Alpha Bully (4 page)

“You heard the news?” Jack asked.

“What news?” Marshall headed toward his locker, ready
to get rid of some of his crap.

“New family has joined. One of the guys is totally
hot.” Jack spoke the last in a high pitched voice.

“What do you know about them?”

“New family, totally hot, that’s about it.”

Marshall chuckled. “I’ve got a lot more shit going on
in my world than a new guy.”

“Could be fun.”

“I doubt it.” Marshall put his bag into the locker,
grabbing out his books.

“This is going to be an interesting year,” Jack said.

“Yep, it is. How bad could it be?”

“Cheryl stinks, and we’ve got no chance of finding
anyone else to fuck.” Jack stuck out his bottom lip.

Laughing, Marshall slammed his locker closed, heading
down the long corridor toward his first lesson. He could do this. One year with
heightened senses, smelling every emotion and scent, yeah, he could handle it. All
he needed to worry about was trying to get laid. Once he was laid everything
else would be fine.

As he entered his first class, the smells intensified,
but he was determined to make his father proud of him. He wouldn’t let the pack
down.

****

First day back
at school and she was running late.
Scarlett cursed
as she parked her brand new car into the only available parking space. Running
into the building, she noticed how abandoned the corridor was. She went
straight for her locker, putting her bag inside, grabbing the necessary books
before heading to her first lesson. Math wasn’t her strongest point, and the
annoyance on Mr.
Bunkirk’s
face didn’t help any.
Taking a seat in the back, she bowed her head over her text book. Sniggers hit
her from the popular kids. Sitting in the back was a big mistake. She usually
took a seat in the front to avoid the risk of being bullied.

Not good. Not good.

Scarlett forced herself to focus on the numbers in
front of her. If it hadn’t been for her father being determined to give her a
new car, she wouldn’t have been late. He’d demanded she tear off the big bow
then pose for a couple of pictures. She’d never been so embarrassed in all of
her life. This was her last year of high school, and her folks wanted it to be
memorable. All she wanted to do was survive each day as it came.

“She’s still fat.”

“I’m surprised she showed her face.”

Doing everything she could to ignore the cruel jibes,
she worked out the sums on the board before working on the ones set in the
text. All too soon the bell was ringing, bringing the lesson to a close.

Slamming her book closed, she looked up as a shadow
passed over her desk.

“Next time, sit in your own place, loser.”

Her heart hammered inside her chest. First day of
school and already she’d fucked up. Pushing the hair off her face, she
swallowed past the lump in her throat.

“Scarlett, I expect you to be on time next lesson,” Mr.
Bunkirk
said.

“I will. I’m really sorry.”

“Get to your next class.”

Grabbing her books, she made it toward her next class,
making sure to take a seat right at the front away from the popular squad.

“Did you see how big they were?” Cheryl said, moaning.
“I’m so going to be fucking one of them by the end of the week, if not the end
of the day.”

“Who are you talking about?” This came from Dawn, the
best friend.

“Marshall and
Jack.
Both of them were huge. Man, I so want to fuck them.”

Scarlett winced at the crudeness coming from the other
girl. She wasn’t an idiot and knew a lot of her peers had already given up the
V-card. There was no way she would be giving up her virginity to any of the
guys in school. Not that they’d ever go for someone like her. She was too big,
and no matter how much she tried to diet, exercise, or even starve herself,
nothing helped. Her size remained the same. It was like she was supposed to be
this size.

“You’ve had both of them.”

“And I’m going to have them again. They’re huge. Wait
until you see them. They’re really O material now.”

Shutting Cheryl’s comments out of her mind, Scarlett
listened to the teacher talk about history. She’d never been fussed for history,
but it was one of those really important classes that they made you take.

In no time at all it was lunch break. Walking to her
locker, she grabbed her bag where she’d packed some sandwiches and vegetable
sticks. Her parents didn’t know she packed a lunch. She’d learned early at
school not to put herself in danger of being in the queues. Exiting the school,
she found a tree and took a seat. Pulling out a book, she grabbed her small
box, opening it up.

She turned the book to the page she needed and started
to read as she ate her lunch.

“So, I was hoping to see you.”

Scarlett recognized that voice. Glancing up, she was
shocked to see Trey staring down at her.

“Trey?”

“Ah, you remember my name.” He sat down in front of
her, pulling his bag in front of him. “Why are you eating out here?”

Biting her lip, she looked down at her food. “Erm, I
don’t, erm, I never eat in the lunch hall.”

“Why not?”

Staring at him, Scarlett wondered if he even thought
about what he was saying. “It’s safer to eat out here.”

He continued to look at her, confused.

“I’m not exactly popular. It gets boring being called
a pig every day.”

Trey’s cheeks went red. “You’re bullied here?”

“It’s, erm, it’s a given. I’m overweight, and it’s not
really—” Scarlett stopped feeling her own cheeks heat. “I don’t actually know
what to say.”

“May I sit and eat with you?”

She nodded.

“Where are your other friends?”

Staring down at her sandwich, Scarlett started to lose
what little appetite she had. “I’ve not really got the best track record with
friends.”

No one wanted to hang out with her in case the
bullying turned around on her.

“Well, I’d love to be your friend.”

Looking up, she saw he was smiling back.

“Are you sure? They could bully you as well.”

“I can handle myself, believe me.”

