Yorick

I''ve been kicked out of Sparring ss four times this week for no reason other than Alpha Leo is targeting me. Each time I''ve gotten angrier about it. I went to Alpha Nevaeh''s office to speak with her but when I arrived, there was a lot of shouting behind closed doors, so I left.

I''m hoping I''ll get a chance to speak with herter today, since it''s Friday. Otherwise, I''ll have to wait until Monday.

More and more I''m convinced that Sten is paying him to get rid of me. It''s the only thing that makes sense. He didn''t like me before, but sincest weekend when I beat the shit out of Sten, Alpha Leo has been all over me, ejecting me from ss without a good reason.

This morning starts just the same as the others, with Warrior Cammie assigning me and Piper as partners, but Alpha Leo steps in almost

immediately to put me against Megan''s other cronie, Helena.

Alpha Nevaeh tries to step in, but Alpha Leo snarls at her.

"I am in charge here. Not you. If you don''t like it, you can leave too," he snarls at her.

"Who''s paying you," I say, my temper getting the better of me.

The entire ss gets quiet as Alpha Leo slowly turns to look at me.

"What did you say?"

"I said, who''s paying you? You''re intentionally fucking me over and I want to know who is paying you to do it," I say standing my ground.

"You are nothing more than a second son who thinks he can get away with whatever he wants just because he''s an Alpha. Well, guess what? In my Academy, you''re nothing."

"Last time I checked, the Academy belonged to the Board and the Council, not you. Maybe I should take it up with them." I growl.

"GET OUT!" he snarls.

"Oh, like that''s such a big surprise! You''ve been looking for ways to get me out of this ss every damn day this week!" I snarl back.

Alpha Leo stomps over and gets in my face.

5

"Not out of ss, Yorick," he says, the same sneer that''s on his face is in his tone. "Get out of MY Academy. You''re expelled."

I hear multiple people gasping around me. My stomach feels like the earth just opened up and my body dropped five floors.

"You can''t do that," I whisper, holding on to the very tenuous thread of my fury.

"I can and I did. Pack your shit and get off this campus. If you''re still here at lunch time, I''ll have security throw you out!"

Thad reacts instinctively, leaping to attack, ready to take out Alpha Leo. It''s Alpha Nevaeh who tackles me to the ground.

"Get off me!" I snarl.

"If you attack him, it''s done, I will fight for you, but you can''t attack an instructor. It''s what he''s hoping for," she says quietly in my ear. "Do as he says for now. I''ll help you figure it outter."

My eyes lock on hers and I see the honesty and frustration in her eyes.

I nod and she releases me. We both stand and I re at Alpha Leo. The asshole

looks at his watch.

"You have two hours."

I snarl, turning to head back to the dorms to pack my things.

"Yorick!" Cyra says, rushing to me, throwing herself in my arms.

"Get back to ss Cyra, or I''ll expel you too," Alpha Leo says to her.

“Go Cyra. I''ll call you soon,” I tell her, kissing her quickly before pushing her back toward the ss.

I watch as the same pain I''m feeling at leaving her washes over her face. She''s

safer here than in her pack and I need her to remain on campus

and figure out what''s going on with her alliance bond. I''ll work with Wendy to figure out what''s going on with Alpha Leo.

I get back to my room, quickly packing my things. As I do, I put my earbuds in and call Cyra, knowing her phone is in her room. When it goes

to voicemail, I leave her a message.

''I know you''re as unhappy about this as I am. But I''m going to fight it. You have to stay here. If you go home, your father will push you to finalize the alliance bond with Sten. Do what you have to do to remain at the Academy. I''ll be okay. J''m going to talk to my family and I''m going to call Hacker when I leave here. Alpha Nevaeh said she''d help me. Don''t do anything to get yourself kicked out, gorgeous. I love you

and I will see you soon.''

I hang up as I finish shoving my clothes into my suitcase. I quickly grab my toiletries and shove those and everything else that I have in my bag. I find some of Cyra''s clothes and I put those in my bag too. Thad and I will need her scent once we''re gone. Being away from her is going to be extremely painful.

By the time I''m done packing my car, I have fifteen minutes to get off campus or, ording to Alpha Leo, he''ll have security escort me. I have no doubt that he''ll do just that. I take myst few minutes and write a quick note to Cyra telling her I love her. I pull my shirt over my head and put the shirt and the note in her bed, knowing it will help her sleep until I can get back to her or send her another one.

Then I jog back to the car and get in, pulling out of the parking lot just as campus security pulls up, heading inside, no doubt looking for me.

I dial Hacker, but it goes straight to voicemail. Rather than leaving a message, I hang up and speak out loud.

"Hacker, I need to talk to you." I''m not sure how his listening devices work, but I''m hoping that''s it.

From my rearview mirror, I see Cyra racing to the dormitories as I pull out of the Academy. Hopefully, my notes and my shirt will help to keep her calm. If that doesn''t work, I have to trust my friends to be there for her now that I''m gone.

