Rejected by the Alpha at Christmas

DAPHNE'S POV

The door slamming shut behind me caused me to flinch before I even saw who it was. Her too strong lavender perfume wafted through the bathroom, meeting me where I washed my hand in the sink. I froze, the water washing off the last of the soap as three figures appeared behind me in the mirror.

"Daphne," Eleanor said in a sing-song voice, chuckling while she twirled her blond hair between her fingers.

I turned, my hands shaking. I was avoiding something like this. The school day was over and I hid in the bathroom until everyone was gone. "I don't want any trouble," I managed to get out. My heart was ramming against my chest and I was sure that these wolves surrounding me could hear it. They could smell my fear.

One of her side kicks, Bridget, grabbed one of my arms. "Don't be so boring. We're only here to play, right, Carla?" she asked, smiling over my shoulder at the other girl.

They were far taller than me, prettier even. They had long, toned legs; the kind of legs that looked like they went for miles and miles. And they were skinny- painfully so that they spent every waking hour in school making me miserable about that fact. They were total bimbos; shiny blond hair, beautiful red lips and gorgeous eyes.

I was nothing like them. Where they had long legs, I had thicker ones. I had black curly hair while theirs was mostly pin straight. I was plus size and my uniform was bigger than most of the other girls. And in Bateview Academy, your looks determined your standing among the wolves. Me? I was a nobody.

Carla slipped her hands under my arm and held on to me. "Yeah, just a little fun."

I knew what was coming. My heart was racing in my chest, almost uncontrollably. "Let me go," I said, looking at Eleanor. She was the only one who could stop them.

"Oh? Did you guys hear something?" Eleanor asked, looking everywhere but me. "I almost thought I heard a little fat girl begging."

There it was again, that word: fat. Like it was a crime to be plus sized, to be different. They made me hate my own skin.

"Must be the wind," Bridget replied. She and Carla began to pull me towards one of the stalls.

I struggled to free myself but their manicured fingers only dug deeper to hold me tight. Somehow, all three of us squeezed into a stall. I was pushed to my knees, the toilet basin rising up in front of me.

I tried to beg but the words were stuck in my mouth. Somehow, I didn't want to plead, it would mean admitting defeat. They could try to break down my body but certainly not my resilience.

I noticed that Eleanor was recording with her phone. "Look, everyone, I have our little school friend – Daphne Browne – with us. She wants to play a game."

I didn't even notice the bag she had been holding. She dropped it to the floor, fishing out a carton of milk. "Today's episode, we're going to be making a farewell cake. Here's the milk!" she let out an excited squeal as she poured the bottle of milk on me.

I felt detached, my body still here but my mind someplace else. I had learnt the hard way that when dealing with people like this, it was better not to fight.

But, goddess, it broke me. To be embarrassed like this in front of a live audience.

"Next up?" Eleanor asked and the girls chorused, "Eggs!"

I wished that I could fight. I wished that I wasn't this powerless. That I wasn't a nobody omega.

"And a special addition to the recipe," she did a little happy dance before pouring the bottle of fish oil over me. It stunk, stunk so badly that I retched.

"The omega stinks," Bridget pouted, pegging her nose with her fingers.

"We should help her clean up," Eleanor said. She leaned down and grabbed a fistful of my hair, trying to push me closer to the toilet.

Her phone began to ring and she stopped, checking the caller ID. She shrieked excitedly, letting me go and turning to take the call. I couldn't hear the voice on the other side over my coughing as I struggled to drink in the air fighting my panic attack.

"Um, yeah, I'll be flying out with my family for Christmas," Eleanor replied, twirling her hair in her finger. "I'm sure Daddy wouldn't mind if you came over." There was a pause, "I was just having a little fun before returning." Pause. "Fine, okay."

She hung up and rolled her eyes but smiled sweetly when she saw me watching. "I think she's clean, right?" She looked at Carla and Bridget for confirmation.

"Clean and nice," Carla chuckled.

