Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 178: Back to School

Chapter 178: Back to School

Liam’s P.O.V.

Ever since I returned to the pack, it felt like I was caught in some twisted joke orchestrated by the Moon Goddess herself. Everywhere I went, Mai Blackwood seemed to appear, her piercing silver eyes tracking my every move. At first, I thought it was just coincidence. Maybe fate had a cruel sense of humor, placing me in the orbit of my lifelong tormentor. But when it kept happening—at the pack house, the training grounds, the market—I began to wonder if she was following me.

The first time it happened was in the forest, a place I’d sought out for peace since I was a kid. It was the only place where I could escape the whispers and stares. That day, I’d grabbed my sketchpad and set out to my favorite spot by the lake, ready to lose myself in drawing.

I hadn’t realized she was there until I heard the crunch of leaves behind me. Turning around, I spotted her a few feet away, leaning casually against a tree, her arms crossed, watching me with that infuriating smirk.

"Are you stalking me now?" I blurted, clutching my sketchpad against my chest.

Mai pushed off the tree and strolled toward me, her movements as graceful as a predator stalking prey. "Relax, Liam. It’s not stalking if you’re just that predictable. Wandering into the woods alone to sketch some squirrels? Classic Rivers behavior."

I bristled. "I don’t sketch squirrels."

She arched a brow. "Oh, my bad. You’re sketching bunnies today?"

I could feel my face heating up. "What do you want, Mai? Don’t you have anything better to do than follow me around?"

Her smirk widened, and I hated how it made my chest tighten. "Just making sure you don’t get yourself killed, Omega. You know, wandering around unprotected like this... you’re practically asking to get jumped by a stronger wolf."

The implication hit hard, as it always did. Weak. Fragile. Helpless. I clenched my fists and glared at her. "You think I can’t protect myself? Just because I’m an Omega doesn’t mean I’m weak. My father’s an Omega, and he’s one of the best warriors in the pack. I could—"

"Easy, tiger," she interrupted, raising her hands in mock surrender. But the smile on her face didn’t falter—it only grew. She was enjoying this. "You’re cute when you’re mad, you know that?"

I froze. My heart skipped a beat, and I stared at her like she’d just sprouted another head. "What did you just say?"

Her own eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, I saw something almost... human in her expression. Like she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. But then, just as quickly, the mask was back.

"Never mind," she snapped, her tone turning sharp. "Forget it. Don’t get too full of yourself, Rivers." With that, she spun on her heel and stalked away, leaving me standing there, completely and utterly bewildered.

The next day was my first day back at the pack high school, and I was dreading every second of it. My parents had been so excited for me to return, talking about how much I’d grown, how everyone would see how strong I’d become. But the truth was, I wasn’t ready to face the stares, the whispers, the laughter.

After registration, the school secretary led me to my class. My heart sank the moment I stepped through the door and saw her sitting near the back, her silver eyes locking onto mine. Mai Blackwood. Of course.

"Everyone, this is Liam Rivers," the teacher announced. "He’s joining us from..."

"The outskirts," I muttered.

The teacher smiled and gestured for me to take a seat. "Welcome back, Liam."

I barely had time to sit before a voice piped up from across the room. "Hey, Scarface! Nice to see you again!"

Laughter erupted around me. I felt my face burn, but I kept my head down, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing me react. Throughout the lesson, crumpled pieces of paper hit the back of my head, but I ignored them.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was ready to crawl into a hole and never come out.

High school sucked. It always had, but somehow, being back in this pack’s high school made it even worse. I’d barely survived the morning—dodging stares, enduring whispers, and pretending I didn’t hear people snickering behind my back.

Finding an empty table in the cafeteria felt like winning the lottery. I dropped onto the chair and poked at the so-called food on my tray, trying to decide if eating it would be worse than starving.

For once, Mai Blackwood hadn’t said a word to me all day. She sat with her usual crowd, laughing like she didn’t even know I existed. That should have been a relief. It wasn’t.

Because if Mai wasn’t the one making my life hell, someone else would.

A shadow fell over my table. I looked up, already knowing it wasn’t going to be good.

Phillip.

I’d learned his name after he called me Scarface in front of the entire class. He had that kind of face you just wanted to punch—smug grin, sharp eyes, a permanent expression that screamed I own this place. And behind him were three of his goons, each carrying a tray loaded with mashed potatoes, spaghetti, and gravy.

