Mated to the outcast, loved by the alpha president

Aria Silvercrest. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. “Chloe?” I yelled as I spun around, searching for my best friend, looking for the familiar blob of curly red hair. We were supposed to be on our way to the dorms, and somehow she had disappeared into thin air. Even though this was a common occurrence, I felt deeply unsettled by her disappearance this time. Students stopped and stared at me, a look of confusion on their faces as if this was the first time seeing me, but I paid them no mind. My heart was racing erratically, and a feeling of terror began to overwhelm me. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe. “Ugh!” I moaned in pain, winded, locating the nearest pillar to rest my hand on. What was happening to me? Chloe must be around here somewhere. I shouldn't be feeling so terrified because of her absence. “Stop it! Leave me alone! Please!” A little panicked whine reached my ears. That was Chloe's voice. I heard it loud and clear, and it seemed she was in trouble. I pushed myself against the pillar, searching around the sea of students, looking towards the direction of where her voice could have come from, but I still didn't see her. Were my ears playing tricks on me? My eyes carefully darted around the corners of the corridor filled with students when I heard her voice again. “I'm not a witch! Leave me alone…" Her voice was mixed with soft cries. “Of course you are a witch! Why is your hair naturally red, huh? No matter how much you dye it, it washes off in minutes and stays red.” And I wouldn't mistake that voice anywhere. It was Melissandra, Chloe and my bully since middle school. Here we are in high school, and she still hasn't changed. But things felt weirder. I could hear their voices, but I couldn't see them. Then, it was as if my legs had a mind of their own as they started moving. All my rational thoughts left my mind, and I didn't care to ask myself why I wasn't questioning where I was headed until I came to a stop in front of the bathroom. And there was Chloe, cornered at the edge of a wall, surrounded by Melissandra and her little minions. Chloe was curling into herself, as if trying to protect herself from their wrath. “What are you doing, Melissandra?” I spat out acidly with so much hatred and venom in my heart. I had never been this bold before, but the look of shock on their faces gave me more confidence. Melissandra tsked and gave me a casual glance before her eyes went back to Chloe. “Run along, little girl. Today is not for you. I just have simple questions for your little witch friend here.” Her voice was smooth and sweet to the ears, something that seemed to draw everyone to her, but her heart… it was the most evil thing she had. “Step away from Chloe. Now!” I took a step forward, my fists clenching at the sides. I could feel it clearer now… The rage that was bubbling inside my chest, my narrowed vision. “I will not repeat myself again, Melissandra.” She didn't even budge. She acted like I didn't exist as her minions cackled, believing that my attempts to stop Melissandra were futile. I wouldn't blame them because I always ended up running instead of protecting Chloe, but now… Right now, I felt like tearing the entire bathroom down and giving them a taste of their medicine. “Aren't you even remotely curious as to why I keep hounding your 'best friend' on her witchy woo- woo stuff?” She rolled her long blue hair between her ring and pinky finger. “Or has she spelled you already? You know, monsters like her are not supposed to exist in this world. They should be… burned.” Chloe whimpered, her hands shaking as she pressed herself harder against the tiled wall, her eyes darting between Melissandra and me. The sound she made got me even more furious, and before I could stop it, a low growl rumbled from my throat. I froze. My entire body went rigid, freezing even with the anger that hadn't yet subsided. Did… did that sound come from me? Melissandra’s smile faltered for half a second before she recovered, her eyes narrowing. “Did you hear that?” she asked her minions, amusement, and mockery laced in her voice. “Her little pet sounds angry.” “Don't call her that!” Chloe came to my defense immediately, and before she could blink, Melissandra had landed a slap on her face. “Don't speak when I'm speaking! You have no such right, you filthy monster!” Melissandra fumed at Chloe. …and that was when I snapped. “Step away from her!" My teeth were gritted, trying to control the anger in my voice. “Or what?” Melisandra spat out. At once, heat flooded my veins, scorching and filling every inch of my body. My nails burned painfully, a pressure building at my fingertips until I gasped. I stared down just in time to see them lengthen, sharpening into something dark and curved. Claws. A strangled breath left my lips. No. No, what was happening? Chloe’s eyes widened. “Aria…?” Melissandra stepped back instinctively, along with her minions, her heel scraping against the tile. “What the hell are you? A monster like your friend?” I looked up slowly, my vision closing in only on Melissandra's lithe figure. Every sound in the bathroom sharpened: the drip of a faucet, Chloe’s heartbeat, and the rapid breaths of the girls behind Melissandra. I could smell their fear, and that was what seemed to fuel whatever was happening to me. “I said,” I whispered, baring teeth that felt too sharp in my mouth, “step away from her.” Before anything else could happen, a sudden force slammed into the room, and a hand wrapped around my wrist, warm and steady, grounding me instantly. "Enough,” a male voice said gently, yet with an undeniable command. The rage receded, and the claws vanished instantly. I sagged, trembling, allowing my vision to steady itself. My knees felt so weak that they could've given way at any moment, but the man behind me held me steadily. I could barely register when Melissandra passed out on the ground in a puddle of her urine, but I heard the last words that came out of her mouth before I succumbed to the darkness and fatigue that followed. “Aria is a monster. A… Monster…”