A scholarship for the all-male Alpha Academy?
Angela shook her head hard. No way. Even if she had been born a boy, she would never go there.
The stories she heard about that school were enough to make her skin crawl. Last year, one of her neighbors went there...he said the boys had no heart, no mercy. They were dangerous.
Still, Alpha Academy was the best school around. No one else came close. Every parent dreamed of sending their kid there, even humans. But it was a school for werewolves. Only alphas were welcome.
To keep peace with the humans, the academy started allowing a few humans in each year. One boy, chosen from the top schools. Angela knew hers would never make the list. Her school was poor, falling apart. A public school with no real chance.
No one from her school had ever been chosen. And passing their entrance exam? Impossible.
As Angela stared at the scholarship poster, a sharp voice snapped her back.
"Don't even dream about it," sneered one of her classmates, stepping beside her. "You wouldn't get in even if you were a boy."
The others laughed, their voices sharp and cruel.
Angela clenched her jaw but said nothing.
"A daughter of a whore," said the tallest girl with a smirk, "would never step into Alpha Academy."
The laughter grew louder.
Angela closed her eyes, her hands curling into fists. The anger burned, but she forced herself to stay still. Not here. Not now.
"What did you expect? The All-Male Academy would never accept a dummy like her. She's the mad bastard daughter of a thousand fathers!"
The girls burst into cruel laughter.
Angela's chest tightened with rage. She could take the insults about herself, even about her mother. But her father? They knew nothing about him. They had no right.
Her fingers dug into the dirt. In one swift move, she scooped up a handful of sand and hurled it at them.
The sand hit their faces, getting into their eyes. Angela smirked. Her aim had always been sharp. She might not be the smartest in class, but when it came to games—running, throwing spears...she never missed.
"You little devil!" a sharp voice cut through the chaos.
Angela froze.
It was Principal Jane-an old woman in a loose green gown, her thick glasses slipping down her nose, gray hair falling from a messy bun.
The girls immediately dropped their act, rubbing their eyes and pretending to cry.
"To my office, you serpent!" Principal Jane snapped.
Angela looked around. The principal was glaring right at her.
She sighed, rolled her eyes, and trudged toward the office.
This wasn't new. It had to be her hundredth trip there this year alone.
At the door, Principal Jane stepped in first, leaving it wide open behind her.
Angela hesitated for a second, feeling a twist in her gut. Then she walked in.
The office was small and messy. Books were scattered everywhere. The desk was old, piled high with dusty files. Angela could barely breathe in the thick, stuffy air.
"How many times have I told you to leave your trouble at home before coming to school?" Principal Jane snapped, her face twisted with anger...angrier than the girls who had gotten sand in their eyes.
Angela opened her mouth to explain, but as always, the principal cut her off.
She knew what was coming. She could mouth the words by now.
"I am not disappointed," Principal Jane said, dragging her glasses down to the tip of her nose. "Just like your mother, you don't let people have peace. You took after her. I'm not going to let the two of you stay in this town any longer."
Angela bit her tongue. She wanted to scream, but she stayed quiet, her nails digging into her palms.
"You see," the principal went on coldly, "I have looked through your past reports. I've decided you need to leave this school."
Angela wasn't surprised. No one liked her here. Not because of what she did, but because of her mother.
Grace, her mother was known by everyone for the wrong reasons. She barely cared for Angela, and worse, she made her living by selling herself to married men.
Including Principal Jane's husband.
Angela had been carrying her mother's shame her whole life.
The other kids hated her. They called her names like whore, ugly, disgusting. She learned to live with it all. Except when they spoke about her father.
That was the one thing she would never forgive.
Every time they pushed her, she fought back. And every time, she got punished alone.
"My mom will kill me if I get expelled," Angela cried, falling to her knees.
But the principal's face stayed cold.
Angela knew it was already too late.
The old woman had already made up her mind. Nothing Angela said would change it.
"I don't care about your mother," Principal Jane sneered. "In fact, Miss Angela… leave my office."
A cold shiver ran down Angela's spine. It was over.
Without another word, she grabbed her school bag and stood up.
"I knew you always wanted to leave," the principal called after her, voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Go home, dear... School was never for you."
Angela clenched her jaw but said nothing. A part of her screamed to turn back and yell at the woman, but she forced herself to walk away.
She walked down the dusty road toward her house, shoulders heavy with shame and anger.
At the end of the street stood their old, broken building...the last one before the woods. The door wasn't locked. That meant Grace was home.
Angela pushed it open and stepped inside the tiny room they shared.
For once, Grace wasn't inside with one of her clients.
Normally, when she was working, she would lock Angela out. And when it was over, there was barely any food on the table, no matter what promises Grace made.
Angela dropped her bag with a sigh, but just as she did, she heard a low whisper from outside, near the back of the house.
"I don't think she knows about our plans," Grace's voice said.
Angela froze. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Who was she talking to?
Another voice answered. It belonged to a man.
"Then I'll close the deal... get the money, and hand her over."
Angela's blood turned to ice.
It was Uncle Toga.
She knew that voice too well. Her mother's twin brother who just as rotten as Grace. A gangster, a thug, the worst of the worst.
"What if she finds out the truth?" Toga asked, voice low.
"She won't," Grace replied. "Not as long as I get my share of the money."
Angela's stomach twisted with fear. She knew they were talking about her.
From what she heard, her mom and uncle planned to sell her to the worst werewolf pack, as a mate for the alpha's son.
She wasn't ready to be some mating machine for a beast who didn't even know what he wanted.
Sure, it could have been her way out. Her mom was going to kill her once she got the school report anyway.
But not like this.
Not the West Pack.
There were too many dark stories about them...stories about their men.
Becoming a mate there, was worse than death.
Angela would rather fight her way into the all-male Alpha Academy than be chained to a monster from the West.
Wait... Alpha Academy.
Maybe she needed to think about it again.
But how could she even get in? It was a school for boys. She was just a girl.
Angela's legs trembled, but she turned and headed back toward town.
This wasn't the time to cry or fall apart. No one was coming to save her. If she wanted to survive, she had to fight for herself. Just like always.
As she walked down the road back toward school, an idea burned in her mind.
What if I disguise myself as a boy?
What if I apply to Alpha Academy?
At least there, no one would know. No one could sell her off.
Angela's heart pounded as she picked up her pace.
Maybe... just maybe... this was her only chance.
*****
Angela picked up the scholarship form at the school gate. Her hands shook as she filled it out, using a new name—Angel, not Angela.
Without wasting time, she handed it to the principal.
"Angel, not Angela?" Principal Jane snorted with laughter. "There's no way you'll get picked, even if they think you're a boy."
Angela stayed calm. "It'll benefit both of us if I leave," she said, trying to bargain. She had to get out. Anywhere her uncle couldn't reach.
The principal shook her head. "It's illegal," she said slowly, "and impossible."
For a second, Principal Jane seemed to think about it. Maybe she realized getting Angela and her mother out of town was the best thing for everyone.
Angela didn't wait for another insult.
"Just submit it," she said, her voice tight. She turned and walked out of the office.
Each step felt heavier than the last. She knew it was crazy to hope.
The Alpha Academy would never pick someone like her.
She laughed bitterly under her breath. Stupid little brain. Thinking she could run from her life.
F*ck it all.
F*ck her uncle for selling her. F*ck her mother for letting it happen.
F*ck Principal Jane for hating her.
And fuck this whole cruel world that had no place for the daughter of a whore.