I WON'T BE YOURS, ALPHAS

Three

Eva

Daddy was a necessary evil. As I grew older, this was a thought I had to process, and I hated the more I saw of him when I looked into the mirror.

Nicholas Vale, Alpha of BurWood Pack, was not a good man. I knew that when I complained about a maid who burnt my forehead with a curling iron, then found her hanging upside down in the basement when the dog ran in there.

I had to come to terms that he was Alpha, he had to get his hands dirty sometimes, but I couldn't place the man who I loved with my heart with Alpha Vale. Since then, our relationship has been strained, but he was still my father.

And when I had a problem, he was the first person I ran to.

And his solution was dark, but I was desperate. This is my school. I rule it alone. No half-baked Alphas would destroy what I've worked for. The plan was in motion, and all I needed to do was wait, but I couldn't stop fidgeting.

“You've been doing that since you got back from the principal’s office. Are you okay? Is it because of the speech?” Lila asked as I toyed with my lunch in the cafeteria, and A touch from Josh, who was right beside me, instantly calmed me down.

“Don’t worry about the speech, baby. Lila did a great job.” He placed a kiss on my cheeks.

I let out a shaky sigh and smiled at Lila. “I’m sure you did. You were just as prepared as I was.”

She visibly relaxed, then tensed. “So what’s the problem? Where’s the award-winning smile? This is our best year, remember?”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the confidence I had this morning before those trainwrecks came back to ruin my life. The Eva Vale was before this happened.

I couldn't tell them I was about to be ruined, but I would destroy them before they could destroy me.

So I just said, “Just anxious about tomorrow’s ball. You know, finding mates and all. It would be so crazy, wouldn't it?”

“Oh, I can not wait to know who my mate is! It would be so magical in our dresses, and it would be like a fairy tale.” Lila squealed dreamily, and a smile genuinely appeared on my lips.

Lila has always wanted to wait for her mate patiently, and tomorrow she will finally get the man of her dreams. Josh and I have fallen in love with each other since forever, and our being mates or not didn’t matter. We were perfect together.

“Tomorrow would be perfect when the bond finally clicks.” He nuzzled into my ear, and I giggled as he wrapped his hands around me. “I can't wait to finally mark you as mine.”

“I can't wait either, Joshy.” I purred as he placed a kiss near my lips, and finally on my lips.

It was sweet, and I couldn't help but moan into it, but a collective amount of gasps echoed in the cafeteria, causing me to pull away.

They were here. I could tell by the temperature drop and the whispers around.

“Omg, are those the Cross brothers?” Lila exclaimed as they walked further in.

I sat straight, looking ahead as I ran the plan in my head one more time. If everything was going accordingly, the principal should call them in fifteen minutes.

In fifteen minutes, this nightmare would be over.

“Get up. I want to sit here.”

Kade Cross’s lazy, authoritative voice came from behind me, and I stiffened, gripping my fork hard.

The whole cafeteria watched to see if I would answer, to see what was going to happen as the queen of the school was being publicly challenged.

Any sign of submission was weakness. I couldn’t let them see me as weak.

So I stayed glued to the chair and ignored their piercing gazes and ate my food silently.

“Are you deaf, Evangeline?” Kade leaned towards me, and I shivered as his hot breath hit my ear. “I said, get up. I want to sit on this chair, at this table.”

“What? No. There are other places you can sit.” Josh replied, his words steady, but his grip on me betrayed his nervousness.

Everyone knew about the Cross Alphas. And everyone feared them. That was the smartest thing to be. Sadly, I wasn't smart.

I should interfere, but Josh was the Gamma general. He was strong.

The whole cafeteria went still as they waited to see what was going to happen next, and Lila shot me a scared look.

Kade straightened and chuckled deeply. “I was not asking, Gamma. It was a command. As your Alpha, I am commanding you.”

