Rise of the Alpha
Chapter 5

Magnolia

As we walk down the cobblestone sidewalk leading from our dorm to the quad in the center of the campus where the mixer is being held, I’m fully regretting my decision to let Wylla dress me. It took her a whole ten minutes of looking through my clothing to throw her hands in the air with an audible sigh of frustration. Storming across the room to her closet, she began flipping through her clothes, mumbling under her breath about how she needed to take a bitch shopping for something not so ‘ Little House on the Prairie’.

She has me dressed in a skin-tight black dress with a single strap that wraps around my left shoulder. The front plunges down into a deep ‘V’ ending right between my tits. Thank god for being blessed with perky breasts because there is no way in hell I’m able to wear a bra with this. Then to top it all off, it has cut-outs all along the sides. I keep reaching down, tugging on the bottom of the dress as it rides up my thighs, and with it stopping just under my a*s cheeks, I’ll be giving everyone here a show. Being naked in front of others when you shift is one thing, but to be on display just for the pure hell of it is a totally different entity altogether.

“Stop fidgeting, you look hot as hell. A tasty little snack for the people here,” she snaps at me as she slaps my hand away from where I’m pulling on the dress. My v****a feels like it’s on display for the world, and all I can hear is my father’s harsh voice in my head reminding me not to embarrass him or the pack.

“Easy for you to say.” Pouting, I turn my head to gaze at her. She’s dressed in some black denim booty shorts that mold to her a*s, allowing just a tease of her cheeks that are peeking out the bottom. Her boots come up to her knees, leaving the ripped fishnet stockings she wears to show off her exposed thighs. The ripped, crop top band tee is the icing on her outfit. Her hair is down, hanging in wavy rainbow curls that flow down her back to just above her a*s. “Some of us are dressed more comfortably than others,” I say, rolling my eyes.

She steps closer to me, linking her arm through mine, and goosebumps rush to the surface of my skin. God, her touch thrills me in a way no one ever has before. My thong is already sopping wet from the excitement of her touch. F**k me! How am I going to make it with my hormones going crazy over her? Hell, I don’t even know if she feels the same. Yeah, she’s made slight innuendos about her s****l orientation, but that doesn’t mean shit.

Not to mention, she’s already talking about the guy who lives above us. He’s more her speed than a virgin who’s never even been kissed before. I don’t know what type of warning my father sent out, but every male in the pack was scared to even get close to me, let alone be caught kissing me.

The thumping bass becomes louder as we get closer to the quad. The amount of people here is mind-boggling. I can feel my nerves rising, and I’m already regretting coming tonight. I just want to turn and run as fast as I can back to the dorms.

Wylla unlinks our arms and grabs me by the hand, pulling me along faster toward the partying crowd. I look like a duck out of water trying not to fall in the six-inch heels she made me wear. It’s f*****g lucky that we not only wear the same size in clothes but shoes as well.

“Slow down, Wylla, or I’m going to bust my a*s!” I call out to her, barely getting it out through the laughter.

“Nope, no time for that. I’ve got me a hottie to find, and some drinking to do,” she sings out to the beat of the music.

Yep, there’s absolutely no way I can compete with what she all but described as a s*x god. He could have her screaming seven ways to Sunday as she o*****s, and I wouldn’t even know where to start. I know how to flick my own bean, but what would I do with a guy or a girl? Groaning, I move faster to keep up with her, and within a couple of minutes, we’re breaching the outer limits of the quad.

People are crowded around a makeshift dance floor, where bodies are writhing together in vulgar movements. I’m frozen in place, both in shock and awe at the same time. How amazing it must be, to be this free with who you are.

“Let’s get something to drink. What do you want?” Wylla asks excitedly.

“Pepsi will be fine, or water,” I rattle off to her, still taking in the bodies intertwined on the dance floor. Scanning the area, I see multiple couples engaged in different stages of making out.

“You’re f*****g with me, right?” Shock is written all over her face. “I ask what you want and your answer is water. I’m sorry, Pepsi or water. Bitch, I meant alcohol. We’re partying, not at a nunnery.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never really drank. It was forbidden. The only times I was allowed to have anything alcoholic was at pack functions, and it was only a single glass of red wine.”

Her face changes from shock to sadness, to fury. “F**k your pack. Tonight we drink, we dance, and whatever else the goddess deems fit to happen. Stay here, I’ll be back,” she says in her best Terminator voice as she skips off.

