White halls, white tile floors, pep rally signs, that unrelenting mix of stereotypical groups that are normal even for supernatural schools, and all of The Chicken Soup for The Teenage Soul books my mother has gifted me over the last few weeks as summer break neared its end wasn't enough to prepare me for this. Years of homeschooling in the comfort of my home was down the drain because of one bull test the alpha requested, which landed me in my senior year in this private god of a high school where my brother and every other ranking member in this pack attends.  My mother has always bragged about how brilliant I am, but I thought it was just something she liked to say because she is my mom. It turns out she was right. The test placed me here, skipping my junior and freshman years entirely.  I sighed as I navigated the crowd winding in and out of broad shoulders and clouds of perfume. The sickeningly sweet scent hung heavy in the back of my throat, making me crunch my nose up, and the sweat in my palms reminded me I had no business here. 242…242… I repeated the locker number over and over as I searched every row I passed. Anger stomped me when the shining numbers caught my eye. "Hey, Harls. You okay?" My brother asked, ruffling my hair up even worse. I hadn't realized I had been standing there staring at my locker on the top row until he walked up. "No. I want to go home." I pouted, scuffing my worn Converse on the tile floor. "Ah, come on. Give it a chance." He said, leaning on the locker and looking down at me. "Den… I do not belong here. I can't even reach my locker." Tears welled up in my eyes, not really in sadness but anger. I do not want this. I have been homeschooled for a reason, and even though Alpha Grimm contributes my homeschooling to me being weird, it made me see how full of shift he really is. He despises me and wants to make me miserable for some reason, and my parents let him because my father is his beta, and my brother is next in line. I can feel my wolf fighting for dominance, raging a storm against my emotions. She wants to run; I want to hide. Denny let out a long breath as my eyes darkened. "Not here, Harls. Get it together until we get home." Den shook my shoulders. It has to be kept a big secret that my wolf has surfaced. It's odd for a wolf to surface before eighteen; mine appeared six years ago. My parents and Denny are the only ones who know, and I listened when they all said it was best to hide her away. They claimed they knew what was best for me, and who am I to disagree? After all, Alpha Grimm's twin sons, the successors to his throne, won't even have their wolves until eighteen, and my parents know what god that could mean for me. He turned to me to face my locker as he opened it. "What do you need?" I know he is trying to be helpful, which I appreciate, but I will have to change this. "AP Calc," I grumbled. His eyes burned through me with a mixture of confusion and fear. "What are you?" he laughed. His joke was light, but it was a valid question with only one answer. "A fking freak," I replied as he handed me the materials for my first class. "Harley, you are far from a freak. On the contrary, you are brilliant and special, and nothing is wrong with that." He replied, squeezing my shoulder. I don't know what I would do without him. "I may not be out of my first period when yours ends, but I can ask Atlas or Axel to help you until we can get your locker changed… or get you a step stool." He chuckled as my heart bottomed out. "NO!" I said all too quickly. "I can figure it out.  "Do not bother them." I haven't been able to be around the twins for years without my heart racing and my mouth drying out. Not to mention the frenzy they create in my wolf, and I am already struggling with controlling her. They muddle my brain and make my hands shake, and I don't need that on top of everything else. I turned on Den before he could argue, making my way to my first class. I have studied the layout of this place for weeks and know exactly how to get where I need to be quickly. I took a deep breath at the door, trying to center myself before stepping in, hopefully calming myself and my wolf, who was scratching at my brain, begging for acknowledgment. I dug my nails into my palms, took a deep breath, and held it until my lungs burned. One… Two… Three. I stepped in. My entire body froze when I saw both twins and only one empty seat beside Axel. f'k-!  Atlas was wearing some blonde around his w***t, using her mouth like an oxygen tank, and Axel's eyes were burning into me with suspicion. I shuffled to the back, lightly dropping into the desk that swallowed my four-foot-eight frame. "I think you may be lost, little bird." Axel whispered, using my childhood nickname. "I wish." I grumbled, pulling my materials out of my bag, an energy drink and the cleaning cloth for my glasses. His dark chuckle sent a delicious tingle down my spine, making my stomach flip as he settled back in his seat, preparing his things. I managed to get through the first period without awkward introductions or interruptions. At dismissal, I gathered my things, stopping at the bathroom. A bunch of girls stood there fixing their makeup and gossiping as I entered the stall and peed. "I think he'll f'k- me this weekend." One of them said, giggling. "I thought you were fking that one guy who offered to get you a nose job?" the other asked curiously. Her question set off the blonde. "SHH!" her agitation was evident. 

