Chapter 2

• “…so you told your new family about me?”
• “Eris, they are helping us.”
• I snorted, “They are helping you.”
• I was staring dumbly at the uniform on my bed.
• “So I’ve to go to this new school.”
• “You have to finish High school. I talked with West, and he helped me to get you into this school. No other school would have accepted you,” She stressed. She was seated on my bed. “You didn’t come downstairs for dinner, and you didn’t eat breakfast with us either. You can’t keep doing this, Eris. It’s not what I want for you.”
• “Mom, stop. You want me to go to the school? I will go.”
• She smiled now. “Hurry up, I will pack some breakfast for you, you can get a ride with Ocean.”
• “I don’t want that. Give me a ride instead.”
• She nodded with a smile, “I will, honey.” She got up from the bed and placed a kiss on my cheek.
• Since I was eight, it had always been mom and I, for as long as I could remember. I hated that she hid the fact that she was seeing another man, that she had fallen in love and wanted to get married again.
• Did she think that I would’ve been against it?
• I was angry because she didn’t consider me, and lied to me.
• “You’re going to love your new school…” Mom was rambling throughout the ride. I hadn’t seen her smile in a long time, but after just a few days in this house, she laughed a lot, smiled so hard that her cheek probably hurt.
• “Do you want your car? I will ask…”
• “It’s fine. You can just come to get me after school hours.”
• She nodded and fell quiet.
• She drove into the school gate, and I sighed.
• “The mating ritual is tomorrow night. It’s a big event, and Winterfall is the one hosting it this year, that’s why they have been busy. You’re coming, right? You’re of age, you’re eighteen now, and that means you’re eligible to be at the mating ritual…” She smiled. “You will find your mate.”
• I opened the car door and stepped out. “See you later.” I closed the door, I didn’t want to listen to her talk about mates and all.
• I walked around the school with the road map in my hand, I didn’t want to ask anyone for help.
• I got to a point and stopped walking, I heard the sound of grunts, and pleading.
• I dropped my hands to my side and made my way down, faint voices were coming from there, and the smell of cigarettes.
• There was a scuffle happening. More like a beating up. The boy was already on his knees, and his uniform had been stained with blood. He got hit again.
• “Please,” he begged, but he was struck again, hard, over and over again, violently, ignoring the blood that was spilling out of his mouth.
• I started to hyperventilate, flashes of that man above me, hitting me with his belt, kicking my stomach vigorously with his shoes on.
• My hand went around my neck, and I started to loosen the tie that was on my neck. I couldn’t breathe. It was bringing back memories of the past that I wanted to forget.
• My eyes got cloudy, and I leaned against the wall.
• “Ocean, please…” I heard the voice again and peeped back at them. Ocean spat the cigarette out of his mouth and slapped him.
• I gasped despite myself.
• He stopped, and glanced back. He caught me staring at me before I could take my gaze off.
• I backed away and started to walk further away from them, he stopped me.
• His hands went down to his waist.
• “Were you spying on me?” He asked in a demanding tone.
• I swallowed, stricken with fear. He saw this, and his gaze softened a bit. He reached out to touch me, and I took a step back.
• “Don’t tell my father what you saw.”
• He acted like a saint in front of the Alpha, but he was the complete opposite of it.
• “Don’t act like you know me, then I won’t say a word,” I said in a shaky voice.
• “But…” He smacked his lips. “Everyone knows we are related because my father arranged your admission. Ask for something else.” With every step that he took, I moved back from him.
• He scratched the back of his neck. “Just don’t get in my way, Iris. You might regret it.Aand don’t say a word about this to my father.” He turned, and walked out. He was heading back there, to continue beating up that boy.
• My knees weakened and someone grabbed a hold of my hand, and helped me up.
• “Hey, are you okay?” The soothing voice asked. I stared at my side and nodded at him.
• He let go of my hand and brought out a packet of milk. “Here. It will help you calm down.” He stretched out the milk to me. I took it from his hand. “Thank you.”
• “I’m Kasper.” He gave me a sweet smile. “You must be the new girl, Eris.”
