The Alpha's Forbidden Hybrid; his to protect

DRASA'S POV

"Watch where you're going" Someone laughed as they pushed past me in the hallway, the force of their shoulder knocking into me almost making me stumble.

I stared at the boy who flipped me off before he walked off, laughing with his friends.

Fuck them.

I was utterly aware of the stares that people gave me and it was just my first day at school here. It was a no brainer about how I felt already on my first day here.

Terrible.

No, that was an understatement. This was living hell on earth and I seriously decided to question my life decisions the second I step foot in this college a few hours ago.

Using a hand to adjust the strap of my bag, I continued walking forward, refusing to meet the eyes of those who stared which was literally everyone and I tried to block out the voices of those who were barely trying to hush themselves.

"Silver hair? Ew" a girl to my left whispered to her friend as I walked past them, cringing at her words.

A part of me wanted to lash out and confront her but something told me I would be doing nothing but harm to myself so I refused to let myself get riled up by her stupid words.

She seemed to be expecting a reaction from me but when I just walked past her, she scoffed a little more loudly to her friend and I could feel her gaze on my back. "Weirdo"

Weirdo? I'd been called worse. I had endured enough shit to last for years. Stand up for myself? I would get killed. I was different, it was something I had come to accept over the years. With silver hair and onyx eyes that was far from common amongst werewolves, I knew why they all tended to look down on me and call me names.

In this world, I could never let them know my true heritage. I could never let anyone know that I was a half werewolf and half witch, they would kill me which meant I had to lay low and just survive through my years here.

A shoulder pushed past me and I stumbled slightly at the sudden jolt. Gasping, I looked up ready to apologize when I found myself staring into the bluest eyes I had ever seen and for a moment, I just stood there, my bag clutched closely to my chest like a second skin.

The boy had a mask around the lower half of his face but his eyes stood out like beacons and they were staring at me in confusion.

Oh.

"Are you okay?" He looked me over in one short glance and I immediately cleared my throat.

"Yeah" I croaked.

He wasn't looking at me again and immediately, I recognized that standoffish behavior.

Elite.

"Watch where you're going" He barely spared me another glance before he walked off.

Shit. He was hot and the fact that he hadn't said anything about my hair made me smile despite myself. Or maybe he just didn't care enough.

"Miss Rurik?" A soft voice broke me out of my spiralling thoughts and I realized that I was at the door to the class, right in front of a teacher who was staring at me with a frozen smile.

"Drasa" I jerked slightly and muttered, adjusting the strap of my bag again as I looked down at my feet suddenly while I tried to calm my racing heart.

I wanted to know who that boy was for some reason.

"Welcome to Nightshade college. I'm your teacher, Mrs Lyra" She smiled at me but I noticed the hesitation, the way her hand twitched like she was thinking twice about offering me a handshake, I didn't mind it if she didn't. People usually thought I was cursed because of my hair and eyes so they tried to avoid physical contact with me.

She stepped aside and gestured for me to get inside the class. "Class starts in 10 minutes. Let's have a chat before then" She smiled warmly this time and I nodded before I walked into the classroom.

The air in the room was warm and smelt of damp wood, the chairs were neatly arranged and I spied the various posters of werewolves on the walls.

Typical werewolf college.

Except I wasn't like the others.

"Have a seat, Drasa" Mrs Lyra gestured to the seat at the front of the class.

The light filtering in through the curtains were faint and I felt nervous being alone with the woman. She didn't scare me but I had always had this certain fear of being discovered hence my hesitance whenever I found myself alone with a pure breed of wolf. Could they detect that I wasn't normal?

"You don't seem to talk too much" the woman pointed out as she sat back on her seat.

I nodded with a tight lipped smile and sat on the chair she had pointed out to me, my fingers digging into my skin from how tightly I had clenched my fists. "I like the silence" I admitted.

She watched me slowly, scrutinizing me like she was trying to get every last detail on me then she sighed, tapping a finger on her table. "You should know you are in Nightshade college. This is a school for the elite. You're certainly...going to attract attention to yourself" She gave me an obvious once-over and the meaning of her words were clear to me; I was going to be easily spotted amongst students and I wouldn't be able to live in the shadows.

Subconsciously, I ran a hand through my hair, a nervous chuckle escaping me. "I'm aware of that, ma'am"

Mrs Lyra frowned. "Then let me give you a piece of advice. I graduated from this very school you're in so I'll tell you this, you are never alone in this place" Her words had an ominous feeling to it and I wondered what emotion to feel.

Was that a threat? Or was it a...warning?

"What does that mean?" I had to ask, my brows knitted together in confusion.

