Too Late, Alpha: I Choose Your Rival

Ch 7: Ethan Doesn't Own Me

Elisa’s POV:

The next day, a storm was awaiting me.

To be honest, my sixth sense had already sensed trouble coming my way, especially after how brazenly Kael had kissed me before everyone last night.

But by the time I was done with the morning class, I didn’t expect that I would become the center of gossip on the whole campus.

With every passing minute, the rumors surrounding me had begun to mutate into something hideous.

With every step I took outside the classroom, I was judged with narrowing eyes and venomous glares hurled at me from every direction.

I had known since the day I enrolled here, among all the wolf maidens, I was treated as an outcast for being the only wolfless.

But only because I was Ethan’s girlfriend, no one ever dared to say it to my face since nobody wanted to go on the bad side of the Future Supreme Alpha, who was supposed to lead all the werewolf territories toward glory.

> "Look at this damn snake. She actually thinks she’s someone important now, but she’s a disgrace to us wolves!"

Their whispers made me flinch as I walked through the long corridor, as they didn’t even try to hide that they were openly cussing at me.

> “I know, right? She used Alpha Ethan’s influence to get into Marvian, and the moment she gets a taste of the Lycan Prince, she throws herself into his bed? Eww…disgusting!"

For a second, hearing those rumors had baffled me, which were spreading around like the speed of light.

By the time I was done with the third and last class for the day, the narrative was set already.

I hadn’t just asked Kael Blackthorn for a kiss…After the party last night, I had supposedly climbed up in his sheets after having a big fight with Ethan.

The girls from the neighbouring packs threw scornful glances my way, retreating a few steps away as if just being around me seemed like a contagious disease.

Worse, my own Ice Moon pack members gazed at me with sudden, heavy suspicion as if they just saw a traitor, who was supposedly trading our pack secrets to our generational enemy, the Lycan Empire.

But I kept my chin up, keeping my posture flawless as if their curses didn’t reach my ear at all.

Let them whisper and spread the fire. The hotter it would burn, the faster Ethan’s perfect world would turn to ash.

However, by the time it was already late afternoon, the cost of my defiance was waiting for me. When I reached my dorm, my entire body stiffened.

The door lock was busted…the wood was splintered. And from inside, the sound of tearing clothes and breaking the window glasses left me speechless.

I pushed the door open and saw my whole room was a disaster zone.

My clothes were dragged from the closet and torn into rags. My books were scattered across the floor, and most of the pages were ripped.

A few of my personal belongings were being trampled under the sneakers of three beta girls from the Ice Moon pack…those girls who used to flatter me when I stayed as Ethan’s shadow in my last life.

But now one of them stood in the center of the wreckage, holding my Ice Moon cheerleader uniform, which I had already prepared before I was reborn.

"What do you think you’re doing?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.

The leader of the trio, Betty, turned around, tossing the uniform to the ground and baring her fangs at me.

"Clearing out the trash.”

“What?”

“Did you really think you could sleep your way into the Lycan prince’s favor and still stay under our wolf wing? You're a pack traitor, Elisa."

"You used Alpha Ethan as a stepping stone to get into this academy, and now you’re throwing yourself at our enemy? How could you!"

Before I could process the ridiculous allegations hurled at me, another girl hissed beside her, stepping closer to me.

"We came here to give you a final warning, Elisa. Step down from the Blood Fang cheer squad right now, or we’ll do more than just ruin your room. We will kick you out of this dormitory building by sunset!"

A long, exhausted sigh escaped from my throat as I pushed my hair bangs above my forehead, while fixating my glare on them.

"I don't know…who started this ridiculous crap about me around the campus…but I don’t think I will step down from the Blood Fang team."

I affirmed, stepping forward instead of retreating, even though my heart beat steadily with a stark contrast to the timid, obedient girl I used to be in my last life.

I never raised a voice against my pack mates whom I held dear to my heart. But I could never forget the scene I watched on the TV screen…

On the championship day when Ethan publicly announced Maria as his future Luna, these were the exact people who stood around them and applauded his choice, as they didn’t even bother to stand up for me just once!

They are all traitors to me…and this time, I will give them what they deserve.

“And take it as my final warning,” I cleared my throat with a cough, while glaring at the girls who seemed a bit taken aback by my response.

“If you touch another piece of my property, I will ensure the disciplinary board hears about this break-in, and all of you would be punished as well.”

For a few seconds, an awkward silence persisted between us, but then Betty tossed a cold chuckle. "Oh, please. Who’s going to believe a wolfless nobody over us?"

"I believe her."

The unexpected voice came behind me, as it sounded soft and trembling.

When I turned around, Maria had stepped through the ruined doorway. Her hands clasped tightly over her chest and her eyes widened while she gawked inside my messed-up room.

But I didn't see a glimpse of tears in her eyes. Instead, I saw the vicious satisfaction twinkling in the depths of her pupils.

And it didn’t take me seconds to realize…she was the one behind starting that nasty rumor about me.

She had tactfully planned everything, starting from the rumors, public manipulation, the outrage and finally led them to destroy my room.

"Girls, please, stop this," Maria pleaded, putting up her pitiful expression that had me fooled in my last life. She rushed to my side, attempting to grab my hands, but when I stepped back, her hands stopped in mid-air.

Maria choked back a sob, "Elisa, please... look at what you’ve done to yourself. The whole academy is turning against you. I don’t believe in these rumors spreading about you…but…

“Kael Blackthorn is just a predator, and he's just using you to hurt Ethan!” She marched closer, grabbing my hands once again while keeping up with her melodramatic performance.

“Please come back to your senses and cancel your enrollment with the Blood Fang Team. Come back to the Ice Moon…this is your true place, Elisa. Even if you two fought, forget everything and just go to Ethan.

The three girls nodded right on cue, looking at Maria like she was a saint and me like I was the main villain.

“Just…get down on your knees, and beg for his forgiveness, Elisa.” She continued squeezing my palm a little tight, “Ethan can stop this public outrage against you. He’s our future Alpha. And he’s the only one who can save you from getting kicked out of here..."

I looked at the thrashed Ice Moon uniform on the floor, and then I looked at Maria's flawless, pitiful face.

Honestly, in my past life, I must’ve fallen for it countless times. I considered her as my soul sister…and hearing her suggestion, by now I would have wept, apologized, and let Ethan 'rescue' me, signifying my role as his submissive pet forever.

But the old Elisa has been choked to death.

A cold sneer curved my lips when I glowered back at Maria, releasing my hands from her grasp.

"Beg Ethan?" I murmured, the corners of my lips tilted upward into a chilling smile.

Maria blinked, thrown off by my lack of tears. "Elisa... It's your only choice. Wolves belong with wolves. And the Lycans will chew you up and spit you out."

"Then let them chew," I said, my voice echoing clearly in the wrecked room.

I turned my gaze to Betty and the other girls before I declared. "You want this room so badly? Take it. Because if I can’t stay in the werewolf quarters, I would rather go and ask for a room in the Lycan dormitory.

“After all... I am on their team now."

The room went dead silent at my bold answer as Maria’s pitiful expression shattered.

Her jaw almost dropped as the color drained completely from her face when she glared at me.

The idea of a wolfless girl willingly walking into the den of the dominant, terrifying Lycans was insane. And to any other person present there, it would sound like a death wish. Or a declaration of war.

"You wouldn't dare," Maria whispered, her facade slipping into pure panic. "Ethan will never allow—"

"Ethan doesn't own me," I cut her off, stepping over my ruined clothes and walking out into the corridor without looking back.