The Alpha Trio’s Human Mate

Chapter Four

A few days after the final exam, including the written portion, I had gone to check the bulletin board with our results. While my ranking was quite low, I had passed. I was in. Not only did I get to stay at the Academy, I would remain here with my new friend, who I couldn't bear to lose. I got to attend the Solstice ball and the week of holiday festivities. I was so, so excited to have these experiences, and a newfound sense of confidence. It shone through in my features, in the way I walked and carried myself.

"Are you excited to meet the upperclassmen?" I elbowed Sira as we walked into a large common area in the main building at the Academy. It was decked out in silver and blue, tall Christmas trees and fake snow everywhere. The university still had decor in storage from when they'd decorate their campus every year, before the collapse, and the committee who planned the Solstice celebration did a wonderful job decorating it. We decorated for Solstice at home, but it was never anywhere like this. This was magical; the Academy had even splurged with the electricity to have string lights up for the ball.

"I should be asking you the same thing. You look hot," Sira raised an eyebrow at me. I had on a deep purple strapless gown, made of thick, shimmery fabric. There were cutouts at the waist, just under my breasts and hugging my ribs, and below the cutouts, the skirt dropped to the floor in a smooth line. I didn't have many curves for the fabric to hug, but it clung to me nicely.

Silver heels and silver jewelery complemented my grey-green eyes, along with smoky charcoal eye makeup. There hadn't been factories to produce beauty products in decades, but we made do with long-expired eyeshadow palettes from long-abandoned drugstores. My dark blonde hair hung in loose curls around my face, tickling my chin. I looked good, I felt good, and I was happy. I was almost to the point with Jackson where I could say that I wasn't heartbroken anymore. I was happy to just be focused on me, and my importance to the Academy--which Commander Jacobs herself had informed me of.

We found our way to the beverage table, excited for the special occasion. Alcohol was in short supply, but the Berserkers knew that making time for celebration and play was just as important as training and work. People needed someething to look forward to every once in a while, something happy to fight for. Solstice was one such time. Sira and I enjoyed several servings of spiced wine before heading to the dance floor. A month ago, I couldn't have imagined myself being this confident and free. But now--I was the happiest I'd been in a while. Dancing to music that was decades old, eyeing cute upperclassmen boys that stood on the fringes of the dimly lit dance floor, a little off balance from the buzz of the wine--it didn't get much better than this.

An upbeat rendition of Jingle Bell Rock came on, and Sira and I sang and swayed to it joyously. Until an expression of concern crossed her face, and I felt hands on the bare skin of my waist moments later. I was aware of someone's face leaning into the crook of my neck, and I faintly smelled ocean. Or what I thought the ocean would smell like, anyway. I'd never been to a coast. When the person holding onto me leaned in closer and took a deep sniff, I turned around, ready to tell off whomever had put their hands on me without asking.

A chill skittered along my skin when I met the person's gaze, raising gooseflesh. He looked like Sira a bit--though his hair was more sandy brown than blonde, and his eyes were a deeper blue--almost navy in color. Of course he had a jaw carved to perfection, overlaid with tanned skin. He was more than a head taller than me, and pure muscle. I couldn't very well punch that perfect jaw and tell him to buzz off; I couldn't reach it if I tried.

"You should ask before you put your hands on people, you know," I crossed my arms in front of me protectively, and stared up at the man. Sira came up behind me with the grace of a predator, staring at the man over my shoulder.

"Do I have to ask to put my hands on my mate?" Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. The way he was looking at me, intensely and possessively...

"Uh uh. Quit f*****g around Kai," Sira grunted, stepping in front of me protectively, drawing a snarl from who was presumably Kai.

"I'm not f*****g around, Sira," the man hissed.

"She's human. That's not possible. And she's my friend. So no. Go find another vulnerable freshman girl to hook up with." Sira stepped up to him, pushing his chest, but he remained staring at me. Hungrily.

"I saw her from across the room, and my c**k instantly got hard. I wanted her. I do want her. More than anything I've ever wanted, Sira. So move before I make you." His tongue swept along his bottom lip as he looked me up and down, and I heated under his gaze. And from his filthy words.

"Ew," Sira spat. "No. Literally go away or I'm going to tell your mom that you're being a creep." What? I was so confused. Kai's gaze darkened at something behind me, and the scenario repeated itself. Hands on my waist. Someone who smelled way too good, like cedar and musk. I turned around, mouth set in an angry line once again.

"Men really don't know how to keep their hands to themselves at the Academy, huh?" I raised an eyebrow at this man, and I met another hungry gaze. Hazel eyes, a deep green flecked with brown, regarded me with the same intensity as Kai's had. I was looking up again, at this man who was impossibly taller than me with deeply tanned skin. His hair was dark brown, but shone reddish in the dim light, more of a deep auburn.

"Why would I keep my hands to myself?" His lips curved in a smirk, and I didn't know whether to be afraid or aroused.

"Don't even think about touching her, Zeph," Kai growled from behind me.

"Why, Kai? She's my mate. Find someone else," this man, presumably Zeph, said.

"No, she's my mate, actually," a new voice said, shoving Zeph aside. Black hair, and amber eyes so bright they shone like gold, and a smoky, spicy scent, comforting like a campfire. Cozy.

"Lynx, Kai's already f*****g around enough. Not you, too," Zeph's voice had a knife edge to it, and I stared at Sira in horror.

"What is going on?" I raised my voice, crossing my arms and pulling away from all of them. All of their answering looks were straight out of a nightmare. Three tall men, looking at me like I was prey, closing in on me slowly...Sira grabbed my arm, and whispered, "Run."

Adrenaline licked its way up my spine, and we did. We pushed through the crowd, whipping our heads around to see if they were gaining on us.

"Faster, Sira!" I didn't know precisely what I was running from, but I gathered that these three men mistakenly seemed to think I was their mate, and that was dangerous. One male wolf who'd found his mate was bad enough, if he couldn't control himself. But three? No way. Absolutely no way. I was not in the mood to get carried off somewhere without my consent to be assaulted by men who couldn't control themselves. And I didn't want it. Plain and simple. I was just starting to feel confident in myself, I was feeling a sense of purpose, and I didn't want to be reduced to just some man's mate--or three men, for that matter. When we finally reached Commander Jacobs, I sighed in relief. She would put a stop to this.