Chapter 4: It’s Hazing Season!
1348 Words
I’ve successfully made it through an entire month surrounded by elites and still managed to keep my wolflessness a secret. But today, just might be the day that it all changed. It was Initiation Day. It’s a stupid tradition as old as the university itself.
Over the past three years, I managed to avoid the horrid day all together, but this year, I wasn’t so lucky. I dreaded this more than a silver bullet to the head. Every year, the omega students were "invited" more like coerced, really, to participate in a social challenge. It was a series of tasks designed to… well, I wasn't entirely sure what the purpose was, other than to humiliate us for the amusement of the higher-ranking wolves.
This year's challenge was particularly demeaning. Omegas were assigned to individual Alphas and tasked with catering to their every need for the entire day. Fetching coffee, carrying books, even shining shoes, basically, ya girl’s bouta be a lil errand boy or well girl. You get what I mean. It was a blatant display of power. Just a friendly reminder of the rigid hierarchy that governed our lives.
I tried to blend into the sea of nervous omega faces, praying that somehow I'd be overlooked. Of course with my luck, that wasn’t gonna happen. We were all standing like sitting ducks as we waited for the Alphas to grab their assigned omega.
I watched as each alpha moved around the crowd, partnering with their designated omega and I prayed that Amir would move in the opposite direction of me. His eyes scanned the crowd with a stern look on his face.
Please, look past me, please goddess. The last thing I needed was to be assigned to- his eyes locked with mine and a twisted smile displayed on his lips.
"Ah, there you are, Gabriella." His voice cut through the room like a hot knife.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my hands from trembling. This day couldn’t get any worse. A predatory grin spread across his face as he walked over to me.
"Perfect. Seems you're assigned to me for the day, little omega." The words were casually cruel.
“Follow me, pet.” He stated as he turned to walk out of the gym. I had no choice but to follow after him. I knew this was going to be a long day.
My first task was simple enough. I had to fetch Amir his favorite coffee; a triple espresso, extra foam, with a shot of hazelnut. While I was standing in line at the campus coffee shop, Brianna walked up beside me. I loved how she would color coordinate her hair jewels to her clothes.
"Rough luck, Gabi," she said.
"I heard you got pared with Amir.” She looked at me with sympathy.
“Well, I mean, look on the bright side. Maybe you can use this to your advantage. Maybe get in good with him, that could help your chances on getting that spot on the council."
Right. That. I let this girl convince me into running for council to represent the omegas. And so far it was a disaster. It brought on more attention than I needed. It was all way more than I could handle. I honestly didn’t want to run. If I’m being honest, I planned on backing out of it.
After I retrieved his coffee, I said my goodbyes and went on my way. I found him holding court with his usual entourage. Billie was playing flirtatiously with him while Ava was engaged in a separate conversation with Brandon, Amir’s Beta. He was built with the physique of a linebacker but had the brainpower of a goldfish.
"Took you long enough," Amir said, snatching the coffee from my hand.
He took a sip, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Not bad.” He said with a look of approval in his eyes.
“But,” ugh, here we go.
“Try to be quicker next time, omega. My time is valuable." He averted his attention back to his coffee and I gridded my teeth in irritation.
The day dragged on, and Amir had me in a relentless cycle of errands and humiliations. I carried his books, ran his funky laundry, and even cleaned his muddy sneakers. Each task chipped away at my self-esteem. It reminded me of my place in this world. A little omega.
At lunch, Amir decided he wanted to make my day harder. He had me stand in the line three different times for a different dish because he “changed his mind.” This was my fourth time in line and this time he just wanted a simple sandwich.
As I stood in line waiting to grab his annoying little sandwich, Billie and Ava made camp in the line behind me.
"Did you see how pathetic Gabriella looked scrubbing Amir's shoes?" Billie cackled.
It was almost like she was talking directly to the back of my head.
"Honestly, some omegas were just born to be doormats to people like us."
Ava mumbled something inaudible. Billie gave off a hiss before her voice came in again.
"What was that, Ava? Do you pity that peasant?"
The laughter that followed was like a punch to the gut. All my life, I had been referred to as a peasant or constantly reminded that my only reason of existence was to be a punching bag for my pack.
Brianna was sitting off at a table closest to me. Just staring back and forth between me and Billie, but there was something off about her gaze. It was almost like she was watching to see how it played out.
"Leave her alone, Billie." Kai’s voice filled my ears, and soothed the anxiety that was beginning to build.
He would always stand up for me as kids but there was a steel in his gaze that I'd never seen before.
“Oh, look who it is! Is the little knight coming to rescue his damsel in distress?” Billie scoffed.
"Just, back off!" Kai stood his ground with his chin lifted.
"Alright, alright, break it up." Amir cut in. Walking over to Kai, he clapped him on the shoulder. The gesture seemed more like a threat than friendly.
"Run along now, Kai. Let the big wolves play."
Kai turned to me with a silent question in his eyes. I shook my head, urging him to back down. He means well, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against Amir. With a final, lingering look of concern, Kai retreated.
After I picked up Amir’s sandwich, I made my way back to him. He was laughing at a joke Brandon had made. One that was undoubtedly at my expense, I’m sure of it. I handed him the sandwich, my hands trembling slightly.
"What's wrong, Gabriella?" Amir asked, his eyes narrowed.
"You seem… different." I met his gaze.
“Nothing, Amir. I'm just tired."
"Tired of serving your Alpha?" he purred as he stepped closer.
"Careful, little omega. Such thoughts could be dangerous for you.”
I forced myself to hold his gaze. My chest began to burn with hate. I hated him. One minute he was flirting and then the other, he was being and ass. He was too confusing and I was sick of it.
"Just tired," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.
The statement was true. I was tired. I was tired of being around these people. And I was tired of pretending that Brianna was my friend. Kai warned me about her in the beginning, but I allowed my loneliness to get the better of me. I never had female friends and I thought that I might have found one, but I was slowly starting to see I was wrong.
When I turned to leave the cafeteria, I caught sight of Brianna. She was now sitting with Billie and Ava, laughing hysterically at whatever Billie was saying. I couldn't trust her, not anymore. She was just another wolf in sheep's clothing. And like a fool, I fell for it.
- Writer
