SKYLAR
I arrived at school the next day with my heart in my mouth. The thought of Giselle telling everyone what happened kept me awake and terrified all night. I woke up this morning, lying about having a stomachache. But then I recalled that I had to turn in the homework, so I dropped the act and got ready for school. Still, I was freaking out all the way leading here.
Stepping into the school gave me monstrous chills. But so far, no one has said anything to me. I was still invincible to everyone. I hope it stays quiet for the rest of the day. I’d be glad to know I worried over nothing.
I put in my lock combination, opened my locker, and took out my books. From the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of Giselle and her minions making their entrance. I turned sharply, forcing my face inside my locker and praying so hard that she wouldn’t recognize me. And she didn’t. or maybe she did and decided to let me off, I don’t know.
The bottom line is, she didn’t come for me and that gave me so much relief. Shutting my locker, I turned to head for my first class.
"Sage, watch out!" A voice yelled just the same time I got heavily bumped into and hit the ground butt-first hard, with my books scattering around me.
"Oh, fuck. I’m so sorry. Are you alright?" A remarkable, subtly deep voice asked.
Ignoring the pain I was feeling, I quickly reached for my books. "Yes, I’m fine, don’t worry about it."
I didn’t know who it was and I didn’t care. I just didn’t wanna be part of a scene and give people a reason to stare at me.
"Here, let me help you," the voice said again, and a hand started reaching for my books. I had yet to look at him, but his cologne was rich. A rich scent that was extremely unaffordable by a commoner. Then I finally looked at him and my eyes got stuck on him. He too, on me.
Oh, dear God. Sage? Like, Sage Walker?
"Hello, Skylar," he smiled.
My eyes widened. "You-you know my name?"
"Yeah, I guess I do." The mesmerizing smile still lingered on his face, leaving me both enchanted and gobsmacked.
How was it that he knew me? We were both from different worlds, literally.
First off, he was Sage Walker, the Alpha heir of Devlin Hills Pack, a neighboring Pack of ours, and the richest, only coming second to our Pack.
Secondly, he was from the League A class, like the other rich kids.
Thirdly, He was a hotshot like Ash Gunner. They were both the highlight of Filmonth High, the heartthrobs of every girl here. But they also seem to be in some kind of rivalry. I don’t know what it’s about and I don’t care. It just doesn’t make sense that he knows my name.
Yeah, we might be in the same grade, but we’ve never shared a class. The school had special classrooms for all the rich kids here, the hotshots. 'The League-As,' as they are fondly called. They had their floor, hallways, lockers, and everything, so there were no chances of us meeting,
We’ve never met until now. So how does he know my name? And why the heck was I having first-time meetings with the kings of the school? First, it was Ash Gunner, kissing me out of the blue yesterday. And now, I just bumped into Sage Walker. Goddess, what game is this? It was beginning to freak me out.
"Thank you," I mumbled as we both stood. I tried walking away but he stepped in front of me.
"Ain’t you gonna ask how I know your name?" It didn’t help that he was giving me that smile. I was investing a lot of self-control not to drool at his facial perfection.
Yeah, I was curious to know how. But at the same time, I didn’t wanna know. I didn’t wanna dig deep.
"She’s prettier up close," a guy commented from behind him. And only then did I notice there were five guys with him. Yeah, Sage Walker always moved with a clique. I guess they were guys from his Pack.
And wait. What did he mean by ‘she’s prettier up close?’
"She is, isn’t she?" Sage bit his lower lip, running his eyes over my body with a lazy, bad-boy smile.
What’s going on? Am I being sold? Have they been talking about me? Gosh, no. Even the thought of that sounded too absurd. The almighty Sage Walker would never find anything interesting in a common, introverted Imega like me. Never.
"Thanks again," I was nervous as hell and tried again to walk away. This time, he didn’t stop me. But I had to halt at the commotion that erupted in the hallway.
"OMG, it's Ash Gunner!" A random, feminine voice shrieked.
What?!
I turned around. It was indeed him, rocking a different black attire and finishing it with a black trench coat. Has the world completely lost its balance or has there been some kind of alteration in the school rules?