"Right where she belongs- filth ," Eleanor spat out. "See you next semester, little b!tch."

They began to laugh, walking out of the stall and leaving me there with a torn and stained uniform, toilet water dripping down my face.

A sob tore through my mouth and I slapped a palm over my mouth to strangle the sound. Tears rolled down my cheeks as my body shook with sobs. I couldn't let them hear me, they would bully me for that too.

My phone rang in my bag. I stumbled out of the stall to grab the bag I had left on the sink. Thankfully, they hadn't taken it away like last time and 'mistakenly' thrown it in a pond. I had to lie to my mom that my phone fell in the toilet.

"Hey, Dad," I answered, forcing a smile into my voice.

"Cupcake," Dad replied, his voice loud on the other side. Despite how terrible I felt, his voice always made me feel better. But, right now, I couldn't hold myself together long enough to have a conversation with him. "How are you?"

"Great," I lied. "Um, Dad, I can't talk right now. I need to head back to the dorms."

"Okay, okay, I just wanted to make sure you were still on the flight for tomorrow," he said in that tone that sounded like a question rather than a statement. "I heard someone say you Bateview kids like to hang around for a few days and party."

I would rather die than hang out with any one of those monsters.

"Yes, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow," I said and quickly hung up. He would tell my mother and she would lecture me about hanging up on them whenever we called.

I would choose that any day, sitting in her kitchen while she cooked and lectured. I looked up at the mirror, barely recognizing who the girl in the mirror was. This quiet, secluded, and bullied girl. I couldn't look at myself anymore.

By tomorrow, I would be on a plane, hundreds of miles away from this hell hole of an academy. And most of all, I'll be away from my number one bully: Zachary Ackerman – the student President who made my life what it was today.

But most importantly, I was going home for Christmas. I looked forward to all the adventures, all the new people I would meet. Maybe I will finally make a real friend.

It was Christmas after all, this was the season of change.

I checked the door and realized that it was locked. I tried it again, thinking that there must be a mistake. It was no mistake.

My breath caught in my throat and tears started to roll down my cheeks again as I realized what just happened. Notifications started to come in on my phone.

Eleanor had locked me in. And I was going viral.

ZAC'S POV

"Sure you have everything you need?" Hillary asked, popping his head into my room.

I was pissed. This wasn't in the cards for me for the end of the year. All of a sudden, my mother buys a house in Louiseville and wants her boys to move in with her.

My room was almost spare, save for the furniture. Our mother had made sure everything was packed in boxes and shipped half way across the country. All I had to do was pack the clothes I wanted to have with me until the U-haul with the rest of our things would arrive.

I cocked my head back to look at my brother, my eyes bored. "I need this house but you don't have any idea how I can pack it up, yeah?" I asked.

Hillary smiled, folding his hands across his chest. "You're just mad that you won't be able to host your stupid end of semester parties anymore," he replied.

That had to be my main reason why I hated this whole arrangement. The party was supposed to be here in two days but that's all out the window. It briefly hurt my ego but I was going to do something bigger when we got back to school.

Still, I wasn't going to let my brother hold something over me.

I stepped forward, pulling my luggage and shoving it into him, hard. "Correction, I won't be able to host my end of semester parties here anymore. I'll just have to find somewhere much better. And rip out your tongue while I'm at it." I grabbed his collar, forcing my eyes to glow blue; the sign of my authority as a predator wolf.

Hillary smirked, happy to have pushed my buttons. He held up both hands in surrender. "Fiesty as ever, little brother," he replied.

"Call me a little again and I'll remind you why I'm student President," a smile grazed my lips as I saw him frown. I lifted the corner of my lips just enough for my growing canine to peak out.

Hillary was a year older than me but he'd lost the elections to me, if you can call it that. He barely held wind against me. He also lost his final chance to be President. He's already in sixth year at the Academy.

I must have hit a sore spot because Hillary hit his final move. He furrowed my hair, messing it up. I growled at him and slapped his arm away. "You're such a child," I replied, leaving the room.

