Chapter Twenty-Six
Istretched my neck as I walked into the cafeteria. Sleeping on my couch was about as comfortable as you assume. I felt my neck pop, and I wanted to groan. I shook myself as I headed to the line to grab breakfast. I needed food and caffeine as soon as possible.
I grabbed a tray and waited for my turn. I felt myself wobble on my feet. I was more tired than I thought.
It’s also the emotional side of things that is weighing you down. Megan’s voice called from the darkness of the forest in my mind. Last night wiped you out. First it was Toya’s emotions, then your own, and you ended the night with your mother’s emotions pressing down on you.
It takes a toll. Nix agreed, and I had to nod. They were right. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. If I could have missed today I would have, but I set this meeting up last night with everyone and we had a plan to make.
“Excuse me.” A soft voice called from behind me. I turned to see an omega male.
“Yes?”
His eyes widened. “It’s your turn to grab food.” He pointed to the line, and I turned back to realize I was just standing there.
“Thank you.” I smiled back at him and moved down the line, filling my plate. I grabbed two coffees because I needed the boost and turned to pay, but the woman waved her hand.
“As of the announcement yesterday from our king, all food from now on will be free, except the prepared dinner kits.”
“Thank you.” I turned to leave, but then I heard a crash behind me and turned to see the omega on his hands and knees, trying to pick up the spilled food and a group of young men standing around him, pointing and laughing.
Instantly Nix’s hackles her raised, and Megan slunk out of the forest, teeth bared.
Neither of my wolves would stand by as someone was bullied. I placed my tray back on the counter at the cashier. The cashier’s eyes widened as she saw my face, but she just whispered. “I’ll keep your food here.”
I nodded and walked back to the male on the ground. He was softly whispering, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”
The men were still laughing. But I just walked over and slapped all their trays up and onto their clothes. Their laughter stopped instantly.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” The first guy faced me and I couldn’t see any recognition. He had no idea who I was. Good, this will make it so much better.
I pointed to the ground. “Clean it.” All the men froze.
“What?”
“I said, clean. It. Up.” I took a step closer to them with each word.
“No.” The lead guy scoffed.
I pointed to the omega. “Isn’t that what you just did to him? You knocked down his food and then made him clean it up. Right? This is something funny to do. So clean it.” I growled, eyes flashing.
These men seemed to be too fucking stupid to scent the danger.
Nix, Megan and I were all on the same page on this.
No one bullied people around us. Especially unranked, or low ranked wolves.
Omegas were the backbone of any pack. They handled the day-to-day necessities of the survival of the pack.
They fed us, cleaned for us, took care of us.
And they enjoyed it. And they were the only ones higher ranked wolves didn’t mind in their nests.
“He’s an omega. A male omega.” The lead guys scoffed.
“What is your point?” I stepped closer, and I sniffed. “You’re what? A low Gamma?” I threw my head back and laughed. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
The man looked bewildered. “What?”
“You are the lowest rank fucking possible, and you think you have the right to bully an omega?” I laughed harder.
Bending down at my waist to catch my breath.
While I was bent over, I grabbed on to the omega.
“Get up.” His eyes flashed to mine and I could see a tiny bit of panic, but it was smothered by the hope there.
Once he stood, I wrapped my arm around his waist. “Let me be very clear here.” I stepped closer to the male.
“An omega is more important than your fucking pathetic rank. And you have zero fucking ability to make this man feel less than when you can barely wield a command.”
I watched as my words hit his precious little ego. “What the fuck did you just say?”
But I was too tired to deal with his big man syndrome.
I slammed my aura out and the group of guys dropped to the floor.
“Clean this shit up. It’s not the workers job here to clean the mess you made.
And listen to me when I say this. Do not treat omegas, or any unranked wolves like they are less than you.
” I waited until they all nodded, then I walked away and retrieved my food from the cashier.
The others were already sitting when I walked over. Toya was openly staring at me with a smirk. “Did you have a little fun in line there, Amy?”
I chuckled, but I was still angry. “It’s like a rot in this fucking school.
” I slammed into my seat as the others just stared at me.
“No matter where I turn, someone is bullying someone. When did this become our status quo? We are not fucking humans.” I had to calm myself down, but this is kinda perfect.
It shows that I’m not doing well. I allowed tears to come to my eyes and I shook my head.
“I’m sorry.” I wiped at my face in frustration.
“It’s okay.” Toya followed my lead and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I heard her sniffle, and a tear hit my shoulder.
“Look at how pathetic you two look.” Instantly, Nix was at the surface. Fur rippled down both of our arms. Black against her dark brown. We looked at each other and both of our eyes were shifted.
We separated and looked behind us to find Nina and her band of idiots. And Nix ripped a growl so vicious, they all took a step back. “I will give you one fucking chance, Nina.” I felt my mouth shift to my fangs. “Turn around and leave us.”
Nina rallied, and she smirked. “Or what? Are you going to get your daddy to-”
I didn’t give her a chance to finish her sentence. I launched out of my seat and tackled her. I slammed my fists into her face over and over. I heard and felt her nose snap, but I kept going.
Everything else fell away and all I could focus on was how much damage I was dealing to her.
I wouldn’t use my claws, even though I wanted to.
So I used my fists, my knees. Anything I could to break anything else on her.
I couldn’t get over the smirk on her face.
She was aiming to shatter what was left of my control, and she would have if my father was dead.
She is lucky I hadn’t lost myself to killing her. But I was using this moment to really hammer home that she should fear me.
After I had her subdued, I pulled back enough to really get into this. I knew this would be the only real chance I had to get my point across.
I started on her fingers; I snapped each and every one of them. Then I broke her forearms. I ripped her shoulders out of their sockets. I started to pummel her chest, attempting to break each and every rib as someone ripped me off of her.