My eyes keep roaming the crowd, wondering if the owner of the scent I’ve smelled twice now is going to be here. I lift my nose to the wind, but nothing. About five minutes later, I see Wylla, holding two shots in her hand, parting the crowd as she walks, almost as if she had some magical control over them. There’s a lanky boy in glasses, with tousled black hair following close behind with two beers firmly grasped in one hand while he’s holding what looks like more shots in the other. His eyes are firmly planted on her a*s that’s swaying back and forth.

“I got us shots!!” she squeals out loudly when she gets closer, which has me shaking my head and wondering what the hell she’s about to get us into.

She speeds up, rushing towards me, stopping just before barrelling right into me. “Here’s our first shot,” extending her arm out to hand me the small cup with a brown liquid inside of it. Reaching out, I take it from her hand, bringing it up to my nose, inhaling deeply. Just the smell alone has me almost gagging.

“What is this?” I quickly ask, my stomach already turning before even tasting it.

“Crown Apple, don’t knock it till you try it,” she exclaims, raising her hand with the cup. “Let’s toast. Go for it, Magz.” Lifting my cup in the air, I decide to say f**k it and enjoy the night. “To the men we may meet tonight.” I tap my cup against hers, lowering it to my lips to swallow it down.

“Or women,” Wylla quickly says with a giggle before downing her shot.

She reaches back to the boy still captivated by her and takes the two shots he was holding. “Now for a little something different, Sambuca.” She hands one of the cups to me before bringing the one in her hand to her lips, tossing her head back, and drinking.

Lifting the cup, the smell of black licorice overtakes me. “To freedom and new experiences.” I toast again before swallowing the rich liquor.

“You have been so sweet, Chad, now run along.” She takes the two bottles of beer, Busch Light and Budlight, from him before giving him a flirty wink and shooing him away.

“You are such a tease, using him like that.” I give her a gentle shoulder bump as I turn back to the dance floor and the bodies gyrating against each other.

“Please, I made his night. Now he can go back to all his friends and tell them how he got to see me shake my a*s in front of him across the quad. Win for me, I didn’t have to carry all this on my own.” She barely finishes when the song changes over to “Daisy” by Ashnikko. She reaches out, takes my free hand, and drags me out into the sea of people on the dance floor.

“Wylla, stop, I can’t dance,” I plead with her.

“Biotch, please, all you need to do is let loose and allow the music to overtake you. Sway with the beat,” she screams out over the pulse of the music.

She takes my free hand, spins me around, and pulls me back tight against her body before moving her hand down to my h*p and gripping it, placing the arm that’s holding her beer over my shoulder. Her h**s begin to sway behind me, gyrating to the beat of the music, begging mine to move in sync with hers.

My body immediately responds to her touch, my nipples pebbling and rubbing against the material of the dress, alerting anyone who looks at me of my arousal. Her hand slowly slips lower down my h*p, moving closer towards the front of my body, her fingertips trailing along the area so close to my p***y. A soft m**n escapes my lips, as her grip tightens.

My emotions are overloaded. I’m so confused by this beautiful woman. But does she feel the same? Is she telling me something with her touch or am I overthinking it? The song ends as another upbeat song with a salsa beat starts up. Knowing I need to break free from this hold she has on me, I quickly speak, “Another shot?”

“Hell yeah!” she fires back as she leads me off the dance floor. Lo and behold standing there at the edge of the floor, waiting, two shots in hand is her admirer from earlier.

“Thank you, Chad,” comes from her seductively, as she takes the shots from him, handing one to me. Leaning into him, she places a k**s on his cheek, a move that instantly makes a bolt of jealousy hit me that I can’t explain. My wolf growls at the show of affection between them. “You can go now.” She turns to me, smiling from ear to ear before a frown takes over as she looks at me. “What’s wrong, Magz?” she asks, concern etched on her face.

What’s wrong?If only I could tell her, express these overwhelming feelings I have for her. But instead, I shake it off, plastering a smile on my face, “Nothing, just wish I was a better dancer. Maybe this shot will help.” We both fall into laughter as I take the cup of liquid courage from her.

“To the best girls’ night ever!” She lifts her cup, toasting, before we both swallow down the harsh liquid. A different one this time. I really think I’m going to have a hangover tomorrow.