"It means that it's only a matter of time before you'll have to start fending for yourself. It's not just about academics here, you realize that you have to impress the People of the school and make a name for yourself. It's a battle for the strongest and the weakest will get weeded out by second year. The elite won't let a weakling graduate"

I blinked. Once. Twice. "Are you saying I have to...fight my colleagues?" I asked, confusion evident in my tone.

She seemed like she was hesitant to say something and for a bit, I wondered why she was even telling me all these. Could I even trust her? No. Trust wasn't something I could give easily, especially not to a full breed. "Do you have a family?"

I slowly shook my head, my chest aching at her words. "No" I whispered, not liking where this conversation was heading to.

"A job, perhaps?" She asked yet again.

I hesitated at that question. "No"

Big lie. I had gotten a job this morning but be damned if I was going to tell anyone at this college about that.

Her lips slightly parted like I was the most idiotic new student she had the pleasure of meeting. "You're...nothing" She said bluntly. "There's two options for you, Miss Drasa"

I braced myself. "What are they?"

"Firstly...fight to stay alive or... get yourself an ally amongst the elite" She paused and leaned forward for more effect. "Do neither... you're not gonna make it out of this college"

DRASA'S POV

"Table 11." Amelia barely looked at me as she shoved the tray into my hands. "Be quick. And don't mess up."

I nodded, gripping the tray tighter than necessary. The glassware clinked together, threatening to spill, but I steadied them. This was my first night at the club, and I couldn't afford a single mistake or I wouldn't get paid or worse...I'd be fired.

Talk about overwhelming.

As I moved through the dimly lit space that smelt of stale cigarettes, the bass of the music thumped against my skull making my head pound, this was not my type of environment.

The air was heavy with the smell of perfume, sweat, and the sickly sweet scent of alcohol. Men lounged in plush booths, their hands lazily draped over the women perched beside them.

I kept my head down, determined not to make eye contact.

Weaving through the tables, I ignored the occasional brush of a hand against my arm or the way eyes followed me. It wasn't because of my uniform, it was because of my hair. The silver strands stood out like a beacon under the club's neon lights, drawing attention I didn't want.

I finally reached Table 11, a group of four men deep in conversation.

"Here's your order," I said, carefully setting down the drinks.

One of them, a man with slicked-back hair and a half-unbuttoned shirt, barely glanced at me before snorting. "Didn't know they hired kids now."

My fingers twitched around the tray, but I kept my expression neutral. "I'm just here to serve drinks."

Another guy leaned forward, his gaze sweeping over me lazily, his eyes droopy. "What's with the hair? You trying to look like some kind of moon priestess?"

A few of them chuckled, and heat crawled up my neck in embarrassment. I fought the urge to snap back. I was used to people staring, whispering, but it never failed to piss me off.

"Just how I was born," I muttered, stepping back, my hands on my waist.

"Sure, sure," the first man scoffed, picking up his drink. "You look lost in thoughts, kid. Try not to spill anything next time."

Mother fucker. I didn't spill anything now. A

Kid? Kid?!

I didn't reply. Instead, I turned on my heel and walked away, my heart pounding in my chest.

Calm down, Drasa, he's not worth it.

Back at the bar, Amelia smirked at my return. "You survived."

I exhaled sharply, placing the empty tray down. "Yeah. This is hectic"

She laughed, shaking her head as she wiped down the counter. "You'll get used to it. Just don't start crying or something."

I ignored her and grabbed the next order.

The night dragged on. I delivered drinks, dodged unwanted attention, and tried not to think about how sore my feet were from walking out. Occasionally, I caught glimpses of the stage; women dancing under flashing lights, their bodies moving in a way that made the crowd roar and men leer.

The idea of resorting to something like that made my insides churn with fear.

Eventually, my shift ended. As soon as I stepped outside, the cool night air hit me, and I let out a shaky breath, finally taking in fresh air.

Amelia shoved an envelope into my hands as she walked out, her hair pulled up in a pony tail. "Your pay."

I nodded, taking it without a word. When I opened it, my fingers trembled slightly.

It wasn't much, but it was something.

It was my money.

The next day, I felt like a zombie as I walked into class, my body aching from the late shift.

Sliding into my seat, I let out a slow breath and tried to focus, but the exhaustion from the previous night seemed to settle on me. The teacher droned on, her voice blending with the hum of the environment around her, her monotone sending me into another place.

I zoned out.

Firstly, I thought about the boy I had bumped into yesterday... I hadn't seen him today and I had found myself peeking about the hallways for a glimpse of those blue ethereal eyes but nothing.

Damn it, Drasa. Snap out of it.

