Hands Off? He's My Brother!

On the night of the Halloween dance, Scarlett Adams, captain of the cheer squad, accused me of harassing Theodore Russo, the hottest guy on campus. She tore into me in front of everyone and called me a shameless tramp. She claimed that I, an Omega of the lowest rank, had thrown myself at Theodore. Theodore was an exceptional young werewolf, and plenty of girls on campus had a crush on him. But the giant screen in front of us displayed our messages, which looked downright filthy. "Babe, if you use my underwear to mop the floor one more time, I'll rip your throat out!" "Sweetie, my credit card's maxed out, so send me some money. If you refuse, I'm telling your dad in ten minutes, and he'll teach you a lesson!" "I'm staying over tonight. Don't forget to give me your key." Scarlett stormed up to me, teeth clenched, and screamed in my face, "Everyone, don't let this woman fool you. She's been harassing Theodore nonstop for money, driving the poor guy crazy! "Luckily, I caught her and exposed her for what she really is. She's not some sweet, helpless Omega. She's a money-crazed gold digger!" The other werewolves turned to stare at me, contempt written all over their faces. Down in the crowd, Gerald Harlow, the dean, looked furious. An Omega preying on classmates for money would be a scandal anywhere, and it would drag the whole school through the mud. I took in the looks on everyone's faces, then laughed and shook my head. Come on! Theodore is my fraternal twin brother. Borrowing a little money from him and mooching free meals at his place are perfectly normal. Since when is that something to get attacked for? Chapter 1 Theodore, the "campus heartthrob" everyone was talking about, was my fraternal twin. Our parents split up when we were 13. I chose to stay with Dad, an Alpha who led our pack. Theodore chose Mom, a driven Beta who remarried and moved to another city. My parents were both gifted, yet somehow, they ended up having me, the most worthless Omega. On the first day of school, Theodore came to see me. "Don't tell anyone you're my sister. Keep a low profile at school, and don't come looking for me." I asked why. Even though we'd lived apart for years, we still got together as a family every holiday, and we got along fine. "Are you embarrassed to have an Omega for a sister?" He shook his head. "You listed Dad as your emergency contact. If I hang around you too much, people will figure it out. "I even bought suppressants to hide my Alpha bloodline. I don't want anyone knowing Dad is an Alpha. "That kind of status would draw too much attention at school. I want to earn respect on my own." "Fine. So what do I get for keeping quiet?" I held out my hand like a total brat. Speechless, Theodore pinched the bridge of his nose, then tossed me a debit card. "When you run out, just text me." I watched him walk off, trying to look cool, and shrugged. What a guy. He never says what he really means. For a long time after that, we kept our distance in public without ever having to talk about it. No one would have connected an unremarkable Omega like me with Theodore, the campus star. That changed when Scarlett, the cheer captain, fell for Theodore. She hired a hacker to break into Theodore's phone and read the "explicit" messages we'd exchanged on an app. She was furious. That was how I ended up here, surrounded by Scarlett and a few others. I'd seen the girls behind her before. They were some of Theodore's most obsessive fans. They crowded around me and bombarded me with vicious questions. "Why do you have a key to Theodore's place? And why do you get to stay over every night? "What dirty trick did you pull to get Theodore to lend you the Porsche he just bought? That car is his baby!" They drove me back a few steps, but I forced myself to stay calm. "You've got one thing wrong. I don't need to threaten or trick Theodore. He's my brother... "That's all perfectly normal between siblings, isn't it?" At first, I'd wanted to keep my promise to Theodore and protect his secret. But now, with this pack of girls looking ready to tear me apart, I sold Theodore out on the spot and told them everything. But Scarlett just sneered. "Oh, please. I knew you'd say that!" She pulled out a file she'd prepared and threw it down in front of me. "I already checked. You have different last names, your school files list different parents as emergency contacts, and your records give different hometowns. How could you possibly be siblings?" I was about to explain that it was because our parents were divorced, but her sidekicks cut me off. Several of them pointed at me angrily. "She's right! That's obviously just an excuse!" "This is ridiculous! A lowly Omega claiming a top Beta is her brother! That's the funniest joke I've heard all year!" Fed up with their accusations, I pulled out my phone. "Fine! If you don't believe me, I'll call Theodore right now and let him tell you the truth himself!" When they saw my phone, a few of