What were the both of them doing in this hallway? What’s really going on?
It didn’t help that I was feeling too jittery at the sight of him. Memories of last night flooded my mind and I could only hope he already forgot about it. He didn’t have a clue who I was when he kissed me yesterday. That was a relief and would make him forget what I looked like.
"What’s his cocky ass doing down here?" Sage muttered with an edgy tone. He was glaring at Ash Gunner. Whatever rivalry they had sure was deep for him to look so pissed.
"He could be cocky but he sure knows how to make an entrance. Even without a clique," the guy behind Sage Walker replied. Sage threw him a glare and returned his gaze to Ash.
The guy was right though. Ash Gunner was a terrifying one-man squad.
It was hard to think a guy like him didn’t have a clique, but that was the truth. Ash Gunner doesn’t have friends. Sure, he has a bunch of people at his beck and call but no one has a close bond with him. He never lets anyone close enough.
Maybe because he was such a hotshot and didn’t think anyone was worthy of being close to him.
"Ash!" The crowd parted as a girl approached him, dressed to the nines, you could tell she was a League A student just by her getup. She stopped in front of him, folding her arms.
Ash had a scowl on his face, spiked with a disgusted look. He swallowed hard, and I found myself ogling at the throbbing nerves around his Adam’s apple.
"You took this hallway because you thought I wouldn’t find you? You’re pathetic," the girl spattered out, generating gasps from all angles.
I guess this was another female drama, like the one he was involved in last night, and used me to get out of it. Just what did he do to these ladies?
"Pathetic is you, stalking me like you’ve got nothing better to do with your life. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough, so I’ll say it for everyone to hear. WE ARE FUCKING DONE!"
"Bastard," Sage cussed silently, still watching the scene unfold. Everyone else was watching too. In just a few seconds, the hallway has become crammed with students.
"Really?" The girl broke into a sob. "Was that why you made a show of kissing another girl in the nightclub last night?"
My breath hitched. Oh my God. She knows of it. How many more know? What if they come for me?
"Who’s the bitch? Who’s the tramp you left me for, you cold-blooded bastard?!" She yelled hysterically, hitting his chest.
Ash didn’t budge. I hadn’t realized why, until I snapped out of my thoughts, looked up, and was met with those grey eyes from last night. He was staring at me. Goddess, he saw me! He was flatly watching me in front of these people!
"I thought you had a class to go to," it was Sage, calling my attention and forcing me to break eye contact with Ash.
I glanced at him, and then at Ash whose full, arched, and skillfully lined brows were raised and his stare had become more intent. A few people had traced his gaze and were beginning to stare at me. I couldn’t afford to stick around anymore.
So I quickly nodded, turned, and fled to my class. But my racing heart couldn’t forget that he saw me. He recognized me. So last night did happen, and just might not be forgotten as easily as I thought.
SKYLAREnding my two-hour class with a yawn and a stretch doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the class. No, on the contrary, it was entertaining, captivating, and everything a good class should be. The best thing about Filmouth High was the teachers and their unique ways of putting the teaching out there and getting you absorbed instantly. It didn’t matter if I was a League A or a League C. Having the chance to be here was more blessings than I could count."Everyone, hand your notes to Skylar. She’ll bring it to my office in twenty minutes. Don’t keep me waiting." The teacher announced as she arranged her books in her arms and headed out of the class. The students did as they were told and soon, there was a pile of books on my desk.I arranged my stuff, ready to leave, but Giselle and her girls made their entry, heading towards me. Fear tied me in knots on seeing them. I took steps backward, but Giselle gave me a firm push that made my butt hit hard on the chair.She glared at the stu
SKYLAR"When I kissed you last night, your eyes dilated. I thought it was just a mere shock. Now I know it was more than that. It was recognition. You knew who I was from the get-go,""Yes," I wasn't sure what he was hinting at. So what if I knew him from the get-go?"You pretended like you didn't. Skylar West." I never knew my name could sound so cold until he said it. And I never gave him my name either."You also knew who I was from the get go?""Nah. I didn't. It wasn't until I saw you in the hallway that I realized I had to know you. You're from the league C class, right?"I nodded. "No wonder we never met until now. What are the chances?" He scoffed, stuffing both gloved hands into his pockets.His condescending tone snapped at my pride. League C was a class of Omegas and commoners. And he just pointed out the fact that we were too below him, and he had no business with us. So yeah, what were the chances of us meeting until now?He sure was a blunt guy. Cold and blunt. It stil
