Ever since that shitty day outside the Alpha’s house when he had Coal and Quil beat me, and then the Alpha punched me in the back of the head so hard I had a bad concussion, the other Wolves bullied me. Constantly. Every chance they got.
Oddly enough, Coal and Quil get quite possessive over the ones they bully. They don’t like sharing my attention, apparently, so whenever another Wolf raises a hand to me, it starts a fight. I swallow hard as a day I’d rather forget flashes in my mind.
“Did I say you could punish her?” Coal asks, as he steps between me and some shithead Wolf. I don’t feel any safer, though. Coal wants my tears saved all for him and Quil.
The other Wolf scoffs. “She’s not your Avowed. You can’t claim her yet, so she’s fair game.” Coal doesn’t like the otherWolf’s ballsy defiance. My eyebrows raise, and I shake my head. That was stupid. He’s not wrong. I can’t be claimed until I’m twenty, which isn’t for another four years since I just turned sixteen, so that makes me fair game for the Wolves who are my age.
“Really? Well, if that's what you think, then go ahead.” Coal moves, stepping away from me, so the other guy can see me fully once again. I’m sitting in the grass, blood dripping from my lip, as I clutch my basket of apples to my chest. He wanted me to go back to his house, and I refused, so he backhanded me. That certainly didn’t make me want to follow him, so I ran. Wolves are faster, though, so he caught up to me quickly and knocked me to the ground.
I don’t know if I should be grateful that Coal showed up or not. On one hand, this other Wolf clearly wants to cause me harm, but ever since Coal beat me bloody ten years ago, I’ve been terrified of him. Even if he rarely touches me now. His cruel words cut deeply, and I’ve never forgotten the pain from that day. It was just the beginning of my pain.
“Fuck off,” Quil snaps at me, coming out of nowhere and slamming his fist into the face of the other Wolf, making Coal laugh. “Get the fuck out of here, Delilah, now, or you’re next.” I don’t need to be told twice, so I jump to my feet and run in the direction of my house.
I think that was the first time I realized they wanted to be the only ones to cause me pain. Up until then, the bullying from the other Wolves was tolerable. Things only got worse after that. It was like their unofficial claim painted a target on my back to the others. Everyone wanted to prove they could do whatever the fuck they wanted to me.
Now I’m stuck here with no real escape from these assholes.
If a Human is already Avowed, they are forced to servetheir master as well as attend classes. If we are unavowed, we have to attend classes and actively try to find a master.
It’s insane, honestly. I know how much work goes into serving a Wolf. They run you into the ground, and yet you’re still expected to achieve impeccable grades in classes that mean nothing to you. But if you do poorly, it’s a reflection on them, and could result in public humiliation.
I look up at the grand steps of the Academy and sigh. Does it really need to be so extravagant? I suppose Alpha Michael was probably just trying to show off in front of all the other packs. Our pack isn’t the only one attending the Academy, and there’s no way the Alpha was going to look less than impressive.
Such a regal building, filled with so much bad. Every fucking day I have to spend here will just be one more day that Coal and Quil will torment me. One more day that I won’t be home to care for my mother, and one more day that my existence feels pointless.
Whatever. I just want to get this day over with. The outside of the Academy reminds me of a gothic castle I saw in a drawing once, but the inside is fairly new with white walls and clean floors. No doubt the work of Humans. Wolves would never lower themselves to such tasks.
My first class is a mixed introductory course, so I head to the door and step into the auditorium, rows of seating angled down to the front where a large desk sits for the professor.
Moving up the stairs and heading to the back of the room, I keep my head down and my steps light. The less attention the Wolves pay me, the better. I’m already going to have enough trouble dealing with my lifelong bullies. Last thing I need is more assholes stalking me and trying to tell me what to do.
The thought of a random Wolf claiming me as their Avowed does make me chuckle, though. Coal would lose his shit. I can picture it now; he walks in to see the other Wolf with his arm around his favorite chew toy… There would be pandemonium. Coal would no doubt challenge him. Or Quil would.
In the end, I would be the one to suffer. In the process of ripping the other Wolf apart, I’d most likely get torn to shreds too. Coal isn’t one to pull punches, and his best friend is known to be just as cruel, if not worse.
“It’s okay Delilah, I won’t hurt you again,” Quil promises, as I peek at him through swollen eyes. I’m shaking and stepping away from the boy I once thought was good. But he’s just as evil as the rest.
“Quil!” Coal snaps, grabbing his best friend's arm. I start to make my escape as the two boys argue, but I don’t miss Coal’s angry words. “You have to stay away from her! Don’t forget. Your dad will-” His words cut out as I make a run for it. I know what Coal was going to say; Quil’s father is the Beta. If the boys are caught with me, we’re all in trouble.
I take a shuddering breath, thinking of how different he is from the Wolf I met all those years ago. Quil has a terrifying darkness inside him that I hadn’t seen at first. I’ve seen it enough times now though to know that he won’t hesitate to rip my fucking head off if he’s ever given the chance. Fortunately, well, I guess it’s more unfortunate actually, but they both prefer their victims alive… So I live to suffer another day, I guess.
The other, less than appealing, aspect is that as their Avowed servant, I would be expected to bend to their will, give in to their desires, and serve their every need. Coal would probably murder the other Wolf, and then punish me as if I had any fucking choice. If I did, I wouldn’t be here atall. I’d be in the forest, forever hiding from everyone and everything. Taking care of my mother so she didn’t have to suffer anymore.
At least when I wasn’t attending this Academy, I was able to go home at night. Our little home might have been small, but at least once the day was over, I got a solid eight hours of freedom every night.
“I thought you might be here, Delilah!” a booming voice calls from the front of the room, making me cringe. The husky timber is alluring in a way that should be illegal. As soon as I hear it, my insides freeze and my heart rate spikes. I brace for Coal’s incoming verbal attack. I’m used to it at this point. His words are used like weapons against me and try as I might, I can never quite protect myself from them.
It started when his father made them turn their backs on me, but at this point, I think he just gets off on being an asshole. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him be nice to anyone…
Well, no. That’s not true. I’ve seen him be kind to his mother. He’s gentle, and compared to the way he treats everyone else, it’s almost as if he’s another person. And Quil. I shiver,he treats Quil very well…
Delilah
The desire they spark inside me may be the worst part of their bullying. There was a time when his anger and rage frightened me, but now…
“Delilah,” Quil says my name like it’s a prayer, but I know it’s a threat. “Did you really think we’d let anyone have their way with you, much less a Human?” He takes several steps toward me, and my body prickles with unease. I fucked up. I really fucked up.
Today is my eighteenth birthday, and instead of returning to my room after I finished my day of chores, I met up with my best friend of ten years, Genny, and this guy named Max as well as a few of the other Humans who are still too young to be Avowed. We have a tiny bit more freedom than the Avowed do.
