The Alpha leaves before locking the door behind him. When 5 o’clock comes, I sigh, and get to my feet. I have no choice but to go down there, and face Angie, the queen bitch. Tossing on some warm clothes, I stick my head out the door. A few stragglers who are running late like myself, are coming out of their rooms before heading for the stairs to go to the lower level.
Opening the door, I slip out and quickly lock it behind me. I make my way to the stairs, following the crowd. Turning the corner, I bump into Angie. I almost groan at the sight of her. Her perfect blonde hair cascades down her back, ending just above her ass. Cherry-red lips turn down into a scowl when she notices me. Her breasts are pushed up almost right under her chin. Two giant water balloons drawing attention to herself. I wouldn't doubt if they were fake, considering how tiny her body is. I wish I was a little taller so they weren't in my face. It could be worse, at least they aren’t in my face all the time, like they are for her. She can practically place her chin on them and use them as pillows.
“Why are you here?” She sneers, in her nasally irritating voice.
“The same reason as you, Angie, move please,” I say, trying to step past her only for her to block me.
“Which room are you staying in?” She demands, looking up the hall in the direction I just came from.
“None of your business. Move please,” I repeat politely hoping she will give up.
She nods, but the gleam in her eye has me on edge. She steps aside and I walk past her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her lunge forward and her hands push against my body, shoving me down the flight of stairs.
My world turns upside down as I tumble down the stairs. Each step digs into a different part of my body. My back, my hips, my legs, and even my head are not spared before I finally come to a blissful stop at the bottom with a dull thud, and my head hits the hard floor with a loud one.
I grit my teeth, glaring up at her. She clings to the railing, mocking laughter in her eyes. "Oops!" she giggles. "I'm so sorry, Katya. I slipped and I fell into you. Are you okay?"
Growling, I get to my hands and knees. I'm about to pound her snickering face in. Beta Mateo appears, out of almost nowhere and crouches beside me. He grips my chin and turns my head side to side as he inspects me, before examining the bump on the back of my head.
He swipes my hair aside and gently prods the spot that connected with the floor and I hiss at the pain.
His eyes flash and a feral growl rumbles from deep in his chest. The Beta turns and his eyes fall on Angie. She's not giggling and snickering anymore. She looks like she's facing a dangerous animal.
"Angie, what is the meaning of this?" he snarls. There's a calmness to his anger, and it makes him all the more dangerous. He helps me to my feet, I can't help but shiver from the change in him.
“Angie, what is the meaning of this?” he snarls at her, as he helps me to stand.
Angie straightens and holds her hands up. "Beta, it wasn't my fault, she slipped.” She'd gotten back enough of her senses to purr at him like some fucking cat in heat.
Bile fills my throat. How much of a whore can she be? I try to shake off his grip on me.
Instead, he pulls me closer. The rumble is still coming from him, but it's so low only I can hear it. His hands tremble, I glance up at him and his eyes flicker. "Don't think you can lie to me. I saw exactly what you did," he snaps at her. He pulls me against him so tight I whimper in discomfort and he finally lets go.
Angie puts her nose in the air and crosses her arms over her chest. "I didn’t do anything, it was an accident,” she argues.
Beta Mateo silently points above her head. I follow his finger and see a small camera I didn’t notice before. By the look on Angie's face, it is the first time she has noticed it too.
"Should I ask the Alpha to check the cameras so we can see this accident?" he growls at her.
Her smile slips away, her fear comes back full force. Angie’s face pales, and her arms drop to her sides as she chews on her bottom lip. I raise an eyebrow at her, as she spares a moment to glare at me. But it loses the effect when she looks weak, like she can be pushed over by a gust of wind.
"Well?" The Beta insisted.
Angie swallows and her trembling stops. Her fingers curl over the railing until her knuckles are white and she forces a smile to her lips. "I was just playing around. You're not really hurt are you, Kat?" she quips. I wonder if anyone will believe that fake ass smile she was giving.
I scoff. "No, Angie, I am not as breakable as you think." I walk off and leave her behind. I don't need to hear her response. I don’t know what her problem is, but I want no part in her petty bitchery.
"Go on ahead, Kat. I want to have a little talk with Angie here," Mateo offers.
I give him a small smile and nod. I would take all the insulation from that crazy bitch that I could get. Walking out the back, I find everyone else sitting and talking.
