The Princess & Her Alphaholes by Renee O’Roark

Chapter Three

I get a break from the scary Alphas for a little while, as my next couple of classes are strictly for humans. The only wolves in those classes are there for demonstration purposes.

Just before I can head to lunch, I’m called to the office.

My mind starts racing. One of those bastards claimed me. I just fucking know it.

When I walk into the office, my heart drops. Both Coal and Dean are standing before me, facing each other like they’re just a second from ripping the other's throat out.

“Ahh. Delilah. Please, join me in my office.” The principal is standing by his office door, and I have to pass by the two wolves to get through it.

I sigh and try to step past them quickly, but as soon as I step between them, Coal stops me.

“You. Are. Mine.” The hold he has on my arm is painful. Chances are I’ll be sporting another bruise soon.

Dean growls, but Coal doesn’t release me. I have to yank my arm out of his grasp to get free. I finally make it to the office, and take a seat across the desk.

“Well, I’ll get straight to the point. Two applications for you to become an avowed servant came in at roughly the same time. I’ve decided that the best way to prevent these men from fighting is to have you serve both of them. You share a lunch period with them both, but otherwise, your classes don’t overlap. You will alternate days, and then weekends with each, and if either of them chooses another Avowed, you will be the other’s full time. Any questions?” he says like he’s explaining how to read a paper.

“Do I have to?” I ask.

He throws his head back, laughing. The bastard. “Serving not one, but two of the most prominent wolves in this academy is a privilege that someone like you should be grateful for. Now please, wait outside my office while I explain to the men what my decision is.”

And just like that, I'm dismissed.

Ten minutes later I’m walking to the lunchroom behind Coal. Dean only eats in his dorm room, and today is my day with Coal.

I walk in behind Coal and immediately see my best friend sitting at a table with the other humans. Cassy waves at me, but notices I’m walking closely behind Coal, and drops her hand. Her face morphs into one of shocked horror.

I nod in agreement, but quickly move on. I share my dorm room with her, I’ll be able to fill her in later.

“Grab my food.” Coal storms off after barking his demands and heads to a table where I can see his friends in the pack are sitting. As soon as he sits down, I want to barf. Jessica Harris, a she-wolf, welcomes Coal with open arms. She hops into his lap as soon as he sits, and I’m overcome with the urge to stab her eyeballs out with a plastic spork. Hmm. That's new. Usually, Coal is the one I fantasize about murdering. The bastard. When she purposefully shifts in his lap so that her skirt slides up her thighs, I roll my eyes, grab his food, and march over to him. I’m careful not to draw any attention to myself when I set the food down in front of him.

He shoves Jessica off his lap, which makes me fight back a smirk. No matter how badly I want to deny it, something inside me pushes me toward desire, over hatred.

“Sit,” he demands, causing me to flinch. I move to sit next to him, but he stops me. “No. Here,” he says, motioning to his lap.

“What?” I gasp.

“Now, trash. Or I’ll punish you right here in the middle of the lunchroom.” His voice is harsh and demanding, and my pulse jumps.

If I disobey him right now, his punishment will be severe. He’s always the cruelest when we’re surrounded by others.

“Just break her arms or something, so we can go back to my dorm before class.” I hear Jessica’s snide voice just behind me and take a couple of steps closer to Coal.

“Fuck off, Jessica,” Coal says. I’m close enough for him to pull me into his lap now. I keep my hands on my thighs, and my back rigid. I don't want any more of my body touching him than has to.

I tug on my skirt, so I’m not showing as much skin.

“Feed me,” Coal demands. I look down at the tray of food and sigh. Why he insists on things like this, I will never understand. What does my hand feeding him prove? That he’s a toddler who can’t feed himself? I have to resist the urge to smirk at that thought.

I pick up the fork and try to stab a grape when Coal pinches my side painfully.

Fuck.

