The Bully Alpha's Fake Alpha Mate (BL) Chapter 3: THE HEADMASTER’S WARNING

ASHER

My stomach was in knots as I followed the student ssenger down the dimly lit hallway towards the Headmaster’s office. The ancient stone walls seed to close in around , and every shadow felt like it was watching and judging .

Less than four hours at Stone Claw Academy and I was already being summoned to the Headmaster. This couldn’t be good.

The ssenger, a hulking Alpha with a scar running down his left cheek, stopped in front of massive oak doors carved with wolves in mid-hunt. He knocked twice, sharp and precise.

"Enter," ca a deep voice from within.

The ssenger pushed the door open and gestured for to go inside. I took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the office.

The room was exactly what I had expected from the most dangerous academy in the world: dark wood panelling, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with ancient texts, weapons mounted on the walls like trophies. A massive desk dominated the space, and behind it sat a man who looked like he would snap in half without breaking a sweat.

Headmaster Cyrus Blackthorn was in his fifties, with silver-streaked black hair and eyes that glowed amber even in human form. He was built like a warrior, all muscles and barely contained power.

The scent of his Alpha dominance was so strong it made my knees want to buckle, but I had just injected myself less than an hour ago. The drug was holding still, and I forced myself to stand straight, to et his gaze without flinching.

"Asher Graham," Headmaster Blackthorn said, his voice rumbling like thunder, "Silverwood Pack. Take a seat," he instructed, and I sat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. My hands are gripping the armrest to keep them from shaking.

The Headmaster studied for a long mont, his amber eyes scanning every detail. I felt exposed under that gaze like he could see right through my carefully planned lies.

"Do you know why you are here?" he finally asked.

"No, sir, or maybe," I said, keeping my voice steady, "I assu it has sothing to do with the incident in the courtyard."

"The incident/" his lips twitched in what might have been amusent, "Is that what we are calling it?" he asked, and I stayed silent, waiting for his next word before thinking on what to say.

"You have been at Stone Claw Academy for-" he glanced at a file on his desk, "- three hours and forty-seven minutes, and in that ti, you have managed to make an enemy of the most powerful Alpha student we have, Reed Jackson." He leaned back in his chair, "Would you care to explain what possessed you to challenge him on your very first day?"

I thought about lying, about making up so excuse about not understanding the hierarchy, and about being new and naive, but sothing in the Headmaster’s eyes told he would see right through it.

"He was hurting soone weaker than him," I told him, with the hopes that my truth wouldn’t put in more trouble, "I couldn’t just stand by and watch."

Headmaster Blackthorn’s eyebrows raised slightly, "admirable and stupid but admirable," he said, and I couldn’t quite figure out if he was praising or hurling insults at .

The tapping of his fingers on the desk snapped out of my thoughts as my eyes t his, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.

"Let be very clear to you, Mr Graham. Stone Claw Academy operates on a strict hierarchy, that’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it will continue to be," he said, and I scoffed.

"Then maybe it shouldn’t," I said before I could stop myself.

I knew I had hit a nerve sowhere when the Head ster’s eyes flashed dangerously and I gulped about to wet my trousers.

"Excused ?"

I swallowed hard once again but didn’t back down.

"With all due respect, sir, just because sothing has always been done a certain way doesn’t an it’s right. It’s all shades of wrong, and you can choose to end it and save lives." I said, and for a long mont, the Headmaster just stared at .

I was certain I had just gotten myself expelled on my first day, but then, to my shock, he laughed. It wasn’t a warm laugh, but it was sharp and cold.

"You have balls, I will give you that," he said, "buit balls will not get you so far at Stone Claw. Do you understand what you have done by challenging Reed?" he asked.

"Made an enemy," I answered.

