Back and Stronger: Alpha's Daughter
Chapter 15

Sophia knew the second she opened her eyes that morning that it would not be a good day. A pep assembly was being held and the entire student body would be forced outside by the practice field for the football team. That many students and so few teachers to supervise in the chaotic environment, well, Sophia had already had unpleasant experiences in that setting. She thought about trying to skip it and stay in the school, but she also knew from experiences that being caught by a teacher and marched out in front of everyone would only draw attention to her. Leaving wasn’t an option. She couldn’t escape, like she had done when she went to the cliffs. The evil lurking in her father put the fear of the goddess in her, and she didn’t want to risk another mortifying punishment. No, she never wanted to go through that humiliation of standing before her father naked like that, ever again.

The cheerleaders ran around the hall screaming and waving their pom-poms. Exuberance bubbled out of the student body, and they yelled after the cheerleaders to support Tibald High. Sophia rolled her eyes. To them, this was their world and the source of their every social interaction. The highs, the lows, school was their life. To Sophia, it was just one more thing she had to endure. Another thing she just had to ‘get through.’ She lingered. Not because she was in pain, though her body still ached dully. But because she hoped that by the time she got out there, the annoying chants would distract the students. The blaring horns and drum cadence from the band would have snagged their full attention. She hoped they would not notice her. After all the mighty minions of jocks stood before them in the center of the field to accept their praise, all eyes would be on them. She hoped. She snorted a laugh. Goddess...do these people really think the football team is important? Did they think what happens in these ever-shrinking halls made a difference? Because it didn’t. While Sophia’s memories would be filled with moments of torture, abuse, and fear, theirs would be filled with games, dances, and homecoming courts. While she will look back on it with a bitter indifference, thankful that it was over, they will look back on it with nostalgic fondness. The next generation of adults that still wore their varsity letterman jackets every Friday night, twenty years after graduation, had been bred. Goddess, help them all.

She reached her hand out and let her fingertips run along the wall as she took one slow step after another. When she passed the sign that fell from the ceiling and hung from one side of the hall to the other, it fell from above and landed at her feet with a swoosh. Sophia looked down at the school colors blazing across it and the splatters of paint that looked like someone took paint brushes and randomly flung it at the paper.

“Oh, no!” she heard.

Shaking pom-poms sounded behind her as some fluffy cheerleader ran to fix the disgrace of the fallen sign. Sophia wasn’t waiting for that. She stepped her foot solidly in the center of the sign and then did a little tap with her feet before stepping off it again. She smiled when the outrage from the fluffy cheerleader echoed behind her.

Oh well. Sorry if it ruined your day. Except, not really.

She rounded the school with her head held high to absorb the beating sunlight from the unseasonably warm day. Big mistake. Because only seconds later, she found herself in the center of a large circle of kids who were angrily glaring at her. Their hands were in fists at their sides. She tried to push through them, but they bounced her back to the center.

“Murderer.” One pug nosed boy with blonde hair yelled at her.

“Slut.” A girl yelled.

That was all it took for the rest to yell insults. She scanned the circle, looking for an area of weakness. Looking for any way to escape. She knew the teachers were already at the field, and that any students who happened by would either ignore it, watch with curiosity, or join in.

A male she saw with Matthew in the cafeteria occasionally stepped into a circle. He walked around her, lunging toward her randomly and snarling insults. Sophia didn’t flinch. She didn’t so much as blink. Her lack of reaction only seemed to fuel their behavior even more. When the male moved back into the circle, they spat at her. Pulling phlegm up from deep in their throat, then sending it flying. She still did not flinch. Was this the best they had?

“Be happy your ‘mate’ isn’t here. He wanted to be. He wanted us to wait. We promised him strands of your nasty blonde hair, instead.” An annoying voice cackled.

One by one, they taunted her. Males came into the circle and lunged for her, or shadow boxed like they were a hard ass. A few girls came in, taunting her, but most got enough joy from flinging the insults at her, getting more creative and ridiculously absurd as time went on.

Sophia heard the roar of the crowd. The band struck up the school’s fight song. It’s over. Maybe a teacher would help, doubtful, but maybe. That tiny sliver of hope shattered at her feet when Matthew pushed his way through until he stood at the circle’s edge.

“Aww, Sophia. You didn’t think that I’d let them do this without me being here, did you? I mean, you are my mate.” He laughed, and the others joined him.

Someone handed him something, but Sophia couldn’t see what it was.