I shift in his lap and snap my head around to stare at him. I can feel the fucker’s dick getting hard under my ass, and I refrain from wiggling. It’ll only make his dick harder, and I’m doing my best to ignore my body's reaction to him, not make it worse.

“What?” I ask.

“No fork,” he says, smirking.

I grind my teeth but do as he says, picking up the grape with my fingers, and bring it to his mouth. He doesn’t part his lips until the grape is touching his lower lip. Before I can shove the fucking thing down his throat and pull my hand back, he grabs my wrist and holds my hand in place as he bites my fucking fingers. Not hard, but enough that my core clenches.

My stupid body is seriously twisted if it’s all turned on by this. Which it is, because not only are two of my fingers between his lips as he gently bites them, I can feel just how hard he is now. I shift my weight, trying to move my ass away from his dick, but he holds me tighter to him. The tight grip on my hip only excites me more. I bite my lip as I pull my fingers out of his mouth. He bites down harder, causing me to flinch at the pain.

“More.”  As I reach for another grape, he swipes the hair off my shoulder, and whispers in my ear. “You’ll be in my dorm tonight, Flower.” He bites my fucking neck so hard and suddenly that the gasp that escapes me can’t be stopped. “You like it when I punish you, don’t you?”

“No...” I say, keeping my voice low. If he thinks I’m rejecting him, a bite is the least of my concerns.

Someone wraps my hair around their fist and I’m wrenched out of Coal's lap and thrown to the ground. My cheek slams into the floor and my ears start to ring.

Fuck. That hurt.

I miss whatever Jessica is yelling at me, but when I’m lifted into someone's strong arms, my vision sways.

“Are you fucking kidding me!” Jessica screeches.

“She is not your Avowed to abuse, Jessica. If I want her punished I will do it myself. Touch my property again, and I will consider it a challenge,” Coal snaps before carrying me out of the lunchroom. I didn’t even get to eat, and I still have to go to Combat.

Where both Coal and Dean are going to be.

Fucking hell.

I think I black out for a couple of minutes because when I open my eyes, that I don’t remember closing, I’m in a dorm room.

“What the fuck?” I say as I sit up. My vision goes fuzzy, and I feel like throwing up. I jump to my feet and rush to the bathroom attached to the bedroom I was in.

I stumble into the adjoined room and dry heave into the toilet.

“Fuck,” I cough. I slump to the floor and look around.

This bathroom is fucking nice, which means it belongs to a wolf. The towels and floor mats are black. The shower is all glass, and massive, and there is a separate tub.

“Trash!” I hear Coal yell for me from the bedroom and cringe. The fucker’s girlfriend gave me a concussion, and he’s yelling at me?

“In here, Coal,” I say, not bothering to get up off the floor.

“What the fuck are you doing in…” he pauses when he sees me on the floor.

“Concussion,” I say simply. “Can I please go rest in my dorm?” I ask, hoping he’ll be too bored with me to force me to stay here tonight.

“Drink this...” He hands me a small vial with green liquid. I look at it suspiciously.

“Poison?” I ask him because, at this point, nothing he does surprises me.

“No, it will heal you.” He gives me a look that says, are you stupid?

“Seriously?” I ask. “Why are you giving me this? You’re the reason my brain got rattled in the first place.” My tone is snippy, but I don't care if he punishes me right now; at least no one is around to witness it.

“I didn’t give Jessica permission to touch what’s mine,” he says matter of factly.

I roll my eyes but shoot the green liquid back, hoping it doesn’t come back up if it makes me gag.

Within just a few seconds, I’m already feeling better. I sigh in relief. My head no longer pounds.

“Thank you,” I say.

“We already missed Combat. You’ll just have to do extra tomorrow. Get out so I can shower.” He starts stripping his clothes off, and I don’t need to be told twice.

I jump to my feet and rush toward the door. “Actually. Stay. You can wash my hair.”

My mouth gapes open like I'm a fish, and I just stare as he removes his clothes the rest of the way, leaving only his boxers.

