The Alpha's Gamble - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

“All you have to do,” Noah said and remained the apathetic beast as he scanned me, “is everything we tell you to.”
Excuse me?
They’re expecting to go from one psycho to two others but in different colored leashes.
It didn’t feel right, it felt like I was getting out of lava and jumping in with sharks, neither one would let me breathe for as long as I was under their thumb. This wouldn’t give me control back, they were just stripping it from me with sweet promises and candy-coated lies- they never did anything for the sake of others. Family and kindness? Pfft, those words stayed in their mother’s womb when they were born.
“And if I say no?” I asked and crossed my arms over my chest.
Noah shrugged a careless shoulder; an ominous fog circled his eyes and his mask remained steady.
Was it even a mask- or was it his actual face?
“You can tell Mommy that you’re a Pornstar when they return on Sunday,”
Fuck you.
My mother’s warning rang loud in my ears. Don’t even think about ruining this for me.
if she found out, she’d probably kick me out of the house- I could live with that- but I wouldn’t put it past her to cut me off, which meant I couldn’t afford tuition for Auburn Academy
Holy hell…the hole was getting deeper, more shallow, and darker the further down I spiraled. There were patches of light that I could still look to for guidance, and I needed to keep that light alive. It was the only way I’d get out of here without falling into shambles on the way.
“What will you ask me to do?” my voice fell an octave.
The Reed boys were notorious for their reckless behavior and ‘who gives a fuck’ attitude across many packs: fights, arson, revenge, and coercion. It didn’t matter who the victim was, if they met Noah and Logan, their days were numbered. They didn’t kill everyone- I mean, sure, they killed- but most of all, they would just ruin your life in ways you didn’t know were possible. They could make anyone crawl on the ground, grasping for the strings of their old lives before eventually succumbing to the realization that they were never going back. After meeting them, you wish they’d just killed you. That’s what they do to their playthings, they break and batter the soul and the mind until what remains is a hollow shell of nightmares and memories.
“Are you in or out?” Noah asked and stepped closer, blocking the light that shone in from the hallway.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I said and narrowed my eyes on his.
“You’re not in a position to demand answers.” He leaned his head down, “in or out?”
My heart fell into my stomach, and I raised my head. I wanted to cover my ears when the voices started screaming, and I heard the ridicule and the laughter.
Whore.
Slut.
*Moans*
Laughter wherever I went.
Pointing and gossiping and, most of all…a rejection letter from the Auburn Academy questioning my integrity. I saw the future, and it wasn’t one I could survive in. Everything would be ruined. My eyes rounded and I could almost feel the desperation brimming in them when I looked at Noah.
“In.”
His lips tugged in the first smile I’d seen on him ever and he drew to his fullest size.
“Good. Now get down there, party, drink, and pretend like everything is perfect. You better be a good actor,” he turned, and they left but Logan cast a leering gaze before disappearing around the corner.
I was a good actor; I had been acting like I was fine for the past two years. Nobody would believe that I had demons screaming at me every waking moment, and in my nightmares, they would manifest and hunt me until my feet burned.
Walking down to the party wasn’t a problem, I smiled and grabbed a drink, downing every last drop so that I could drink more. A lot more.
Tilly screeched and bumped into everyone on her way over to me. I swallowed the lump that I constantly carried and ignored the walls of my throat closing in, the deal I just made spread like poison in my mind, stretching out to cover every fucking crease with regret.
“Where have you been?!” she grabbed my hands and pulled me to the pool.
“With Landon,” I grinned. “I needed to take a shower,”
Tilly slapped my arm and tossed her empty cup aside.
“I can’t believe you’d rather fuck your boyfriend than be with me. I feel neglected,” her lip poked out in a pout, and I rubbed my nose against hers as I giggled.
“You always come first,”
Maybe I should tell her about Landon, Noah, and Logan. The deal and the sex tape, I could tell her, right? If there was anyone, I could tell it was her. This feeling of dread that was eating me up might subside if I shared it with someone. Tilly wouldn’t tell anyone, I trusted her, more than I trusted the dicks I just made a fucking deal with.
A deal I already regretted, and it hadn’t even been an hour. Ugh, what a shit show…
She swayed on her feet and I wondered how many bottles she had downed by now but her eyes landed on mine and she immediately sobered up—enough for me to talk to her at least.
“What’s wrong?” she asked through a giggle. Maybe she didn’t sober up that much.
“Can we-“ I started but a hand snaking around my waist and pulling me back against a hard chest made the words die in my mouth.
Tilly’s eyes doubled in size and her eyes shimmered as she licked her lips.
“Noah Reed, how are you Alpha?” she mused. No, not her too!
Even after everything she’d seen the Reed brothers do, she was still as infatuated as every other she-wolf in our pack. In every pack for that matter. They had a reputation that exceeded borders and towns.
“Tilly,” he said without making eye contact with her. He leaned down, his fingers graced my neck when he moved my hair over my shoulders, and his lips hovered by my ear- sending me into a mushy puddle. Though the voices didn’t drown, they submerged under water with echoes that I could barely hear. What was it about his touch that made my mind shut up?
His arm covered my chest and he brushed his fingers across my chin and rested them on my jaw- pressing my head against him.
“Don’t tell her.” He whispered against my ear. My body stiffened and he pressed against my back, a rush of anger washed over me, but it wasn’t mine, it was his anger that penetrated my skin and latched itself onto my bones.
“Don’t tell anyone.” He ordered.
Noah lingered behind me; his lips brushed against the top of my ear and his fingers caressed my skin before he pulled back. Before he left, he shoved a cup into my hand, and when I drew a breath, the vodka stung my nostrils- it was strong, at least he knew how to make a drink. The instant longing for his touch to silence the sounds in my head freaked me out and I downed the blend he’d pushed into my hand. It was strong, three parts vodka and one part soda mix- the blend burned going down, but I needed more.
I turned around thinking he’d left but he was still standing there, his brows furrowed as he took in my appearance and glanced into the empty cup.
“And don’t drink too much.”
I scoffed. The deal couldn’t possibly include my alcohol intake, that was all on me, free will and all that and I was sure as hell going to drown my demons tonight. If he didn’t like it, he could close his eyes and hum a lullaby. I needed to forget the pain, and more so, I needed to forget his touch and force the silence in other ways.