Daddy’s wild girl

Chapter 16

Bella sighed, the sound louder than she intended in the sudden, heavy silence.

Every eye in the cafeteria turned toward her. Trays stopped mid-air. Conversations died. The entire room went still as Ethan and Scott both stared directly at her.

Ethan’s smirk slowly widened, sharp and predatory. Scott’s expression stayed colder, more calculating, as he released the boy he’d been gripping and wiped blood from his knuckles onto his jeans.

“Well, well,” Ethan drawled, stepping away from Scott and toward Bella’s table. “The new girl has opinions. How cute.”

Scott crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. “You got something to say about how we run things around here, Freshie?”

Bella’s heart slammed against her ribs. Her wolf bristled inside her, angry and defensive, but she forced herself to keep her voice steady.

“I just think it’s stupid,” she said, lifting her chin. “Beating up on someone weaker than you doesn’t make you strong. It just makes you pathetic.”

A few nervous snickers rippled through the room before quickly dying out.

Ethan laughed, loud and mocking. He planted his hands on their table and leaned in close, towering over her. “Bold words from someone who just got here. You think you can walk into my school and start lecturing us?”

Scott stepped up beside him, his presence just as intimidating. “She’s got a mouth on her. I like that.” His gaze raked over Bella slowly. “But mouths get shut fast here if you don’t know your place.”

Molly was frozen beside her, clearly wishing she could disappear into the floor.

Before Bella could respond, Ethan straightened up, exchanging a look with Scott. “Tell you what, new girl. Since you’re so concerned about fairness… why don’t you come over here and apologize to Billy? On your knees. Maybe we’ll let it slide.”

The tension thickened. Students leaned forward, hungry for whatever came next.

Bella stood slowly, fists clenched at her sides. “I’m not apologizing for telling the truth. And I’m definitely not getting on my knees for either of you.”

The silence that followed was electric.

Ethan’s grin turned feral. Scott’s eyes darkened with clear challenge.

Before either of them could move closer, the cafeteria doors swung open with a heavy bang.

A tall, broad-shouldered senior with messy dark hair and a scar across his left eyebrow walked in. He took one look at the scene — spilled food, bleeding Billy on the floor, Ethan and Scott looming — and let out a low whistle.

“Damn. Already starting early today?” he said casually, but his voice carried authority.

Ethan glanced over his shoulder, irritation flashing across his face. “Stay out of it, Reyes.”

The senior — Reyes — ignored him and walked straight to Billy, helping the smaller boy to his feet. “Go clean yourself up, kid. I’ve got this.”

Billy mumbled a shaky “thanks” and hurried away.

Reyes turned back to Ethan and Scott, arms loose at his sides but his stance clearly ready for a fight. “You two really enjoy picking on omegas, huh? Real impressive.”

Scott scoffed. “Mind your own business, Reyes. This doesn’t concern you.”

“It does when you’re turning the cafeteria into your personal playground,” Reyes replied calmly. “Back off.”

For a tense moment, no one moved. Then Ethan laughed again, though it sounded forced this time. “Whatever. Not worth my time.” He jerked his head at his friends. “Let’s go.”

As Ethan and his crew started walking away, Scott lingered a second longer, eyes flicking to Bella with clear interest. “We’ll finish this conversation later, new girl.”

Then he followed Ethan out.

The moment they were gone, the cafeteria noise exploded back to life — whispers, laughter, and gossip filling the air.

Molly let out a long breath and grabbed Bella’s arm. “Holy s**t. You almost got yourself killed on day one. Come on, let’s sit somewhere else before they change their minds.”

They moved to a quieter corner table near the windows. Bella’s hands were still shaking as she picked at her food.

Reyes walked over a minute later, sliding into the seat across from them without asking. Up close he looked even more imposing — broad shoulders, sharp jaw, and calm gray eyes that seemed to see too much.

“You’re the new late-bloomer, right? Bella?” he asked, voice surprisingly gentle for someone who had just faced down two of the academy’s biggest bullies.

Bella nodded, still on edge. “Yeah. Thanks for stepping in.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Reyes said with a small shrug. “Ethan and Scott don’t forget things easily. Especially when a pretty new girl calls them out in front of everyone.” He leaned forward slightly. “Just watch your back. This place rewards strength and punishes weakness. Keep your head down if you can… but if you can’t, make sure you can back it up.”

Molly snorted. “Great advice. Real comforting.”

Reyes chuckled. “I’m Reyes, by the way. Third-year. If you need someone to show you around or just want to avoid getting jumped in the halls, find me.” He stood up, giving Bella one last look. “And seriously — stay away from those two if you can.”

He walked off, leaving Bella and Molly alone again.

Molly poked at her steak, shaking her head. “You really know how to make an entrance. First day and you’ve already got the two worst guys in school pissed at you… and now Reyes noticing you. That’s either really good luck or really bad luck. I haven’t decided yet.”