  My cheeks flushed, and I made haste to finish my business and wash my hands, but not before recognizing the one that said she thought they would hа've sex this weekend, as the blonde Atlas was playing tonsil hockey with. Rage and jealousy bubbled through me as I left the bathroom. I tried to make sense of those ridiculous feelings when I finally returned to my locker, and just like Denny predicted, he had yet to get there. So I jumped, trying to reach the combination lock Den had to help me do this morning. "f'k- this day and f'k- this locker!" I growled, slamming my fists against the lockers. Warm hands wrapped around my w***t, and I squeaked as my feet left the ground, making my locker eye level. I quickly opened my locker, exchanging the materials, hoping whoever was behind me didn't drop me. That thought made my already thudding heart jump a little faster. Finally, I closed my locker, and my feet met the floor again. "Thanks for the—" My words caught in my throat as Atlas's dark eyes looked through my soul. "Poor little bird. You can't do anything for yourself, can you?" his snarky remark pissed me off, and I couldn't stop the scoff from slipping out. His eyebrow coked up, probably not expecting defiance from his loyal subjects this early. But then he blew me off, ruffling my hair up the way he and Axel have done my whole life. "I didn't ask you for help, did I, Atlas?" I snapped as I turned to walk away. The rubber toe of my ratty shoes caught on the tile sending me flying to my face, and my books and papers scattered the floor. Atlas's laughter made my cheeks flush as I got up, readjusting this fugly uniform skirt that probably showed him every inch of my bottom. Denny ran up, helping me gather my things which I greedily snatched. "I got it!" my voice sounded like gravel, and my eyes were black as night. "Harley." Denny's voice warned me of what I already knew. I was seeing red, and my wolf was fronting. "Run along, little bird, before you hurt yourself." Atlas laughed as he tried to send me away. I turned to defend myself when Denny pulled me forward, shaking his head no. "I will be waiting here after your next class, I promise. Just go." He said, urging me forward gently. I was relieved when neither of the twins had my next class. I like this teacher; she is engaging and makes me laugh. I felt comfortable here like I could do this after all. She dismissed us for lunch, and true to his word, Denny was waiting for me this time. "Don't pay no mind to Atlas. Both of them are struggling with keeping control of themselves. They are coming into their wolves next week… you know how emotional and hard that it is." He whispered the last part, making my heart clench tight. I do remember. It was awful and scary, and the pain of the first shift is indescribable. Denny changed the texts I needed for my next class, and he walked with me to the cafeteria. I packed both of us chicken and steak quesadillas that I had made last night with a side salad. I tossed him his food, and we plopped into a chair. I smiled when he threw a bottle of water at me. We quickly settled in, talking and laughing about nothing until the twins walked up, flopping down with the soggy lunches they purchased from the line, grumbling and growling under their breath. I thought of what Den had said and unwrapped the two extra quesadillas and salad bowl I had brought for if Denny didn't get full. I slid one in front of each of them without breaking mine and Denny's conversation about the border patrol he was on the other night when I heard a slight g***n of satisfaction as they dug into the food. Knowing they enjoyed my cooking made me want to smile so badly, but I managed to swallow it. The blonde from the bathroom walked up, flopping down in Atlas's l*p again. I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling this time as I cleaned up the mess and gathered the bowls. "Den, can you stash these in your locker without forgetting them or put them in mine, maybe?" I asked, standing with the bag of stacked Tupperware. "Why are you even here? Aren't you like ten?" She laughed, tossing her hair back. I tried