Against The Alpha's Rules

Chp 8

Willow POV

Ethan’s place smells like coffee and old music, not the soft kind that plays in the background but the loud and messy kind that lingers in the air, tangled with half-written lyrics and unfinished chords.

It feels…Real and I love his taste in music as well.

“Don’t judge the mess,” he calls out from somewhere inside as I step in, dropping my bag near the couch. Maybe he found out that I was checking his room.

“I wasn’t going to,” I replied, glancing around.

I wasn’t.

Because somehow, even the chaos here feels more like home than the place I just left. He appears a second later, running a hand through his already messy hair, a guitar pick tucked between his fingers.

“Good,” he says. “Because I’m not cleaning it.” I huff softly, moving toward my bag. “We need to pack properly,” he adds, suddenly serious. “You can’t go in there looking like you just ran away from life.”

“Technically, I did.” and then he pauses.

And then shakes his head. “Yeah… don’t say that out loud there.”

I nod slightly. Fair enough, I think to myself. The next hour passes in a blur of movement. He helps me sort through what little I have, tossing me clothes that fit better, adjusting things without making a big deal out of it.

No pity and no questions.

Just… help.

“Take this too,” he says at one point, handing me a black jacket. “It’ll help with the look.”

I take it, fingers brushing over the fabric.

“Thanks.” He shrugs like it’s nothing.

but it isn’t when everything’s finally packed, the room falls quiet.

Not awkward, just… still. Ethan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small set of keys.

“Here,” he says, tossing them lightly toward me. I catch them instinctively, staring down at the metal resting in my palm.

“My place,” he adds. “You can stay here whenever you want. I won’t be around much anyway.”

I look up. “What do you mean?”, He exhales slowly, leaning back against the table.

“I got the audition,” he says.

Something in his voice shifts.

Not nervous, not exactly, it was Just… real.

“It’s out of town,” he continues. “Big one. If it goes well, I might not be back for a while.”

A pause. “Maybe not this year.”

The words settle between us.

“And the team?” I ask quietly.

He lets out a short breath, glancing away for a second before looking back at me.

“That’s where you come in.”

I still.

“You play,” he says simply. “In my place.”

The weight of it hits differently now.

Not just an idea and not just a plan, it was something real.

“My parents get what they want,” he continues. “Their son on the team.”

“And you?” I ask.

A small smile pulls at his lips. “I get to finally do what I actually want.”

Silence.

“And you,” he adds, his gaze steady now, “you get your shot.”

My fingers tighten slightly around the keys.

It’s strange, how something so simple can feel so… big.

“You’re sure?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he nods. “I am.”

I hold his gaze for a second longer.

Then I nod.

“Okay.”

The car ride is quieter than I expected, not uncomfortable but just… heavy. My hands rest in my lap, fingers curled slightly, but I can’t stop them from trembling.

Not visibly, not enough for anyone else to notice.

Except….Ethan.

“Hey,” he says softly.

I don’t look at him. His hand moved, resting lightly over mine, it was warm and steady.

“You don’t need to be scared.”

I let out a small breath.

“I’m not scared.”

He raises a brow.

“…Okay, I’m a little scared.”

He huffs a quiet laugh. “If anything goes wrong,” he says, his tone turning serious again, “you call me. No matter where I am. I’ll come back.”

I finally looked at him.

“You’ll leave everything?” I ask.

“Yes.”

No hesitation.

“I mean it, Will,” he adds. “You’re not alone in this. Not anymore.”

Something in my chest tightens.

Not painfully.

Just enough to remind me it’s there.

“…Thank you,” I said quietly.

He shrugs, eyes back on the road.

“Besides,” he adds lightly, “I can’t have you ruining my reputation.”

I roll my eyes.

“There it is.”

He grins.

A pause settles between us.

“I’m glad you’re doing this,” I say softly.

He glances at me briefly.

“The audition,” I clarify. “The music. All of it.” His grip on the steering wheel tightens just slightly.

“You should,” I continue. “You’re good. Really good.” He doesn’t say anything.

So I do.

“I hope you make it,” I add. “I hope your band becomes so popular that people can’t ignore you.”

A small smile tugs at his lips.

“Yeah?” he says.

“Yeah.”

Silence again but this time… it feels lighter. The academy comes into view slowly, tall gates, massive structure, sharp lines and darker tones that make it feel more like a fortress than a school.

My breath catches slightly as we pull in.

Students move around the grounds, all of them dressed the same.

Red uniforms and black jackets layered over them, each one marked with the academy’s emblem stitched in deep crimson and not a single girl.

My stomach twists.

“Welcome to hell,” Ethan mutters under his breath.

I elbow him lightly.

The car stops,“This is it,” he says.

I nod, even though my chest feels tighter than before. “Hey,” he adds, glancing at me one last time. “You’ve got this.”

Do I?

I open the door anyway, because turning back isn’t an option. Inside, everything feels even more structured and more controlled. I’m handed a form at the front desk, the paper crisp beneath my fingers.

“Fill this out,” the man behind the desk says without looking up. “Primary and secondary subjects.”

I nod, moving to the side while my eyes scan the page.

Name, details, teams and then subjects.

I hesitate for a second, Hockey is already there. That part’s decided, my pen hovers and then moves toward the other section

That is art and literature. It feels… right!, I think to myself while I stare at the words. It's like something that belongs to me.

Not borrowed.

Not stolen.

Mine.

I set the pen down, staring at the paper for a second longer. Then I hand it back and just like that…It begins.