I Hate The Alpha

-Corrine-

I really hoped last night was just a dream.

But when I woke up this morning, my eyes and throat ached, proof that I cried a lot last night.

“Corrine, wake up!” My mom knocked on my bedroom door and tried to open it, but I locked it last night in case someone came in and saw me cry.

“I heard it from your brother! He dumped you, that bastard!” This time it was my father who spoke, and I rolled my eyes, then pulled the pillow up to cover my face and I groaned.

One more lack of Trevor. He couldn’t keep secrets from Mom and Dad.

“We won’t stop pounding on this door until you answer our call, Miss!” my mother nagged. She always found a way to get me out of my room.

“Okay, okay! I’d wake up!” I shouted after throwing the pillow aside and sitting up.

A jolt of dizziness hit me as soon as I lifted my head. I massaged my temples with one hand while my other hand brushed away the blanket wrapped around my legs. When I opened the door, my parents stood behind it. Their arms folded over their chest.

If I didn’t know them, I would have thought they would scold me. But I know I was born as one of the lucky kids who have the most amazing parents in the world.

While my other friends complain about their parents, I never run out of gratitude for the existence of my father and mother in my life.

Mom sighed with a smile, eyes full of pity. Dad went even more dramatic by stretching out his arms and hugging me so tightly that I worried he would crack my ribs.

“I will kill him,” he whispered after he let go of his hug.

“You know, Dad. Your words just now really don’t match your facial expressions.” I arched one eyebrow and held back an amused smile. “And don’t kill any human for me, please. I don’t want you to go to jail.”

Dad pinched my cheek and grinned. “I’m trying to cheer you up, my uni—”

“Stop calling me Unicorn,” I protested. “Please, soon I will be nineteen.”

“Ah… I hate being reminded that you’ve grown up,” he muttered sadly. “And your wolf will soon appear.”

“Let’s continue the conversation downstairs,” asked Mom.

The three of us took turns going down the stairs to the ground floor and then headed to the dining table. I turned to the living room and winced. “Where’s Trevor?” He rarely skipped breakfast with us.

“Jerome called him early in the morning,” Mom answered. The way she said our Alpha’s name, Jerome, reflected her dislike for the Alpha.

Jerome had only been a year in his father’s place as the alpha of our pack, Moon Dust. The previous Alpha had died in a fight against a group of rogues at the farthest frontier of Moon Dust.

That’s why Trevor has become more protective of me lately and actually, he was strongly opposed to my decision to study outside our town, Wesgrove. But I convinced my parents to support my decision.

After all, no matter how much I love my family, I want to get out of here. And it’s all because of Jerome.

“Last night’s murder case?” I asked.

My parents looked at each other, wary eyes, before Dad asked, “How did you know that?”

“Trevor told me,” I replied nonchalantly with a shrug. I pull the jar of jam from the center of the table, then remove the lid and take a large spoonful of peanut butter to spread on my toast.

“What did he say?” he asked again.

I blinked, looking at him, confused. “Why? Is there anything I shouldn’t know?”

Dad glanced at Mom. It was a look for help. Mom took a deep breath and pursed her lips, then looked at me.

“Maybe you’ll hear it soon,” Mom said. “So we’ll say it first, so you… so you won’t be surprised.”

I put the spoon of jam and bread on the plate and folded my arms in front of my chest. Looked like the conversation was going serious. “So, what is it?” I asked. I shook my head, waiting.

But Dad and Mom seem to shift responsibility for delivering bad news they don’t want to say.

“It’s about the murder—”

Dad was cut off when Trevor opened the front door and dashed into the dining room. He stopped in the doorway and took a deep breath as his gaze fell on me.

“Have you stopped crying?” he asked.

“For now, yes."

Trevor looked at Dad and Mom, then back at me. He frowned. “Did I miss something?”

I opened my mouth and took a deep breath from it. “Well, yeah,” I said. “Dad was just about to say something important about the murder you told me last night.”

Trevor pulled up the empty chair beside me and sat down in it. He was just as uptight as both of my parents. I felt more and more uneasy.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked, confused.