Chuckling, she closed her book and stared back at him.
“Okay, if you want to risk it.”

“For you, I will.”

Heat bloomed inside her. It was nice to have someone
who wasn’t calling her names.

Chapter Four

Marshall stopped outside of his locker room. Everyone
was charging toward the lunchroom. Hunger filled the air, but something caught
Marshall’s attention. All of his senses went on high alert at the smell of
fresh roses, the earth, and home.

Mate!

His wolf came roaring to the surface, demanding he
find her.

“Whoa, Marshall, what the fuck, man?” Jack put a hand
on his shoulder.

Gritting his teeth, Marshall struggled against the
need coursing through him. His body was burning up. The need to claim was
stronger than ever before. This couldn’t be happening, and yet it was.

“She’s here,” Marshall said.

“Who?”

Closing his eyes, Marshall blew out a breath. The
scent of his mate was fading. Where was she? Who was she?

“Mate.”

“Holy fuck, for
real?”

“Yes.”

“Shit, do you want me to call your father?”

Marshall shook his head. He didn’t want his father
here. It wouldn’t help. His wolf would calm the moment he found the woman meant
for him, the woman who’d calm the beast inside him.

“No. I’ve got to find her.”

“Shit, I hope it’s not a teacher. That would be
totally messed up.”

Laughing, Marshall slammed his locker closed. He’d
find his mate and everything would be okay.

“Let’s go and find her.”

“You’re going to sniff her out like a dog?”

“I’ve got to do this on my own. Get us some food.”

“Are you sure?”

Marshall didn’t want to share this moment with anyone
else. This was all him, and the thought of having Jack there didn’t ease him at
all.

“Yeah.”

“I can’t wait to see who it is.”

He waited for his friend to leave before he picked up
the floral scent once again.

Go. Find her. Claim her.

Marshall came to a stop at the doors leading outside.
The moment he went outside he was at risk of losing her.

She’s out there. Go now!

His wolf pounced, and Marshall walked outside.

The scent increased as he made his way around the
building. When he saw a blond guy around his age sitting in front of the tree,
Marshall froze. There was no fucking way his mate was male.

Marshall would rather die than fuck another man.

Then he heard her voice. It was soft, delicate, and
belonged to his true mate. He closed his eyes as he basked in the sound and
scent of his mate. She was leaning against the tree. His cock thickened, ready
to mate. Stepping closer, Marshall
felt
his whole
world collide, explode, implode, shatter, and fall around him.

Underneath the tree sat his mate, Scarlett Fields. The
one girl he’d spent a great deal of time bullying. Was this the reason he was
obsessed with her? His body had known before him that she was destined to be
his mate? She was oblivious to his presence, smiling at the mystery guy. He
didn’t like it. His wolf growled, clawed, and spat wanting to kill the man who
was making their mate smile.

Scarlett is my mate.

He stood reeling from the knowledge. There had always
been something about her over the years, but he’d never understood what it was.
The scent that had clung to her had always been nice. This time, his wolf
senses were addicted. Her overweight figure no longer seemed wrong to him. She
would be able to handle him, take his cock inside her warm body. Scarlett was
built to be his mate, to handle his wolf.

Without thinking, he stepped closer. He snapped a twig
on his way over to her.

Scarlett looked up, and he was drowning in her brown
gaze. Marshall stopped as mixed with her addictive scent was the undeniable
smell of fear. She was afraid of him. Her eyes went wide as she stared back at
him. Did she know what he was? Who he was?

Then the other dawning horror struck him. His mate was
human.

“Scarlett? Are you okay?”

Her gaze flickered away from him. “Yeah, I’m sorry.”

Do something.

He was making a total ass of himself. Walking up to
Scarlett, he leaned against the tree.

“Hello, Scarlett, I was wondering when I was going to
see you.”

She tucked some hair behind her ear. The glossy brown
length made him want to run his fingers through the locks. Her hair looked so
damned soft to the touch.

“Hello.”

Wow, fucking hell.
The one word from her lips
had the beast inside him calming.

“Who are you?” The male’s voice interrupted that calm,
invading his thoughts.

Glaring down at the blond, Marshall smelled the human
didn’t like him.
What fucking ever.

“Trey, this is Marshall.” Scarlett made the introductions.

“You’re new here?”

“Certainly am. Scarlett here is making me feel right
at home.” Trey’s smile was filled with so much promise.

“Scarlett, can I talk to you?” Marshall asked, glaring
at Trey.

“What? Why?”

“I really need to talk to you.”

The fear increased, and she looked down at her bag as
if looking for an excuse not to. “Erm, okay.”

She got to her feet, leaving her bag on the ground.

Reaching out, he went to grab her arm but stopped when
she flinched away. She was totally afraid of him. All of his father’s warnings
crashed through him as stared into her brown eyes. Not only did his father’s
warnings come over him but all the years where he’d been cruel to her, came
upon him all at once. He’d done this. His mate, his very reason for living,
didn’t trust him.

His wolf wasn’t happy.

Marshall didn’t touch her. Stepping away from Trey, he
waited for her to stand in front of him. She wore dungarees that hid a great
deal of her body. The white shirt underneath was rolled up to her elbows
showing her arms. His body responded to the sight of her. This time he wasn’t
unhappy about his body’s response to her. He relished it. He’d found his mate.