to tell myself not to engage with her. Because I knew she just wanted a rise out of me. But I couldn't help it. "Wait, aren't you the girl arranging out her cooter for a free nose job?? Goddess, that is disgusting." I snarled, walking away from the daggers in her eyes she had directed at me. The rest of the day, I rode my high from knocking her down a notch until Denny texted me, telling me to grab the bowls from his locker. He would wait for me in the parking lot, much like I had expected he had forgotten them. I turned the corner a few feet from his locker when the slick slurping sounds filled the hallway along with screechy grunts. I peeked into the classroom where the sounds came from to find Atlas pinning the blonde over the teacher's desk. His handsome face was scrunched up in concentration as he slammed into her. His l**s were slightly parted, and sweat glistened on his chest. I backed away, grabbing the bowls and running like god before anyone saw me here— before Atlas saw me here. Bile rose in my throat like a science fair volcano as I busted through the double door that would take me into the parking lot. My body heaved on its own as I wrapped myself around a stone pillar with my lunch spilling from me. How could I be so deeply repulsed and intrigued by the two of them? "Harley, are you alright?" Denny grabbed my shoulders, looking me over. "Let's go!" I took him with my shaking hand, running for his car. He opened the door for me, and I shrank into the seat as fur started spewing from my skin, my claws elongating like deadly spears, and a whine tore from me as I fit my wolf for control. 

   Denny and speeding are normal, but speeding is an understatement of what was happening as he pulled into the garage shutting the big door behind us. He opened the door, letting me leap from the car as my shift took over. An ear-splitting howl tore from my muzzle. While I don't know what set us off, I do know that she wants to rip that blonde's throat out, and I want to punch Atlas in the face. I ran through the door as Denny opened it, heading for the steps. I barreled through my bedroom door, letting my wolf sink into the nest that is my bed. I fell into a deep sleep in the darkness of my room, with my heart wrenching from my chest. My mother's delicate hand rubbing the hair from my eyes woke me up before dinner. "Wanna talk about it?" She is a wonderful mom, but I don't know how to describe what I am feeling right now. So, I settled for a half-truth. "I don't want to go back there. I clearly do not belong in that place, Mom! I can't even reach my locker. Denny has had to help me all day." She looked me over with a contemplating gaze before shattering any hope I had of returning to homeschooling. "I know, honey. But it is the alpha's orders." My skin prickled at her words. "It's bull shift, Mom, and you know it." I growled. "Language, Harley Grace! I don't like it any more than you do, but we cannot deny that pompous asshole's orders. Just make it through the next six months, and you can take the exit exams and decide if you want to attend college right now." She snapped back, jumping to her feet to leave me with my thoughts. The exit exams are very similar to the ACT humans take to graduate. The exit exams mean you have completed the required learning and no longer need to attend high school instead of determining your college readiness the way the ACT does. I can score high enough to exit if today's classes indicate what that exam will look like. I did my homework for the week in one sitting during study hall today. I knew the material without being taught it. I showered and skipped dinner. Then I fell asleep with The Art of War on my chest. I decided to listen to my mother. For six months, I would get up and attend my classes, avoid the twins, and take the exit exams. Just six months. The following day, I threw on my Converse and the fugly-bottom uniform and stuck to my word. Denny had a meeting this morning with Dad and would be late returning to school after dropping me off. Axel and Atlas were at their vehicle when we pulled in, and my heart immediately fell into my