The chair scraped out loudly as Josh stood up slowly, and I clenched my jaw in anger. All they did was control and bully people weaker than them. I hated them for that.

“Josh, just ignore them…” I tried to stop him, but he focused on Kade as he stood to his full height.

“And no one cares what you are or if you are a motherfucking king. You don’t get to boss my Eva around. No one cares if you are an Alpha.” Josh sneered in Kade’s face.

Riven’s laughter echoed through the cafeteria as they stared at Josh, “This should be fun.”

Kade scoffed as he stepped closer to Josh, towering him with a full head, making Josh, the captain of the football team, look short in comparison. “Wrong answer, Boy toy. Want to try again, or is that your final option?”

“I’m not scared of you, Alpha. Eva isn’t going to bow to you, and neither will I.”

Kade’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. I couldn't breathe out.

The next second happened too fast.

Josh’s head snapped back with full force as Kade’s fist collided with his jaw.

“Josh!” I screamed, rushing towards him as he fell onto the table, but a hand stopped me.

I turned to see Riven grinning at me. “Let Kade teach your doggie some lessons on who is now in charge here.”

“Let me go, you sick bastard!” I thrashed in Riven’s grip, my claws threatening to extend and claw his eyes out, but he held me tight, his hand now curling around my waist. “Easy, Princess. You don’t want to cause a scene, do you?”

My heart pounded as I looked past him at Josh, whose lip was bleeding as he wiped his mouth and rose again. “I’m fine,” he muttered, shooting me a look. Stay back. Don’t interfere.

But I couldn’t stay back. This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I was just supposed to ignore them for the rest of fifteen minutes for my plan to work.

Lucien glared at me. “Why, isn't he strong enough? He challenged an Alpha; he should be ready to back it up.”

I swallowed. Josh was strong, but I have seen Kade fight. It was never fair. They were monsters three years ago. After jail time and hatred, I’m sure they are worse now.

Kade’s eyes were glowing, silver coating his iris as he circled Josh. His wolf is near the surface.

“This is your little boyfriend?” Kade drawled as he circled Josh slowly like a predator toying with prey. “Is this the guy you’ve been giving your little purrs to?” His gaze cut to me. “You’ve got low standards, Princess.”

Josh lunged, his pride snapping, but Kade sidestepped with no effort as if this was just a pastime for him, caught Josh by the collar, and slammed him into the wall so hard that a photo frame crashed to the ground.

Gasps echoed again, this time louder, as everyone rose to check if Josh was okay.

“Kade, stop!” I yelled, “Let him go! You don't have to do this!”

He turned to me slowly, “But we’re just getting started.” He mocked, turning back to JoshIsnIsn'tt that right, boy toy?”

Josh struggled to sit, as he coughed, blood splattering on the floor.

Riven’s breath hit my ear. “Let your baby boy fight for your honor.”

Kade stalked towards Josh and gripped him by the shirt, but before he could lay another punch, I knew fifteen minutes were over as the intercom buzzed above, stopping us all in our tracks.

“Kade Cross, Lucien Cross, Riven Cross. You are under arrest for molestation of a minor. There is evidence, and you would only be given an audience after being subdued.”

A series of armed security officers rushed into the cafeteria from both sides, forming a circle around us. “Resist, and there would be consequences.”

“What the f**k did you do?” Riven hissed in my ear as an armed security guard came to cuff him, and a smirk widened on my lips.

“Nothing you don't deserve,” I said, meeting Kade’s gaze as I rushed to Josh, who was already being helped up by Lila.

“Wrong move, Evageline,” Kade whispered as they cuffed him. “We wanted to play nice.”

“Oh, good riddance.” I hissed at him. “I hope I never see you again.”

Kade smiled, and he and his brothers shared a look.

“See you soon, Evangeline.”

I swallowed harshly as I watched them leave, and didn’t let out my breath till they were out of the cafeteria.

But all through the day, I asked myself.

Why weren’t they scared this time around?