Chapter 004

HANNAH

I had only gotten three hours of sleep the previous night. My entire body was aching by the time I finished cleaning the pig pen, and I had walked home because Alpha Dawson didn't offer me a ride.

“I want to fuck a hot chick tonight!” One of Asher’s friends yelled, jolting me from my thoughts.

Their dirty laughter filled my ears. It grated on my nerves, but I didn't dare show my displeasure.

I hung my head, concentrating on not calling attention to myself.

They would poke more fun at me if I so much as moved. Surreptitiously, I shifted from one aching foot to the other. I had been standing 'on guard' behind Asher's chair for a long, long time while he talked and laughed with his friends, Julia and her girlfriends. To make it worse, he had made me carry his books, and now my arms felt numb.

"...you!"

I blinked, raised my head and realized Asher had been talking to me. They were all looking at me. So much for my attempts to melt into the background.

"S-sorry," I stuttered. "What did you say?"

"You deaf or something?" Asher asked angrily. "I told you to go buy me a fucking sandwich."

I gave a stiff nod, dropped his books carefully on a vacant chair and had actually walked a few paces forward before remembering that I had no money. I stood at a spot, swaying a little on my feet. I could find a way to get him a sandwich- which was practically impossible as I didn't have a dime on me- or I could go back to ask him for some money.

"Hey, dumbo!" one of Asher's friends called. "The cafeteria is that way,"

They laughed, and I wanted the ground to open and swallow me. I took a deep breath and went back.

Asher's brow rose. "Well? Where is my sandwich? Did you magically make one just now?"

"Maybe she barfed up one," someone offered, causing another round of laughter.

"I- I don't have any money," I confessed.

"You're such a numbskull. Why didn't you say so in the first place? Here!” He threw some money at my feet. “For once, make use of those useless legs of yours and come back quickly. I'm starving."

"Such a pathetic bitch," one of Asher's friends murmured as I hurried away after picking up the money he threw at my feet.

I forced back tears as I walked. Virtually everyone at school now knew I was Asher's slave, a fact they wouldn’t fail to remind me of in whatever way they could. I hated my life. I hated them. I hated the pack and the Alpha. Most of all, I hated Asher and the stupid mate bond that made me miserable whenever he so much as gave Julia a flirtatious look.

I couldn't stand being with them, not just because of how he treated me but because of how he made out with Julia at every second.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be better.” Mace whispered, but I ignored her. Nothing was going to get better.

I quickly got the sandwiches and hurried back to Asher. He took them from me without even a glance in my direction. He was listening to his friends, who were deep in conversation about some new boys who had just started attending our school.

"Everyone is talking about them," Justin said with a sly smile at Julia's girlfriends. "Especially the girls."

Julia gave her signature head toss before saying, "Apparently, they are the sons of a very powerful Alpha from another pack. That's why they are getting so much attention."

"And their good looks, too. Don't forget that," one of Julia's bubble gum-chewing, airheaded friends chipped in.

Asher waved a hand dismissively. "That's enough. Let's talk about something else. I'm not interested in talking about them... whoever they are."

Fletcher laughed and nudged Asher playfully in the ribs. "Why not? Do you feel threatened by them already? Do you think they will run the school and take your place? How-"

The table shook as Asher's fists slammed down on it. My startled gasp was lost in the gasps of others. There was a moment of shocked silence at Asher's behaviour.

"Enough!" Asher roared so loudly that some passing students stopped to glance at his table before moving on. "Shut the fuck up!"

Fletcher was making a joke. That was obvious, and everybody thought so, too. Julia was the first to recover her power of speech.

"Asher love," she purred. "Don't get angry. It was just a joke."

Asher angrily knocked her hand off his shoulder and pushed to his feet.

"You," he said to me. "Grab the books and follow me."

He marched off, and I was left to hurry after him despite the fact that Julia was looking daggers at me.

It was some time before I realized that he was heading in the direction of his class. I stopped walking at once.

"Asher," I called out.

He kept walking and only stopped when he realized I wasn't following him.