b**t. My eyes roamed, appreciative of how handsome they looked all the time. I do not know how they look so handsome in these ugly uniforms, but they really pull it off. "Could you guys help Harls with her locker until I get back?" he asked out of the window, mortifying me. "I got it, Den. Thanks!" I said, jumping from the car and rushing to the steps. Both twins just nodded to Denny as they made their way toward me. I was practically running to avoid them, but with their height, they caught up to me quickly. Atlas leaned in closer to me, keeping his voice low. "Did you enjoy the show yesterday, little bird?" I froze. Had he seen me? "I—I don't know what you are talking about, Atlas Grimm." I was surprised I sounded so collected, considering the storm in my stomach. His dark laughter shot sparks across my skin that took me by surprise. Making me rub the static from my arms. I ran into the classroom across from my locker to see if I could bum a chair to reach my locker, only to be embarrassed when the teacher told me no. My blush ran deep into my chest when I saw the twins leaning on my locker, looking extremely amused. "Come here, little bird." Axel stood upright, summoning me forward. I craned my n**k, making eye contact with him, preparing for a smart-bottom remark that I would pretend didn't hurt my feelings. Surprise fleeted through me when he turned me, lifting me gently like Atlas had yesterday. I made quick work of the lock, grabbed what I needed for my first class, and quickly closed it. I turned to face them when I was safe on the ground. My embarrassment raged when he patted my head, and they both left me with smiles on their faces. Butterflies erupted through me at the thought of how tender Axel had been with me, a thought that I quickly shoved aside as I shamed myself for my silly crush on the two boys that hadn't been nice to me since we were all small children. Much like yesterday, I had started falling into a routine, and lunch came around quickly. I made a crispy chicken salad topped with summer berries and packed the twins one too. I felt silly for even making an effort. Denny tore into his, m*****g and g******g like a starving bear. "This is so good." He g*****d through a mouth full as the twins sat down with their trays of mystery meat. I pinched my nose at the odd concoction and turned to dig for their bowls in the bag, quickly sliding it their way. "That smells." I mumbled with my nose scrunched. "Yeah, well. Our mom doesn't pack our lunch, little bird." Axel's tone dripped with irritation as he scooted the nasty trays away, opening the lid to his salad. Their mother died long before I could remember, and I had only heard stories about her. "Neither does ours. Harls gets up at five every morning to make our lunches. She did even before she started here." Denny snorted, shoveling more into his mouth. "I was hoping if I kept you big starving alphas from eating this nasty cra'ap, you wouldn't be so hateful about helping a girl out with her locker situation." I said, forking my food into my mouth. The three of them snorted in unison like I had made a joke. "I don't know what the air-heads in the office were thinking giving you a top-row locker, but it is set in stone. I have already tried getting it changed." Atlas said, finally opening the lid to his food. "Thank you, Atlas." The appreciation was too clear in my voice. His big, beautiful eyes shot at me in surprise. "I mean, at least you tried. I guess. I could try to find a step stool or something." I grumbled, pushing my food around the plastic bowl. "Don't worry, little bird. You keep feeding us like this, and I don't think we would have a problem lifting you to your locker." Axel winked at me, reigniting the swarm of butterflies in my stomach. "You got it." I smiled, deciding to stop playing with my food. Atlas's blonde friend was scarce at lunch today, but I ran the bowls to Den's car before class resumed, so there weren't any issues like yesterday. The day ended quickly with no more shifting incidents, and I was so happy to get home that I flopped on my bed, falling asleep before my head hit the pillow. 

