True Alpha

Shakespeare in study hall

Delilah's POV

Class began but I felt eyes burning into my back. The teacher droned on about his class expectations and how he would ask a different student to recite a part of the handbook every day. I internally groaned, it was just another thing I would have to pretend to struggle with. He continued about what we should expect from this class. He looked pointedly at me and the brick wall behind me and stated that tardiness was unacceptable behavior and would not be tolerated. I blushed again and I heard a small chuckle behind me. I buried my face in my arms on the desk and took a nap. What could this teacher possibly teach me that I hadn’t already read?

The bell rang, as I gathered up my belongings, I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and there was a girl about my height, with long brownish-black hair that hung in spiral curls. She smiled at me and stuck out her hand.

“My name is Kyra. I was wondering if you needed someone to help you around the school. It’s pretty big.”

“Oh, yeah that would be fantastic.” I shoved everything in my backpack and stared at her hand, wondering why she was showing it to me. “Uh… I’m Liah”

She lowered her hand awkwardly and kept going “Well, I have history next and then I have a free period.”

“I have a free period next and then I have history and chemistry after that.” I looked at the door and noticed that the man was just leaning against the wall staring at me and Kyra intensely. “Who is that?” I asked quietly,

“Him? That’s Deacon.” She shrugs.

We start walking towards the door and he grabs my wrist. “What class do you have next?” He asks, voice gruff, sexy as hell. Wait? What? Athena laughed.

“Uh, I have a free period.”

“Leave her alone, Deac. I already told her I would show her around.” Kyra said, sounding annoyed at him.

“I will show her around.” His voice left no option for argument.

“Yeah, whatever.” Kyra slightly waved at us and walked towards her next class.

Deacon held my hand and looked in my eyes, before grunting and waving his hand in front of him, signaling for me to go ahead of him. As we walked, he looked as though he was deep in thought. He was probably talking to his wolf. Athena was rolling over, purring. I felt my cheeks burn as he looked down at me. He didn’t say anything as we entered the library. He found a table and pulled a chair out for me before rounding the table and sitting in front of me.

“Where are you from, Liah?” He asked.

“Uh, my family moved around a lot growing up. I was homeschooled until now.” I tried to tell the truth without being too honest.

He looked down at the table in front of him and sighed. He kept looking up and down at me and the table. He would open his mouth and then close it like he wanted to say something but did not know what to say.

“Are you okay?” I asked, wondering why this beautiful man was sitting there with me.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?” He smirked.

I blushed and tried to hide my face in my hands. I was getting very irritated and feeling my face warm again. I groaned and looked up and he was smiling. My breath caught and I started to choke.

“Seriously, are you okay?” He asked, the smile finally reaching his eyes.

I don't trust my voice right now. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m supposed to be strong, and this man is making me choke on air. Who chokes on air? I have been breathing for at least 7 years, I can do this.

I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm myself. “I’m fine. Can I ask you something?”

“Yes?” He stopped smiling and furrowed his brow.

“Why are you everywhere?” I asked.

“I’m not everywhere.” He chuckles. “I’m just where I am.”

“Okay, but in the hall, then we magically have the same class, but not just the same class. I somehow managed to sit in your seat. And then again, we have another class together. That’s everywhere.” I said all in one breath.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken, you ran into me in the hall. As for the class, it’s been full since last semester so, of course, you found the chair that was empty because I was doing other things.” He shrugged. “So I guess I should ask, why are you everywhere?”

I blushed again. I laid my head down on the table to hide it and I heard him laugh. “It’s not funny, you know.”

“Oh, it’s hilarious.” He laughed again.

“Why are you here?” I asked, gesturing to him in front of me.

“I have a free period, and you don’t know your way around.” He said, looking into my eyes. “Your eyes are purple.”

“Uh, what?”

“Your eyes, they’re purple.” He said, eyes widening.

“Oh yeah, they can look purple in certain lights.,” I said, closing them.

The beast in my head scoffed and continued to push herself forward. I took a deep breath and pushed her back as hard as I could. After a few minutes, I could feel the little scratches, and I sighed.

