Chapter 1
LIORA
ECOMES THE HAWTHORNE BROTHERSI
“HERE
The scream echoed and bounced off the walls of the gymnasium and even though I was used to it, I couldn’t believe
followed.
e the stampede that
All the female students practically flew over themselves and stepped over the other person just to get to the front row, to have the best view of the Hawthorne Brothers. The gym was now full of giggles and awes. I didn’t move from where I was. My friend, Dami, the only friend I’ve made since I transferred to SilverMoon three weeks ago, didn’t move from where she sat either.
“Is it really worth it? The girls making this much noise and doing this much drama because of the Hawthorne Brothers?”
“What do you think?” She replied to me. “They’re the Hawthome Brothers, the most important students in SilverMoon and by extension, the most important heirs in the country. Most of the students here, especially the Brown Students transferred here so they could
get glimpses of them and we all know this is the only time they can see them.”
I sighed, “Is it really worth it? Getting glimpses of them is not going to add any value to their lives.”
“Just like stalking BTS isn’t going to add any value to your life but you’re still stalking them anyway.”
She got me there. I was about to say something snarky when the door to the gym opened and the boys walked in. And just like that, the girls went crazy. The giggles and excited screams grew as they walked in like they owned the place… which they technically did because they’re the Alpha heirs. They owned everything in the pack and the whole country as a whole.
I wanted to deny the effect they had but that would be an outright lie. Everything in the room gravitated towards them, including my attention and I found myself following their every move.
Adam Hawthorne led the trio. He was believed to be the eldest of the triplets and from the glimpses I’ve had of them in the past, he seemed to be the leader. He walked in like every other person was thin air like the excited screams of You’re too handsome and profession of love were nothing but noises. He didn’t bat an eyelid at anyone. If anything, he looked annoyed.
Carlton Hawthorne, the second brother almost mirrored his expression if not for the ghost of a smile on his lips. He seemed pleased at the attention but at the same time, looked like he wasn’t bothered by it at all
Braxton Hawthorne, the third brother was a different thing entirely. He wore his amusement and pride at being fawned upon like a crown. He smiled and even waved at the girls and some of them pretended to collapse and faint because he winked at them. I’ve always known him to be like this, flirty, down–to–earth, and friendly. He didn’t reserve his good nature to the Golden Students alone, he extended it even to the Browns, the least relevant students in Students in Silvermoon, the poorest, the most bullied, and the ones at the bottom of the food chain.
We were the Browns. Me and Dami. As an academic scholarship student and a human, the only human so far in the school, I was a Brown. Dami was an omega and a welfare scholarship student and she was a Brown too
The Golden Students were the richest and most relevant students in the school. They were the Alpha heirs and Luna Princesses, the Beta’s kids, and the council members‘ kids. They were the ones at the top of the food chain, the ones whose classes, cafeteria, and lockers were on the top floors of the school. The ones who, even the school authorities bow to,
The Violets and The G
the Greys were the ones in between.
The brothers finally made it to the end of the line of girls that had welcomed too and almost immediately, the gym instructor arrived and asked us to pair up, a boy and a girl
Dami paired with sorneone
him clench his fist angely and while I was still looking around, I saw Dior partner up with Braxton even though I thought I saw
The whole hall was almost paired up and I were around him and batting their eyelashes at him so he’d pick them, he wasn’t looking at them.
was still searching for a partner. My eyes fell on Adam Hawthorne. Even though the girls
He was looking in my direction.
I looked back to see if he was looking at someone behind me but there was no one behind me. He was looking at me and now, he was walking towards me.
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Chapter 1
I stilled, and my palms grew clammy. The girls surrounding us stared in wonder and they muttered furtively amongst themselves.
“Pair with me.”
It wasn’t a request or a suggestion. It felt like an order and that was when it registered that there was something odd about this. This was the Adam Hawthome, never seen with a girl before even though multitudes of girls were throwing themselves at him daily. Humors of him being gay flying around and here he was, asking me to pair with him.
I should probably be flattered. But I wasn’t. There was something predatory about his look. It looked like there was nothing but a hunt and I was his prey.