 Six months passed quicker than I expected. I still haven't made any friends, but I had gotten used to one of the twins replacing Denny at my locker since I had ensured they ate good food at lunch; they helped me with my locker, and it was almost like we were friends again. "I heard you were taking your exit exams this weekend." Atlas said, lifting me to put my cra'ap away for the day. I chuckled at his attempt to small talk. They had been having random conversations with me lately, and I hate to admit I enjoyed it. "Yeah… I'm kind of nervous." I spoke truthfully, just not about what caused the nerves. I had settled into this weird routine here over the last six months, and being around Denny and the twins all the time was normal for me now. It was even nice. "What reason would you have to be nervous little bird? You are… brilliant." He whispered the last word making the chills I've grown used to them giving me break out across my skin. "I know. But I also know I don't think I am ready for college at sixteen… but wouldn't it be a mistake not to use that opportunity?" he shrugged at my question. "Is it not more important to have comfort than to lose an opportunity that will still be there in two years?" his question held my interest. "Is it?" I asked as he sat me back on my feet. "Harley, I have been groomed for my life for a very long time. At least you have a choice. You should make it based on what you want and no one else." He said, looking me so deeply in the eye that I could just barely breathe. Is it more important? Wouldn't future me appreciate the work when we could be settled with a good education and a career at twenty, or would she be pissed that I didn't do more for us? I found out today the exam was changed to this afternoon instead of Saturday. So as I prepared to sit on that cold metal desk, I weighed the importance of what I wanted. Just because I don't go to college right away doesn't mean I shouldn't ace this test… but if I ace it, doesn't that mean my life goes back to no twins and not as much time with Denny? I wandered the halls looking for Den... or maybe even one of the twins. I prayed I would run into someone who could remedy the nerves causing my stomach to clench. I rounded the corner, hoping to catch Denny at his locker when the door into the same classroom I saw Atlas pounding the blonde in was cracked again, but this time it was raging whisper screams pouring from it instead of the pleasurable ones. I turned to leave, but my feet wouldn't move as Axel's silky voice washed over me. "She is just a fking aggravation. Why are you so threatened by her?" I didn't think my heart could beat harder until a female's voice came from the darkened room. "I am anything but threatened by that little freak. But you and Atlas are with her constantly. He doesn't want to hа've sex with me anymore, and every time I mention her, he snaps at me." So Atlas takes up for me? "For fks sake. She is just a little obnoxious girl with a silly fking crush that means nothing. She means NOTHING!" Atlas yelled. He was there too. Hot tears pricked in my eyes, my brain repeating that one word as my feet dragged me towards the testing room. Nothing… nothing… nothing. My mind is made up. I had to ace this test, and I was stubid to lose sight of that in the first place. I cleaned my face off, pushing aside those nagging feelings of insecurity and insignificance. I aced that test; I know that without a doubt. I just won't have it in writing until Monday. After I closed out, I packed myself from that room, feeling like cement had been poured into my shoes. Denny, Atlas, and Axel were all three waiting there for me. All three wore big smiles while I exited the room fighting off the tears and the snot. "What's wrong?" Denny entered protective big brother mode at my bright red face and bloodshot eyes. I ran my fingers through my shoulder-length hair, unable to take my eyes off the twins. "You both are arrogant jackasses to assume my being friendly with you was me having a 'silly fking crush.' I mistakenly assumed two big brave alphas could ever be friends with a NOTHING like me." I yelled that ugly word with as much soul and anger as Atlas held when he spat it about me. I let my tears flow freely, unable to stop them anymore. "Take me home, Denny." Atlas's jaw was tight, ticking with everything he wasn't brave enough to tell me. They were my friends. I know that. We shared too many little conversations about things other people wouldn't understand, and you don't share that with anyone. But it is what it is. I won't make that same mistake a third time. I stayed in bed the weekend despite my family and the twins trying to get me to go to their birthday party. I didn't want to see them right now. I still can't be sure why I feel so strongly about something stubid, but the reality is… I do have a silly crush. The way they smell, their smiles, their beautiful faces, and their brains. I love all of it, and I still feel hurt by their words and the loss of their friendship, so I want to sleep in my bed until the hurt doesn't feel so thick and suffocating anymore. Monday rolled by all too quickly, and Den drove me to school early so I could see if my name was on the exiting list or not. If it is, I will go back home. If it isn't, I have to stay and face them, and I am not ready for that. I wore a forest green sun dress and flats. I tied