6: It’s an order

IVY.

The ride to school was suffocating.

I sat stiffly in the back seat of the sleek black car, arms crossed, fingers digging into my skin as I stared out the window. The morning sky was overcast, and gray clouds stretched endlessly, mirroring the burden in my chest.

I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, Demi’s voice echoed in my head.

Five thousand dollars. By the end of the week.

I had no idea how I was supposed to come up with that kind of money. My savings barely scratched a thousand dollars, and there was no way I could ask my mom for such a ridiculous amount without a believable reason.

And then there was Brandon.

Sitting beside me, radiating his usual quiet arrogance, his presence was an iron weight pressing against my ribs. He hadn't said a word to me all morning, but he didn’t have to. His threats from the past week were more than enough.

He had been dropping threats of having a repeat of what happened with the hounds if I didn't find a way to get my mum out of the house and their lives.

A shudder ran through me. My body still remembered the terror, the pain. The sharp claws and snapping jaws of those beasts he had unleashed on me. I had barely escaped, and my body was trembling for hours afterward.

I had never been outright afraid of Brandon before. I hated him, and resented him, but fear had never been part of the equation.

Until now.

I stole a glance at him from the corner of my eye. His golden-brown hair was slightly tousled, but perfectly styled in that effortless way he always managed. His face was all sharp angles and piercing eyes, his expression unreadable as he scrolled through his phone.

He looked like he didn't have a single care in the world. Meanwhile, I was drowning.

The car pulled to a smooth stop in front of the school, and I exhaled sharply. At least I could escape his presence once we stepped out.

But before I could move, the door on Brandon’s side flew open, and in a blur of motion, a girl launched herself at him.

I blinked, caught off guard.

“Bran!” she squealed, throwing her arms around him.

Brandon chuckled, the warmth in his voice startling me. He actually sounded… happy.

“Hey, Amari.”

I recognized the name instantly. His mate.

Not that I was eavesdropping or anything, but I’d overheard enough conversations between Brandon and his father to know exactly who she was.

She finally pulled back, just enough for me to get a proper look at her. And wow.

Tall. Ridiculously stunning. Skin like warm caramel, glowing under the sunlight.

Her dark hair fell in perfect waves, framing a face that looked like it had been designed by the universe for the sole purpose of making people feel unworthy. And those lips—full, effortlessly curved into an easy, self-assured smile, like she already knew she had everyone's attention.

And, well… she did.

The whispers had already started, hushed voices weaving through the crowd. I didn’t need to hear the exact words to know what they were saying. They were thinking the same thing I was.

She's a goddess.

“I missed you,” she murmured, looking up at him through her lashes.

Brandon smirked, slipping an arm around her waist. “Did you now?”

Okay, that's enough.

I looked away immediately, suddenly feeling like an intruder. It was ridiculous. Brandon was awful. He was cruel. But the way he was looking at Amari—it was different.

Not that I cared. I had bigger problems.

I grabbed my bag and stepped out, quickly moving past them before anyone could expect me to acknowledge their presence. The last thing I needed was to get caught up in whatever was happening between them.

The morning dragged on, and so did classes, until the sound of the lunch bell finally rang. With a sigh, I grabbed my bag and books, barely remembering what I’d just sat through.

I made my way to my locker and opened it with the combination. The door creaked open, and I stuffed my books inside without a second thought before slamming it shut.

Stepping into the crowded hallway, I barely noticed the chatter or the shuffle of students rushing to escape their classrooms. My focus was elsewhere.

I scanned the sea of faces, looking for one in particular, and it didn’t take long.

Jackie spotted me first, weaving through the crowd with purpose. She lifted a hand, waving me down like she was hailing a cab.

“Ivy! Wait up!”

I slowed, letting her catch up, and the second she was beside me, her sharp eyes swept over me like a scanner detecting damage.

“You look like hell.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, shoving my hands into my pockets.

She chuckled, and we fell into step together, joining the few students moving toward the cafeteria.

Jackie barely gave me a second before jumping straight in.

“So,” she drawled, her voice laced with curiosity, “did you see her?”

I didn’t even need to ask who she meant. Of course, I knew. Everyone knew.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Hard to miss.”

Jackie scoffed. “First day, and she’s already claiming the Queen bee throne.”

“Oh my god, Jackie, the girls in class won’t shut up about her,” I said, throwing up my hands.

“Her hair, her outfit, her shoes.”

It was true. Everywhere I looked, there were groups of students whispering, and talking about Amari like she was some untouchable deity who had just descended into our world.

Well, she was the Beta’s daughter. So…

“She’s Bran’s mate. Of course, people are obsessed with her,” Jackie said with an eye roll.

“But that doesn’t mean they have to act like she’s some kind of celebrity.”

We reached the cafeteria doors, and the second we stepped inside, I realized just how right Jackie was.

The entire cafeteria had shifted. The energy in the air had nothing to do with the food and everything to do with her.

Every glance, every hushed whisper was drawn to Amari. She wasn’t even trying, yet somehow, she was the center of it all. Her laughter rang through the room, warm and effortless like she belonged here—like she’d always belonged here.

And Brandon? He leaned in slightly as she spoke, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable but comfortable. Settled. Like he wanted to be there. Like this was exactly where he was meant to be.

Good for him, I thought dryly.

If only he could stop trying to feed me to his dogs.

Jackie and I made our way through the lunch line, grabbing our trays before heading to our usual table.

The second we sat down, I opened my mouth, but before I could get a word out, a girl appeared at our table.

A junior, probably. She looked nervous like she’d rather be anywhere else.

“Jackie, the P.E. teacher wants to see you,” she said quickly.

Jackie groaned, dropping her fork onto her tray. “Seriously? What now?”

The girl just shrugged. “No idea. He just said it was urgent.”

Jackie sighed dramatically, got up, but grabbed her juice box.

She shot me an apologetic look. “I’ll see you later.”

And just like that, I was alone.

I picked up my fork, about to dig in when I felt a familiar presence slide into the seat across from me.

Demi.

I stiffened, my grip tightening on my fork.

“Why are you sitting all alone, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice smooth and mocking.

He placed his tray on the table and took a bite of his food, watching me carefully.

“There’s a free seat beside your dear stepbrother, you know.”

My stomach twisted. “I don’t want to sit beside him,” I said, forcing my voice to stay even.

Demi smirked. “Why not? You’re family now, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be bonding?”

I clenched my jaw. “We’re not close.”

“Then get close,” he said, his tone turning sharp.

I swallowed hard. “Demi—”

He leaned in slightly, his dark eyes gleaming.

“It’s not a request, Ivy. It’s an order.”