Claimed by the Quarter Back Alpha

CHAPTER 3: Betrayal

Tessan eyes suddenly widened as she grabbed me by my arm. The first thing I heard when I stepped into school this morning was laughter. The kind that made people cover their mouths and glance around like they were hiding something.

My shoes slowed against the hallway floor as two girls near the lockers were whispering, but the moment they noticed me, their voices dropped.

"You're serious?" one of them whispered.

"I swear," the other murmured back. "Everyone at Jason's party saw it." Immediately my chest tightened.

Jason's party.

The one he told me not to come to. The hallway suddenly felt too loud as conversations buzzed around me, but every few seconds someone glanced my way.

Then another whisper floated through the air.

"You mean she still doesn't know?" My grip tightened on my backpack strap as a boy leaning against a locker shook his head slowly.

"You should've seen it," he muttered to his friend. "He literally asked Veronica to be his girlfriend right there." The words made my heart stumble

Girlfriend?

That didn't make sense because Jason was my boyfriend.

My locker was only a few steps away now, but suddenly it felt like the longest walk of my life as more murmurs drifted through the hallway.

"Poor Nina. I thought they were still together she didn't even show up to the party..." My hand froze halfway to the locker handle. I couldn't process any of it, as a familiar voice called out behind me.

"Nina!" I turned just in time to see Tessan pushing through the hallway crowd.

My best friend looked furious as her curls bounced wildly as she stormed toward me, her expression tight with anger. She grabbed my shoulders the second she reached me.

"Tell me you didn't go to Jason's party," Tessan said as I blinked in confusion.

"No," I answered slowly. "Jason told me not to come."

Tessan closed her eyes briefly as she opened them again, they were blazing.

"That lying snake," she muttered as my stomach twisted.

"Tess," I said quietly, "what happened?"

She hesitated for a moment it looked like she didn't want to say it out loud as she exhaled sharply.

"Jason stood in the middle of the party last night," she said. "And asked Veronica Hill to be his girlfriend."

The hallway noise faded into a dull hum.

"That's not funny," I whispered as she stared at me.

"You think I'm joking right now?" She added as I searched her face and she wasn't smiling and she wasn't teasing instead she looked ready to start a fight.

"He wouldn't do that," I said.

"He already did," Tessan replied flatly as I shook my head in disbelief.

"Maybe someone misunderstood."

"Nina," Tessan said firmly, "the entire party saw it." My heart began pounding harder as a smooth voice drifted through the hallway.

"Well... look who finally showed up." My head turned as Veronica stood a few lockers away her blonde hair fell perfectly over her shoulders as her arms were folded across her chest like she owned the entire hallway.

Three of her cheerleader friends stood behind her, watching the scene unfold with barely hidden smiles.

Veronica tilted her head slightly.

"Did no one tell you yet?" she asked sweetly as Tessan stepped forward immediately.

"Say another word and I swear" Veronica raised a hand lazily.

"Relax, Warren. I'm just being polite." Then her gaze settled on me.

"Your boyfriend asked me to be his girlfriend last night." The words sliced through my chest.

"Jason is my boyfriend," I said quietly as she laughed.

"Was." A few whispers broke out behind her as Tessan moved closer to me, her anger practically radiating.

"You're disgusting," she snapped as Veronica only shrugged.

"Don't shoot the messenger.Jason's the one who dumped you." The hallway erupted in murmurs.

"Nina," Tessan said softly while tugging at my arm. "Let's go."

But I shook my head.

"Where is he?" Veronica's smile sharpened.

"Outside," she said casually. She leaned in just enough for only me and Tessan to hear.

"Probably waiting for me." Immediately Something inside me snapped as I turned toward the exit doors.

"Nina, wait!" The cool morning air hit my face as I stepped into the courtyard some students were scattered across the grass and benches talking before class started.

Jason stood near one of the benches as he rested his arm casually on the pavement as my chest tightened painfully.

Jason noticed me first as his expression flickered with surprise for half a second before it hardened.

I walked straight toward them.

Jason sighed the moment I stopped in front of him.

"Nina... this isn't a good time."

"You asked her to be your girlfriend?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied with a shrug.

"So that's why you told me not to come to the party," I said.

"Yeah," Jason said rolling his eyes. "Because I didn't want a scene."

Tessan exploded instantly.

"A scene?" she shouted. "You publicly cheated on her!" A few nearby students turned to watch.

"Look, Nina," he said coldly, "we were already over." My head snapped up.

"Since when?" He gestured lazily toward Veronica.

"Since I upgraded." The words felt like a slap as Veronica smiled sweetly beside him.

I grabbed her arm before she could lunge forward.

"You cheated on me," I said quietly as Jason scoffed.

"It's high school,Nina. Relax" For a moment I thought I might cry but I refused. I turned and walked back toward the school building before anyone could see the tears building in my eyes.

Behind me I heard Veronica laugh as Jason said something I couldn't make out. Whispers continued as I stepped back into the hallway, I stopped suddenly because Dave and his friends were leaning against the lockers watching as Dave straightened slowly when he saw me.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"Well," he said lazily, "that was entertaining." His friends snickered.

One of them murmured under his breath, "Public breakup."

Another added, "Brutal."

Dave pushed himself off the locker and walked a little closer his sharp eyes scanned my face like he was studying every crack in my expression.

"Didn't see that coming, huh?" he said.

"Back off, Walker," I snapped as he chuckled.

"Relax. I'm just observing." A quiet laugh rippled through his group as Someone muttered mockingly, "Dumped and humiliated in one morning." My throat burned.

Dave tilted his head slightly.

"Looks like your perfect boyfriend wasn't so perfect," he said as the hallway laughter grew louder.

My vision blurred but I refused to cry in front of them as I walked past him but the humiliation followed like a shadow as Dave laughed.

The hallway noise followed me for a while as conversations that died the moment I passed by.

I kept walking as my vision burned and blurred, but I refused to let the tears fall where everyone could see me especially not in front of the entire school that had just watched my relationship explode.

"Nina wait!" Tessan's footsteps hurried behind me as I turned the corner sharply and pushed open the first door I saw.

The janitor's closet.

The smell of cleaning chemicals filled the air as I stepped inside and slammed the door shut as darkness swallowed the tiny space.

A thin line of light slipped in from the bottom of the door.

My chest rose and fell too fast and for a moment, I just stood there trying to breathe, Trying to hold everything inside.

But the moment Tessan pushed the door open and slipped inside behind me I broke but deep inside something had cracked because even though no one had seen me cry in that closet

I knew the truth.

I cried where the werewolves couldn't see me but they would still smell the weakness and Dave Walker?

He would enjoy it the most.