The Princess & Her Alphaholes by Renee O’Roark
Chapter Two
At the end of class, we gather our things, and Coal has me carry his bag. I’m forced to walk him to his next class before I can head to my own, forcing me to arrive just after the bell rings.
At least this class is Art. Coal would never take this course. I have a feeling Combat won't be as easy.
As I rush into the room, I trip over my own stupid feet and nearly land in the lap of a guy sitting on a stool in the front of the room. Of course, there aren’t any desks in Art. Strong hands grip my arms, steadying me.
I look up through my hair, hoping this is a human man and not a wolf. I could be severely punished for this. It could be taken as an insult to touch a wolf without his consent. Especially an Alpha. They make the rules, and even if it was an accident, my touch could be twisted into an insult or challenge.
Green eyes surrounded by dark black lashes meet mine, and I freeze. Definitely wolf.
“I’m so sorry, I tripped,” I quickly say, hoping he doesn’t punish me with everyone watching. The pain isn’t what I’m scared of, it's the humiliation. I hate that everyone perceives me as weak when I’ve taken more abuse than all of these wolves combined. My body responds to punishments in the same way it would to a gentle kiss. My core clenches with the thought, and I shake my head to clear it before this wolf scents my arousal.
He grunts, and flicks his tongue out to wet his lips. I track the movement, my heart rate picking up.
“Is there an issue, Mr. Shay?” The teacher asks from across the room. Her glare is focused on me. I look down, trying to give off submissive vibes, hoping the wolf lets this go without punishing me. At least not here.
I notice the tattoo on his wrist, and I just know, this man is the Alpha son of the Shadow Moon pack. What are the chances? They have to be pretty high since I have absolute crap luck.
“Take a seat, human,” the teacher snaps, and I attempt to take a step away from the man I now know must be Dean. He allows me to step out of his grasp but nods to the seat next to him. I take the hint, and rather than trying to escape, I place my bag beneath the stool and turn to the teacher.
She explains our assignment for the period. The wolves have first dibs on all the art supplies, so I stay put and wait my turn before I can go to retrieve what I’ll need for the next hour.
Dean puts his items down on his easel, before placing a few things in front of me.
“What are you...” I start but he’s already turning his attention back to his work station.
Why the fuck would he grab my supplies for me? I stare at the side of his head a little too long before I start the assignment. He has black hair that's longer on the top and short on the sides. His skin is suntanned, and he has dark scruff growing on his jawline. His green eyes are very striking against his darker features. His lips are large, and when he concentrates, he bites them.
Draw a happy memory. I stare at a blank page for so long that Dean notices.
“No happy memories?” he says so casually. I’m not sure how to respond.
I shake my head. I decide to draw a flower that grows outside of Annie’s home. She’s a happy memory, but I’ve never been good at drawing faces.
I focus on my task, trying to add as much detail to the daisy as I can.
I hate that Coal calls me Flower. Annie used to call me Flower because of my name. She even planted a Delilah in the garden, just for me.
“Are you claimed?” Dean says at the end of class as I’m gathering my stuff. I freeze. I can’t believe this, two fucking wolves in one day talking about claiming me as their Avowed? If all that was required was for me to do his assignments, and carry his shit, or grab his food, I might not be so worried. But that’s just not the case. I’ll be required to submit to them. In any way they choose. When Coal said he would claim me as his, he wasn’t just talking about using me to do his school work.
“No... I thought you could only claim a human from your pack?” I say, worried I'll upset him, but also worried he wants to use me in a similar way to Coal.
“Not here at the Academy. Different rules. I can claim anyone I want to be my Avowed.” He grabs his bag and walks out.
Okay then.