The courtyard is just as impressive as the rest of the Packhouse. It's enormous. There's a giant fire pit in the center with stone benches and tree stump seating just close enough to feel the heat, but not close enough to be set on fire. There has to be enough seating here for over a hundred or more people. It already had thirty to forty students and it barely looked half-full.
I try to look for a familiar face, praying Jasmine comes here on Thursday nights.
Angie comes outside. Her arms are crossed and she glares at me as if she wishes I would catch fire. It made me wonder just what kind of conversation Mateo had with her.
I avoid her, and continue my search for Jasmine.
“Who are you looking for?” The Alpha’s voice questions behind me, making me jump.
Angie glares daggers at me from her seat next to the fire pit.
“I was hoping Jasmine would be here.”
He nudges me, handing me a steak sandwich. “Here, eat, and Jasmine comes to the Pack run with her family. They don’t want her missing school. She is going to be a Pack doctor when she graduates,” the Alpha explains, pulling me aside and sitting down on one of the huge rectangle rocks.
As I sit down, I can practically feel Angie's eyes boring into me. Mateo walks over sitting on my other side and I force myself to not roll my eyes.
Do they realize them being around me makes things more difficult with Angie? Not to mention the countless others that steal glances in our direction, it is making me very self conscious.
Their stares make me nervous, and I stand up wanting to escape.
“Where are you going?” The Alpha asks, looking up at me.
“Back inside, everyone keeps giving me sideways glances, and it’s rather unsettling.”
“They probably think you're in trouble,” Mateo observes with a chuckle.
“I would assume the same thing, if an Alpha and his Beta were babysitting a student from their school.”
“Should I be offended that you are too embarrassed to be seen with me?” Mateo mocks, and I actually do roll my eyes at his sarcasm.
“I’m not embarrassed, I just don’t want Angie getting the wrong idea. She already thinks I’m after the Alpha,” I complain, pulling a face.
The Alpha smiles before shaking his head. “Let them think what they want, it won’t matter soon anyway. But if you are that worried I will leave you alone while people are here.”
It won't matter soon? His words are strange to me. What was going to happen that it wouldn't matter? This embarrassment would always matter. Why was he seeking me out like this, and his Beta too? “You say that like you are purposely making things awkward for me.”
“Not awkward, but yes I am seeking you out, if that is what you are wondering.” He calmly says biting into his sandwich.
“Why?” My last Alpha barely came near me, like I had the plague, and he was worried he might catch it. This one though, everywhere I turn, I run into him, when I should be avoiding him.
He shrugs and glances away, “You’re new to the Pack.”
I ponder over his words. Jasmine did say he was a good, fair Alpha. He does seem very involved in his Pack. Not only does he let the younger teens come and stay over at the Packhouse to make things easier for them, but he seems to know every Pack member by name. Where my previous Alpha barely even acknowledged anyone that was beneath his rank, unless it was to scold them.
My new Alpha also seems very involved in the school, and community meetings like Pack runs. We didn’t have those very much, thank the goddess, at my old Pack. But here, Pack runs are weekly, and he even lets Pack members into the Packhouse, which is what it's for. Back home, the Packhouse is just a fancy name for the Alpha’s personal mansion.
I sit back down beside him, and he smiles over at me. “What changed your mind?”
“Well, besides you and Mateo, the rest avoid me. Nowhere else to go, so might as well stay here.” I give up trying to get away, for now.
Mateo chuckles, slinging his arm across my shoulders. “Well we can always give them something to talk about, really kick the rumors off,” he suggests, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“You will do no such thing, hands off her, Mateo,” the Alpha growls at him, before getting up. Something seems to have angered him, as he turns and walks inside.
Mateo’s eyes glaze over a few moments later, and I can tell he is mindlinking before he abruptly hops up. “I will see you later Kat, I have pissed off the Alpha,” he says in a mocking tone.
Alone, I sit wondering why the Alpha got upset. Angie, seeing me on my own, smiles brightly before making her way over to me and I go to get up. “What did you say to piss off the Alpha?” She asks.
“I don’t know Angie, but why don't you go and throw yourself at him and find out?”
“I might just go do that,” she taunts, but I find it pisses me off. I don't understand my sudden anger over it, but I suddenly don’t want her claws anywhere near him.