"No, you moron. You have painted a target on your back," the Headmaster corrected. "Reed is the son of Alpha Thorne Jackson, one of the most powerful Pack leaders on the East Coast. Reed has been training since he could walk to be the perfect Alpha. He is cold, ruthless and mostly dormant. All Alphas in this school fear him, and he especially doesn’t forget his enemy," he said, and I rolled my eyes.

I already knew all this. Scott had made it super clear to , and part of wonders if the Headmaster is also scared of him or his father, and that’s why he decided that this fucking hell rules remain, and that thought made bile rise in my throat.

"Why are you telling this?" I asked, disdain laced in my voice.

"Because, despite your incredibly poor judgnt, I see potential in you," the headmaster leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, "you have fire, determination, and you don’t back down even when you should. Those are the qualities we value here at Stone Claw." he said, and I didn’t say a word because I was waiting for the "but."

"But," he continued, "if you continue on this path, if you continue to provoke REed, you won’t survive the sester because he will break you, or worse, he will kill you, and I have seen too many promising students destroyed because they didn’t know when to back down."

The mory of Reed’s hand around my throat flashed through my mind. Those storm-grey eyes boring into . The way my body responded despite fear. I knew there was sothing more to it, but I didn’t want to explore it; instead, I wanted to have this hatred for him, to make him not threaten like prey.

"I am not going to apologise to him," I said quietly.

The Headmaster sighed, "I am not asking you to apologise. I am asking you to be smart, pick your battles, and don’t throw your life away for pride."

"It’s not about pride," I told him, "It’s about-"

"Survival," the Headmaster interrupted, "everything at Stone Claw Academy is about survival. You need to learn that quickly if you want to make it to graduation," he closed the file on his desk. "You are dismissed, but Mr Graham? Watch your back. Reed has declared war on you, and he always wins his wars," he warned as I stood, my legs slightly unsteady.

"Is that all, sir?" I asked.

"One more thing," His eyes t mine, "there is sothing different about you, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I will figure it out eventually. Everyone has a secret at Stone Claw, make sure yours don’t get you killed," he said, and my blood turned to ice imdiately.

Did he know? Co uld he sense sothing off about despite the drugs? No matter what he was thinking, I couldn’t afford to slip and let him know my secrets.

I kept my expression neutral, "I don’t know what you an, sir?" I told him, and he smiled.

"Don’t you?" he asked as he studied for a brief mont, "Ti will tell. You are dismissed."

I hurriedly left the office as quickly as I could without running; my heart was pounding loudly in my chest.

He knows sothing is off. He might not know what it is, but he knows, and I need to be extra careful when dealing with him.

The hallway seed even darker now, every shadow a potential threat to right now. I needed to get back to my room and figure out how the hell I was going to survive this place.

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice soone following until a hand grabbed my arm and yanked into an empty classroom.

I spun around, ready to fight, and found myself face-to-face with Reed Jackson, and I gupped.

Reed slamd the door behind us and locked it with a decisive click.

We were alone.

My back hit the wall as Reed stalked towards , all predatory grace and barely controlled violence. The classroom was small, filled with desks and chairs, but suddenly it felt like there was no air, no space, nothing but Reed and the dangerous energy rolling off him in waves.

"Did you really think you could just walk away from ?" Reed’s voice was low and deadly, "That I would let you embarrass in front of the entire Academy and not make you pay?" he asked, and I forced myself to stand my ground even though every instinct scread at to run.

"What do you want, Ree?" I asked.

"What do I want?" he laughed, but there was no humour in it, "I want to know what the fuck you think you are playing at. What the hell are you, Asher Graham?"

"I already told you-"

"Silverwood Pack? Yeah, I heard you." Reed took another step closer; he was so close that I could feel the heat radiating from his massive fra. "Funny thing, though, is that I have never heard of the Silverwood Pack. No one has, and I know every major Pack on this side of the country."

Shit! He was catching on. I needed to do everything possible not expose myself, lest everything I have been trying to hide and protect co out in the open, and I will be back in trouble again.

