“I’m trying to get this little interloper out of our pack and out of our school,” she snarled. “I can’t believe you would lower yourself to interact with her. What would your parents say?”
“What would yours say?” Chann retorted, faking a yawn as he pulled me tighter into his side, seemingly enjoying the way she growled at him and her companions hissed. “They know this is Raff’s decision. Would they really advise you to stand against the alpha?” She wavered for a moment, before jutting her chin forward.
“This is more than just what the alpha is asking of us,” she countered. “This is enough to ruin us all. It’s asking too much, even from him.” She looked me over again, her lip curling with disgust as she waved a hand at me. “I mean, look at her! She even looks human. Why the hell is her hair multicolored? She’s as far from a wolf as she could possibly be. Hell, we have cubs starting here who are bigger than she is.”
“I’m fun-sized for their convenience,” I offered with a shrug that nearly unseated Zev’s arm from its position on my shoulders. “Like a pocket-sized vibrator. You should really try one, it may loosen the stick in your ass.” I batted my eyelashes when she snarled at me. “Besides, I’m just a little ball of color for when they get bored. Dogs like balls, right?”
“You shut up,” she hissed at me. “You don’t get to talk here. No one wants to hear your insane drivel. Just go back to the human world and the mother you killed.” Chann and Zev snarled as my face paled and I swayed slightly. She grinned, though there was no amusement in it, her gold eyes lighting up as she realized she had struck a nerve. “Oh yes, Raff told us all about it.”
“Shut it, Rhiannon, or you won’t like what happens,” Chann warned, his hand steadying me. “You know what Raff and Alarick said. We will take you down.”
“You know you can’t take down a female,” one of the others interjected, flipping her reddish hair. “Raff would have your head for it. Besides, she’s just telling the truth.”
“Shut up, Scarlett,” Zev snapped. “Stay out of this.”
“Oh no,” Rhiannon objected, not losing her evil grin as she stared me down. Guilt was eating at my insides, the cold of it gnawing away, biting into the safety and serenity I’d been feeling in the twins’ company. “There’s no need to stop. I mean, it’s not like we’re saying anything that isn’t true. Raff told all of us. Poor little orphan girl, that’s what he called you. Said it was on us to raise an orphaned pup, that we owed it to your mother. The mother you got killed because you’re a stupid human child.” Each of her words hit me like a slap, leaving behind bleeding wounds, my head spinning with each second that passed. I was struggling to breathe, unable to draw the oxygen I needed into my lungs through my panic, and I could hear ringing beginning in my ears, see the edges of my vision graying out as I fought to stay conscious.
“What the hell is going on?” Alarick’s voice broke through the deafening sound in my ears. I had no idea what my face looked like in that moment as he walked up behind Rhiannon and her crew of bitchy friends, but it had to have been far worse than I thought. His blue eyes inspected me and, for just the briefest of flashes, I thought I saw them soften, saw pity and understanding work its way across his features, before his attention turned to the others. “Why are you bothering her? You have your orders. She’s a pack member now, whether you like it or not.”
“They were trying to rile her up,” Chann explained, his grip on me loosening slightly as I found my feet, although the cold running through my veins didn’t lessen. “They started talking about her mom, and it really got to her.” Although his words were low and soft, without a hint of condemnation in them, I still flinched. “She felt confident enough to talk shit about her because of the pack rule about us not interfering with the females.” Damn, I’d have to read that stupid handbook again. I didn’t remember anything about the males not fighting females—not that it was surprising with the size of the damn thing. Couldn’t Raff have just given me bullet points? Not that I was feeling exactly warm and fuzzy toward him right now anyhow.
Alarick snarled as he faced off with Rhiannon. “We may not be able to physically harm you, but it doesn’t mean I won’t pick you up and carry you away from her if you don’t leave her alone. She’s done nothing—”
Rhiannon interrupted him, pushing her body close to his as she implored, “Exactly. She’s done nothing. She hasn’t earned her right for a spot in this pack. Do you know how many other wolves have vied over those positions? Fought to join us? And yet they see themselves overlooked for a human.” Her touch turned flirty, nearly seductive, as she stroked her fingertips up and down his arm. “Just look at her, Alarick. I mean, she’s clinging all over them.” She didn’t bother to look at me or even the twins as she pressed her breasts up against him and I mimed a gag. Was she really trying to seduce her way out of trouble? I was all for girl power and owning our sexuality, but this was just obnoxious.