Wendy POV

''Hey beautiful. I hear you''ve been ying with hackers when you should be ying with hijackers.''

I stare at the chat from an unknown person. What the fuck?

''Hacker, someone just hacked myputer,

''One sec.'' His reply is instant, just like always.

A momentter a third chat opens on myputer.

''Hijack, stop trying to steal my protégé. Get your own. Sphinx, meet Hijack. He works with me.''

''Maybe Sphinx wants to test her skills with something a little more in-depth than what she can get from hacking,'' Hijack types. "Hey Sphinx.

19:51 Fri, 8 Aug M

''Hey, Hijack. Nice to meet you,'' I say.

"It''s not nice to meet him. I''m much more fun to work with. Why are you harassing

my protégé, Hijack? If you want a protégé, get your en

She''s mine.''

Being around Alpha males my entire life, I''m guessing Hijack is an Alpha as well.

They''re always very possessive. I roll my eyes.

''Knock it off, boys. I''m not a toy to pass around.''

"Damn, Hacker. I can see why you''ve been keeping her hidden. She''s fun,'' Hijack

says.

''Hijack, why are you harassing Sphinx?'' It sounds like Hacker is losing his patience with Hijack.

''I need herputer to run some things that I don''t want getting back to me?

''She''s underage.''

I know. It''s not illegal, I just don''t want it being traced to me. If it''s traced to her, it

will only make it easier for her to get into the Academy next

year.''

''You told him about my application?'' I ask, incensed with Hacker.

''We''re a team, Sphinx. If you''re as good as I already know you are, next year

you''ll be part of this team. But you''re still MY protégé, Hacker

says.

''We''ll see about that. Now beautiful, may I use yourputer? You can watch me

work and then you''ll get to see whose work really is more

fun.''

Are they fighting over me?

I think for a moment. ''Do I get a picture? I like having a face to go with a name.''

A momentter I get an image that''s so simr to the one I sent Hacker, that I know he''s the one who sent it.

''Nice try, asshole.'' That''s from Hijack.

A momentter, I get an image of the man who is definitely all Alpha. Damn, is it a criteria of the Academy''s IT team to be smoking hot? He''s got dark blond hair and from what I can tell greenish-brown eyes, with some swirling tattoo down his right arm. The two men couldn''t look any more different.

''So, do I get to use yourputer, beautiful.''

''Why do you keep calling me beautiful? Do you even know what I look like?'' I ask.

An image of me at Yorick''s eighteenth birthday several months ago shes up on the screen.

''Where the fuck did you get that?'' Hacker asks.

''There''s a reason I''m called Hijack, beautiful. can hijack nearly any system out there. Computers are easy.''

He''s obviously ignoring Hacker''s question and instead telling me how he got the

picture.

''Okay, you can use myputer. As long as I can watch.''

''Careful, I may start calling you Kink,'' he says. Before I cane up with a snarky

response, myputer starts moving at the speed of light

19:51 Fri, 0 Aug

Holy Mother Moon Goddess. Harker wust right to be worried. Th

fascinating

I almost ignore the ping of my chat, but when i re down, i see that cher sent

ma a niesener an dur private char

Are you ready for your brother to know you''re sphinx?

''No, why?

''He got dismissed from the Academy today. He''s on his way home. I''ve got when

he needs to fight the expulsion. I just wasn''t sure if you wanted iting from me

or you. Dismissed! Yorick is going to be devastated.

''Can I see it?'' I ask.

''Of course. You helped me find it. Unless you''re nning to be someone

else''s Padawan.

I smile.

''You know I can see your private chat, right?'' Hijack says on the group chat.

''Yeah. Don''t care. She''s still my protégé.''

Come to the dark side, beautiful. We have much more fun over here.''

Hacker sends an image of a snarling wolf.

Holy crap, I think they are fighting over me. I go back to the individual chat with Hacker.

I''m still Team Hacker,'' I say.

''That''s my girl,'' he says, and I get a ping in my inbox.

''Give me time, beautiful. I can show you the ways of the world,'' Hijack says.

Another snarling wolf image shows up.

1 ignore them and open up the email. When I read through it, I look back at what

Hijack is doing on myputer.

''This is about Alpha Leo?''

''Yep, I''m following the money!/

''Why can''t you do this on yourputer?''

"We need a reason to dig so deep. Hacker''s working on the payment and confidentiality use so we have a reason to dy Council, but once this goes to

court, and it will go to court, we need a reason to have gone so deep into our investigation."

''Won''t the time stamp be off?'' 1 ask.

Hijack highlights the date on theputer, then the date and time changes to just

over a week ago.

''Holy crap!''

''See, we have much more fun over here.

the

19:51 Fri, 8 Aug?

This time Hacker sends an image of one wolf holding the other by the throat on

the ground.

Oh boy. As thrilled as I am that two very intelligent, powerful men are interested in

me, I''m more concerned about Yorick. He''s going to be a mess when he gets

home.

AD