SKYLARI had once read somewhere that being a need had a negative impact on the mind. “Consequences of social awkwardness and exclusion include wild imaginations, hallucinations, and even hearing things and detachment from your true self…”I guess they weren’t that far off the mark about hearing things because there was no way that the hottest guy in school, cold-blooded thief of my first kiss, and most wanted bad boy of Finmonth was asking me to be his girlfriend.His eyes glanced at me for a while before falling back on the road with an innocence I felt was made up.“Well…” he asked.“Well what?” I shot back almost instantly.“Well, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY OFFER?”“You have got to be kidding me!” My voice went a bit over the top as my anger crept closer to the final explosion.“What could you possibly have to lose?” He spoke with that unsettling casual tone that was unnerving.“Basically, you would have the rare opportunity of dating the son of the alpha, and I would also, in turn,
Skylar's POVI woke up this morning with what felt like a bone lodged in my throat. The conversation from yesterday still lingered in my mind, like that stubborn coffee stain that everyone sees but no one can remove. Every moment of our conversation replayed in my head, amplifying my discomfort.I wished the ground would open up and swallow me, but I knew the moon goddess wouldn’t grant such a request. The morning sun felt too bright and too indifferent to my misery.Dragging myself out of bed, I hurried through my morning routine, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach. The bus ride to school was a blur of uncomfortable faces and unsettling stares. Wedged between an elderly lady who muttered to herself and a rebellious teen absorbed in her phone, I felt like an outsider in my own life.The relief I felt when the bus finally reached the school gate was almost overwhelming. As I stepped off, I was met with a few curious glances, which I carefully avoided. I was becoming adept at manag
Ash's POVI’ve never been the type to let anyone hold me down. I pride myself on being untouchable, impervious to anyone's influence. But this time was different. I was desperate, and I’d chosen Skylar as the perfect person to achieve what I needed.Standing in front of her, I could hear her heartbeat racing uncontrollably, like a piston in overdrive. The sound was almost rhythmic, syncing with my own anxiety. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was tousled, giving her a disheveled yet oddly captivating look. I couldn’t quite explain why her vulnerability appealed to me, but it did. It was raw and unfiltered, resonating with my own turmoil.The thoughts that began to sip into my mind were unspeakable.Normally, I’d let situations like this linger, allowing them to unfold naturally. But today, I felt like time wasn’t on my side. I needed her to agree to my demands—and fast.I leaned in close to her ear, my breath warm against her skin. “I need my answer, and I need it now.”Her eyes
Skylar POVChange had never been my ally. It’s something I’ve always preferred to keep at a distance, out of reach.But the last few months? They’ve shattered my routine, thrown me into a world I didn’t recognize.I woke up early, as usual, and went through my morning routine with practiced ease. After a quick breakfast, I stepped outside into the crisp morning air. The sun was barely over the horizon, casting a faint, golden light on the world.“He should be here any second now,” I murmured to myself, glancing at my phone for what felt like the hundredth time. I couldn’t help but wonder, with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity, how I could afford such a sleek phone if it wasn’t for my so-called relationship with Ash Gunner.The answer was glaringly obvious. Without Ash, there was no way I could have a phone like this, not with my parents’ modest jobs and my own lack of employment. My parents had raised eyebrows when they saw the new phone and the other perks that came with it. They
Skylar POV I took the bus to school today, telling Ash I didn't want to see him anymore. The fight yesterday had eventually ended in what I could call a draw, but I didn't think that's what mattered. I had to summon the courage to get in there and put an end to it myself before they both stopped fighting and went their separate ways.Lucas and the boys took Sage while I had to take Ash away from the cafeteria. I didn't like the fact that every eye in the room was fixated on me at that moment. It was like I had become the center of attention, and I hated it."Why would you be defending that blockhead anyway?" Ash had asked me when we were in the locker room. I had to treat some of his wounds and patch them up for them to heal faster. The damages that alphas inflicted on each other had a different way of healing.I ignored the question and focused on the cotton wool in my hand. I dipped it in methylated spirit and rubbed it on the surface of the wound. He grunted; it stung him as I tou
