The Luna Alpha

CHAPTER FOUR - WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE

I dropped Cisely at the middle school where some of the other kids would go as well. It was only a few minutes walk from the high school. Sometimes Cisely had to wait for me as the alphas would sometimes catch me after the bell rang to bully me. Sometimes she just went with the other kids as her job was to do laundry in the packhouse. She had to be there at 5 as well and I didn’t want her to be late.

Inside at my locker I took the bag with the cake and hid it deep inside. I grabbed my Physics book and put it in my bag for 1st period. I had to hurry cause class started in 15 and if I wasn’t early the alphas would –

“Well look who it is guys. Our favorite little omega.” Aaron grinned and got in my face. “Aren’t you supposed to be in class by now?” My face dropped into one of sadness. I almost thought I saw Aaron’s face do the same. But I’m sure I was mistaken.

“What do you say guys? His punishment for being late to class, a shower in the toilet? Looks like you barely combed your hair this morning.” He pushed the hair out of my face and behind my ear. “There, that’s better. Now off to wash your hair!”

There was no use struggling. Aaron always got his way. Axel sighed.

“You've never done that before Aaron. Besides this is gonna take too long. We’ll be late for class too.”

“No it won’t. Just a couple minutes. Come on.”

“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Lucian walked up with Amanda. Amanda looked torn. She always wanted to help me but she learned not to say anything and let Lucian defend me. I didn’t want her to get in trouble with the alphas so that was a good thing.

“Just going to give our little omega a shower of sorts. More like a bath.” Aaron grinned while he grabbed my arm. Lucian grabbed it back from him.

“Oh no you don’t.”

“Hey!”

“Stay out of this Lucian,” Andrew piped up. “You don’t want your head dunked too do you?”

“I’d like to see you try. I pinned you when we sparred the other day. I could do it again.” He smirked and put me behind him. Aaron growled and Amanda jumped. I had never heard Aaron growl before. Did alphas get their wolves early? I think I’d read that somewhere in a werewolf history book.

“Give him back. You don’t wanna go against all three of us do you?” I had never heard Aaron be actually mean before. Was it because Lucian was ruining his fun?

“Bell’s about to ring. Maybe you shouldn’t start being an ass this early in the day and get to class.”

“Maybe you should mind your own damn business.” Aaron stood up to full height and got in Lucian’s face. Axel put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder.

“Let’s just go. Bell’s gonna ring. We can do this later.” Aaron looked back at Axel. Then at Lucian. He relaxed his shoulders. As the three of them passed me in silence they all looked back at me.

“See ya later,” Aaron said as he smiled playfully and raised an eyebrow. I let out a breath of relief. I began to walk fast with my books. Lucian and Amanda ran up to me.

“Hey you ok?” Lucian asked.

“I’m fine, thank you. You should really stop. I don’t want them to hurt you.”

“You wouldn’t believe it but they’re not really like that. Aaron’s a sweetheart. Over the last few years though….. I don’t know what’s happened. He’s only that way when he’s….when he’s bullying you. And I’d stand up for you anytime.” He gave me a smile and so did Amanda then she looked away. I gave them both a relaxed smile.

“Besides they wouldn’t hurt me, I’m their Gamma. I have to be in charge of their head warrior and protect their….uh, Luna when they get one and they know it. Aaron wouldn’t lay a finger on me.” He grinned and I nodded still not believing it. Maybe not Aaron or Andrew but Axel had an infamous temper and I never wanted to be at the brunt of it.

“Well I don’t wanna make you guys late, so thanks and goodbye. Um …bye Amanda.”

She sadly waved to me and lingered in the hallway before Lucian pulled her along.

I knew I had to run today after my last class. The alphas would be on my tail. I figure I’d drop the food from lunch on the outside of school so I wouldn’t have to make it back to my locker. Yeah, I’d have time. I finally got to class and breathed out a sigh of relief that it was 2 classes before I had to see the alphas again. Then all I had to do was make it through lunch unseen and run out of the last class like a jackrabbit.

