediately drop to my knees beside my narrow bed. I pull back the corner of the faded rug and pry up the loose floorboard. I reach my hand into the dark space and pull out my metal safe where I keep all my money. It feels entirely too light. Confusion etches on my features. The box usually has a solid weight to it from all the bundled cash. I decide I’m overthinking things and punch the code into the keypad with trembling fingers and pop the lid open. The air in my lungs suddenly gets knocked out of me. The box is empty. There are no neatly stacked bills. There are only four loose pennies rolling around the metal bottom. I stare at the pennies, completely paralyzed. My brain refuses to process what I am seeing. I turn the box upside down and shake it aggressively, praying the money is just stuck to the top. Nothing falls out. I run my hands wildly through the empty hole under the floorboard, scraping my knuckles against the rough wood to see if it fell out, but there’s nothing there. No. The money is gone. Three years of scrubbing toilets, serving rude customers, and enduring endless exhaustion… it’s all gone. No, no, no. Panic floods my veins, followed instantly by blinding rage. I remember the shopping bags downstairs. I remember Selene bragging about her new wardrobe. I throw the metal box across the room and run for the door. I tear down the stairs so fast I nearly trip over my own feet. I storm back into the living room, my chest heaving as I search for her. Selene is standing by the island, holding up a pair of designer boots. "Where is it?" I scream, my voice tearing through the walls. Selene pauses and looks at me with a bored expression. "Are you having a mental breakdown, Aria? Keep your voice down." "My money, Selene!" I close the distance between us, fighting every bone in my body to not rip her hair off her scalp. "All of my savings. It was in my room, and now it is gone. Tell me where it is right now." Selene actually laughs. It is a cruel sound that makes my stomach turn. "Oh, you mean the cash hidden under your floor? I used it." "You used it?" I repeat, my voice cracking. "You stole everything I have worked for?" "I needed clothes for my first semester," she says, casually tossing the boots back into her bag. "You were never going to use it anyway. Blackwood Howl does not accept useless, wolfless mutts like you. You would have just wasted it trying to bribe your way into a world where you do not belong. I actually did you a favor." The entitlement in her voice snaps something inside me. I lunge forward and grab the shopping bag off the stool. "Give it back!" I yell, pulling the bag toward my chest. "You’re returning all of this right now. You’re going to get my money back!" "Let go of my things!" Selene shrieks. She shoves me hard, sending me stumbling backward into a counter. My hip bangs against the wood and I hiss from the pain. Marlene rushes into the kitchen, her face flushed with fury. She steps between us, raises her hand, and slaps me directly across the face. The force of the blow knocks my head to the side. A sharp sting burns my cheek, and the metallic taste of blood floods my mouth from where my teeth cut into my lower lip. I hold my face in shock, staring at her. "Do not ever lay your hands on my daughter!" Marlene screams, stepping closer to intimidate me. "She’s a true member of this pack. You are nothing but a useless burden we tolerate. You should be grateful she found a purpose for your little stash of cash." Tears well in my eyes, blurring my vision. I look toward the hallway as the study door slowly opens. My father stands there, holding his paperwork. "Dad," I plead, my voice barely a whisper. I step toward him, letting the tears fall down my cheeks. "Selene stole my college money. It was everything I had. Please tell her she has to give it back." My father looks at my bleeding lip. He looks at Selene and his wife. Without a word, he turns his head away, steps back into his study, and closes the door. The soft click of the door sounds like a death sentence. Tears burn in my eyes as an overwhelming sense of defeat crashes down on me. My own father will watch me be robbed and assaulted, and he’ll do absolutely nothing. I turn around, ignoring Marlene’s smug expression, and run blindly up the stairs. I force my bedroom door shut behind me, collapse onto my mattress, and finally let the devastation consume me. Painful sobs tear out of my throat. I curl into a tight ball, burying my face in my pillow to muffle the sound. My escape plan is completely destroyed. Now, I’m trapped in this house with people who despise my existence, and there’s no way out. Suddenly, my phone buzzes on the sidetable. I ignore it, crying harder. It buzzes again, a persistent and annoying noise. I reach out, drag the phone to my face, and swipe a hand across my tear-soaked eyes to read the screen. It’s an email notification from the Blackwood Howl University Admissions Office. The subject line reads: Scholarship Application Status. I sit up slowly, my breathing hitching in my chest. My hands tremble as I tap the screen and open the message. Dear Ms. Silverton, we are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a full-ride scholarship to Blackwood Howl University, effective immediately. I read the words three times, until the letters blur. This must be a dream, but it isn’t. I wipe the tears off my face, walk to my closet and pull out a dusty bag on the top shelf.