The Wallflower And The Alphas

"Stop! Avery," I heard a deep, masculine voice behind me.

­Tears streamed down my cheeks as I ran. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to die.

­“Please, sweetheart,” another voice called, closer this time.

­I shook my head and kept walking faster. I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want to see them. I wanted them to leave me alone. But then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It turned me around, forcing me to face him, and standing beside him was someone I knew all too well. His handsome face was unmistakable—Jake Stone.

­And the one who grabbed me? Elijah Wood. Behind them stood Andrew Bradford and Matthew Steele. The most beautiful badasses. The Alphas. My crushes. My mates.

­All four of them.

­I wished this nightmare would end. I wanted the night to vanish, to rewind time—back to two months ago, before I knew the truth. Before I discovered I had four mates. Before everything fell apart.

­Two months ago, I thought I was invisible. A nobody. A wallflower. A loser. "Miss Piggy," they called me. "Geek-face fugly she-wolf." No one cared about me, the butt of every joke. I sighed, thinking about those days until the night I turned nineteen, the night I learned my life was full of surprises—and cruel twists.

­Now here I was, outside in the cold and dark, running, trying to escape them. Someone grabbed my arm, but I yanked it free. I needed to be alone to cry, to shatter into pieces.

­Do you want to know why? Why I’m running and crying?

­It all started as a bet.

­Yes, a bet.

­I was a fool to believe they cared about me. What I should’ve done is worn a sign on my back that said, “Kick me! I’m stupid!” Because that’s how I felt. I was their punching bag, their joke, their slave.

­Everything was different lately, though. They stopped harassing me. Stopped teasing me. Stopped tripping me in the hallways. They even stopped hanging me upside down on the flagpole—yes, that happened. And I was wearing a dress that day. Let’s just say everyone saw my underwear.

­Last night, for the first time, I thought things were changing. I thought they cared. It was perfect, right up until I overheard Jake and Elijah talking.

­"You have to tell her now, or I will," Jake said.

­But I didn’t hear the rest of what Jake said. I only heard three words from Elijah’s mouth.

­“Bet. And I won.”

­I didn’t stick around to see their expressions. I didn’t need to. The damage was done. Elijah Wood said it himself. It was all a bet. My heart shattered into a million sharp pieces.

­Once upon a time, there was a girl and four boys. They were friends. But one day, the boys changed. They became cruel, bullies, tormentors. And now? Now I was their mate. A special witch. Something unique, unlike any other werewolf or witch—a girl with not one, but four mates. My childhood bullies: Elijah Wood, Jake Stone, Andrew Bradford, and Matthew Steele.

­***

­“Daddy! Mommy! You’re back!” I squealed with excitement, rushing toward them. My parents had been gone for a month, off fighting a war. I had missed them so much. I watched as other warriors from the BlueHawk pack returned to their families, and my heart ached with happiness for everyone reuniting.

­But then I realized something was wrong. My grandparents weren’t among them.

­I looked up at my parents and froze. My mother’s tear-streaked face told me everything. My father wouldn’t even meet my eyes, tears falling silently down his cheeks.

­“No!” I whispered. “Not them… anything but that.”

­Before they could speak, I bolted, running away as fast as my legs could carry me.

­***

­I found myself at the waterfall, my favorite place to think. Sitting at the edge, I let my tears fall freely. My grandparents were gone, killed in battle. The grief was unbearable. I wanted revenge. I wanted to kill the RedBlood Alpha, to make him feel the same pain I felt.

­Lost in thought, I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me until it was too late. I gasped, spinning around, and there he was. Elijah Wood. His dark, frosted blue eyes held a concerned expression for a fleeting moment before they hardened, masking whatever emotion had surfaced.

­“Hey, what are you staring at, dude?” Angelstar, my wolf, growled in my head. She was bold and fiery, everything I wasn’t. I’d only gotten her two weeks ago, and she was already the complete opposite of me—feisty, brave, outgoing, with stunning purple fur and bright blue eyes.

­Elijah approached and sat beside me. I stiffened, unsure of what he would do. But to my surprise, he sighed and spoke softly.

­“I’m sorry about your grandparents,” he said, wrapping his arm around my waist.

­My breath hitched. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I struggled to process what was happening. Elijah Wood, the boy who had tormented me for years, was comforting me. I didn’t dare speak or move, afraid to shatter the moment.

­When I turned to look at him, he was already staring at me. I gave him a hesitant nod and a small smile before turning back to the water, watching it cascade into the darkness below.

­For the first time, Elijah didn’t insult me or hurt me. We sat in silence, and for once, I felt a strange sense of peace with him. I didn’t want it to end.

­Then, in the back of my mind, I heard a voice. Not Angelstar, but something else.

­“Avery, you will be the greatest wolf ever alive.”

­Chills ran down my spine. What did that mean? Was I truly as unique as they said, or was my destiny something even greater?

Avery P.O.V.

­"Avery, hey, girl!" I heard Ashley's voice call out behind me.