My thoughts drifted back to last night. This place...was a lot for me to handle and I had to think of a way to get my shit together so I would survive my years here. Mrs Lyra's words came rushing back and I adjusted in my seat. I barely noticed the classroom anymore.

"Miss Drasa."

My head snapped up. The teacher's sharp gaze was locked onto me, the entire class turning to stare.

I stiffened. "Uh...yes?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you can enlighten us. What was the key takeaway from today's discussion?"

My mind was blank.

Shit.

A few students snickered, and I could feel my face heat up. I scrambled to remember anything, anything at all, but my brain was blank. Shit, I didn't know what we were talking about.

"I, uh..."

Elara, the girl sitting a few seats over, coughed lightly, her lips barely moving as she whispered, "Civil rights movement."

I latched onto the words. "The... civil rights movement?" I turned to look at Elara discreetly before facing the teacher again.

The teacher eyed me for a long moment before sighing. "At least you were listening to something," she muttered. "Try to stay present, Miss Drasa."

I nodded quickly, sinking lower into my seat as the class resumed.

Elara smirked at me from the side, but it wasn't mocking. "You owe me," she whispered.

I exhaled slowly, thankful she hadn't let me flounder or embarrass myself but it didn't mean anything, she was just like the others here which left me with the question...why did she even help?

As soon as the bell rang, I grabbed my bag and tried to slip out unnoticed.

"Hey!"

I tensed and froze.

Elara stepped in front of me, blocking my exit. She was taller than me, with short, dark curls and an easy confidence that I envied. Unlike most of the students here, she wasn't dressed like she had a designer sponsor; just jeans, sneakers, and a leather jacket but still I knew she was part of the elite with how expensive her clothes looked either way.

"You're new too, right? I noticed you yesterday when you bumped into someone" she asked.

My eyes widened slightly. "The blue eyed boy?" I asked hopefully and her eye twitched but she nodded.

"Yeah" Her tone was a little bit cheery. "The blue eyed boy if that's what you know him by"

I nodded, unsure where this was going.

She grinned. "There's a party tonight. You coming?"

I blinked, confused. "Party?"

"Yeah. It's kind of a thing for new students. Everyone goes." she explained.

I hesitated. "I don't really do parties."

"Neither do I," she admitted, "but skipping it will just make you stand out more."

I pressed my lips together. She wasn't wrong. It definitely would. Still, something about it felt... off. I didn't belong at parties. I barely belonged here.

"I don't know-"

"Just come for an hour," she cut in. "If you hate it, leave. Also the blue eyed boy will be there" she clicked her fingers at me.

I hesitated because I wasn't sure I could trust an elite.

Mrs. Lyra's warning echoed in my head. Find an ally or you won't make it out.

I didn't know if Elara was an ally, but she was the first person to talk to me like I wasn't some weird outsider.

"What's his name though?" I found myself asking.

Once more, her grin widened. "Why don't you come for the party and I'll tell you after the party, hm? You may even meet him again"

"...Fine," I muttered. "I'll go."

Elara grinned. "Good. I'll text you the address."

As she walked off, I exhaled sharply, already regretting my decision.

Shit.

DRASA'S POV

"Weirdo! You came!" I heard someone tell from behind me and I immediately stiffened at the sound, stopping at the door, refusing to take another step into the house.

Fuck this.

I ignored the obvious jab and walked into the room. The music was deafening, vibrating through the crowded space. Everywhere I looked, people were pressed against each other, making out sloppily, downing drinks like their lives depended on it. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke and drinks and I struggled not to gag at the repulsing stench.

Subconsciously, I pulled my sweater tighter around my body, feeling out of place already.

Where the hell was Elara?

I weaved through the room, dodging drunk bodies and ignoring the stares of people who had recognized me. My skin crawled when someone brushed past me. I didn't belong here. My fingers tightened around my phone as I scanned the crowd, anxiety growing with each confused step that I took forward. Maybe I should just leave.

Just as I turned toward the door, a firm grip latched onto my wrist, stopping me and I almost wrenched my hand away out of fear but then the person spoke up.

"There you are!" a familiar voice said, voice filled with glee.

I spun around. Elara. Her eyes gleamed with something I couldn't quite place. Something that was a sharp contrast o the nice look in her eyes the previous day. Excitement? Amusement? Before I could process it, she pulled me through the crowd, ignoring my half-hearted protests concerning her sharp and insistent pull.

"You'll have fun," she said over the music when she noticed my hesitance. "Your crush is here by the way, you'll get along just fine"

"Crush?" I croaked, feeling my cheeks heat up because I had never... I didn't even know him.

"Yeah. You'll enjoy this"

Doubtful.