Instead of the shower, he turns on the water for the tub. I watch as he pours a blue liquid into the steaming water. As soon as the scent hits my nose, my muscles start to relax. The liquid was some kind of calming potion. I close my eyes when he reaches for the waistband of his boxers.

I’ve seen him shirtless many times, wolves aren't shy about nudity since they have to be naked to shift, but I’m not usually around for that part.

I’ve never seen a man naked, and I’ve never been naked before a man.

When Coal snaps his fingers my eyes pop open. He’s in the water, and his nakedness is hidden below the bubbles. I can see his chest well though. The scars on his back have always made me pause. I don’t know how he got them, but their silver color against his tanned skin makes me curious.

“Here,” he says, lifting a bottle of soap and holding it out to me.

I move to the side of the tub and take the bottle from him. I’m feeling a bit more relaxed because of the potion he poured into the water, so I cup some water in my hands and wet his hair before I pour the soap into my hands and start massaging his scalp. I use my nails, and tug lightly on his hair, getting lost in the silky feel of his hair between my fingers. I sit sideways on the edge of the tub, but can't hold the position long. I look down into the water and can see his abs, leading to a very alluring V. But below the bubbles, that's it. I wonder if his dick is big enough to be seen over the bubbles if he gets hard…

Coal must have removed my shoes at some point, and I kicked one leg over the edge, then the other. Coal’s broad shoulders are between my spread legs and I look down realizing he’ll get a view of my panties if he turns around.

The heat of the water on my feet soothes me further, though. Coal drops his head back into my lap and looks up at me.

“What?” I ask him. I stare down at his vibrant blue eyes and wonder for the millionth time why he’s so cruel.

“You’re beautiful when you’re relaxed,” he says, so quietly that I don’t think he meant to say it out loud at all.

I frown. Is this some kind of act? He wants me to lower my guard so when he attacks next, it’ll hurt more?

“Why do you enjoy hurting me?” I whisper, not wanting to upset him, but desperately needing an answer.

I don’t get one though. Instead, Coal reaches up, grabs a fistful of my hair, and pulls me into the water.

I barely have time to take a startled breath before I'm shoved fully below the surface. I struggle against his hold, but he uses his heavy body weight to hold me under.

I’m just about to inhale a lung full of water when he pulls me back up.

I cough and gasp for air, still holding tightly to his wrist.

The look in his eyes tells me the pain has only just begun.

“Stop...” I plead, but I know it's useless. I’ve seen this look in his eyes many times. Coal is nothing but pain.

He dunks me under the water once again, and I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting back the memories that threaten to overtake me.

This isn't the first time I’ve been held below the water. The last time was three years ago. I was fifteen, and my best friend Alex tried to save me. He was also a human, and therefore disposable. Alex died in that lake, and I would have too if my mother hadn’t gotten the Alpha to step in. Coal had encouraged a group of wolves to torment me all summer, and by the last week, they had taken it too far. Coal hadn’t been there that day. I don’t honestly think he would have let them kill me. He wants to torment me, and he can’t do that if I’m dead.

They weren’t supposed to kill us, and if an Avowed human is killed, it is considered a challenge to that human’s master. Alex had never been claimed, and his parents' master didn’t care one bit when he was killed.

I cried for weeks. I still cry.

My head is yanked out of the water once again, but his grip turns to my throat and he squeezes.

I claw at his skin, trying to get him to release me, but he just stares into my eyes. Something in his eyes cracks and he drops me.

He jumps out of the tub leaving me to scramble out.

Fuck, why did I drop my guard, even just for a second? I can’t be so stupid again.

“Clean up your mess, then get the fuck out,” he snaps before storming out of the room.

“Fucking asshole...” I say under my breath.

“I can hear you, trash,” he yells from the living room.

Fuck.

I let the water out of the tub, and grab a towel. I clean up the floor and rush out of his dorm without looking back.