“Sophia, Sophia.” Matthew shook his head from side to side and walked over to her. He stepped into the circle and cockily strode until he stood in front of her. She would not flinch, she told herself. She struggled to keep from remembering the night terrors she had of him since the mate symbol appeared. He lifted his hand and trailed a finger down the side of her face. That made her flinch. She kept her chin high, her eyes straight ahead. He ran them along her neck and grazed her breast. She gagged, and his eyes narrowed. However, she did not flinch. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“As my mate, Sophia, I would never let them meek out your punishment without being present. In fact, I not only approved of this fun, but I demanded they wait until I could be here to start it.”

The crowd chittered. She heard groups of kids walking past and their laughter when she saw it was her. Joss joined the circle crowding her and stood in her line of vision. With a lewd smile, he grabbed his crotch and jiggled it. He licked his lips, and she averted her gaze to an area above his head. Matthew laughed, then strode to stand next to Joss.

She tuned out the words, the taunts, everything. Instead, she concentrated on the day she would step on the train and escape this den of iniquity. They were going to do whatever they had planned regardless, so she would not give them the added pleasure of responding or showing fear. Because of that, she was shocked when the earthy material of a rock pelted her in her face. Matthew laughed and threw another rock. This one hit her on the side of the head. Slowly, one by one, the assholes in the circle started throwing rocks at her. Each one stung. She got a few cuts on her skin. Still, she did not act. The crowd grew in their riotous behavior and the rocks came faster. Suddenly, they stopped and silence fell over them. She dropped her gaze to their faces. They locked their eyes on an area behind her. She turned slowly, fearful of what she would find. Hell, her father could have showed up and jumped in to teach them how to torture someone. She closed her eyes and opened them as she released her breath. Neil...

Neil stood behind her in his security uniform. His occupation in the school wasn’t what stopped them, though. No, that was kind of a joke. School security guards were. What stopped them was the way he was making aggressive eye contact with each one of them as he skimmed the circle. He had folded his arms across his chest and his muscles bulged under his uniform shirt. Anger poured out of him like electrical currents being forced into the atmosphere. He shook with barely confined restraint. No words were spoken, but one by one rocks fell out of hands onto the ground. One by one, the crowd slowly dispersed until Matthew and Joss were all that remained of her tormentors. Matthew stomped forward and pushed a finger into Neil’s chest.

“She is my mate, and you will not interfere.”

Joss stood at his side, clenching and unclenching his fist. Sophia just watched it all, amused, though she knew she shouldn’t have been. She allowed herself a moment to take in Neil’s beauty, as well; she must say, when he was mad, he was freaking hot.

Neil swatted Matthew’s finger off his chest as if it were nothing more than a pesky mosquito.

“Did you hear me, asshole?”

Neil casually shrugged a shoulder. “I heard you, I just don’t give a damn.”

His jaw ticked, and his teeth were tightly clenched. Sophia knew he was barely restraining his anger. Barely. She silently begged the goddess to let Matthew push Neil too far. She knew in the end, she would be the one to suffer, but she was going to suffer for Neil’s interference anyway, so it may as well give her a fleeting moment of joy. Please. Oh, please.

“You’ll give a damn when I-- “. Matthew broke off when Joss’s meaty paw landed on his shoulder, and he looked at Neil’s eyes. They were no longer the dark brown that she loved to gaze into. They glowed brightly and a low feral snarl emitted from deep in his throat. Matthew stepped back and glared at Sophia.

“This isn’t over yet, bitch.”

Sophia refused to break eye contact first, so she took the heat of his angry glare into her soul. It burned through her, then chilled her bones. She wanted to turn away, but she refused. With a half-assed shove, he knocked Sophia stumbling, then he and Joss took off. Neil’s hands gripped her waist to steady her, then he quickly let go.

She stepped back and let her eyes hungrily take him in. She missed when her near nightly dreams swept her away to moments of bliss. Now they were filled with Matthew...and Joss.

“Take a few moments, but no more, or you’ll miss the bus. I’ll watch from over there,” he jerked his head, “You’ll be safe.”

Without hesitation, he moved to where he said and stood watch.

Matthew had been making more threats every single day. Each threat had been worse than the one before. But this was the first time in days that anything had happened. Sophia’s mind searched the times over the last few days when she felt threatened. The times when fear welled up in her throat and she braced herself against the onslaught of pain. Nothing had happened though, not until the stoning. She searched her mind for a reason and then she realized. Neil. Neil had shown up each time. Sometimes alone. Sometimes with a friend. But it was always him...

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