"We are a small Pack," I said, keeping my voice steady, "We prefer privacy."

"Bullshit!" Reed’s hand shot out and grabbed my chin, forcing to et his eyes, "You are lying, I can sll it on you."

Could he? Or was he bluffing?

"I’m not lying," I said, and Reed’s grip tightened, "then why does everything about you feel... wrong?"

My heart stopped.

"I don’t-"

"You sll wrong," Reed continued, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, "not bad, not nice, just... off like there’s sothing beneath the Alpha scent that doesn’t quite fit."

Oh Goddess... the drugs. He could sense sothing was wrong with , even with drugs.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I said trying to pull away.

Reed’s other hand ca up, boxing in against the wall. "I’m going to figure out what you are hiding, Asher Graham, and when I do, you’re going to wish you had never set foot in Stone Claw Academy," he threatened.

We were so close that I could see the flecks of his silver grey eyes, I could feel his breath on my face, and I could see the way his pupils dilated slightly as he stared at my mouth.

The air between us crackled with tension, hatred, challenge and sothing like an electric and dangerous pull, pulling closer to him. Part of wanted to pull him and just give in to the pull, but the thought of him being my enemy snapped out of my ridiculous fantasy.

"Get off ,"I said, but my voice ca out breathier than I intended.

"Make ," Reed challenged.

It was a mistake, I knew it was a mistake even as I did it, but I was tired of being pushed around, tired of being afraid, and tired of pretending to be sothing I wasn’t just to survive. So I shoved him hard, and Reed stumbled back a step, surprise flashing across his face.

Then, his expression darkened into sothing possessive that made my stomach drop.

"Oh, you are going to regret that," Reed growled, and he lunged at . I tried to dodge, but Reed was faster. His hands caught my shoulder and spun around, slamming face-first against the wall.

He pressed his entire body against my back, pinning in place with superior size and strength.

"Let go!" I yelled as I struggled to break free, but it was useless; he was too strong.

"Not a chance, princess," Reed’s breath was hot against my ear. "You wanted to challenge ? Fine, let show you exactly what happens when you challenge Reed Jackson."

His hips ground against my ass, and I felt it, the hard unmistaken bulge of his arousal pressing against . My body betrayed , responding to his closeness, to his dominance, to the raw power coming out from him. Heat pooled low in my belly and between my thighs, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from making a sound.

"That’s what I thought," Reed murmured, his voice dark with satisfaction. "You can fight all you want, but your body knows the truth. You want this."

I hate you," I gritted out.

"The feeling is mutual, princess." His hand slid up my chest, fingers fumbling possibly. "But that doesn’t change the fact that you are hard right now. I can sll your arousal."

I squeezed my eyes shut, humiliation and unwanted desires clashing inside of .

"Tomorrow," Reed said, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "Combat training. Eight AM. You and in the ring. I am going to show everyone at this Academy exactly what happens when soone dares to challenge ."

"Fine," I managed to say. "Let’s do it."

"Oh, we will." Reed’s hand tightened on my chest, "and after I beat you bloody in front of everyone, you are going to kneel and apologize for disrespecting ."

"Never."

"We will see," Reed pulled back slightly, and I could finally breathe again. "Sleep well tonight, Asher Graham. It might be the last peaceful sleep you get for a very long ti."

Then he was gone, the door slamming behind him.

I stood there for a long mont, my entire body trembling from fear, from anger, and from the unwanted arousal that still pulsed through my views.

What the fucking hell is wrong with ?

Reed Jackson was a psychopath, a bully and my enemy. So why did my body respond to him like he was sothing I needed?

I pushed off the wall and straightened my clothes, trying to compose myself. My reflection in the dark window showed flushed cheeks, dilated pupils, and visible marks on my throat where Reed’s hand had been.

Tomorrow was going to hell, but I couldn’t back down now. Not after everything.

If Reed wanted a fight, I would give him one even if it killed .