Chapter 15

I’m hanging around behind the school building, waiting for my mates and subtely smoking when I hear
the snooty cheerleaders coming past. Christ, I can’t stand the shallow, vain creatures. For some reason
Jessica keeps trying to search me out and I know it’s because she likes me. A shame because I really,
really dislike her. I press my back against the brick wall and pray I’m not seen as they walk past.

“I gave that little b***h what for” Jessica says, flipping her long hair and inspecting her fingernails.

“We sure did” another girl laughs and I wonder which girl they are talking about. Jessica had so many
enemies it was hard to keep track of them.

“Did you see how she couldn’t even get up” Jessica sneers and the girls all laugh out loud as I roll my
eyes. Clearly they’d beaten up some poor girl in a pack. It was pure cowardice to gang up on a single
person but then since when was Jessica fair in anything she did?

“She deserved it. That Alpha Johnathon is going to be mine and she needs to learn her place” Jessica
huffs. So this was over the Alpha now attending our school. Why am I not surprised Jessica now has
him in her sights? She certainly got around, that was for sure.

“I heard he rejected her”

“Of course he did, an Alpha is never going to be with a lowly shifter such as her.”

It’s just my luck that they’ve stopped right in front of me, gossiping in their group, their backs turned to
me. I silently swear. If I move I’ll be noticed. I’m stuck where I am until they choose to leave, which
judging by the way they were talking to each other wasn’t likely to be anytime soon. I sigh.

They are still talking in those loud, high pitched annoying voices that I swear every damn cheerleader
in the school possesses.



“She’s so disgusting”

“She’s pathetic”

“She didn’t even try to fight back”

“That’s because she’s weak. An Alpha needs a strong Luna by their side, like me” Jessica declares and
I almost scoff as the other girls begin to agree. Spineless cowards, every single one of them.

“Do you think we’ll be punished?”

“As if she’s going to tell. How many times have we hurt her and she’s said nothing, just stood there and
taken it?

Besides the principal is a friend of my parents, there’s no way he would dare try and do anything.”

Now I’m beginning to become suspicious, pressing myself against the wall and venturing slightly closer
in order

to hear their whispers.

“I wonder if she’s still in the classroom?”

“Do you think we should go back?”

Jessica looked incredulous. “I’m not going back to check on the little b***h. Someone will find her
eventually”

she said dismissively and her friends fall silent.

“Winter will be fine” Jessica says, beginning to walk to the car as her little clique group follows, waving
goodbyes



She’d said Winter was beaten up. I hesitate but this time I can’t help myself and begin to turn towards
the classrooms. One of my friends runs up. “Just so you know, Winter was taken to the nurses office”
he says with a sly grin, thinking that I won’t care as usual. He’s in for a shock because I instantly take
off in a run, heading straight to run where Winter had been taken, crashing through the door and
effectively startling the nurse.

“Where is she” | growl, my hands clenching into fists. The nurse fairly gapes at me as my eyes sweep
around the room, narrowing in on the bed which was empty. Surely Winter hadn’t walked home? Not in
her condition.

“Are you talking about Winter” she says timidly and I give a short nod, impatiently waiting for her to tell
me where my little sister has gone.

“She’s gone to the hospital” she offers before her own eyes narrow on me, her arms folded. I flinch
from the look on her face.

“Your sister” she said pointedly, glaring at me “was badly beaten and needs to be checked out. Not only
that”

she snaps “but she has old bruises over her body. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that
would you” she

growls and I feel a sense of remorse and regret. I have no doubts that a lot of the bruises where ones
inflicted by me.

The nurse knows it too for she looks at me with nothing but contempt in her eyes.

I say nothing. After all she’s right, I have hurt my little sister and for what? The approval of a drunken
father who



never even knew we existed half the time? God I feel sick to my stomach. What have I done? Why had
I let father mold me into a monster? I’d failed Winter and my poor mother would be devastated if she’d
seen the way I treated my little

sister. I say nothing however and hurry out to my car.

I get to the hospital but Winter is gone, apparently having gone home with the Alpha of all people. I’m
angry that

he’s been by her side this entire time when I know that it should have been me helping her. Her big
brother should be the one looking out for her and even though I know it’s irrational, part of me is going
into overprotective mode. I slam my hands down on the steering wheel in frustration. Winter had to be
at home and I start the car, slowly peeling out of the parking lot, my thoughts coming in droves. How
did I convince Winter that I would change? She only had my past actions to go on and I knew that it
was going to take a massive effort on my part to show her that I could be the big brother she’d always
wanted, could be relied on to be there for her. I would have to beg and work for forgiveness from her,
but that seemed only right. God what had I done? I could blame my father but I was also equally to
blame for my own actions. I should have stopped listening to him by now, started thinking for myself
and refused to do what he wanted. I would never make that mistake again, I decided, just as I pulled
my car into the driveway.