“Well, hello neighbor,” comes from behind us, in a deep, playful voice. We both turn in unison, and my breath is taken at the God standing before me. “Well, if it isn’t the hot guy from upstairs. Thought you weren’t coming,” she purrs, as her eyes drag up and down the length of his body.

He’s tall with black hair that’s cut close on the side and longer on the top, styled to perfection. What I can see of his arms, left exposed from the dark t-shirt he’s wearing, are covered in tattoos. His jeans fit him like a glove and damn if he isn’t sporting a massive bulge in the front. He reminds me of a young Aaron Kwok.

He just shrugs, tossing us both a wink, very aware of the way each of us was taking in his body. “Well, I couldn’t pass up a chance to meet your elusive roommate, Magnolia, right?”

Hearing my name quickly pulls me out of my s*x god induced haze. S*x wafts off him in a way I can’t even explain.

“Well, this would be her,” she pulls me in closer to her. “Magz, meet… I’m sorry, what was your name again?” Damn if she doesn’t have this flirting shit down to a T. But why am I not having feelings of jealousy like I did earlier with Chad?

“Oh, so we’re gonna play it like that, are we Rainbow Sprite? It’s a pleasure to meet you, Magnolia. Your name is far too beautiful to shorten, but not nearly as gorgeous as you are. I’m Jude, and if you ever need anything, I’m right on top of you,” he says as I feel the s****l tension in the area rise, a cacophony of m***s is elicited from the group behind us as they begin to grind on each other.

My head begins to whip around, soaking everything in and confused at the same time. “He’s some type of s*x demon. I picked up on the l**t earlier today when he dropped off your package. My guess is Incubus,” Wylla explains as Jude gets a shit-a*s grin on his face.

“Very good, Rainbow. What are you ladies drinking?”

“Oh, just a little of this and a lot of that!” Wylla laughs.

“Are you here all alone?” I ask, shocked by how easily I spoke to him.

“Nope, came with my roommates. They’re both off looking for some wolf Blaine’s trying to meet. We split up. I chose the more enjoyable option, looking for the two of you, and I think I’m the winner tonight.”

Heat burns straight to my core. I feel drawn to this man, more than just the s****l l**t he’s letting off in waves. My body doesn’t know how to deal with my attraction to not only my roommate but now the guy who lives in our dorm. Plus, I still can’t find the person who owns the scent that’s lived in my mind rent-free since the first time I smelled it.

The conversation continues about random shit and the upcoming school year. He steps closer and closer into our bubble, maneuvering his body between us until his shoulders are flush with one of ours.

Feeling like my body is on fire, and my heart is about to beat out of my chest just from the touches both of them are giving me tonight. I need to get away, just for a minute to regroup.

“Hey, guys, I’m going to run to the bathroom. Be back in a bit,” I tell them, before turning and hurrying off. It takes me about five minutes and two stops to ask for directions, but I finally find it and head inside.

There’s a cluster of girls standing in front of the mirror, primping and talking about some guys they were hoping to run into tonight. I smile awkwardly, quickly passing them, opening a stall door, and stepping inside.

Relieving myself, I hear the door open and close as the giggling girls leave. Taking a deep breath, I open the stall door, step out to the sink, and wash my hands. Bracing myself on the sink, I stare at my reflection in the mirror, already looking so different from the girl who arrived here this morning.

Okay, Magnolia, get it together. You need to control these hormones. You cannot fall for your roommate, the hot neighbor, and whoever owns that scent. Your father would snatch you out of this school in a heartbeat and take you back to the pack. Aftergiving myself a mental pep talk, I know it’s time to head back out.

Swinging open the bathroom door, I step outside and barrel right into a wall. The force so hard, and already off balance on these ridiculous heels, I feel myself fall. But instead of hitting the ground, two massive hands grab me, keeping me upright as I regain my composure.

Looking up, I see the most stunning man, with chocolate eyes that call out a sense of familiarity to me.

“Thank you, I’m—” I tell him, still drawn to those eyes that see through my soul. I never get to finish, though, before he curtly cuts me off.

“Next time, watch where you’re going,” he gruffly says, his face reddening, before he turns and storms off into the crowd.

What an a*****e!

I’m still caught off guard by his rudeness when I rejoin Wylla and Jude, who are laughing and carrying on right where I left them by the dance floor.