Chapter 8 Choose Your Alpha

Chapter 8 Choose Your Alpha

ARDEN

“How do they beven /bknow about such data?” bI /basked, furrowing my brows, my heart racing as a sense of vulnerability washed over me. How bcan /bthey know who’s a virgin or not!

“They collected the data during the entrance exam, remember?” Tessa replied, and I froze. The memory surged back–one of the questions had been about it.

“But others bcould /blie,” I countered, attempting to brush aside the gnawing fear..

“But they won’t,” Tessa insisted. “Virgins have a mark on their scent nds that sets them apart. The school can easily verify

the truthb.” /b

“Isn’t it strange, thoughb?/b” I asked, tugging my hair closer to my scent nd. The notion of hiding the mark for the entirety of the semester hung heavy in the air.

“It is strange. Tessa sighed. “bBut /bit’s been this way since Mr. Winters took over as headmasterb. /bHe said it was an ode to the Moon Goddess, who symbolizes purity. A leader who can im someone’s purity is deemed worthy.”

I exhaled a shaky breath. “But virgins aren’t that rare, are they?”

“They are,” Tessa replied, ncing at her own scent nd–now devoid of its marking. Each werewolf’s mark represented their purity, unique to the individual. Mine was a swirling symbol of a storm, stark white against my skin.

“Since Elite epts students over twenty, most who arrive here have already met their mates by eighteen. Those who haven’t usually explore their sexuality. You know how it is–bwolves /bhave an insatiable libido. It’s in our nature.”

I fell silent, processing her words. Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Arden? Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes, I chuckled nervously, though it felt forced.

“You just seem a bit on edge.”

I sighed, tucking my jittery hands beneath the table. “It’s just alot to btake /bin,” I mumbled.

bcan /bonly imagine,” Tessa replied softly. “I was even worse when I learned all this from my sister.

So bthat /bwas how she knew babout /bthe school. My situation was different my brothers kept me in bthe /bdark.

b“/bAnyway, who do you choose?” Tessa asked, pulling me from my bthoughts /b

“Hmm We have to choose?”

Tessa nodded. “It’s for our safety. Once we’re divided into factions, things change. Being imed gives byou /bba /bbuffer. No one Crosses bsomeone /bunder the Alpha without bconsequences/b. Remember the bIvory /bSolstice? That’s when we usually choose an Alpha bto /bbe under.”

My stomach tightened, I thought of the looming ceremony, where each of us would have to dere allegiance bto /bban /bbAlpha/b.

“I didn’t think we’d be forced to choose so soon,” Immurmured,

Most already bknow /bbwho /bthey’re going to.” Tessa said, resting her chin on her palm. “They choose their own factions. But it’s not unusual to choose the strongest bAlpha/b. bHer /bvoice lowered “But it means pulling away from everything you knowb, /bwhich is why it’s thought about really bwell/b”

“bAre /byou considering Alpha Jason? He’d be the safest bet, especially since he is your True Alpha,” she added.

“bNo/b! The disgust in bmy /btone was unmistakable. I was resolute bin /bbmy /bdecision to bsteer /bclear of Jaxon Tessa blinked in surprise but thankfully didn’t pry further.

b1/3 /b

10:42 AM

Chapter 8 Choose Your Alpha

“Then what about bAlpha /bbElias/b?”

My initial impression of him wasn’t good already.

1 shook my head, meeting her gaze. “What if you don’t choose?”

Disbelief shed in her eyes, finding the question amusing.

“What do you bmean/b? That cannot be.”

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“What’s truly at stake?” I murmured. “It’s not like you’d be forbidden from graduating if you aren’t tied to an Alpha.”

She opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. “You’re… right.”

I felt a wave of brelief /bwash over me.

“But it bwon’t /bbe easy,” she cautioned. “Elite is brutal enough to those deemed ‘low. Not belonging means you’re practically asking to die. So, you should choose one, Arden. It’ll be your best protectionb./bb” /b

I hadn’t slept well for thest couple of nights. Elite was bfar /bfrom what I bhad /bexpected, band /bthere were plenty of moments when I reconsidered my decision toe here. However, thinking about my parents‘ smug faces if I retracted my decisionb. /bpulled me back each time.

“Are you ready for the first day of ss?” Tessa asked, jolting me from my thoughts.

I turned to her and managed ba /bbsmall /bsmile. “Yeah, I muttered. “I’m d we have nearly all the same sses.”

“Me too.” Tessa chimedb. /b“But wait, don’t you have any friends in your faction?”

I froze at her question. She must have noticed my nerves, as she quickly deflected it. “Don’t worry!” she eximed. “We’re on the same page. The wolves from the South aren’t too fond of me either.”

“Weird,” I said. “You’re the most pleasant person I’ve ever met.”

“Same here,” Tessa smiled. “Let’s stick together until the end. Are you ready to go?”

“Yup.” I said, standing from my bed. She wrapped her arm around mine, and together we bmade /bour way to our first ss- Pack Psychology & Bonding.

We boarded the bus, band /bI gazed out the bwindow/b, a small smile appearing oh my lips. That’s right. There was nothing to worry about. For the next btwo /byears, I bwas /bdetermined to emerge bas /ban Elite graduate. It didn’t matter if I graduated at the top of my ss; I bwanted /bmy school life to be as peaceful as possibile.

Lay low. Blend in. Gain’new knowledge and skills.

I had already been robbed of that in high school, always lingering in the shadow of my brothers. When I bfound /bout bthat /bJaxon was my mate, I thought it bwould /bbe easier, but it only became more bplicated/bb, /bI bseemed /bto have a btarget /bon my back, band /be to think of it, Jaxon bhadn’t /bdone much to protect me after all. I should have broken up with that bbastard /bsooner.

“Did you hear?” the passenger next to Tessa suddenly said, not even attempting to sound bdiscreet/b.

“What?” her friendaurned to her with a curious look

“I heard from my friend, who bhas /banother friend in the school records departmentb, /bband /bshe said that a virgin is among us this year

I froze, bsnapping /bmy gaze to bthem/b. I had just bvowed /bto bhave /ba peaceful life at this school, yet here we were

Has her identity been exposed?”

I listened to the two of thein bintently/b, my heart racing bin /bbmy /bchest from pure nervousness.

b2/3 /b

10:42 AM O

Chapter 8 Choose Your Alpha

“No,” the original gossiper replied, making me internally sigh in relief.

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“But I bet they’re looking for her already. Since all of the True Alphas are here, it’s only a matter of time before she is found.”