my shoulder-length black hair in a half updo, and honestly, I have no idea why I dressed up, but I did. I took a deep breath before stepping in. The halls were still dark. This early, the only people here are custodial staff and sports teams with scheduled practice. So I made my way to the list, ignoring the rock in my chest that had been there since Friday. When my name caught my eye, I was wrapped in the smell of something I couldn't put my finger on, but it made the rock disappear. My shoulders relaxed, and my wolf stopped clawing at me. My whole being was at peace, and the moment I tried to relax, I was slammed into the office in front of me. "Mate." In unison, was growled behind me as two hard, sweating bodies turned the handle, pushing me into the room. The scent. It was the twins… they are eighteen now… for goddess' sake. "What? No. No. No." I said, pointing at them when I saw the look in their eyes. They are disappointed. Unhappy. "Little bird." Atlas murmured with his eyes locked on me. Atlas whispered something in Axel's ear as he stepped out of the office. I couldn't describe how I felt as we stood silently, locked on each other. I tried to decipher the emotions raging in his eyes, but he was blank... or maybe angry. Then, finally, Axel returned with his face set in hard unreadable lines as he whispered into his brother's ear. "No. I don't want to do that." Atlas reared back, looking into his brother's eyes. Axel only nodded. What felt like a lifetime passed until both exhaled a shaky breath before being able to even look at me. "We, the future alpha of the Clearwater pack, hereby reject you, Harley Grace Ashwood as our mate and Luna." I felt like a ton truck had parked on my chest. My heart had been ripped from my chest, and with one inaudible whisper, my wolf was gone too. I ran past them, dodging their hands that were reaching out for me. I ran and ran hard. I busted through the double doors into the parking lot and the tree line. I have no idea where I am going, but I won't turn around. Shift, Dam it. Shift! No matter how much I call her forward, she will not come to me. She's gone. I lost my shoes somewhere when I ran out of them, but the cuts on my feet don't even burn right now.  I ran up into a tree, praying I would be safe from them there. Until I wasn't. Their strong arms and massive legs climbed the tree like it was nothing, experiencing none of the struggles I had. I leaped from the tree. I have to get away from them. The flames are consuming me, the pain of the rejection too much as my feet hit the ground. My brain said to run, but I collapsed. Their feet came into my sight. My lungs were heaving, and I wanted to vomit, but nothing left me, no matter how much I gagged. My tears and snot are all over my face, and I feel completely shattered. "Little bird. Let's just talk, please. This isn't what we wanted." Axel pleaded with me like he hadn't just torn my heart out and stomped on it. "Leave me alone. It is clearly what the both of you wanted, and now you have it." I barked. "Harley, it is better this way, sweetheart. You are still so young. It is better to do this now while you don't have your wolf's bond. It won't hurt so much." Atlas said as he reached out, letting his fingertips graze my shoulder. The sparks that were supposed to put my wolf at ease aren't there anymore. She isn't there anymore. "We need you to listen, Little Bird. Our father is here. He wants us to walk you into the territory gap. That would be certain death for you, Harley. Despite the rejection, you must trust us enough to know we don't want anything bad to happen to you." I scoffed at that nonsense, considering they had hurt me worse than anything else ever could. But he just continued. "We will put you on a path into a pack territory that will care for you. But you have to keep going this way, and you will go straight into the Evergreen territory. We are so sorry little bird, but this is for the best." Axel said through gritted teeth. Things blurred on the walk. The sun was high now. Where was Denny? Why didn't he come for me? Instead, they sent me through the forest just like they said, with only my ripped dress and no shoes. My tears and snot streaked my face, and blood had dried on my skin, crunching under my movement. I am still determining if I am on the right path, but the sun is setting now, and even with the rogues in this forest, I have no fear. My body is beyond exhausted, and between the ache of it and the ache in my chest, the territory gap may have been better. "Harley?" my head snapped up at the call of my name. A tall man with sandy hair and big blue eyes stood a few feet before me. I couldn't find the voice in my raw throat, so I just nodded. "Did you find her?" A cute guy around my age jogged up to him, looking toward the man's eyes. His eyes held pity for me, and I… Dam… I hate that look. I stood up straight, holding my head high, avoiding any emotions. I tucked them away tight, feeling only fire, rage, and the anguishing pain in my chest. They both stepped toward me, and I stepped back. "Come on, kiddo. Let's go home. Okay?" the man said in my direction. Home? My home just rejected me. But I nodded again, stepping towards them. With that pity still, in their eyes, I will never be looked at like that again. This pain and devastation will be felt today and not another day after. Tomorrow… I fight.