Bella let out a shaky laugh, her appetite completely gone. “I just couldn’t sit there and watch them humiliate that boy.”

“Yeah, well… welcome to Lycaon,” Molly said, taking another bite. “Where being ‘nice’ gets you eaten alive. You sure you don’t want to keep your head down and just enjoy the hot guys like I suggested earlier?”

Bella stared down at her tray, mind racing.

Part of her wanted to disappear into the background and survive the semester quietly.

Another part — the part that had finally awakened her wolf — refused to shrink away.

She wasn’t sure which part would win.

But as she glanced toward the cafeteria doors where Ethan and Scott had disappeared, she had a feeling her time of staying quiet was already over.

—

Bella was still replaying the cafeteria scene in her head as she walked down the long stone corridor toward her next class. The way Ethan and Scott had stared at her, the way the entire room had gone silent, the way Reyes had stepped in… it all swirled together in a messy loop.

She wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings.

A group of boys came around the corner, laughing loudly. Before she could step aside, one of them deliberately shoulder-checked her hard. The impact sent her stumbling forward. She lost her balance and hit the cold floor with a sharp thud, her books and notebook scattering across the stone.

The boys didn’t even slow down. They high-fived each other as they kept walking, their laughter echoing off the walls.

“Nice one, bro!”

“Fresh meat learns fast!”

Bella winced, pushing herself up onto her elbows. Her knee stung where it had scraped against the rough stone, and her palms burned.

Molly came jogging up a second later, eyes wide. She crouched down and helped Bella to her feet, brushing dust off her uniform.

“I’m guessing Ethan’s already starting his little revenge campaign,” Molly said, sighing tiredly. “That was probably some of his loyal idiots. They move fast.”

Bella dusted off her skirt, jaw tight with frustration. “Great. Day one and I’m already public enemy number one.”

Molly handed her the scattered books. “Welcome to Lycaon. Word travels quick here. You called out the two biggest assholes in front of everyone. They don’t let that slide.” She gave Bella a sympathetic look. “You okay? That shove looked rough.”

“I’m fine,” Bella muttered, though her knee was throbbing. “Just annoyed. I didn’t even do anything except tell the truth.”

Molly snorted. “Truth gets you hurt here. Most people learn to keep their mouths shut and their heads down. You… clearly didn’t get the memo.”

They started walking again, slower this time. Bella limped slightly, favoring her scraped knee.

“So what now?” Bella asked. “Do I just wait for the next ‘accident’?”

Molly shrugged. “You can try keeping a low profile. Sit in the back, don’t speak up in class, avoid the quad after dark. Or…” She gave Bella a sideways glance. “You can find someone stronger to watch your back. Like Reyes. He seemed interested earlier.”

Bella shook her head. “I don’t want to hide. And I definitely don’t want to owe anyone favors.”

Molly laughed softly. “Then get ready to get shoved a lot more. This place is brutal. The weak get stepped on. The strong do the stepping.”

They reached the classroom door. Students were already filing in, a few of them shooting curious or amused glances at Bella.

Molly paused before going inside. “Look… if you really want to survive here, maybe ease up on the hero act. At least for a while. You’re new. You don’t have allies yet. And Ethan and Scott? They have the whole school behind them.”

Bella nodded, but her mind was already elsewhere. She didn’t want to spend the rest of the semester scared and silent. Her wolf was awake now — restless, angry, and tired of feeling powerless.

As they took their seats near the back, Bella made a quiet decision.

She wasn’t going to shrink away.

If they wanted to come for her, let them.

She’d just have to get stronger. Fast.

Bella walked down the quieter hallway after her last class. Her knee throbbed a little from the earlier shove, but she kept her head high, refusing to look scared.

She didn’t notice Ethan watching her from the far end of the corridor.

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a slow, dangerous smirk spreading across his face as he tracked her every step. She was talking to a couple of girls from her floor, laughing lightly at something one of them said. The sound grated on him.

When she turned the corner and started walking in his direction, Ethan quickly slipped into the shadows of an empty classroom doorway. He waited, perfectly still.

The moment Bella passed him, his hand shot out.

Strong fingers wrapped around her wrist and yanked her sideways into the empty classroom. Bella gasped in shock, stumbling forward as the door clicked shut behind her.

Before she could react, Ethan spun her around and pinned her back against the closed door with his body. One of his hands slammed against the wood beside her head, the other gripping her waist tightly, holding her in place.

Bella’s eyes widened, heart hammering. She tried to twist away, but he was too strong, his frame caging her completely.

“Going somewhere, Freshie?” Ethan’s voice was low and mocking, his breath warm against her cheek. His smirk was still there, but his eyes were dark and intense. “We never finished our little conversation from lunch.”

Bella’s breath caught, her hands pressing against his chest as she tried to push him back, but he didn’t budge.

“Let me go,” she said, voice sharper than she felt.

Ethan leaned in closer, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.

“Not a chance.”