My phone beeped and I paused, seeing a text from my father: You're only going to be gone for Christmas. When you return to the academy, we continue training.

My body instantly reacted, muscles tightening. My back suddenly felt like it was on fire even though I wasn't in pain anymore. My father had scarred me more than my body could heal.

"Is that Dad?" Hillary asked, noticing my reaction to the text.

"No," I lied about to pocket my phone when I got another notification. REALELEANOR is live now. She was posting directly through Bateview Academy social media platform. Here, anything goes. Not even the principal or the teachers have a say on here. Everyone, except me.

I clicked on the notification and immediately, I saw the plus size student that has been the target of most of my bored antics. She filled my screen, two of Eleanor's friends holding her down in a stall. Her grey eyes are wide, black hair falling around her face. She looked scared and she was obviously still in school.

Eleanor poured milk over her, laughing as it happened. For some reason, the scene sent a feeling roaring through my body. It felt uncomfortable and unsettling. Why was I, Zac Ackerman, affected by this video?

Hillary looked over my shoulder at the video. "Isn't that the omega that can't manifest her wolf? What was her name again? Darla? Diane?"

"Daphne," I replied, slipping my phone back into my pocket and taking a step forward.

"Aren't you going to do something about them? It's literally the last day of the semester. Can't the girl have some peace?"

I shrugged, reaching the head of the stairs. "It's not my concern. Tell that to Eleanor."

"Hey, you better wait for me. We have the same flight!" Hillary yelled after me and I heard him walking off to his room.

It was really not my business what Eleanor and her girls decided to do with their time. And I really didn't care about the omega. In an academy where your family, money, status and position as a wolf matter, Daphne was basically useless to me.

I only used her to set an example of what happens if you fall down the social hierarchy.

"Master Zachary," the butler said, taking my luggage from me and leading me to where the car was parked. We passed by the large Christmas tree set up close to the stairs and I was reminded of the season; the gifts, the happiness, the families reuniting together and filling the airports.

It was my worst holiday.

Thomas loaded it into the back of the car and handed me the keys. "Are you well?"

I grunted out a reply as I got in.

Understanding that I was not in the mood to talk, Thomas bowed, "Save travels, Master Zachary."

I said nothing. Thomas knew everything about me, down to the scars on my fingers. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to talk to him because one person was invading my thoughts rent free. I sped out of the Ackerman estate, swerving into the road.

I glanced at the rearview mirror to make sure I wasn't followed. However, I noticed the familiar dark green of my brother's Audi speeding up to catch up to me. I smirked and stepped on the gas.

This used to be a little game of ours, racing through the highway and seeing who got there first. Still, this particular face kept popping up in my mind and I got distracted, Hillary speeding past me.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. She answered after two rings. "Hey, Doll."

DAPHNE'S POV

"Daph!" my sister wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed my cheek. "I've missed you so much. Uni is terrible being apart from you."

My older sister had dyed her hair blond with highlights. She looked stunning with her freckles and tanned skin. Standing next to her, I looked even paler and duller in comparison to the goddess called my sister. Still, I was happy to see her.

"Daisy," I smiled just breathing in her scent. She'd arrived a little later than me but, all that mattered was, my family was together again.

"How has the academy been? I'm so jealous. You get to attend the fancy wolf school," Daisy started to say. She was always the chirpier one of the two of us.

I couldn't tell her that I had spent three hours stinking up the whole bathroom before the janitor did his rounds and found me. I also didn't tell her I spent five hours trying to wash off the smell.

She wrinkled her nose. "Why do you smell like fish?"

Thankfully, before I could reply, my father burst through the door, his hands weighed down by grocery bags. "My girls!" he said, putting the bags down and barreling into us. He grabbed either of us in both hands and twirled us right there, grunting with the effort.

I giggled as he put us down and hugged us. "I missed you," I said, inhaling that familiar scent of popcorn and caramel that clung to his clothes.

