Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 52: High Staker

Violet stood under the shower, letting the water stream over her head as she chanted four names over and over, as though reciting some dark mantra:

"Asher Nightshade."

"Roman Draven."

"Griffin Hale."

"Alaric Storm."

It had been over an hour since she stepped into the showers, and though the stench of wolf urine was gone, her skin still crawled with the memory of it.

Wolf urine.

That was what they had branded her with, Roman Draven, in particular. Yet the others, Asher, Griffin, and Alaric, had stood by. Maybe they hadn’t explicitly agreed to it, but their silent approval had been damning enough.

Violet’s blood ran cold as her mind drifted back to the scene. She could still picture the mocking grins on her classmates’ faces, especially the elites. They had whipped out their phones to record her humiliation, broadcasting it for everyone at Lunaris Academy to see. Now she was undoubtedly the most talked-about person in the school forum, all over again.

What enraged her most wasn’t just her classmates, though, it was the teacher who should have protected her. Instead, after the ordeal, the teacher had only offered Violet a hand to help her up. When Violet ignored it, all Mrs. Clarkson had said was:

"Congratulations, you’re now a full member of Lunaris, and it took real courage to endure that. You can go wash up and take the rest of the class off. I’m sure you need it."

There had been a flicker of pity in her eyes, but not a shred of remorse, as if what had happened was just another ordinary day at the academy.

Her classmates’ taunting laughter echoed in her ears once more, threatening to overwhelm her. Violet suddenly shut off the shower, the abrupt silence deafening. She shivered, goosebumps rising on her skin, and not just from the memory of the scenting prank. The water had turned cold.

Violet had used up all the hot water, the icy cascade pouring over her without her noticing for a while now. A small, bitter smile tugged at her lips. At least someone would be annoyed when they discovered there was no hot water left. A petty victory, but a victory nonetheless.

the shower, wrapping a towel around herself as she moved toward the mirror.

something fierce stared back at her from those golden eyes. They still burned brightly, refusing to admit defeat.

the day, Violet stepped out of the bathroom. She froze in her tracks when three

Damn it.

the way they fell silent, they

for their stares, she unwrapped her towel, standing naked for a brief second before

down on it, when Lila approached her sheepishly. Although Violet caught her coming from the corner

tentatively,

over her face, burying herself in the crook of her elbow.

she could stand there

a few minutes later, Violet lifted her head and growled, "What the fuck do you

a tray in front of her.

begging for forgiveness—something Violet could ignore to make her suffer a bit, which was just her nature, holding grudges and

food drifted into her nose, and it dawned on Violet that she had

think this changes anything," she told Lila and took the tray from her, not missing the

like a savage, tearing the fried chicken apart without grace. She hadn’t had an appetite earlier in the afternoon and now, having missed

voice broke through her

up at the blonde girl. There was no sarcasm or hostility

think? How would you feel in

"I should have told you. I thought it would be fun and didn’t want to

my face is what you call

her mouth to respond, but

how they are. If there’s any problem, it’s us humans who feel awkward about it," Daisy Fairchild, the quiet nerd, spoke up from her

a fact. But Violet wasn’t in the mood for cold logic, not when she felt like

urine part?" Violet shot back, her voice sharp. "Are werewolves so uncivilized that