• His presence had a way of calming me. It seemed genuine, innocent, and pure.
• “Did you get lost?”
• “You saw me with him,” I mentioned.
• “Yes,” he replied.
• “So why did you come to me?”
• “You looked pale.” He stated honestly.
• “I thought I should give you this. We don’t talk about Ocean, he’s kind of, like, you know…” He chuckled nervously.
• “What is he?”
• “You saw how dominant he is…and even worse…” He swallowed and shook his head. “I don’t think I should talk about that to you. I heard you’re related, and his father talked about you joining our school. Eris Abbot.” He pointed at the name tag on my uniform, and I nodded.
• Kasper wasn’t as tall as Ocean. He had a shorter, more narrow face, charming and sweet. “I can walk you to class, we are in…” He gestured, and I nodded.
• “Thanks, Kas.”
• He chuckled. “I kinda like that. Kas.”
• He walked me to class, talking all the way, something random about the school, that didn’t have to do with Ocean, and it helped me to calm and be myself again.
• “I’m Eris Abbot. I have no intention of getting along with anyone. I want to do the final exams and leave. So you all better leave me the fuck alone.”
• The teacher gave me a long stare after my introduction. “Find an empty seat.” She cleared her throat.
• I walked into the classroom, where Kasper was already seated, and he gave me a small smile. I walked over to the next row, and Ocean was there. He had his eyes on me. I looked away and moved to the next row, and took an empty seat at the back.
• I heard whispers around me, and noticed glances towards my direction. I kept my head on my desk till the end of the class.
• I didn’t go out of the classroom even when it was lunchtime. I brought out the food that mom packed for me and ate.
• “…that’s Ocean’s sister. The Alpha mentioned her joining the academy. She’s so weird.”
• “Step-sister,” I corrected the girl who was standing outside the glass window. “Ocean and I ain’t related, and our parents ain’t married yet, so mind your words.”
• “But you got expelled from your school. Isn’t that the reason you came to the pack because no other school would accept you since you’re in your final year? Talk about some nepotism.”
• I slammed my hands on my desk.
• “I thought you were lucky. You don’t know how it feels to be close to Ocean. He’s super hot, especially when he's walking around or playing hockey. I can’t wait for the mating ritual, one of us might be the lucky one.” She was probably daydreaming, and I decided to ignore her as long as she didn’t involve me with Ocean West.
• “Get in the car. I will take you home.” Ocean called from his car after school.
• “I will walk.”
• “It’s about five miles and you don’t know your way around here.”
• “I will walk.”
• “Don’t be stubborn and get in the car! Eris! Get in the car now!”
• I flinched at the sound of his harsh tone. Ocean was everything that I was scared of.
• “Don’t tell me what to do!” I yelled back at him.
• “I’m trying to be nice.”
• “I don’t want you to.”
• “And you think I want to? My father forced me to do this, I don’t want to be around you weird ass either.”
• I ran a finger through my hair. “You know what, Ocean. Fuck you!” I placed my AirPods in my ears and started walking out on him.
• He got into the car, and followed me. I clenched my fist. I wouldn’t get in his car, and I meant it. Then, he turned around, and drove off, leaving me in the streets.
• I pulled out my phone from my pocket and called Mom to come get me. I had no idea where I was, but she wasn't taking my calls. I tucked it back into my pocket and kept on walking.
• “Eris.”
• I turned around, and someone was riding a motorcycle behind me. He took the helmet off.
• “Kas…”
• He smiled.
• “You want a ride home?”
• “Do you know where I live?”
• “I think everyone in the packs knows the Alpha’s mansion, and isn’t that where you’re going?”
• I gave him a small smile, and he handed a helmet to me. “Here, take it.” I put it on.
• “Get on.”
• I did and held onto him. He was like a mist that carried fragrance.
• We got to the mansion and I hopped off his Motorcycle.
• “I hope to see you at the mating ritual, Eris. I have a good feeling. You know fate brought you here to Winterfall.”
• I gave him back his helmet.
• I wasn’t quite sure about the fate part.
• “So, I will see you at the mating ritual, tomorrow night?”