I should say no but instead, when I opened my mouth, the only thing that came out was yes
The whispers grew even more furtive and louder. I could see some of the girls staring at me in awe while some were staring at me in anger and disgust. I could read the judgemental question in their minds
“How dare a lousy human girl get picked by their revered Alpha Prince?”
Each duo was tasked with different workout routines and that was when the whispers died down. Everybody soon got into place. Some were doing squats together, others push–ups, and all I expected Adam to take the lead and pick one of the listed routines but instead, he asked me to follow him to the rear of the gym where a small goal post was. pisked
I followed him. It was kind of exhilarating to be his partner, to be at the receiving end of his attention. With all the tragedies that had happened to me, losing Mom who was my only family member, getting kicked out of the public high school I was attending because 1 couldn’t pay my discounted tuition, and losing all hope, a miracle happened when an unexpected scholarship letter arrived from Silvermoon High
It made me start believing in miracles.
And now, I had the attention of the most reputable Alpha in the school. It felt good to be his partner. Maybe he likes me. maybe he was intrigued by me, maybe this could be the beginning of a fairy tale for me….
“Stand there,” the coldness in his voice felt like a bucket of ice being dumped on me in the middle of a deep sleep, “be the goalkeeper.”
“What are we
“You’d find out soon enough,” he interrupted me and my feet moved, compelled by the alpha authority he exuded, I found myself moving and standing in front of the goalpost.
He casually picked a ball from the bucket of balls right beside me and he casually rolled it with just one of his fingers.
“How do you feel being the first and only human in the Silvermoon?”
“I don’t understand..”
“Has anyone given you a befitting welcome party then?” a predatory glint touched his eyes, “Since you’re the first human in our school. You should be welcomed properly.”
I frowned, “I don’t understand what you’re say..”
I couldn’t complete the statement because a huge impact hit my head and pain exploded in my face. My whole face. A hot liquid trickled down my nose.
He had thrown the ball at me.
The whole gym quieted down
“Oh, that was a goal,” he drawled lazily as he picked another ball, “make sure you catch this”
He threw the ball. I instinctively stretched out my hands to catch it but it hit my hands and stomach and the impact forced me backward.
“See why weak and useless creatures such as yourself aren’t allowed in here?” He threw another ball and the impact of this one knocked me to the ground and made pain explode in every freaking part of my body.
“I don’t know what lousy creature gave you a scholarship but I’m going to make you regret the minute you accepted the scholarship
Another ball and this time, I couldn’t stop the scream that left my mouth. I tried to run, to leave but it felt like invisible forces were
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holding me in place and forcing me to stay still.
“Master Hawthorne,” I recognized Mr. James‘ shrill voice and I turned to see him approaching, “this is my gym and not some bully ground. You should stop this right now.”
“Do you want to take her place?” Adam asked casually like he wasn’t talking to his teacher. Mr. James stopped, then drew back.
“I thought as much,” he completed before throwing another ball at me again.
The whispers in the gym started again and this time, they were excited and pleased whispers. Of course, th girls were relieved that Adam didn’t single me out because he was interested in me but rather because he wanted to bully me.
They now had their phones out to capture every humiliating moment and to laugh at me
A couple more balls left my face bruised and my body in pain, Adam finally stopped and he walked over to where I was on the floor.
He bent down and his eyes lingered on my face as he took in every bruise and blood on it. His sadistic grin widened and it exaggerated, the rage in his eyes as he stared down at me.
“You know what I hate the most in this world? Humans. I hate them so much I could dedicate my life to killing every last one of your kind,” he spoke with so much venom it terrified my core.
“And if this is one thing I hate more than that, it’s lousy humans not knowing their place. Who do you think you are to attend SilverMoon? This is not some pauper charade but maybe it’s a good thing that you’re here. I’ve always wanted an outlet for all these build up hatred I have for humans and now that you’re here, I can say I finally found an outlet,” his grin turned sickly pleased as he observed me with a deeper intensity, “The most perfect one really so yeah, welcome to Silver Moon.”
He stood up and walked away, leaving me in the most physical pain I’ve ever felt with only one recurring thought in my head:
What just happened?
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