Alarick took a step back and my eyebrows flew up, my esteem for him rising as I studied him. Most boys would have been all about a stacked girl like Rhiannon pressing herself against him, no matter how immoral it may have been. “You don’t have a right to question my father’s decision,” he stated, his eyes not leaving hers as her sultry smile turned into a pout. “He’s put up with the dissent long enough, and I’m going to put an end to it. She is pack. That’s all you need to know.”
“If she’s pack, then why doesn’t she have to do challenges?” she spat in return, her hands clenched into fists as she squared off with him, her flirty pretense gone. “It’s pack law.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Zev snapped in exasperation. “She just showed up today! Not to mention that she’s, you know, human. We already know she’s the lowest ranking member in our pack. Why should she have to be blooded to prove it?”
“Zev’s right,” a soft voice agreed, breaking the tension. I hadn’t noticed the other girl who had joined us. She had trailed behind Alarick, his bulk concealing her. With her thick brown hair and pale green eyes, she seemed to fit right in amongst the others, though from the way they turned up their noses at her appearance, she wasn’t one of Rhiannon’s groupies. “The weakest member of the pack may issue challenges against others in an attempt to raise their status, however, the other pack members may not initiate their own challenges against them as it’s considered merely a beating rather than an actual challenge. The only exception to that is if a written law is broken, an insult is given, or if there is dissent over a mate.”
I blinked warily at the pretty girl as she offered me a soft smile. “Thanks,” I murmured, unsure of my footing here. Neither Chann nor Zev seemed threatened by the girl in any way, so I assumed I was safe enough for the moment.
“Shannon, you don’t want to oppose us,” Rhiannon warned on a hiss. The girl winced, but her shoulders straightened when Alarick laid a hand on them, she appeared to draw comfort and strength from his touch.
“She’s correct, and you need to leave,” Alarick ordered. “Go about your own business, we’ll see you in the mess hall tonight.”
Rhiannon shot me another glare, whirling to leave as her sycophants followed her. “Huh,” I mused, trying to lighten the mood. “I guess it was too much to ask that mean girls didn’t exist in wolf packs too.” My knees were still shaking, although I wasn’t willing to admit it. “If I hit her nose with a newspaper, think I can make her heel?” Shannon gasped in shock, Alarick groaned, and Chann and Zev began to drag me farther down the hall. I guessed that was a no.
Chapter Seven
The library was large, looming, and echoing, full of shelf after shelf of books and quiet cubicles for study. Chann and Zev had been right that computers dotted the space, and it wasn’t the outdated ones I was used to. The newest models of Windows and Mac computers had been spread throughout the room, interspersed for students to work on while others settled into the tables or study rooms, with only quiet murmurs filling the cool, dusty air. I’d wondered if other students mi
ght seek me out as we wandered, or if anyone else would try to threaten me the way Rhiannon and her friends had. Whether by luck or by some unknown order, though, we didn’t see anyone else as we wandered across the historic building in an attempt to familiarize me with it before my classes began.
After we completed the tour of the library, I’d asked the guys to take me back to my room for a while before dinner, although they had insisted they would meet up with me to walk me down. Staring at my ceiling now, I hugged a pillow tight to my chest, breathing deeply in the hopes I could avoid the tears that wanted to fall. I knew Raff had to tell the others in the pack of my position, it made sense because they needed a reason to allow me to join the school. Yet a part of me had hoped he had glossed over it, had focused on owing a favor rather than my status as an orphan. The geekish part of my brain pointed out that it made sense, an orphan girl amongst werewolves. It was like a fairy tale. I didn’t want to be a fairy tale though, I just wanted to be at home with my mom, laughing as we watched a ridiculous television reality show together or curled up on the couch as we traded books with each other, delving into the fantasy worlds we both loved so much.
