Chapter 13

Ollie’s POV

My heart jumps into his throat. The scent of Declan is all around me. As cold as he has been to me, his body is surprisingly warm, and oh so strong. Gods, the way he holds me in place like I’m nothing makes me hot under the collar.

I’m humiliated by my own reaction, but I imagine him pinning me down, keeping me in place while he has his wild and wicked way with me.

His eyes though remain cold as he glares at me. “Don’t get cocky, just because you’ve been given a privilege. We could just as easily take it away from you.”

Swallowing hard, I dare ask, “Can I go to school today?”

“You will go every day,” Declan says. “But the quarry will expect you after. Once you have finished there, you will return here by 8pm. That is your curfew. Do you understand?”

It’s a harsh sentence, but it’s better than what I’d thought it be, when I thought they might keep me from going to school at all.

“I do,” I say, and glance away. His closeness is making me feel hot, and I’m trying so hard to push down on that feeling, not wanting him to know how he affects me.

Being in his lap like this…

I wish he’d kiss me.

What a foolish thought! He’d probably rather bite me than kiss me.

Although… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad either.

Gods, what am I thinking!

I can’t stop the blush this time, though I do dip my head down, hoping my hair will cover most of it.

“You will never again attend these parties or mess around anymore,” Declan says.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?” he snaps.

“Uh. Okay, Declan.”

He growls low and dangerous. Leaning forward, he whispers roughly in my ear. “You will call me Sir.”

My mouth goes dry, but I feel compelled to obey.

“Okay… Sir.”

He hums. “Good.”

The single word fills me with more pleasure than even the press of his hands on my hips does.

“Now, get.”

He releases me then, and shoves me away. I scurry to the kitchen without looking back, but I can feel his cold eyes on me all the way to the door.

At school, the homeroom teacher sets several piles of forms on her desk. These forms are applications for the various different universities. They are to be filled out and returned at any time before graduation next month.

Most of the students don’t hesitate in going to the front and grabbing an application from this pack’s university.

I’m probably the only one in the class who doesn’t want one of those applications, though I’m not sure which other one I do want. There are several packs that are offered, but which one I’ll be allowed to attend will likely depend on my future rank.

Until the Alpha… or Alphas, in my case, choose a rank for me, my choices remain unknown.

Since the Alpha’s death, Diana, the Luna, has been deciding the ranks of the new adults. When the quadruplets rise to power, they will be the ones making the decisions.

The thought makes me uneasy.

For now, I worry that selecting an application from a different pack will draw too much attention to me. So as I approach the front, I grab an application from each stack, including the one for this pack.

The teacher looks at me with surprise. There’s only two sheets in the other stacks, with this pack having the most. Likely, she didn’t think anyone would pick anything else.

Holding the papers to my chest, I turn and hurry back to my desk before anyone else can take notice. Fortunately, the teacher doesn’t say anything, so neither do I.

The rest of the day goes normally enough, until Sylvia, Christie, Vikki, and Kimber corner me in gym class. After gym class, the instructor asked me to put away the volleyballs, which I am in the process of doing. Unfortunately to do so means I had to enter the walk-in closet with the other gym supplies.

Before I can walk back out again, the four block my path.

Sylvia’s face is twisted with hate, a side of her the brothers never see. “I should be the one planning the coronation. Not you.”

“Diana chose –” I try to say.

“You should have never stuck your nose in it!” she snaps.

“The diamonds were a terrible idea, Sylvia,” I tell her. “It’s impractical. I’ve organized parties before. It’s just a matter of experience –”

“Close the door,” Sylvia says to her minions. “Vikki, Christie, with me. Kimber, you stand outside and keep anyone from asking too many questions.”

They move then, Kimber stepping outside, while Vikki and Christie follow Sylvia further into the room.

“What are you going to do?” I ask, trying to keep the fear out of my throat.

Sylvia is unpredictable when she’s like this. The brothers might call me vile and conniving but the truth is, Sylvia has beat by ten.

She holds out her hand to Christie. “Cig.”

Christie reaches into her back and pulls out a cigarette. She hands it over to Sylvia, who puts it in her mouth.

Sylvia then holds out her hand to Vikki. “Light.”

Vikki hands her a lighter, and Sylvia lights the cigarette. She takes a puff, then blows smoke out into the air.

“Smoking is such a dirty habit,” she says. “You really should quit, Ollie. It’s bad for your health.”

“I don’t smoke,” I say.

“Oh?” Sylvia laughs. “Then why do you have so many burns on your arms?”

“I don’t –” I start, but cut myself off as I realize what she intends to do.

Sylvia gives a soulless smile. “Grab her,” she says and Christie and Vikki dart forward.

Against one of them, maybe I might have had a chance, but both of them are tougher to fight off, especially since they both can openly use their wolf strength, while I have to repress my own.

They grab me by the shoulders and stretch out my arms.

“Such pretty skin,” Sylvia says, looking at my arms. “Truly, this hurts me more than it hurts you.” She lowers the lit end of the cigarette down to my arm.

I brace myself, yet I’m still unprepared for the searing pain. Again and again, she jabs the fiery end at me, all but stamping the cigarette out straight on my skin.

Tears well in my eyes. It burns! I’d cry out, but who would listen? Who would care?

The pain is too much. I’m already weak from continuously repressing my wolf. It’s all I can do to hold onto consciousness, and then even that is too much.

I collapse down onto the ground, falling into darkness.

Sometime later, I slowly blink awake. I feel like I’m in a fog, and my limbs won’t move. My cheek is pressed to the floor of the storage room, as is the rest of my front.

“Ollie!” Ella cries, seeing me. She rushes to me. “What the hell happened?”

I can’t form words. I can only look at her blearily through my lashes.

“Hold on, Ollie. I’ll get you to the doctor.”

She grabs me under the arms and tries to lift me. We don’t make it more than a few feet before she too falls down.

I’m just dead weight, unable to help her.

“What’s going on?” Conrad asks. I glance up and see all four brothers approaching.

Are they going to hurt me too?

More tears form in my eyes, blurring my vision.

“Give her to me,” Conrad says. He leans down and easily scoops me up into his arms in a bridal carry.

Gods, he’s warm, and he smells so good. I curl against his chest, burying my nose into the corner of his throat.

In the moment, I can’t think of a single reason not to.

Then, blessedly, I pass out again.