them hesitated. But Scarlett was sure she had me. She folded her arms. "Go ahead. If you can get Theodore to admit right here that you're his sister, I'll apologize for everything I've done!" Glaring at them, I dialed the familiar number. But all I got was an automated female voice: "The person you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again later." I pressed a hand to my forehead. Only then did I remember that Theodore's team was at a three-day closed-door training camp ahead of the national collegiate hockey championship, and the coach had collected everyone's phones. Seeing me flustered and helpless, Scarlett got even cockier. "See that, everyone? Theodore won't even pick up her calls!" I was at my wits' end, with no idea what to do. That was when Gerald, who had been watching silently from the crowd, finally stepped forward. Chapter 2 "Honestly, Vera Davenport, I'm very disappointed in you. " "I thought you were just an ordinary Omega who would be content with an ordinary life..." "But I never imagined you'd be this ambitious. " "You set your sights on our best student and used God knows what vile, underhanded tactics to threaten him!" "I didn't!" I shot back. Gerald gave me an icy look. "Scarlett has no reason to frame you. She's the top female Beta at this college, and she's more than worthy of Theodore. "As for you, Vera, what you did was way out of line. The school will consider disciplinary action against you." I protested, "That's not fair! You don't have any proof. I haven't been harassing Theodore!" But none of them would listen. They even left me with a parting shot: "If you don't take this warning seriously, we'll take legal action to protect poor Theodore. Think it over carefully." I watched them walk away and shook my head, fed up. That night, I got a flood of texts from numbers I didn't know. "Stay away from Theodore, you psycho! You should be ashamed of yourself!" "Stop threatening Theodore, or I'll make sure you're run off campus!" "You actually think you have a shot with Theodore? Keep a mirror handy and take a good look at yourself!" Annoyed, I blocked them one by one. My best friend, Nicole Buckley, came over to comfort me. "Don't let it get to you, Vera. This will all blow over. "But honestly, I think you messed with the wrong person this time. Everyone at school knows Scarlett likes Theodore and wants to be his mate. "And you had the nerve to get that close to Theodore. Of course she's going to come after you..." I looked up at her. "If I told you I'm Theodore's sister, would you believe me?" Nicole shook her head. "Honestly? It's easier to believe you threatened Theodore than that he's your brother." I let out an angry, disbelieving laugh. Nicole hesitated for a moment, then went on, "Scarlett asked me to pass along a message. "If you publicly apologize to Theodore online and promise you'll never harass him again, she'll consider going easy on you and asking the school not to punish you..." I scoffed, "Oh, so I should be grateful to her?" Nicole sighed. "Don't be like that, Vera. I really think you should just apologize. Turn over a new leaf, and everyone will forgive you." I gave Nicole a long look, then got up to leave. "No way. I'm not going to admit to something I didn't do." After class that afternoon, I went back to my dorm and found that the suitcase by the door was gone. I rushed into my room and found Scarlett and a few of her sidekicks digging through my drawers. "Stop! What gives you the right to go through my stuff? This is a crime!" I charged at them, trying to grab my things back, but a few of them held me down by my arms and legs. Scarlett folded her arms and looked down her nose at me. "None of this is yours! You got it by threatening Theodore. It's evidence of your crimes, and we're just making sure justice is served!" The other werewolves chimed in, "That's right. We're confiscating everything you own. It's all stolen property, so you don't get to keep any of it." "Yeah, we're not even leaving you a piece of dental floss!" I struggled against them on the floor. "Stop now or I'm calling the police!" Scarlett didn't even flinch. She threw her head back and laughed. "Ha! Perfect! I'll hand over all the evidence I've collected to the police, too, and we'll see who they believe!" I was so furious I could barely speak. "You're going to regret this. When Theodore gets back..." Scarlett snorted. "Fine! If Theodore comes back and tells us himself that you're his sister, I'll give every last thing back. "And I'll apologize to you in front of the whole school. How about that? "But for now..." She pulled out the debit card Theodore had given me and smiled. "I'm confiscating everything you own!" With that, they left my dorm room, laughing. Chapter 3 That night, I had no money for dinner, and my stomach was growling. After digging around for a while, I found a loaf of expired bread in the corner of a drawer. Overjoyed, I started eating it at once. But then I spotted a post