­I turned to see Ashley Williams, my best friend, and my cousin Natalie Steele running toward me, their bright smiles lighting up their faces. Both of them were gorgeous—long legs, flawless blonde hair, and figures like runway models. Meanwhile, I was the complete opposite: short, with a round waist, small chest, and acne. My thick glasses perched on my round face didn’t help. I couldn’t help but wonder why they wanted to hang out with me. I was the shy nerd who never stood up for herself.

­I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t beautiful either. People always said I was a “lovely young lady,” but I never believed it. My self-esteem had been chipped away by years of teasing.

­Snapping back to the present, I focused on my friends approaching me, still grinning. They stopped by the steps leading to the front door of our high school.

­"Hey, girls," I said, smiling shyly. "How was your summer vacation?" I asked, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

­"Oh, girl!" Ashley said with a loud, excited voice. Too loud. I cringed as heads turned to stare at us. Judging eyes fell on me, and I wished I could disappear. My heart raced, hoping I wouldn’t run into *him* today. Maybe this year, he’d forget I even existed.

­But, of course, life wasn’t that kind.

­"Hey, slut," a voice growled behind me.

­I froze. My shoulders tensed, and my legs shook as butterflies swarmed my stomach—not the good kind. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

­"Hey, I’m talking to you, bitch," the voice snarled, closer now.

­A hand grabbed my arm, pulling me roughly. His breath was close to my ear, and the heat of his presence made me shiver. *Not this year, please,* I begged silently. *Just leave me alone.*

­“Come on,” Angelstar, my wolf, urged in my mind. “Tell him off!”

­I sighed, my eyes closing. My lips trembled as I prepared for the cruel words that always seemed to spill from Elijah Wood’s kissable lips. My cheeks flushed at the thought of kissing him—a ridiculous, humiliating thought.

­"Tell him off, Avery! Don’t let him treat you like this!" Angelstar growled, her frustration palpable.

­"I can’t," I whispered back in my head. "He’s the Alpha-to-be. He could ruin me."

­"He already does that," Angelstar hissed. "You don’t deserve this. Fight back!"

­But I wasn’t brave. I wasn’t strong like other she-wolves. I was nothing but a shy nerd.

­"Hey, Elijah! Leave her alone! She didn’t do anything to you!" Ashley’s voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. She stepped forward, hands on her hips, glaring at Elijah with defiance.

­"Stay out of it," Elijah growled back at her, his voice low and threatening.

­Ashley didn’t flinch. She rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything more, Jayson Wood, Elijah’s cousin, appeared out of nowhere. In a blur, he grabbed Ashley by the neck, holding her in place.

­“You will not disrespect your Alpha!” he growled, his dark blue eyes blazing.

­Ashley met his gaze without fear, her fire undiminished. “What are you going to do about it, Jayson?” she taunted. “Beat me? Punish me? Or will you be a coward and get your buddies to do it for you while you stand back and enjoy the show?”

­Jayson’s smirk was infuriating. “Listen, sweet cake,” he drawled, pulling her closer. “I don’t need help to handle you. And I don’t beat women. But if I put my hands on them, it’s for something else entirely.”

­He leaned in further, lowering his voice so only she could hear, but we all caught his words. “And the only time I’m a pussy is when I’m eating it.”

­The crowd around us erupted into gasps and murmurs. I stood frozen, shocked by his crude audacity.

­Ashley didn’t back down, though. “Jayson, you’re a disgusting asshole,” she said, turning her face away in disgust.

­“Oh yeah? Let’s see how disgusting I can get,” he murmured, his voice dripping with smugness.

­Before I could step in, I felt myself being hoisted into the air. I screamed as I was flung over someone’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. My face burned as I realized who it was.

­Elijah.

­“Put me down!” I cried, squirming.

­“Not a chance,” he replied with a laugh.

­And just like that, I knew what was coming. *The flagpole.*

­“Please, Elijah!” I begged as tears welled in my eyes. “I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you hate me!”

­He didn’t respond. Moments later, I was dangling from the flagpole, high above the crowd. The breeze tugged at my skirt, and I struggled to hold it down.

­The crowd erupted into laughter.

­“Sexy undies, Avery!” one guy shouted.

­“Slut!” a girl yelled.

­I bit my lip, humiliated, as cruel words echoed around me. My grip on my skirt failed, and I felt the fabric lift completely. Laughter turned into whistles and jeers.

­“You can climb my pole anytime!” another guy hollered.

­Elijah stood below, staring up at me. His face was unreadable, but his wolf, Axe, growled in my head.

­“They’re staring at her,” Axe said angrily.

­*Why does that matter?* I asked, confused. *I’m just a nerd to him.*

­But Elijah’s gaze darkened. The crowd’s words grew louder, more vicious. Girls called me names, but the guys were worse, their lewd comments making my stomach churn.

­“HEY!” Elijah’s voice roared suddenly.

­The crowd fell silent. Everyone stared at him, stunned by the power in his tone.

­I blinked, unsure what was happening. For a brief moment, I thought I saw something in his eyes—a flicker of regret or maybe anger—but it vanished before I could be sure.

­All I knew was that, for the first time, Elijah Wood looked like he might actually care.