Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 1: Special Skills

Chapter 1: Special Skills

Today was the Marked Day.

Every eighteen-year-old girl like Violet Purple had waited for this day from the moment they entered high school.

It was the day when young women from all districts were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a member of Lunaris Academy.

An academy that wasn't just a school, but a ticket out, a chance to rise above, to be chosen.

It was no secret that the top-performing human students ended up marrying alphas, the apex of werewolf society.

After all, the war two centuries ago had decimated the werewolf population, particularly the she-wolves. With only ten percent of them left, alphas had turned to humans for their mates, creating an uneasy yet necessary alliance.

The werewolves had been initially strong and persistent during the war but a virus, designed by human scientists, had ravaged the werewolf population, killing eighty percent of their female population. The werewolves, faced with extinction, had no choice but to call for a cease-fire and peace was brokered between the two races.

But it wasn't true peace. There were rules, agreements, and an ever-present tension that underscored the delicate balance. Perhaps to symbolize this coexistence, the alpha king had married a human, a woman he met at Lunaris Academy, giving the school its fame and regality.

"School, my ass," Violet Purple muttered under her breath, casting a disbelieving glance at the teacher in front of the classroom.

The woman was holding up the official-looking application form, droning on about the importance of making a good impression and how the form could be the key to changing their futures.

Everyone knew the academy was less about learning and more about matchmaking. But no one would say it aloud, not when they needed a shot at a life they couldn't otherwise reach.

"Make sure you fill in every section carefully," the teacher instructed. "Lunaris Academy will only select one student from each district, and with two other schools in our district, the competition is fierce. So use all the skills you have. Make your form irresistible. Ask your parents for help if you need it. Some of them have gone through this process, and their experience might guide you. And remember, submit your forms first thing tomorrow. The law mandates that you apply, and non-compliance comes with heavy penalties. Treat this form like your very life. Good luck. "

As if on cue, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The classroom erupted into chaos as students rushed to pack their bags and head home, their conversations buzzing with excitement, as they gossiped about the upcoming selection.

Violet shoved her books into her backpack, her fingers trembling slightly from the tension that had settled deep in her bones. This was a chance she didn't know whether to take or reject.

Even if by zero point zero chance that she won the spot at Lunaris Academy, she wasn't interested in being the princess in distress who needed to be saved. Nor was she stupid to fall for the stupid fallacy called love – her mother's occupation had ruined any appeal such emotion might hold for her.

Also, she knew the game was rigged. Alphas didn't marry girls like her—poor, broken girls with nothing to offer. They married beauties, winners, and girls who knew how to play the game. Violet wasn't one of them.

"Hey, purple whore," a voice jeered from behind.

Violet froze, her breath catching in her throat.

Not today, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut, praying they would leave her alone.

she ignored them, they would lose interest. But she should have known by now, they wouldn't. They never

called again, closer now. Violet could feel the malicious eyes on her back as her tormentors gathered behind her.

forced the emotion down. She was honestly not in the mood to get her fist dirtied, not to mention

laugh. They wouldn't want trash like you anywhere near them. I mean

the cruel joke, emboldened by their leader's

the sting of their words sinking deep. Being an orphan adopted by a prostitute

joke was to

Violet could remember, her hair had been black at the roots and purple at the tips. It would have been better if her mother had called her "Violet Black," but no,

which would have been worse: being Nancy's real daughter or just a

of rage, she had chopped off the purple tips of her hair, but they grew back just the same, marking her as a freak in everyone's eyes. That, combined with the shame of being adopted by

to give them the satisfaction. Instead, she straightened her spine, adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, and attempted to leave, but they

fight, but if push came to shove, she'd handle it. A week of punishment or community service

it certainly wouldn't

one called Anisha laughed, "What are you gonna do about it, huh? Hit me? You might have defeated us in the past but we wouldn't let you win this

them knowing it was all talk and no

drawled, her voice dripping with false pity. "Do you think she's too dumb to understand? Or just too

scared," another one chimed in. "She's probably shaking in her boots, thinking about all

laughed once

and they stumbled back. Her heart hammered in her chest, her fists trembling at her sides. She could feel the fury burning through her, every word

she could fulfill that urge, a teacher came into the room and said,

the air. Not to mention, Jasmine and her crew were notorious bullies in

that is it. I want all of you out of the class and headed home." he commended

last burning glare, she shoved her way past Jasmine and her lackeys. She wasn't going to waste her energy on them. It wasn't

was a public one, which meant it had a huge population. Violet quickly lost

home, Violet let her eyes roam the destruction still lingering from the war. The humans might

streets cracked and scorched from explosions, and the air still carried a faint scent of ash and devastation. Two hundred years had passed since the final bombs of destruction fell, but the Earth

before Violet reached the patch of land that housed a vast number of trailers. It was the only form of shelter for people like her. After

crumbling world outside.Her mother had always said they were lucky to have

no better. The meager belongings they had were scattered across the tiny space, clothes draped over chairs, empty cans that had long since lost their contents, and cigarette butts littering the table. The ashtray overflowed

than sleeping in the streets, where the bigger predators of this new world waited. Crime was rampant now, though

arrived home. The silence wasn't unusual. Nancy was rarely home and, when she was, it wasn't like she cared to interact. She had made it clear over the years that she was no maternal figure. But Violet

fished out the snack bar she had been saving and sat at the table, unwrapping it slowly as her gaze fell on the form she'd been given in

Academy application form stared back at her, demanding answers she wasn't sure she had. The only reason she

managed to get into Lunaris Academy and come out on top, she could escape this life. She could become someone different—someone who