Oh my Goddess, I’m going to die.

I made it through lunch but this time I didn’t have time to eat my apple cause I was strategically placing my bookbag on the outside of the school where no one would find it instead of heading to the library to hide. I was starving by the end of my last class and I could feel the alphas staring at the back of my head. I think they sensed I was getting ready to run.

I looked at the clock. 2:48. The bell rang at 2:50 and even though we weren’t supposed to stand at the door some kids started standing up about 30 seconds before the bell and heading there sometimes. Today was that day for me. I slid halfway out of my seat slowly. I heard a chair creak behind me. It couldn’t be one of them. It couldn’t be. Not today. I was gonna make it to the door, down the hallway, get my bag and pick up Cissy.

2:49. Everyone else was getting louder and starting to shuffle, picking up their bags. A couple of kids headed for the open door and leaned on the doorway chatting. Mrs. Brown sighed and looked through her own bag. I don’t know if she had papers to grade or not. Stop thinking about that now. The second hand was at 30 seconds now. I had to make my move before it was too late. Before Aaron caught my arm which he sometimes did.

45 second mark. Mrs. Brown would just have to write me up later. I bolted. My tennis shoes streaked across the floor. I could feel Aaron behind me and I heard a faint bang on a desk cause I was outta there. And I just ran. Around the first hallway’s corner then to the history hallway. I took a different route this time. I had hid my bookbag on the other side of school cause they knew which side I took to go to the middle school. I’d have to go inside the school and hide with Cisely for a bit to make sure they didn’t see me.

“Parker!”

I almost halted at Aaron’s voice but I knew I had to keep going. I was in big trouble now, not stopping for my alphas. I heard him groan in frustration.

“Parker, stop right now!” I heard an even louder yell from Andrew this time. Andrew? He never spoke to me and I’d never heard my name escape his lips. Well, not for a long time. They must be really mad. Which made it more imperative that I get away. But they would only come after me tomorrow wouldn’t they? I don’t think I thought this through enough.

I crossed into the science building and ran through that one. Boy I needed to work out more. But this was the last one. I was almost there. I came out of the building and turned the corner. And that’s when I ran into a brick wall. No, it was human. A big human. Axel.

Axel looked down at me as I fell backward, but he caught me before I hit the ground.

“I’ve got you.” He set me back on my feet and now I knew it was over. Axel had a strange look on his face besides his usual scowl. It was one of sadness maybe? Did he feel sorry for me for what Aaron was about to do? Or did he actually have sympathy for me after what happened the night before? It didn’t matter. He never stopped Aaron so why would he feel sympathy for me?

“Get your bag and go.” Axel gestured to my bag sitting on the ground behind a tree. I was in shock and didn’t move for a few moments until I heard screeches from tennis shoes on linoleum from Aaron’s feet. I scrambled to my bag and looked back at Axel. His face had turned to stone again. I knew I had only moments before the other brothers caught up with me so I didn’t ask questions and hurried myself to the middle school. I would pay for this tomorrow.

I ran into the school to find Cisely waiting for me by the science teacher’s door. She never waited more than a half hour because she knew my situation. Luckily it had only been ten minutes since their bell rang. I was making a habit of catching my breath in doorways.

Cisely hopped down off the railing attached to a stairway that led to other classes. “Well you’re early. And out of breath.”

“Yeah …definitely…..both those ….things.” I took a breath in between most of those words and finally my breathing was getting better as Cisely walked toward me. “Wait…..we need to ….Wait. Just a few minutes. Let me….catch my breath.” It was more of an excuse that anything. I was fine to walk home now but I needed to give a little more time so the alphas wouldn’t see us as they drove off in their car. Cisely hopped back up on the railing.

“Ok, cool. Were you running from the alphas?”

I nodded my head and sat on the floor making a deep sigh.

“I don’t like them. They’re mean to you.”

I looked down at the floor. “They’re not so bad.” I lied. Then I remembered. I opened my bag and took out the chocolate cake. My forgotten lunch.