Leave me alone, Athena. I’m not in the mood to put up with your bullshit right now.

He is mine. I want him.

No.

Would you deny me this? I gave you life. I am the reason you are still alive.

It doesn’t matter. You are not coming out right now. I will let you free tonight after they have all gone to sleep.

Fine, but he is mine. You will let me have him, Liah. If you do not, I will come out and I will stay out.

I ignored her threat and finally looked back at Deacon. He was staring at me, his head c****d to the side.

“How old are you?” He asked.

“17.” I laid my head back down, loving how the cool table eased my headache.

“You were homeschooled for all this time?” He sounded shocked.

“Yes. It’s a thing people do. They homeschool their kids. Why is that so weird?” I asked, getting annoyed with the 20 questions.

“It’s not weird. It’s just you don’t seem like you were homeschooled.”

I looked up at him, “And exactly how am I supposed to seem from being homeschooled?” I asked, with as much venom as I could manage.

He held his hands up in surrender, “Not like that. Most people who are homeschooled are.. well they are.. not like you.”

“What am I like?” I asked, honestly curious if he had figured out what I was. I knew exactly what he was and I wondered if his beast was as beautiful as he was. I heard Athena laugh.

“The most interesting creature I have ever seen,” he whispered.

I kept staring at him, pretending I hadn’t heard him, “Well…?”

“ You are just different. It’s a good difference. But I would like to continue to show you around if that’s okay with you?” He said, his voice excited at the idea.

“Sure.” I shrugged and lay my head back down. I closed my eyes and took a nap.

I heard the bell ring. I stood up and Deacon was there stretched out, a book in his hands. I looked over and he was reading Shakespeare.

“Shakespeare?” I asked, incredulous.

“Yes. Is it so hard to imagine that I could actually enjoy Shakespeare?” He sounded almost offended.

“Not that hard to imagine, but I don’t believe anyone actually enjoys it. I think they read it because they have to for a class or a play or just to say they have read his work.” I shrug. I read Shakespeare and it was very dramatic. I guess that’s why they are called tragedies, because the entire work was all about death, or love, or deathly love.

“I actually do enjoy reading, but you are right. It’s for a class assignment. The class you slept through.” He smirked again.

“Wait, what?” I squeaked.

“English. The class where you stole my seat? We have to pick a tragedy and dissect it for the final.” He looked at me and sighed.

Dammit. I would have to rack my brain for Shakespeare. I groaned, pulled out my schedule that I had folded, and put it in my pocket. Deacon took it from me and smiled.

“We have the next 2 classes together. How did you get out of a PE class?” He asked, handing me back the piece of paper.

“I have a medical condition.,” I said, blushing at my lie. I mean, I guess it wasn’t a lie. Athena had a medical condition, but I couldn’t tell him that.

He didn’t say anything as he opened the door for me, and I followed him to the next class. I loved history and this would probably be the only class I didn’t sleep through. I handed my new student sheet to the teacher, an older man with a white beard and silver blue eyes. He smiled at me as he signed the sheet and handed it back to me.

“Welcome, Liah. There is an open spot in the middle of the class if you would like to sit there. I have spoken to your mother. She said" you have always enjoyed history. I do hope I can keep your interest, since I know that homeschool moves faster than our pace.”

“I will always enjoy a different perspective on history.” I smiled back. I found my chair and what do you know, it’s right next to Deacon. “Seriously, you are everywhere,” I mumbled under my breath.

He chuckled but didn’t say anything as the class began to fill. I look at each student and I can smell that at least 6 of the 25 students have wolves. I could feel Athena get anxious, as she had never been around so many wolves. Which is her fault. If she wasn’t such an animal, we couldn’t have possibly been around others. They were about as caged as I was.

I don’t like this.

Well, because of you, I have been trapped in a lab for the last 5 years, so I don’t really care what you like.

I told you I didn’t mean to do that. He was going to hurt us, and she was going to help him.

Athena, drop it. You had the reigns for 5 years. Let me go to high school and pretend like I’m not a total freak.

