"Well, well, well. Sneaking around with the men again? You little whore."
The voice was sharp and annoying, slicing through the quiet afternoon that was in her heart like a blade.
Zoey's heart sunk in her chest as she turned to face Calista, the meanest girl to her and Eric's closest ally. Calista's eyes burned with hatred, and her smile was cruel, the kind that promised pain. Back when they were just 11-12 years old, Calista couldn't even look Zoey in the eyes; she wasn't brave enough. She dare not.
But now that her parents had failed to protect the pack and had become traitors, she and her brother had also become traitors and were forced to do everything and anything they were told to. They were not even allowed to retaliate.
This was not only due to the fact that they were the children of traitors. But two years back when Zoey was 18 and everyone including Calista was supposed to embrace and manifest their werewolf form under the full moon, Zoey couldn't. She tried and tried but she couldn't.
"Sis you can do this." Ryan kept screaming from a corner. And at another corner, "Girl open your hands, head high, clench your fists, open your feet wide, try growling." Her friend Lily kept telling from another corner as her mom covered her mouth up. She tried everything she could but couldn't transform. And everyone confirmed this was because of her weak human father and the dark evil that followed her. But there was Calista who immediately embraced her first werewolf transformation when it was her turn to try. And she couldn't especially do anything to Calista as she was the daughter of the new Alpha who loathed her.
Back to the present, Zoey's heart felt broken as she was being humiliated before the only guy her heart had ever reached out for.
Zoey froze, her skin prickling as all the air seemed to vanish from around her.
Xavier, who was on his way, brushed off his hoodie with an effortless coolness that made it seem like Calista's words didn't even register. He glanced at Zoey once—briefly—and then turned and walked away, completely unbothered.
Zoey's throat tightened. She wanted to follow him, to say something, but the moment shattered when Calista moved forward, grabbing a handful of Zoey's long curly hair and pulling hard.
A sharp pain went up Zoey's scalp, and she stumbled forward, as she was caught off balance.
"Don't even think about running off to him, you freak." Calista hissed, her grip unforgiving as she dragged Zoey a few steps closer.
Zoey's hands reached up instinctively, trying to pull Calista's hand away, but the girl's strength surprised her. The other students nearby slowed down, watching with a mix of amusement and discomfort.
"Let go! Aaaaah Let go!" Zoey's voice cracked, but no one moved to help.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she was pulled mercilessly.
Ryan, after hearing what happened, approached and tried to help but, " Stop! Don't you even dare come closer or I'll kill you . I mean it, I'll kill you." Zoey said in a loud voice directing it to her brother as she was being pulled.
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"Hey! Cal, Let her goo!"
Lily pushed her way through the small crowd, her eyes wide open as she stepped between Calista and Zoey.
Calista's eyes flickered with anger, but Lily's fierce gaze made her hesitate.
"Stop whatever you're doing. Let her go," Lily said firmly. "Leave her alone." she said, jumping from one foot to another and swinging her hands.
Calista smirked, loosening her grip just enough for Zoey to rub her aching scalp.
"Oops. Thought I was gonna let her go?" Calista said laughing.
Lily ran up to her and tried to remove Calista's hands from Zoey's head but Calista was just as strong and grabbed onto Lily's head too.
"Let me go," Lily yelled. Zoey moved her hands and held tightly to Calista's head
" Let me go freak. Let go." She pulled hard enough and some strands fell off.
"OMG you're dead meat." Calista yelled.
Calista let go of her hair and Zoey let out a shaky breath, leaning against Lily for a moment as the adrenaline drained away.
"Thank you," Lily whispered, her voice barely audible.
Zoey smiled softly. "I'm dead"
"Don't worry I won't let you take the blame alone." Lily said calmly.
Zoey nodded, but her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She could still feel the sting on her scalp, but worse was the humiliation. Calista's words echoed in her mind, loud and cruel.
Together, they walked slowly toward the classroom, where the rest of the students had already settled into their seats.
Zoey's eyes involuntarily darted toward the door, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Xavier before he disappeared completely.
He was gone.
But the strange spark she had felt earlier fluttered in her chest again.
The classroom buzzed quietly with the low hum of whispered conversations and the scratching of pens on paper. Zoey slid into her seat next to Lily, her fingers still trembling slightly.
"Are you okay?" Lily asked, her voice gentle.
Zoey swallowed hard, forcing a small nod. "Yeah. Just… tired, I guess."
Lily wasn't convinced, but she didn't press. Instead, she gave Zoey a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
The teacher,called the class to order, and soon the lesson began. Zoey tried to focus, but her mind kept drifting back to the hallway—Calista's mocking words, Xavier's calm intervention, and that unexplainable feeling she'd had when their eyes met.
She stole another glance toward the classroom door, hoping, maybe, just maybe, he'd come back.
But the door stayed closed.
As the afternoon went on, Zoey found herself restless.
The next day at school, Zoey tried to keep a low profile, walking the halls with her head down.
"Zoey Chi. And Lily" Head over to the staff room immediately. The class president yelled.
"Is this it?" Lily asked, panicking as they headed over.
Lily's parents were there and so was a representative the alpha had sent.
"Ma'am" the Teacher representative turned to Lily's parents. Your daughter abused and molested the Alpha's daughter yesterday. And this happened after her friend here got into trouble with her.
"We are very sorry for any inconveniences caused. Our daughter is normally not a troublemaker. We'll do everything to ensure she stays away from the troublemakers." Lily's mom said giving Zoey a side eye.
" Mother.." Zoey said, looking at her mother.
"I'm sorry Ma'am." I didn't start any trouble.
"She even talks back to her teachers." Lily's mom whispered. " From now on baby I don't want to see her anywhere near you. I've told you I've never liked her."
"Lily's mother!" Her husband yelled.
"Ummm Teacher we apologize and we'll do everything from our end to fix it. So what do we do?" He continued.
"Your daughter will be given a one day detention. And is expected to reflect on her actions. And Zoey will be given a One month suspension of intense labour at the Alpha's rest house. But if Lily accepts to have willingly helped her friend and was not called in, she will share this suspension with her instead of a detention."
Zoey felt relieved because she expected her friend to help her.
" I was forced, ma'am. I'm sorry ."Lily said, her voice shaking and she covered her face as tears rolled down cheeks with the feeling of having betrayed her friend.
Zoey's eyes were filled with tears but this wasn't beyond expectations.
Calista who was watching at the back smiled slightly.
The meeting was dismissed and Lily's parents left.
"I'm sorry Zoey. I had no choice . My parents will kill me if I didn't do what I did. You know I love you, I'm sorry". Lily said, holding Zoey's hands as she cried.
Zoey shrugged her off her hands and left the school.
"I guess we're not so different. Are we?" Calista said, smiling slightly as she walked up to Lily.
"You disgust me. Excuse me." Lily said walking out.
Zoey went home and then changed. Her feet moved num
b and heavy as they carried her to the Alpha's resident