"I know that you girls just got back but we're short staff because of the season and all the travelling, we need a little help at the theatre," he pulled his lips into a thin line, feeling bad for asking so soon.

Daisy and I exchanged a look. We'd been thinking about the theatre all through the semester. My parents ran the local theatre, although it was anything but local. It had the best movies, beautiful and a steady stream of customers. That place was home. I had memories as far back as three, hiding under the counter while my mom made popcorn and chatted with customers.

Still, we weren't going to let our father know that we were excited to be back. "Well, you see, Dad," Daisy began, "It's Christmas and kids like us got out, watch fireworks and fall in love."

"Not my Daphne. She loves her parent's too much to leave us," Dad pulled me into his side, holding me.

"I always knew she was your favourite," Daphne feigned annoyance.

I chuckled, "We'll help out, Dad. Whatever you need."

"Great. We received tons of new Christmas movies and I'll need two young, intelligent girls to go through all of them and eat all the popcorn and drink all the slushies they want," Dad stroked his chin. "I wonder where I can find them now that everyone's caught up in festivities."

Daisy immediately started guiding me towards the door. "Look no further, Dad. Daphne and I will handle the movies. You just stay here and rest up. We'll go help Mom."

Dad thanked us, wrapping his red scarf around my neck. He tightened it, making sure that it was secure. "Are you okay, cupcake?" he asked.

He rubbed my shoulder tenderly and for a moment, I wanted to melt into his love and tell him everything. But, he had worked hard to get me into Bateview Academy. It had been his dream to go and it would absolutely crush him if he finds out that I was being bullied.

"I'm okay," I lied, forcing a smile on my face.

Daisy was already shoving her feet into her boots and putting on her coats. "Come on, Daphne, let's go!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I chuckled, hurrying after her. We linked arms together, walking as we always did to the theatre.

Daisy told me all about her university. She spoke about her roommate and all the parties she'd been through, the lectures and the library and then she talked about this Beta who she was interested in. They'd gone on a date once and thing seemed to be picking up well.

I listened carefully, smiling as she spoke. I was happy that at least one of us was having fun in another state, in a new school. No one had to know what I'd gone through. Back here in Louiseville, I was the sweet Daphne Curtis who stayed out of trouble and was always at the theatre.

It took us about ten minutes and we made it there.

Daisy and I exchanged a look and giggled, rushing to the front door. The doorman and part security, Benson, grinned. He's been working here for as long as I could remember.

He grinned, holding the door open. "The Curtis girls are back in Louiseville."

I waved at him as we rushed in. My mom was behind the counter, going through the books while one of the newer girls was making popcorn and working the slushie machine.

"Mom," Daisy said, lifting the counter top and going to hug our mother. I joined in, inhaling her scent.

"My babies, you're back," she looked tired but her face lit up. "It finally feels like Christmas."

We talked for a few minutes before Daisy went over to set up the next movie. I went to the ticket booth.

There was a long line in front of the closed ticket booth. I took a seat, turned on the small heater on the counter, cracked my knuckles and opened the small square space at the bottom of the glass window facing the crowd.

"Form an orderly line, please," I instructed as I began to sell the tickets. I smiled, seeing couples in matching hats, coats or scarves. Even families. Christmas was my favourite season. The people, the love, the kindness and this theatre. It was all so perfect.

"I'd like a ticket for the next movie, please," a voice said, through the glass

"That would be five ninety-nine," I said, arranging the notes and coins in cash register.

The guy slipped a ten dollar note through the space at the bottom of the glass window. I took it, fishing out his change and ripping a ticket free. I looked up, "Thank you. Enjoy your –"

The rest of the words died in my throat as I recognized who it is. My heart raced in my chest and my hands started to shake. It was impossible. When I left Bateview for Christmas, I believed that I would be safe.

But, monsters never leave their prey alone. They hunted them down to the ends of the earth.

My monster had come to find me. Zachary Ackerman was here.