“It’s a—” Trevor paused, then rubbed his thumb over his lips. When he looked at me again, I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say. “Jerome asked you to meet him.”

“What?” My chair creaked as I moved backward in surprise. “What now? Didn’t I firmly refuse his offer to become Luna—”

“Last night’s murder… happened near your school,” Dad interrupted.

I glanced at Dad, staring at him in disbelief. “What?” I whispered.

“That’s what we wanted to tell you, sweetheart,” Mom said. “Jerome must have taken this opportunity to call you.”

“He thought maybe you saw something.” Trevor reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “Relax. I will be with you there. So you don’t have to worry.”

After saying that, Trevor glanced at the breakfast lying in front of me and said, “We’ll be leaving after you eat.”

Reluctantly, I glanced at the toast and jam that had looked so delicious. I pushed the plate away from me. “I’m not in the mood,” I muttered. Then I stood up and got up from the chair. “I’ll get ready.”

*

Visiting the Alpha’s home was the last thing I would do in the Moon Dust territory. And meeting Jerome wasn’t even on my list of things to do, even if I had to die for it.

It was all because Jerome wanted me.

Well, maybe being liked by the Alpha was a wonderful thing for most she-wolves, but not if the Alpha in question was Jerome.

I hated that boy so much. I always wished he was dead every time he and our warriors went to fight the rogues. But of course, that hope always ends in disappointment.

Jerome stood on the terrace with his legs spread apart and his arms folded across his bare chest. He thought girls would go crazy over his perfect abs, but no, I just cringed every time I saw them.

“Behave,” Trevor whispered as he parked on the front porch and pulled on the handbrake.

I glanced at him lazily. “Can’t promise.”

We both jumped out of the car and walked almost simultaneously to the terrace.

“Welcome,” greeted Jerome. He smiled down at me. His cocky, crooked smile always makes me nauseous.

“What is it, Jerome? Didn’t I say emphatically that I don’t want to see you again?”

“Oh, come on, Corrine! Are you still mad about how I treated you back then? Hmm? Haven’t I already apologized?” Jerome slightly lowered his head and stared at me. He was teasing me, and he should know best that his way of seducing never worked on me.

“About the murder,” Trevor interrupted. “That’s what we’ll talk about.” He tried to change the subject, and I thanked him.

“Yeah, about the murder.” Jerome lifted his chin. “Do you know anything, Corrine? The murder happened last night and when the warriors chased him, the culprit jumped into your school area.”

“Nope,” I answered quickly. Maybe it was too soon, so the two boys looked at me suspiciously.

“Are you sure?” Jerome demanded. “One of the warriors said he smelled your scent nearby.”

“Duh, of course! I was at school last night. The prom?” I said in an annoyed tone as I raised both hands, confirming my words. “If anything had happened, or if I had seen anything last night, I would have told Trevor right away.”

After saying that, I glanced at Trevor, asking him for help. Trevor, who responded to the code I gave, said, “Yeah. Like I told you, Alpha, she knows nothing.”

Jerome observed me for a full five seconds. The intense look in his eyes made me uncomfortable. I averted my eyes while hugging my body, hoping it could protect me from him.

“Tell me if you remember anything,” he said afterward. He still stuck to the idea that I knew something.

Yes, that’s true. I saw it last night. That weird werewolf. But I wouldn’t tell Jerome, or anyone else if it meant dragging me further into dealing with Jerome.

“Sure,” I said nonchalantly. “Are we done? I must go home. I have a lot of things to prepare for my move.”

Jerome nodded. “Starting life in the big city?”

“Yes, and I can’t wait to get out of here.”

“Corrine, let’s go home,” said Trevor. He knew I was starting to lose control of my words.

Trevor said goodbye to Jerome. When he walked first to the car and I was about to catch up with him, Jerome caught my arm and pulled me, making me turn around and my face almost collided with his. I yelped and was about to push him away, but his grip on my arm was so strong.

“You know, no matter how far you go, you cannot cut off your connection with the pack,” he whispered in my ear. “And that means you’ll never be able to cut yourself off from me, Corrine.”