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.

them, they would lose interest. But she should have known by now, they

her back as her tormentors gathered behind her. The same group

A wave of bitter anger surged through her, but she forced the emotion down. She was honestly not in the mood to get her fist dirtied, not to mention she had more important things like the Lunaris Academy

want trash like you anywhere near them. I mean with a used hole like

other girls laughed at the cruel

nails digging into her palms as her pulse quickened. Blood pounded in her ears, the sting of their words sinking deep. Being an orphan adopted by a prostitute was the only

that her mother's idea of a joke was to call her "Violet Purple" because of the unnatural color of

better if her mother had called her "Violet Black," but no, the woman—likely high on drugs at the time—had literally announced to the world that she was adopted and denying her any claim

Violet knew which would have been worse: being Nancy's real daughter

Once, in a fit of rage, she had chopped off the purple tips of her hair, but they grew back

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

voice steady despite the heat of anger bubbling beneath her skin. She didn't want to fight, but if push came to shove, she'd handle it. A week of punishment or community service was nothing new, and neither was taking on all five

it certainly wouldn't be the

you gonna do about it, huh? Hit me? You might have defeated us

knowing it was all talk and

one of the girls, Marissa, drawled, her voice dripping with false pity.

chimed in. "She's probably shaking in her boots, thinking about all the dicks

laughed once

She could feel the fury burning through her, every word

a teacher came into the room and said, "what is going

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

you out of the class and headed home." he

Jasmine and her lackeys. She wasn't going to waste

public one, which meant it had a huge population. Violet quickly lost herself in the crowd, hence

from

air still carried a faint scent of ash and devastation. Two hundred

long 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 the war, the poverty rate had skyrocketed,leaving only a privileged few able to afford a proper house, no

the crumbling world outside.Her mother had always said they were lucky to have a trailer. She had bought it second-hand when a

trailer looked weathered, its paint peeling and faded and the inside was 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 with

was better than sleeping in the streets, where the bigger predators of this new world waited.

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

no food, as usual, and Violet didn't bother looking for any. Instead, she fished out the snack bar she had been

Academy application form stared back at her, demanding answers she wasn't sure she had. The only reason she was even considering filling it out

elite could afford. If she somehow managed to get into Lunaris Academy and come out on top, she could escape this life. She could