Defying My 5 Alpha Stepbrothers At Military School

ADAH’S POV I kept my head down as I navigated the crowded hallways of Blackwood Military Academy. The weight of my backpack dug into my shoulders, almost as heavy as the stares boring into me from every direction. "That's her—the scholarship Omega," someone whispered, not bothering to lower their voice enough. Being an Omega at Blackwood was like wearing a target on my back. Everyone else seemed to walk with such confidence, their shoulders squared, chins raised. Meanwhile, I tried to make myself as small as possible. I just needed to get through this year without incident. Focus on my studies. Prove I deserved to be here. "Watch where you're going!" a harsh voice snapped as I accidentally bumped into someone. I looked up to see Tristan Miller, one of the Alpha seniors, glaring down at me. His friends quickly surrounded us, forming a circle that trapped me in place. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, clutching my books tighter to my chest. "It was an accident." Tristan's lip curled in disgust. "They're really letting anyone in here these days, aren't they? What's next, strays from the street?" His friends laughed, the sound echoing off the lockers. My cheeks burned hot with humiliation. "Do you have any idea who I am?" he continued, stepping closer. "My father funded the east wing of this place. What did yours do? Oh wait—" He pretended to think. "Clean the toilets?" I bit my lip, fighting back tears. Don't cry. Whatever you do, don't cry. "Maybe we should teach her about respect," one of his friends suggested, grabbing my arm. I flinched, books tumbling to the floor. "Or maybe you should back off." The voice cut through the tension like a knife. The circle parted, and there she stood—Angela Winters. She was everything I wasn't: tall, confident, radiant. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her uniform looked like it had been tailored specifically for her. "Come on, Angela," Tristan groaned. "We're just having a little fun." "Funny, she doesn't seem to be laughing." Angela crossed her arms. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Like remedial math, perhaps?" The group shifted uncomfortably. Even Tristan seemed suddenly unsure of himself. "Whatever," he muttered, backing away. "She's not worth it anyway." They dispersed, casting final glares in my direction. I knelt down to gather my scattered books, my hands trembling. "Here, let me help." Angela crouched beside me, picking up my physics textbook. "Don't mind them. They peak in high school and spend the rest of their lives trying to recapture the glory days." I looked at her, waiting for the punchline. Why would someone like her help someone like me? "I'm Angela, by the way." She handed me the last book with a smile. "Adah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "Adah Mitchell." "Well, Adah Mitchell, looks like we're heading in the same direction." She gestured toward the science wing. "Advanced Physics, right?" My eyes widened. "How did you know?" "I've seen you in class. You're the one who corrected Professor Lawson on his quantum mechanics formula last week." Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "His face turned the most interesting shade of purple." I couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I didn't mean to embarrass him." "Well, I thought it was impressive." She linked her arm through mine as if we'd been friends forever. "Come on, we're going to be late." As we walked down the hall together, I noticed the stares shifting from contempt to curiosity. Walking alongside Angela was like stepping into a different dimension—one where I wasn't just the scholarship Omega anymore. "You've got to be kidding me," I gasped later that day, standing in the doorway of my assigned dorm room. There was Angela, arranging photos on her desk. She turned and grinned at my shocked expression. "Roomie!" she exclaimed. "I was wondering when you'd show up." My mind raced with confusion. "But... I thought... Aren't roommates assigned by status? I'm an Omega, and you're..." "A Beta," she finished, flopping onto her perfectly made bed. "My parents are Alphas, but I didn't inherit the gene. Disappointed the hell out of them." She shrugged as if it didn't matter, but something in her eyes told me otherwise. "Still," I hesitated, setting my suitcase down. "You could have requested someone else." "Why would I want to do that? Besides, we're both scholarship students. Makes sense they'd put us together." I nearly dropped the books I was unpacking. "You're on scholarship?" Angela laughed, the sound like wind chimes. "Academic scholarship, yeah. Just because my family has money doesn't mean they're willing to spend it on me." She waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, enough about that boring stuff. Let me help you unpack." As we arranged my meager belongings beside her designer items, I couldn't help but feel like I'd won some cosmic lottery. Angela Winters—beautiful, popular, seemingly perfect Angela—was not only being nice to me but actually wanted to be my friend. This never happens to people like me, I thought, watching her organize my desk supplies with the precision of an interior designer. But I'm not going to question it. Two months into the semester, and I'd settled into a routine that revolved around Angela like a planet around its sun. Where she went, I followed. Who she spoke to, I spoke to. It wasn't that I couldn't function without her—I just didn't want to. "Adah, did you finish the calculus homework?" Marcus Chen asked as I took my seat in class. Before Angela, no one would have acknowledged my existence, let alone asked for my help. Now, being Angela's friend had elevated my status by association. "Yeah, I can help you after class if you want," I offered, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach when he smiled back. "You're too nice," Angela whispered when he turned away. "Half these people wouldn't give you the time of day before." I shrugged. "I don't mind. It's nice to feel... useful." Angela's expression softened. "Oh, Adah. You're worth so much more than what you can do for others." Before I could respond, the classroom door burst open, and the Castillo twins swaggered in. Javier and Diego—notorious troublemakers whose family connections kept them from facing any real consequences for their actions. But it was hard to ignore them when Professor Williams announced our group assignments for the semester project, and both my name and the Castillos' were called together. "This can't be happening," I whispered in horror. Javier smirked from across the room. "Looks like the nerd will be doing all our work." After class, they cornered me in the hallway. "Listen carefully," Diego said, his voice low and threatening. "We need to pass this class, but we're not going to waste our time on some stupid project." "You'll do the work," Javier added. "All of it. And make sure it's good enough for an A." "That's not fair," I protested weakly. "The project counts for forty percent of our grade." Diego's laugh was cold. "Life isn't fair, especially for Omegas who don't know their place." They walked away, leaving me clutching my research papers in trembling hands. When I told Angela what happened, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Those entitled jerks. You need to stand up to them, Adah." "How?" I asked miserably. "No one listens to Omegas." "Then make them listen." She sat up straight, excitement sparking in her eyes. "You should run for student council president." I stared at her like she'd suggested I fly to the moon. "That's crazy. No Omega has ever—" "Exactly!" She grabbed my hands. "You'd be making history. And as president, not even the Castillos could push you around." It sounded impossible, but the way Angela described it made me believe, just for a moment, that I could actually win. "Here," she said, pulling out some papers from her bag. "I already got the nomination forms. All you need to do is sign." "You really think I can do this?" I asked, pen hovering over the signature line. "I know you can," she assured me. "Trust me." And I did. Without even reading the fine print, I signed my name, my heart swelling with a hope I'd never allowed myself to feel before.