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The Omega: Mated To The Four
Chapter Eleven
A week of avoiding the world wasn’t enough to settle the emotional whirlwind inside me, but it was all I could afford. Apparently, Mariah thought so too.
“You need to go back to school,” she said one morning as I sat at the kitchen table, a half–eaten slice of toast in front of me. Ever since I shifted and the Alpha found our my lineage we have been getting food deliveries and for the first time we have been having enough to eat.
I didn’t look up. “I’m fine staying here.”
“You’re not,” she countered, her tone gentle but firm. “Hiding away n’t going to change anything, Stormi. Your life doesn’t stop because things got complicated. You’re stronger than this.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Her words were meant to comfort me, but they only reminded me of the chaos waiting for me
outside the safety of our cabin.
“Mariah-”
“No,” she interrupted, crossing her arms. “You’ve had time to process. Now you need to face it. If nothing else, you need to keep up with your studies. You’re going to school today, and that’s final.”
I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. Mariah had made up her mind. So after breakfast I began getting ready for a dreadful day at school.
I pedaled my bike down the familiar dirt road, the morning air crisp against my skin. My stomach churned with nerves, and I kept my eyes fixed on the path ahead, trying to steel myself for whatever awaited me at school.
The hum of an engine behind me broke my focus, and a moment later, a sleek black jeep pulled up beside me. My heart sank.
I didn’t need to look to know who it was.
“Need a ride?” Elijah’s voice called from the driver’s seat, his tone casual, almost teasing.
I turned my head slightly, and sure enough, there he was, leaning one arm against the open window. Isaiah sat in the passenger seat, his expression unreadable, while the twins, Austin and Alex, occupied the back.
“No,” I said flatly, facing forward again.
“Come on,” Isaiah added. “We’re all going to the same place.”
“Leave me alone,” I snapped, pedaling faster.
Elijah chuckled, and I could feel his eyes on me even as I focused on the road. “Suit yourself.”
To my annoyance, the jeep didn’t drive off. Instead, it stayed beside me, the boys matching my pace.
“What are you doing?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Making sure you get to school safely,” Austin said from the backseat, grinning.
I rolled my eyes and ignored them, determined, not to let them get under my skin.
By the time I reached the school parking lot, my nerves were frayed. The jeep pulled into a spot nearby, and the boys hopped out, their presence immediately drawing attention from the other students.
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Chapter Eleven
Great. Exactly what I needed.
As I walked my bike to the rack, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. The whispers started almost immediately, spreading like wildfire through the crowd.
“Isn’t that Stormi?”
“She’s their mate, isn’t she?”
“Why her?”
I clenched my jaw and kept my head down, locking my bike before heading inside. The murmurs followed me into the building, but I refused to acknowledge them.
I wasn’t here for them. I was here because Mariah–made me come, and I was determined to get through the day without losing my
mind.
The first class of the day was math, and unfortunately, I shared it with both Elijah and Isaiah. I could feel their eyes on me as soon as I walked in, but I didn’t look their way.
Sliding into a seat in front of the room, I pulled out my notebook and stared at the blank page, willing myself to focus. But it was impossible with their presence looming over me. So I decided to start solving some math problems.
“Stormi,” Elijah’s voice came from behind me, low and soft.
I didn’t turn around.
“Do you need a pen?” Isaiah asked from across the aisle.
I ignored him too, gripping my pencil tightly.
The whispers from the other students didn’t help. I could hear snippets of their conversations, each one more frustrating than the
last.
“Why is she acting like that?”
“Do you think she’ll reject them?”
“She’s so lucky.”
Lucky? If only they knew.
I took a deep breath and just told myself to get through the period.By the time lunch rolled around, my nerves were shot. I barely made it through the morning classes without snapping, and I wasn’t sure I could handle another minute of being the center of
attention.
As I walked through the hallway, the whispers grew louder. Groups of students huddled together, their eyes darting toward me before quickly looking away.
“Four mates,” someone said, their voice dripping with disbelief.
“She doesn’t even look special,” another muttered.
I couldn’t take it anymore. Ducking into the nearest bathroom, I locked myself in a stall and sank onto the closed lid of the toilet.
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Chapter Eleven
Why me?
“You know why,” a voice inside me said, clear and steady,
It was my wolf. She’d been quiet for days;) but now she was hark, hey pretera strong fod tame
What do you want? I asked silently.
“To help you,” she replied. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be
Harder? They bullied me for years. Why should I forgive them?
“They’re our mates,” she said simply, as if that explained everythi
So what? That doesn’t mean I have to accept them.
“It’s not about accepting them,” she said patiently. “It’s about accepting who you are. You can’t ron from this forever, Storm.*
I didn’t respond, my thoughts swirling.
When I finally emerged from the bathroom, the hallways were empty Classes had started, and the silence was a welcome rephene from the chaos of the day.
headed toward my locker, hoping to grab my books quickly and slip into my next class unnoticed. But as I turned the cornes, stopped in my tracks.
Elijah was leaning against my locker, his arms crossed over his chest
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
He straightened and took a step toward me, his expression unusually soft. “I just wanted to talk.”
“I don’t have time for this,” I said, brushing past him.
He reached out, his hand brushing my arm. “Stormi, wait.”
I froze, the warmth of his touch sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.
“What?” I snapped, pulling away.
“Let me carry your books,” he said, his tone almost gentle.
I stared at him, confused by his sudden change in demeanor. Was this some kind of game?
“I don’t need your help,” I said, turning back to my locker.
“Stormi-”
“Leave me alone,” I interrupted, grabbing my books and brushing past him without another word.
As I walked away, I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look back.