“Alpha Axel gave me this last night. Wanna share?”

Cisely's eyes widened and she licked her lips. “Just between the two of us?”

“Yep. I’ve got more for the other kids.” Cisely smiled and held out a shaking hand. I don’t doubt it’s been years since she had a piece of cake. Me either. We shared that big fat piece of cake like it was the last piece on earth. And it was good. Thick, juicy, even though it had dried out a little in my bag. It was still sweet and bready and delicious. Once we finished I felt it was safe to go.

I grabbed my bag hoping I wouldn’t see the alphas passing by. I would accept my punishment tomorrow. But today I’d had cake. Today I’d walk my Cissy home from school on her first day back and ask her about her classes and attend to her. Today I was gonna ask if I could take some food home from the kitchen. I had plans and the alphas wouldn’t ruin those. Not today.

Once I got to the kitchens after dropping off my bounty I avoided everyone at all costs. The alphas knew I worked in the kitchens but I figured they wouldn’t try anything outside of school. Axel had even let me go! Did he tell Aaron he’d seen me? Did they fight about it? Would I actually be allowed to take something from the kitchen tonight? Questions I was I extremely nervous about finding out the answer to.

Dimitri was in rare form today. He was slinging pots in battle formation as he dried them and flipping them in his hands as he put them back on shelves and in cabinets. He almost hit me a few times.

“Would you stop that?” I said after the third time of him flipping a frying pan over my head.

“Sorry, I can’t help it. I saw so many moves I wanna try out. They won’t let me spar with anyone til next year cause they say an omega like me will get hurt but I’m gonna go to the gym and I’ll show them just how scrawny I am.”

He looked determined and I felt like in a year or so he might be able to carry the big frying pan with no trouble.

“Put that thing down!” I whisper yelled.

“I quite agree.” A chill came into the room with Mrs. Williams. She had warned us yesterday about playing around. Even though we’d both been super early today she’d come in a couple times to check on us to see where she could punish us. I realized she was a little peeved about not being able to go to her superior about me last night.

“Fooling around again I see?” She crossed her arms, smirked and raised an eyebrow. The universal sign for your ass is grass.

“Sorry Mrs. Williams, it was my fault. Parker was trying to get me to stop-

“Do you think those warriors will want to train with you if they knew how undisciplined you were at a simple drying job? And Parker. Parker, Parker. Do you think you could ever get anything from that kitchen again if you can’t even keep your little drying omega in line?”

Well there goes that.

“If this happens again, I will be taking it to the head omega and I will be letting the head trainer know as well. Watch yourselves. Both of you.” She left with a sneer on her face and we both sighed sadly.

“Sorry Parker I know you were counting on that. It was my fault.”

“It’s ok. One day I’ll change things. Maybe I’ll work under the head omega and help her. Maybe.” Doubtful. But one could only hope.

I trudged back to the orphanage at 8 o’clock empty-handed. I only hoped the kids would think that last night was just a fluke and wouldn’t have open mouths waiting for me like baby birds. I walked in a little later than usual. Not only had I creeped around corners in the packhouse to make sure the alphas wouldn’t see me but I walked a little slower feeling terrible I had to disappoint my kids.

As I walked in Cisely ran up to me with a smile.

“Hope it was a good day at work!”

“It was, thanks.” I looked around at the younger kids yawning. They looked back at me, their eyes hopeful, at least to me. They saw nothing in my hands so they turned their attention back to their cartoons. Hope gone in a flash.

It would be bedtime for them soon. I looked over to the house mothers who were cleaning the floor and tucking in babies.

Mrs. Tuey motioned to my cold bowl of corn chowder on our little stove. I grabbed it as Cisely went back to her bed and jumped on talking with her friends about their teacher Mrs. Brack who slipped on her shoelaces today and almost faceplanted.

I was glad Cisely had other friends besides me to converse with. We couldn’t hang in high school next year so it was best she distanced herself from me. Besides, tonight I had to think. About Mr. Addison’s chemistry test tomorrow. And about how to not get killed by the alphas.