Cassie's POV“You literally had only one job to do, and you still couldn't do that right?”Giselle was on the ground with one knee bent and her face down, alongside her brainless twerps. My fury was reaching a boiling point. I should have known better than to rely on a group of hormone-driven, brainless Barbie dolls for something this critical.I bit hard on my finger and punched the wall in frustration. The hard churning in my stomach was a reminder of the battle I was losing—not just for the person I longed for, but against a League C nerd.“I’m sorry, Cassie…” Gina started with a pathetic squeal and a slight clearing of her throat. Her attempt to placate me only heightened my irritation.“You see… we…we did try to offset their relationship, but we faced issues with Sage and later with Ash himself.”I didn’t want to hear their excuses, but I had to admit there was some truth to their words. Why did Sage have to meddle? I hated his guts and the fact that he just wouldn’t stay in his
Ash's POVI wasn't exactly sure what to say, so I glanced at my friends, but from the looks in Luke's eyes, I knew that he was completely baffled by the situation. His eyes were hard, contrary to Sage, who looked soft and ready to give in at any moment."I can't believe we are even doing this," he said, his voice expressive as he stepped forward, his eyes flashing. "We shouldn't be bargaining with you; you are in no position to say anything at all.""Am I now?" he asked, his knife pressed a little more to her neck. I could tell that he was about to make a rash decision that would definitely cost him his life, but I was afraid of it costing Cassie's life also."Please," I said to Luke, putting my hand on him. I knew how much he loved his sister and didn't want her to die, so why was he actually acting like this? Luke glanced at Cassie, his eyes rigid as if trying to tell her something. His eyes were fixed on her, but he didn't see anything else, staying in his position with hardly any
Ash POVWe all stayed rooted to the spot, except maybe for Sage behind me, who had taken a subconscious step back. Maybe it was a good idea for us to back away after all—maybe back away out of the room entirely so that I could give Sage a good pep talk and make him gather himself and understand what was actually at stake here.Weakness was the one thing that would actually cost Cassie her life, nothing more. If we played this right, from the position of strength that we actually were in, then we could get her back, though it wasn't certain if we could get Richard and bring him to book along with that; that would actually be asking for too much. One small mistake and our victory had turned into a break-even, or maybe a possible loss if we didn't play our cards right and made another small mistake to add to the former one.I looked at our opponent, the one that we had nearly defeated, for a couple of seconds and finally decided to at least talk with him. If he killed Cassie, then the en
Luke's POVEverything was closing in on me, and I knew that it was too late for me to run away by now. My chance was gone. Looking at my opponent, who was now getting into the attack once more and covering all spaces for me to run into, I knew that he wouldn't let me go. He knew just what I could be thinking at this time, and he also knew that most likely I would try to run away. He was doing everything to prevent that, not wanting his prey to go.I knew that when he won this, he was going to put me along with Cassie and torment us for a very long period of time before killing us eventually. Yes, he had given me my chance to join him, not that I would ever do that, but I hadn't agreed to him, and now he was going to make me pay the price. I was pretty sure of it.I felt a certain feeling of discomfort, knowing how things were about to end, but still staying here anyway. I should be doing my best to run away and break free from his grasp, but I didn't do that for some reason. I just st
Luke's POVIt was honestly very troubling how I was still struggling with Richard after such a long time, and how someone would have thought that by now I would be done with defeating him, especially after I had come to the brink of beating him so many times now. But for some reason, he was always bouncing back and staying up above water, to the point that I was actually pressured by him at times, and even now, I was still pressured. Honestly, I was starting to wonder whether there was something wrong with me, or whether we were just evenly matched. Every time I came to the brink, ready to defeat him, there was one small mistake, or one small thing that happened to make him come back again. And then we started the sequence all over again.It dawned on me now that I would not be able to defeat him, not today, not now. I wasn't strong enough. In fact, I would even be considered lucky to not be defeated by him myself. Remembering clearly how easily he had taken me on previously, I knew