I focused on keeping my breathing deep and even, trying to let the words Rhiannon had thrown at me like barbs slide away. Usually, the mental trick was helpful, but it wasn’t working now as her words continued to echo sickly inside my head. A soft knock sounded on my door and I swore, tossing the pillow aside and standing up to straighten my skirt as I went to answer the door. I blinked in confusion, not expecting the girl—I thought Rhiannon had called her Shannon—outside of my door instead of one of the twins.
“Hi?” I said awkwardly, reaching a hand up to smooth my hair. Maybe one of the guys had a message for me?
“Can I come in?” she requested, glancing around. “I’m Shannon, remember?” A slight blush mantled her tan cheeks, highlighting the play of freckles across them.
“I remember you,” I reassured her, stepping aside and waving a hand for her to enter. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“No, I just...” She trailed off, wringing her hands together for a moment as she glanced around the room. I studied her warily as her eyes trailed across my belongings, wondering if she was taking notes for Rhiannon. That girl seemed like the kind to get revenge, and I wouldn’t put it past her to use someone else to enact it. Shannon was smaller than the others had been, although she still towered over me, and I doubted I’d have any more luck taking her in a fight than I would if Chann or Zev had challenged me. “I wanted a chance to talk to you. Away from the dining room, the politics, all of that,” she murmured softly.
“About what?” I asked, plopping down onto the desk chair. If her goal was to beat me up, nothing I did was going to stop her, so I may as well get comfortable.
“Lupine Hollow can be a... challenge,” she replied after pausing for a moment. “Our pack is strong and envied, and finding a role here isn’t easy.”
“What’s your role?” I questioned, considering her as I tilted my head, my purple hair distracting me for a moment as it fell into my eyes.
She chuckled softly. “I’m one step up from you, actually. I was the lowest ranked before you were invited in.”
I nearly fell off my chair as I studied her, my mouth open in a silent gasp. “You?” She didn’t look any different from the others. Part of me had expected that anyone ranked as low as I me would be young, a baby really, rather than another student here at the school.
She nodded. “Did you study pack rankings?” she inquired curiously. “I helped Raff build up an informational packet for you.”
I mock-scowled at her and she took a step back before I laughed. “So I have you to blame for that!”
“Blame?” The word was a whisper, all the bravado she’d felt around Alarick seemed to have faded without him nearby. Now she chewed on her lower lip, smearing the pink gloss, and watched me carefully as if expecting me to attack her at any moment.
I groaned, laying my head down on my hands. “It was like reading an instruction manual for an oven. I mean, it’s about werewolves, for goodness’ sake. I know everything about werewolves.” I paused there with a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Okay, I knew everything about fake werewolves. After reading that, though, I don’t feel like I took anything in! You’re werewolves, can’t we make the manual more, I don’t know, adventurous and romantic for the next person who gets hijacked into here?” I clasped my hands together, pretending to pout as I stared at her.
She considered me for a moment, her eyes wide, before laughter bubbled up. “Well, I suppose that’s one way to go about things. Here, hand it to me, will you?” she requested, holding out her hand for the thick book.
I passed it to her, her hands warm where they brushed mine, wondering what exactly she wanted to show me in there. She pulled a small set of square, wire framed glasses from her jacket pocket, then slid them onto her face as I stared. “Werewolves wear glasses?” I asked on a gasp. She looked so cute in them! I wondered if any of the guys I’d met wore glasses too. What could I say, I liked sexy nerds.
She shrugged, thumbing through the guide to find what she was searching for. “Here.” She pointed, handing it back to me, and I looked over an interweaving flow chart full of arrows, scribbled interruptions, and lines that branched and swirled in different directions. “Remember that part?”
“How can I remember it? I can barely read it,” I muttered. Technically, I did remember it—well, more accurately, I remembered skipping over it. My head had begun to spin as much as the lines on the pages, so I’d merely skimmed over it.