They all sat down like we were friends. Like I’d invited them.

"Welcome back, Rivers," Phillip said, flashing a grin that made my stomach churn. "You know, we have a tradition for new students."

Something about the way he said it made my skin crawl.

I didn’t get the chance to ask what he meant.

Before I could react, they all lifted their trays and dumped their food over my head.

The cafeteria exploded with laughter.

Gravy dripped into my eyes, mashed potatoes oozed down my shirt, and spaghetti tangled in my hair like some disgusting nest.

Something inside me snapped.

I shot to my feet, rage boiling over, and punched Phillip square in the face. His head snapped back, blood spurting from his nose as he stumbled.

Then all hell broke loose.

Fists flew, trays clattered to the floor, and before I knew it, teachers stormed in, dragging us apart.

*********

Cleaning the basketball court after school wasn’t exactly how I wanted to spend my afternoon, but it was better than sitting in the principal’s office listening to a lecture about violence not being the answer.

Phillip scrubbed a stain on the floor, glancing up at me with a sneer, his nose still red and swollen. "This isn’t over, Rivers. I’m gonna deal with you."

I met his glare without hesitation. "Bring it on."

He scoffed and turned away, but I could feel his anger. Good. I hoped it burned.

*********

As soon as I was free, I shifted.

The transformation was always the same—painful, raw, but freeing. My bones cracked, reshaping as thick gray fur covered my skin. My senses sharpened, the world becoming more vibrant. The smell of the trees, the distant rustling of leaves, the damp earth beneath my paws—I took it all in as I tore through the forest, heading straight to the lake.

It was my favorite place, the only spot where I could breathe without feeling like someone was watching me.

I reached the water and shifted back, wading in. The cold wrapped around me, washing away the humiliation, the anger, the weight of the day.

Then I heard it.

A rustling in the bushes.

My instincts screamed at me to be alert, but I wasn’t scared. Not here. Not in my own sanctuary. Still, I knew it was time to leave.

Sneaking into the house was easier than I expected. My parents were in the kitchen, too busy setting the table to notice my clothes—now clean but still damp from the lake.

I didn’t want them worrying about me. They had done enough of that already.

At dinner, my mom placed a plate in front of me with a warm smile. "How was your first day back?"

I forced a smile. "Great."

She beamed, and my dad gave an approving nod. I swallowed the lump in my throat and focused on my food, shoving down everything I really wanted to say.

Then came the knock on the door.

Sharp. Impatient.

"I’ll get it," I said quickly, pushing back my chair.

The second I approached the door, the scent hit me.

Phillip.

And his friends.

My hands clenched into fists, my jaw tightening. What the hell were they doing here? Had they really tracked me to my house just to start another fight? What I was about to do was so stupid and borderline reckless but I wasn’t about to let my parents see this.

So, taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind me.

There they were—Phillip, his nose still bruised, and the three idiots who had humiliated me in the cafeteria.

I crossed my arms, leveling them with a glare. "What do you want? If you came to fight me in my own house, you’re dumber than I thought."

To my complete and utter shock—

They all dropped to their knees.

Phillip actually looked nervous.

"We’re sorry," he said, his voice lacking the usual arrogance. "Please forgive us."

I stared at them, mouth slightly open.

I had prepared for insults, threats, anything but this.

"...What?"

Phillip shifted uncomfortably. "We shouldn’t have done that. The cafeteria thing."

Oh, so he knew it was a terrible idea? Genius.

One of the other guys cleared his throat. "It was just supposed to be a joke, man."

I arched an eyebrow. "A joke?" I took a step forward, watching them flinch. "That’s funny, because I don’t remember laughing."

Phillip rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... look, we were out of line. We got carried away."

I folded my arms, waiting. If they thought I was going to let them off the hook with a half-assed apology, they were sorely mistaken.

Phillip sighed. "We were wrong, okay? We’re sorry. Just... please don’t hold it against us."

I narrowed my eyes. This was so bizarre I couldn’t even process it.

I had spent years being bullied. I had been laughed at, humiliated, and treated like I was nothing. And now, these guys—who had just dumped their food on me a few hours ago—were kneeling in front of me, asking for forgiveness?

It didn’t make sense.

None of it made sense.

And that was what scared me the most.