Stop, Drasa, you're just being paranoid right now. There's nothing going to go wrong here, you're fine, you need to get used to stuff like this.

She dragged me toward a corner booth where a group of impeccably dressed elites lounged with expensive drinks in their hands. The second I stepped into their circle, the conversations died. Eyes flickered over me, assessing, judging and crawling over my dressing to understand why I was in their presence.

Elites.

I swallowed hard.

"Sit," Elara commanded, pulling me down beside her before I could think. A server passed by, and she grabbed two drinks, shoving one toward me, her brows raised as she waited for me to accept the drink.

I shook my head, a nervous smile on my face as I struggled to keep my voice from trembling. "I don't drink."

A guy across from me, dark-haired with an arrogant smirk, scoffed. "What, scared Mommy and Daddy will ground you?"

Heat rose up my neck, but I ignored him and looked down at my hands instead.

Elara just smirked. "She's new. Give her time."

I kept my gaze on my phone, pretending to text, pretending I wasn't here. Around me, people laughed, whispered, made out like no one else existed. I shifted uncomfortably after what seemed to be an hour but was probably just a few minutes of me being there. Stepping out now would cause a scene definitely and that was the last thing I wanted, I knew I should have stayed home.

"What's with your hair?" A guy slurred, waving his drink at me. "You some kind of freak? I can't get my eyes off that shitty thing"

I stiffened, my fingers curling into fists as I fought to keep myself back from throwing a comment about the slick hair he had. Before I could answer or say anything, Elara chuckled.

"She's full of surprises," she said, but there was something off in her tone. Something I immediately I picked up on and something I didn't like.

"Firstly, she has a huge crush on the golden boy" She revealed to the group who looked at me in scorn at that and I felt myself shifting uncomfortably at that statement ㅡ what was Elara doing?

Then, she slid closer to the circle, grinning. "Actually, Drasa has a job."

The entire group perked up and so did i. What? How did she know I was a server at a club? My heart pounded in my chest and I nudged her with my leg slightly.

"What kind of job? Thinking she can get with him?" Someone snickered, eyes flickering from Elara to me.

Elara smirked. "Even better. She's a stripper."

Laughter exploded around me. My stomach dropped at her lie. Stripper?

"What?" I choked out.

Elara leaned back, stretching her arms and blatantly ignoring me. "Yeah, she works at that club. You know the one. Thought she looked familiar. I found that out yesterday"

More laughter. More taunts. The world around me seemed to spin and my lips slightly parted.

I knew it. I was stupid to think that I could fit in with the elites, she just wanted to humiliate me.

"Ohhh, so she's not just a freak...she's a slut too." The boy who had made a comment about my hair said, his voice filled with mockery

I shot to my feet, my pulse hammering and I felt the urge to break down and cry but no, screw them, I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. "That's not true."

But no one was listening. They were laughing, chanting, jeering. "C'mon, sweetheart, give us a show," one of the guys hooted at me.

My breathing turned ragged and I tried to move, but suddenly, a hand latched onto my wrist.

"Let me go," I snapped, yanking my arm, but his grip tightened around my arm.

"Why so shy? You take your clothes off for strangers all the time, don't you?" The boy smirked at me, giving me a slow appraising look.

Laughter. More mocking voices that threatened to swallow me whole.

Panic crept up. I struggled, trying to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. My vision blurred and my pulse roared in my ears. I could barely hear myself over the noise and over the humiliation tightening around my chest.

"Let. Me. GO!" I snapped.

Then it happened. A surge of anger shot through me and I felt my eyes dim slightly which only meant one thing... My eye color had flickered to the strange purple it did whenever I mistakenly tapped into my witch power.

I saw it in his face first. The way his cocky grin vanished. The way his fingers uncurled instantly and He stumbled back, eyes wide. "What the-"

The laughter stopped as though on cue and panic gripped me.

Everyone was staring.

Shit.

Everyone stared at me. Not laughing anymore. Not mocking anymore. Just... watching.

No, no. I had sworn never to allow a slip up, I couldn't afford anyone finding out. I turned and bolted.

Pushing past bodies, shoving my way down the hall, my heart slamming against my ribs, my hands trembled. I barely registered what had happened, but I knew one thing...I had shown something I shouldn't have.

I needed to hide or cry. Whichever one came first. I yanked open the first door I found that said bathroom, rushing inside and locking it behind me. My breathing was ragged, my chest heaving.

And then I turned. And froze.

A guy stood there, pulling off his belt, his shirt half-open but at the sight of me, he froze, his lips slightly parted.

Our eyes met and I realized I was staring at the same blue eyed boy I had even come to this goddamn place for but this wasn't the circumstances I had ever wanted to meet him under.

Shit.