“Ah, yes, well, it can be a bit confusing,” she admitted. Shannon grabbed an extra chair and pulled it up beside me so she could see the graph at the same time I did, her knee nudging mine as she leaned close enough so I could smell the rose shampoo she used. “Everyone in the pack has to have a rank. While challenges will still happen, knowing and accepting their places helps keep everyone calm, centered, and in control. Now, Lupine Hollow differs from other packs—mostly due to Raff.” The way she said his name was nearly worshipful, her eyes shining. “Or his family, at least, though he’s made plenty of changes since he took over as alpha when his father passed away. In most packs, you see, there are four basic levels—alpha, beta, omega, and then mid-levels. Some packs do have zeta’s, but we haven’t had one in a long time.”
“Well, Raff’s the alpha, and Alarick’s next in line,” I mused. “Alarick said Chann and Zev will be his betas, though he didn’t mention who his father’s beta is.” Huh, I should probably figure that out before I stepped on someone’s toes.
“Due to his age, Alarick technically acts as Raff’s beta right now,” she explained. “It’s fairly traditional, and it teaches them to respect their own betas when the time comes. In most other packs, omegas are still, well, bullied.” She winced at the word, pushing her glasses further up her nose. “It helped to keep aggression down if there was one person everyone could take their aggressions out on. Raff refused to continue the practice.”
“So what happens? Does that mean there are no omega?” I cocked my head, trying to work out what the sheet in front of me was stating.
“Oh, not at all! We have both an omega male and an omega female. You’ll meet them soon, I’m sure.” Her smile was soft, and it eased something inside of me. Something about the way she spoke of them, I didn’t feel like they would be anyone I’d need to fear. “Alarick hasn’t chosen who his omegas will be yet, and it’s possible he’ll keep our current ones in their roles until they choose to step down. Raff’s have been in place for years now, they may want to step down sooner rather than later, though Alarick has a right to remove them if he wishes. They’re…” She considered her words, probably doing her best to search for a human equivalent. “Borris is, well, a comedian, I guess you could call him. He’s the one who cheers everyone up, no matter how down you may get.” She giggled as she thought of him. “He even gives you candy. Zelda, she�
�s like, the sweetest person in the entire world.” Shannon’s eyes lit up as she talked about her, a soft smile playing over her face. “She’s always there to give you hugs, bake you cookies, or just to listen when you’ve had a bad day.”
My chest squeezed tightly, wondering what that would be like. “They’re like the grandparents of the group?” I ventured. I hadn’t grown up with grandparents, but the ones I’d read about—the ones I’d secretly dreamed about—had sounded similar.
She nodded. “They are. They’ve been omegas for, well, a really long time. Since before Raff took over the pack even. They were the omegas during his father’s time.” I gaped at her. I wondered how old they were! “When Raff took over, he completely eliminated the fighting aspect involving the omegas. See, omegas have some physical strength and are an asset to the pack in battle, but because of their innate desire to help their own packmates, they’ll let anyone of any rank beat them up. Even you, actually.” I grimaced at the thought of beating up some old couple just because they’d let me. “Now, they’re there for affection only.”
“So how does it work when we involve the other students?” I asked curiously.
“The best way is to think of it as two separate packs,” she explained, pointing to her diagram. “Adults all have solid rankings and roles, and technically, all of them rank above us—except for Alarick and any he’s chosen as his inner circle, of course, since they’re the next to rule. Once they’ve settled into their roles, there are rarely challenges until a younger pack member ages up, or a newcomer is brought in. Those of us still in school are the ones who are searching for what our strengths are going to be within the pack. Challenges amongst students are frequent, and it’s not only the physical fights that matter. For example, technically, an omega is ranked just below the betas, despite losing most physical fights—their strength only comes out when they’re fighting other packs. It’s their strength of character that solidifies their place. Everything is judged here at the academy—our grades, our behavior, our interactions with other students, our patience, our temper, our ability to act as ambassadors to other packs…” She was rattling off so many things I began to get dizzy.
Flower Moon Rising (Lupine Hollow Academy Book 1) Page 6
