The Princess & Her Alphaholes by Renee O’Roark

Chapter Four

By the time I make it to my dorm, my bare feet are bleeding. I had to run to the other side of the campus to get to the human dorms, and since we were put in the worst building, way at the back of campus, my feet are not happy. They look seriously rough, blood coating the floor with every step.

“Ow ow ow...” I say as I rush inside the dorm.

My best friend is already there. She hops off the bed as soon as she sees me.

“Do you need help?” she asks, looking at me like I’ve grown an extra head.

“Please. Can you grab me some dry clothes and a bandage? I'm going to take a shower.”

I have to go down the hall, to where we share a bathroom with the other humans in the building, but I don’t care. I’ve only had to use it a couple of times since we just got to campus a few days before classes started. Thirty minutes later I’m laying on the bottom bunk bed, staring up at my friend, who is hanging her head over the edge of the top bunk.

“Seriously Cass, I don’t want to talk about it right now,” I told her for the third time.

“I’m not going to stop asking. So if you want me to leave you alone, just answer.”

“Fine! Both Coal and Dean, from Shadow Moon, claimed me as their fucking Avowed! Now I have to alternate between serving both of them every damn day.” I groan and rub my hands down my face.

“Shit, seriously? I didn’t know two wolves could claim an Avowed like that...”

“They normally can’t. It’s because of their ranks. Neither of them was willing to back down, so as a compromise the principal allowed them both to claim me.” I sigh, throwing an arm over my face.

“Wow. That sounds…awful.” Cass says, rolling over on her bunk.

“No shit.”

We fell asleep after that, my bruises gone once I took the healing potion, but my feet throb like a bitch the whole night.

* * *

I wake to the sound of my alarm, jolting upright. Some sounds trigger my fight or flight. A blaring alarm is one of them. My mom made just enough to afford a cheap phone for me, and the only useful function is an alarm. I can talk and text as well, but the only person who ever messages me is Cass, so I just leave it in our room. There's a good chance it will get destroyed if I keep it on my person.

As soon as I’m dressed and ready, I head to Dean’s room. Before we left the principal’s office yesterday, Dean let me know that he expected me to meet him in the morning before classes on his days.

He wanted me to eat with him in his room since he didn’t like eating in the lunchroom.

My feet are hurting today, and the wrap and double socks aren’t helping as much as I had hoped.

Cass said there is sometimes leftover healing ointment laying around in the gym, but I’d have to wait the entire day before I could potentially get relief. I’m already limping by the time I get to Dean’s.

As soon as I knock Dean opens the door. He moves aside and lets me in. He’s wearing a shirt and sweatpants, not looking ready for class at all.

He watches me as I limp past him, as he shuts and locks the door. I set my bag on the ground, and turn to face him.

“Do you want me to cook something for you?” I ask him, looking at his face but not making direct eye contact.

“Why are you limping?” he asks, completely ignoring me.

“I have cuts on the bottom of my feet, and they’re uncomfortable,” I say, looking away from his intense gaze.

“Sit,” he says pointing to his couch.

I move without arguing, sitting down.

He leaves the room, and when he returns he’s carrying a black bag. He kneels on the floor in front of me, and the blood in my veins freezes.

“What are you doing?” I ask in a panic, not sure what I’m worried about. Is he going to punish me for being injured?

“Take your shoes off,” he demands in a low voice. I kick my shoes off, watching him intently.

As soon as I kick my shoes off I wince; both feet have bled enough to seep through the socks and gauze.

A low, menacing growl rumbles in his chest, and I flinch at the sound. I’m not scared of pain, but I’ve never seen how Dean punishes his humans before. Coal prefers humiliation, with a little bit of pain, saving the harsher beatings for when I really piss him off.

He grabs one of my feet, pulls the socks and gauze off, and examines the damage carefully.

“How did you manage to get so badly cut?” His voice is rough with his anger.

“When I left Coal’s room last night I couldn't find my shoes, and needed to leave quickly,” I say, watching as he pulls something out of his bag.

I’m surprised when I see that it’s a bottle of healing ointment.

“Oh, no...don’t. I mean, you shouldn't waste that.” It’s not that I don’t want the relief, I’m just not used to the wolves showing me kindness. “I can’t afford that.” I try to pull my foot away, but his grip on my ankle tightens.

“This works very quickly. Your wounds should heal before we need to head to class.” He starts applying the ointment, and the instant relief causes me to moan.

“Oh shit, that feels good.” I didn’t realize how much pain I was in until it was relieved.

“Mmmm...” He does the same for the other foot, then leaves the room again. When he returns he’s holding a pair of socks. He tosses them to me.

“Thank you,” I say, as I pull the way-too-large socks on. I wiggle my feet and then stand. Dean moves into the kitchen, placing a pan on the stove.

“What do you want me to make you?” I ask him. But as I move beside him, he pauses, turning to look at me.

His sandalwood and ocean breeze scent hits me, and I take a deep breath. Wow, he smells so good. I lean closer to him. He notices and takes a step into my personal space. He reaches up and moves the hair off my shoulder, and my heart rate spikes.

“Sit, Delilah. I’ll make breakfast.” His voice is husky and causes a shiver to travel across my skin.

He turns away from me, and I take a few steps back. I stare at him in disbelief. In all the years I’ve spent around these wolves, never once has a single one of them done anything for a human. Not that I’ve seen, anyway.

“I…What?” I ask, still staring at him.

He looks at me, with a small smile on his lips. He tilts his head to the side, examining me. “You’re cute when you’re in shock.” His grin grows at the outraged look I give him.

“Did you just call me cute?” I ask, my mouth hanging open slightly.

What the hell is happening? He helped me, offered to make our food, and now he’s calling me cute?