"Didn't you hear me? Want me to shove you? Get moving, or I'll be late to class."

"I also have classes now."

"What was that? Speak up."

“I—I said I also have classes no—now.”

He stared at me with an expression of surprise that was almost comical. And then he looked positively furious. "For a moment there, I thought I heard wrong. Have you forgotten what you are to me?"

"I know, but your father instructed me to be your servant-"

"Slave."

"-slave when I'm not having classes, but I'm having classes now."

He laughed mirthlessly. "So you think I have no authority over my father? You think I don't have a say in your punishment?"

I shook my head. Asher was upset. Very upset. When he was upset, he was likely to do something rash and stupid. To me.

"Listen here, you worthless piece of trash. You will do whatever I want, wherever I want and for as long as I want. You and your family are the dirt under my feet, you understand? And you have no say in anything. I can even fuck you and your whore of a mother if I want."

Like the day in the woods, I felt something in me snap. Gone was the urge to snivel and cry. I wanted to hit something, preferably Asher's face. I opened my arms and let his books fall.

"That's it!" I snapped. "Do your worst, Asher! I'm done. I don't even care if you banish me. Life anywhere else is better than life in this pack!”

Before he could muster a word, I left him with his mouth hanging open in shock. I didn't know what came over me or gave me the courage, but I was suddenly tired of being his puppet. I was so exhausted.

I had not gotten very far when he barked out, "Hannah. Come here!”

I looked back and saw him coming after me. Disobeying him had been the highest form of provocation. I knew that just as I knew he would hurt me once he got his hands on me.

When I heard his footsteps drawing closer, I broke into a run. I ran towards my classroom, hoping to find a teacher there. Asher wouldn't dare hurt me in the presence of a teacher, preferably a whole bunch of them.

I was fast, but Asher was faster. I could feel him gaining on me every second. The door to my classroom was up ahead. Never would I be able to make it there on time. Pushing open the door of the first classroom in my path, I rushed in and slammed the door shut.

Then I froze.

I could feel something, an inexplicable kind of... pull, coming from behind me.

Three identical pairs of slate grey eyes were staring at me when I turned. Those eyes drew me in like a magnet but that was not what made the room spin. That was not what made it hard to breathe.

It was the fact that from deep within me, my wolf screamed 'MATE'.

Mate? I staggered back in shock. ‘Which of them, Mace?’ But she was too excited to even listen to me. Which of these hot, breathtaking guys was my mate?

Before I could make sense of anything, I heard their masculine voices chorus at the same time. MATE.

They were staring at me as those words left their lips. I was their mate. They were my mate. All three of them.

My mind whirled as I wondered how not only Asher, but these three boys could be my mates? I barely had a second to digest this oddity before the door was forcefully pushed open and Asher walked in.

"You!" he ground out, his eyes burning with hate and anger. “You fucking—”

Before I could move, he had grabbed me and was dragging me out the door.

"Let her go!" a deep voice boomed.

Asher stopped and noticed the boys for the first time. I turned to see one of the triplets, the one who had spoken, glowering at Asher.

"What did you just say?" Asher hissed.

"I said get your hands off her."

Immediately, Asher let go of me and stomped over to the boy who was inches taller than him. The other two stood back, arms crossed over their broad chests, watching.

"Do you know who the fuck I am?" Asher demanded. "How dare you give me orders?"

The boy, and the others were clearly unfazed by Asher's bossy tone. From the aura of authority that hung about them, I realized these boys were royalty and probably the triplets Asher’s friends had been talking about. What was more, they were my second-chance mates?

The boy closed the distance between him and Asher until their chests were almost touching. He jabbed a finger at Asher's shoulder.

"I don't give a damn about who you are," he said. "Don't you ever touch her again. Do you understand?"

As one, the two other boys took a couple of steps forward. The tension in the room was palpable. With Asher's foul temper, I was sure the confrontation would degenerate into a fist fight. I certainly didn't plan on getting beaten like a rag doll.

While taking care not to make any sudden moves that would call attention to myself, I backed towards the door and slipped out of the classroom.