Sage's povThe first thought that came to my mind after he said that was that this was simply too good to be true. I couldn't believe it even now. However, that was a fact. But if he was actually the one keeping Sage from coming here, then he was a true hero. He was the one doing much more work than us and our soldiers who brought the army to the gate and the fight from the outside, because he is definitely the one that brings the fight from the inside, which is the real fight.I looked at Ash, wanting to see how convinced he was. And from the looks of it, he seemed completely convinced by it. When I thought about it, I didn't see any other reason why this could be happening. For one thing, I hadn't heard from Luke at all, indicating that there was a good chance that he was busy. And the fact that, at the same time, Richard was nowhere to be found, made it a little too much to be a coincidence. Most likely, the two of them couldn't be here because they were busy with each other, fight
Sage's POVI didn't really know whether I was safe when I started easily winning the entire fight. It was not much of a battle anymore. If anything, it was starting to become something of a slaughter. I didn't see any reason why I would have it so easy fighting against the man that I was up against—the man who had been rumored to be far stronger than a lot of people and would be a very formidable enemy.I had heard that he was planning some tricks for me, and I also knew that he was skewed and poisoned because that's what I heard from the assassin the time we asked him about Richard. That was enough information to be wary of him, knowing that he could actually be planning something else entirely while we were busy here. But as it happened, maybe he was just all talk after all, and there was nothing to actually be fearful of. He seemed pretty tame to me right now, not at all a threat, no matter how I looked at it.In my planning, I decided to draw back a little and let my men do some o
Ash's POV I join in and things get easy The progress was slow but steady. I knew that it wouldn't be long before we finally reached my territory. Then, I would have the opportunity to take back what was rightfully mine.I could almost see it happening already. As my soldiers marched forward, each with a certain determination in their eyes, I was sure we stood a huge chance of winning this. The moment I got to Richard, I would make sure to rip his eyes out and kill him for everything he had done, especially for killing my father. Until then, I had to make do with what I had and bide my time until everything was set.I had the patience to wait because I had been waiting for this moment all my life. So, even if it was just a couple more hours, I could wait again. It would end in my victory.Setting my eyes on the bigger prize, I kept moving, knowing it would be worth it. I was starting to get tired after marching for what seemed like forever. The soldiers, for their part, seemed much s
Sage's POVMy men started marching forward after I gave the order, each of them moving valiantly. These were pretty much all my forces because the ones I left to defend my home weren't too many anymore and wouldn't really account for much. In other words, if an attack actually started on my home while I was gone, then it would be pretty much defenseless against this attacker, and they would be able to do some large amount of damage to it.It was very precarious, but I knew that if I didn't take as many people as I could with me, then it was highly unlikely that we would win. I had no idea how many people Richard had with him, but I knew that he definitely had a lot of people with him, and that if I took only half of my army, it might not be enough, even when added to what Ash was bringing.I didn't want to take any chances on this because it was pretty much my only chance. If I was going to help, then I was going to help him completely and make sure that we won this. If we didn't win,
Sage's P.O.V.I went home driving in my car at full speed because I wanted to get there as soon possible. Who could have thought that I would be so excited and so fired up about fighting another man's war? It was a big pleasure for me to involve myself to such a large extent like this. But actually, I didn't see myself doing anything else in this particular situation.Cassie had been taken, and this could surely well be the only way I could free her since I couldn't really depend on Luke to do the job for me. Everything seemed to have gone south in this situation and personally, I was feeling affected. I felt incomplete, especially because of the lack of Cassie around, and I also felt a little guilty even though I hadn't exactly done anything.Something told me that the person who had actually caused all this personally didn't even feel guilty himself, and that person was Luke. So, I tried to make myself a little happier knowing that since he wasn't killing himself for what he actuall