You were never a freak. I was just protecting us, Liah. You don’t want to know the things they did to us.

She whimpered once before cutting me off. I shuddered at the memory of feeling my skin being poked repeatedly with needles of all sizes, the tubes of blood, the repeated questions. I felt Deacon staring at me, but I ignored it and paid attention to the teacher's talk. I got lost in the history lesson feeling more like myself than I ever had. I really did love history and being in this class made me forget that my history was bad. As he finished up the lesson, the teacher reminded us that our history final was a research paper on any historical moment. I already had a time picked out by the time I finished putting my things away.

“Ready for Chemistry?” Deacon asked, his arm raised to signal me to go in front of him.

“Not really. I don’t like science.” I almost growled and I felt Athena scratching, trying to break free. I shake her off.

As Deacon walks, I can feel my feet dragging. I smell the chemicals and my breath catches.

It’s not the lab. It’s a high school chemistry lab.

I don’t trust it.

Athena, they aren’t going to hurt us. Not here. They are not here. He is not here.

I don’t trust it.

I stop. I try to take a deep breath, but I can’t. I can’t breathe. I couldn’t do anything but stand there and stare at the door. I feel dizzy, I’m going to faint. I shook my head and tried to keep Athena in. I can feel her whimpering, growling, and scratching at my head. I’m going to faint. I can’t do this.

Immediately, the fear is gone. I took a deep breath, and the dizzy feeling was gone. I can feel my hands and feet. I felt someone’s hand on my back. I looked up, and Deacon looked down at me, worry written all over his face.

His hand sent shocks and tingles all over my body, his face making Athena howl. I smiled weakly at him and took an uneasy step into the classroom. I take another deep breath and pull my sheet out of my pocket. I fidget with it before Deacon takes it and gives it to the teacher. She starts saying something to me, but I can’t pay attention to her. Deacon’s hand on my back is the only thing I can focus on. It’s firm and warm, yet soft. It’s the only thing keeping me sane in this classroom. I take another deep breath, as Deacon ushers me to a table and pulls out a chair for me. I sat and Deacon’s hand was immediately on my knee. I looked at him and smiled.

MATE!!!

Athena shut up.

Let me have this.

I ignore her and focus on my breathing. I try to keep it even. I tried breathing through my nose, but the smell of the chemicals caused Athena to growl loudly, giving me another headache. I laid my head down again and tried to sleep through the class. I closed my eyes and I felt Deacon rub small circles on my knee, trying to get me to relax. I opened my eyes and he smiled at me. He turned his head back towards the front, taking notes. I smiled back at him and closed my eyes again. After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang. I shot up and half ran to the door, trying to get out of that class as fast as possible. Deacon followed me, his bag in one hand and notebook in the other. As we walked down the hall, he stopped.

“Where’s your locker?” He asked, looking down at me.

“Uh, I don’t know,” I said. I never got to go to my locker this morning.

“Let me see your schedule,” he asked, holding out his hands.

I pulled the balled-up paper out of the bottom of my bag and he grunted. He pulled

into the direction of the lockers and hit one. Turned a little to his left and opened his. He threw all his books into the locker and waited for me.

“I don’t know how to use this,” I admitted, blushing again.

He laughed, “What’s the combination?”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to give that out.,” I said, stubbornly. He doesn’t really need to be everywhere.

“I need the combination to show you how to open it.” He chuckles again. “I promise to never go into your locker without your permission, Liah.”

“I don’t even know your last name.”

“Norton.”

“Wait, Norton? Like Norton Labs?” I squeaked out.

“No. Like Deacon Norton.” He scoffs.

“Are you related to Doctor Norton?”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair and down his face, “Yeah. That’s my uncle and his crazy wife’s Lab. We don’t talk to them. There was a huge falling out about 10 years ago and we haven’t spoken since.”

It was his family that did this to me. It was his family that had kept me trapped. His family that created me. Kept me alone, experimented on me. It was his family that kept my wolf out for 5 years, as they did Goddess knows what to me. Athena never spoke about it. It was his family that kept me on a lab table. He was related to them.