Once I was pulled away, I released another growl.
I whirled to face whoever was holding me back and I raised my hands.
Only to find Brandon and Vince were holding their hands up, trying to calm me down.
I released another growl, spit dripping from my fangs.
“Why did you pull me off of her?” I screamed, making the two men flinch away from me.
Brandon’s mouth was floundering like a fish, but Vince’s voice was calm. “You were going to kill her.”
“She deserved it.” I snapped back. My voice sounded vicious even to me.
Vince’s eyes tightened, but he pointed to Nina on the ground. “Take her to the infirmary.” I growled again, the fur rippling, freezing everyone around us. “Talk to me Amy, what happened?” Vince stepped closer, hands still raised.
Toya came up next to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. “You know what happened yesterday?” She offered matter-of-factly.
I watched as a flash of pride crossed Vince’s face.
He couldn’t stop the tiny smirk if he wanted to.
But it was like a flash in the pan. There one second, gone the next.
“Yes.” His voice was soft, placating. “I am so sorry for both of your losses.” I growled, and Toya’s hand tightened around my side. A soft signal to calm down.
“Thank you.” Toya wiped at her face, playing her part perfectly. “Anyway, Amy already had an interaction in the food line, protecting an Omega from a group of Gammas. But Nina came and did probably the stupidest thing she could have done to us, and Amy lost the hold she had on her wolf.”
Vince winced. “What did she say?”
Toya shook her head as if the words were too hard to get past. I snapped my teeth, playing the uncontrolled and slightly rabid Alpha, causing Vince to step back unconsciously.
Wendy stood and came over, wrapping her arm around the other side of me. “She taunted both of them, Alpha Vince. She was using yesterday’s tragedy to provoke Amy, and she got what she wanted, but not the outcome she expected.”
“What do you mean?”
“Amy told her to leave us alone, but Nina just smirked and asked, or what? Are you going to get your daddy…well she didn’t get much further than that before Amy tackled her.”
Vince closed his eyes and shook his head. “I will make an announcement later. No one should be stupid enough to rub that in any wolf’s face, but to do it to an Alpha is asking for death.” He huffed out a breath. “Are you okay now, Amy?”
I made it look like I was fighting Nix for control. I started to shake, and she receded slowly, laughing the entire time.
This is going to be fun. Nix chortled as she slunk back into the dark forest of my mind.
The fur receded, and my eyes and fangs shifted back.
I watched as Vince and Brandon both breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I should say I am sorry for losing control, but I’m not.
Nina deserved everything I did to her.” I scoffed.
“She’s lucky I didn’t kill her.” I turned to Toya and Wendy. “Thank you.”
“Always.” The two of them squeezed my sides and then sat back down in front of their food.
I turned back to Vince. “Am I in trouble?”
He stared at me, really stared at me as if he was trying to figure something out, but then he slowly shook his head.
“Anyone would have done the same.” He cracked his neck.
“She is just stupid enough to think she is stronger than you. I can only assume she thought you would be too sad to do anything or weak enough to overpower you if you did attack.” Vince turned a circle and was looking at the rest of the students.
“I don’t think anyone else will be stupid enough to try that now. ”
A soft chuckle went through the room. Then a voice came from the back. “I think you scared the shit out of everyone here. It was scary…and hot at the same time.” Another, louder laugh went through the cafeteria.
I shook my entire body, trying to pull back from the anger. I was so tired of Nina and her ilk, but I was stuck here for a few years and I needed to refocus on what was important.
“Am I in trouble?” I looked at Vince, and I could feel my eyes were still hostile. But hopefully, he didn’t take the challenge.
He rubbed the back of his neck, but before he said anything, Brandon came close.
“Amy, what happened was definitely not ideal, but for an Alpha who just started shifting, you showed immense restraint.” He turned to look at his dad and I could see Vince’s lips turn up for a second.
Obviously, this was planned. “Dad…I think we should let this go for now. Nina started this by even bringing up the tragedy that happened yesterday. If it was a man I know, I would have attacked.”
Vince thought for a moment. “If it was me, I would have done something similar. But this can’t happen again.”
I drew in a breath. “Thank you Alpha Vince.” I turned to Brandon and gave him a tiny smile. “Thank you for standing up for me.”
Brandon looked a little star struck, but he recovered. “Of course.”
I gave them both a nod and turned back to the table and my food.
I wasn’t going to rush this. Brandon and Vince know how much I hate them and if I did a one eighty in a day, they would know something was up.
I had to play this smart. Give a tiny fraction at a time.
Allow them to think they are pulling me in, so that when I am ready to strike, it’s a surprise.
Toya grabbed my hands. “These look like they hurt.” I looked down at my red knuckles and smiled.
“Not at all.” I rolled my neck and started eating.
“Amy…”
I looked up to the pale faced Hanna. “Yeah?”
“Is that what you are going to train us to do?” She looked back to the floor where there were still speckles of Nina’s blood.
“Yes.” I rubbed my face. “Yes, I am. Because I want you to be able to do that, instead of dying like my father.” I said it loud enough that others heard and a quiet murmur.
Hanna, Micca, and Wendy looked at each other and then at me. “We are in.” Hanna smiled. “Because that was the most badass thing I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Micca nodded. “That was so fucking cool. Did you see how far she jumped?” She clapped. “One second you’re in your chair, and the next Nina and you hit the floor. I barely saw you move.” She shook her head in disbelief. “You practically flew over the tables, only using your hands.”
“I wanted to clap,” Wendy whispered. “As soon as you broke her nose, I wanted to cheer so bad, but I knew she would corner me and kill me.”
I nodded. “She would. But after we train, it is going to be a lot harder for her to even land a punch on you. You can’t grow your aura, but I can make you one bad ass powerful wolf.”