“Am I about to be murdered? Are you one of those psychos who's nice to his victims right before he rips their throats out?” I ask him, taking another couple of steps back.

At my retreat, his eyes darken. He rushes me, and I yelp before I brace myself for his attack.

He stops when his body is pressed against mine. He gently grabs my chin, causing me to meet his eyes.

“I will never hurt you. Stop fearing me, you’re safe here,” he says, sincerity in his eyes. He reaches both hands up to cup my face. “You are safe with me.”

“Why?” I don’t know what else to ask. Why is he being so kind to me?

Before he can answer there’s a knock on his door. “Dean, let me in. I know she’s in there.”

I look to the door, trying to place where I’ve heard that voice before.

“Is that Matteo?” I ask Dean, confused. Why in the fuck was he looking for me? I was already Avowed.

Dean steps away from me to unlock the door. When Matteo steps in, his eyes go right to me. He steps up to me, looking me over.

“Are you okay?” he asks, moving behind me and lifting my hair to see the back of my neck.

I freeze, once again completely confused. Why are these wolves so concerned about me? I’m so shocked I don’t answer. I just met Matteo yesterday, and he was a dick.

What the fuck is happening?

When Dean chuckles, I realize I said that out loud.

“Are you okay, Delilah?” Matteo demands, moving so he’s standing right in front of me. I stare up into his amber eyes, once again feeling like I know them.

“Holy fucking shit...” I whisper. Those eyes. They’re so familiar because I do know them.

“What? What's wrong?” Matteo searches my face, and I see it the moment he realizes I recognize him.

His features soften, and he gives me a gentle smile. “Hi, Butterfly.” His voice is quiet, and the look in his eyes is kind.

I raise my eyebrows at the nickname. “Bunny?” I ask, still in shock.

When I was still a child, I met Bunny in the woods. I spent a lot of time hiding. The younger wolves weren’t supposed to shift unsupervised. They weren’t allowed to wander off without the adults. Since we always had rival packs visiting to work on treaties, and sometimes that led to a fight, but no one gave a shit what an unclaimed human did as long as they didn’t get in the way.

My mom was Avowed by the Alpha, so I was allowed to roam when I wasn’t with Annie. I wasn’t supposed to, but no one stopped me. If I spent too much time, or any time really, around the younger wolves I would be teased, and eventually ended up with bruises. Especially if Coal was near. So I would run in the woods. I would collect leaves and rocks. Play in the hollowed-out trees, try to catch bunnies. It was an escape I still missed. I stopped going out there when I was fourteen. The last time I saw Bunny.

“I hate that name,” Matteo grumbles but doesn’t drop his smile.

“White like a bunny…” I say, absentmindedly. I hear Dean chuckle behind Matteo, and decide to focus all my attention on my hands while I try to process what is happening.

“You never told me she called you Bunny,” Dean laughs, teasing Matteo.

“I couldn’t exactly tell her my name…” Matteo grumbles.

“How long, I mean...what are you doing here, why are you here?” I ask, still reeling.

One of the only friends I had before I met Alex was the white wolf in the woods. I named him Bunny because his fur was pure white. I wasn’t allowed around the other wolves when they shifted, so playing with Bunny was my only interaction with them. I had seen them shifted from a distance, but Matteo let me pet him, and lay my head on him. I spent almost as much time searching the woods for Matteo as I did at Annie’s.

“Going to school?” Matteo says it like a question, finally stepping away from me. Dean already moved into the kitchen to resume making breakfast.

“No, no I mean…Fuck, I don’t know what I mean. Why are you here, in Dean’s room… checking on me?” I give him a look that I hope says ‘what the fuck?’

“It’s a long story, but basically…” Matteo sighs loudly, “We want to make things easier on you.”

I look between Matteo and Dean. “Why?” I ask again.

I don’t get the answers I want though. Matteo just shrugs, stepping up beside Dean to help him finish cooking.

“Seriously? You’re just going to ignore my question? The only two wolves in all the packs, who are kind to humans, want to help me? No, no way. I don’t believe that.” I say stepping up to the kitchen counter.

“We didn’t think Coal would claim you. At least not at the exact moment as Dean.” Matteo says, putting bacon into a pan.

“Why did you claim me, Dean? You don’t know me. Why didn’t you just claim me, Matteo?” I ask, trying to put all the pieces together.

“Because he needs to keep his friendship with Coal. If he had claimed you as his Avowed, Coal would have turned on him. He and I have no such friendship,” Dean answers.

“Right. And the only reason you claimed me, is because you want to help me?” I ask, feeling no less confused.

“Basically, yeah. I hate seeing that asshole hurting you. Unfortunately, there is only so much we can do now,” Matteo says, cursing under his breath.

“There’s a meeting at the Primal Moon Alpha’s house tonight. I want you to come with me. I need to keep my eyes on you on the nights you are mine. Since Coal obviously doesn’t care that he isn’t supposed to damage you,” Dean growls. “You’ll also sleep in here when you aren’t with Coal.” The last part isn’t surprising, since avowed humans often stay with their wolves. However, attending a pack meeting is something only the servants of the Alpha’s family do, and only to serve them during that meeting.

“That sounds like a really bad idea. I don’t go to the Alpha’s house anymore. Coal will definitely be there.” I am rambling a bit, but I can’t help it. If he’s given the chance, he’ll torment me in front of his father, in front of the entire pack.

“He won't touch you unless he wants to start a war with me. On days that you’re mine, he isn’t permitted to touch you in my presence.” Dean says, his face darkening.

“Okay, and if you’re not around?” I ask, because it’s Coal’s home, and it’s not like I'll be allowed to follow Dean into the meeting.

He frowns but doesn’t answer. Right, if Dean isn’t around, I’m fair game to Coal.