blowing up on the campus forum. The headline read: "Shocking! Gold-Digging Omega Exposed for Harassing Innocent Beta!" Underneath were nearly 3,000 comments tearing me apart. [It's a disgrace to share a campus with someone like her! The school should kick her out and send her back to whatever backwoods den she crawled out of!] [So that's how she could afford a Porsche. She took Theodore's! Totally shameless!] [Wow, so I bet her food and clothes all come out of Theodore's pocket, too? That's way over the line.] My eyes stung. I chewed on the stale, tasteless bread and scrolled through my contacts. Dad was busy with pack business, and Mom was overseas on a work trip. There was nobody who could help me. Before I came to school, Dad had even told Theodore to take good care of me. But now I couldn't even afford a meal. Two more days to go. I prayed silently. Theodore, please hurry back! If this keeps up, I'm going to lose my mind! The next day was the campus musical theater competition. I'd loved music since I was little, and I'd been preparing for this competition for a long time. Excited, I hurried to the venue, but a staff member stopped me as soon as I walked in. "I'm sorry, Vera. We just got word that you've been disqualified." "What?" I was stunned. "But I signed up a week ago. Why would I be disqualified?" The staff member avoided my eyes and seemed to be holding something back. "We don't know either, but the administration made the decision." When I stormed into the dean's office, Scarlett was there, chatting and laughing with Gerald. When I demanded an answer, their smiles vanished. "We're sorry about this, Vera. But you've been at the center of so much controversy lately that letting you compete could disrupt the event. We have to make sure it runs smoothly." "I'll clear it up! But the competition is today, and Theodore won't be back until noon tomorrow. You can't disqualify me over this!" My eyes burned with anger. "Do you know how much work I put into this?" I pulled out my props and costume. "I made all of it myself. I spent a whole month getting ready!" But they didn't care at all. Scarlett put her hands on her hips, her voice full of contempt. "So what? Nobody's going to feel sorry for you. Right now, everyone thinks you're guilty. "Save all this for next year! Oh wait... I don't know if you'll even still be here next year. More likely, your lies will be exposed, and you'll drop out in shame! Hahaha!" My eyes still red, I looked at Gerald, but he just kept repeating, "We're sorry." I stormed out and slammed the door. Once I reached a corner where no one could see me, I pulled a voice recorder out of my pocket. When Theodore came back the next day, the truth would come out. And when it did, I would make every one of them answer for what they'd done to me. The results of the musical theater competition surprised no one: Scarlett won. Onstage accepting her award, she looked as proud as a peacock. "First of all, I want to thank the school for this recognition. My musical is called 'The Right to Say No.' It's a brand-new piece I wrote, inspired by the recent controversy. "And I want to say this to everyone who's ever been harassed. Be brave and say 'no'!" As soon as she finished, the audience burst into thunderous applause. "Well said!" Some of the werewolves looked pointedly at me and whispered. I felt like a gutter rat, watching someone else shine from backstage while everyone looked down on me. Just then, one of Scarlett's sidekicks snuck over and shoved a piece of paper into my hand. "Read what it says." I looked it over. It was a prepared apology cataloging every supposed flaw in my character and every way I'd allegedly hurt Theodore. I smiled. "Nicely written." The sidekick looked smug. "Of course it is! "This is your last chance to apologize. If you behave yourself, maybe we'll have mercy on you..." But she didn't get to finish. A second later, I ripped the paper to shreds in one quick, clean motion. "Sorry, but I'm not in the habit of apologizing." With that, I turned and walked away. Behind me, I heard her furious voice: "Fine, you had your chance and blew it! Just wait until tomorrow, when you get what's coming to you!" Chapter 4 At noon the next day, the campus gates were packed with students. Almost the whole school had shown up. Word had spread that Theodore had excelled in the tournament and led the school to a national collegiate hockey championship. Half had come to congratulate him. The other half had come to watch me get humiliated. Scarlett's makeup was flawless. She wore a bright cheer uniform, held a bouquet of flowers, and stood right up front. Her sidekicks were even holding up a banner. "Welcome Back, Theodore! Our Campus Hero!" One of them leaned in and whispered smugly, "You'd better be scared. Theodore's about to expose you. With all the witnesses and evidence against you, let's see you talk your way out of this, gold digger!" I clenched my fists and kept my eyes locked on the gates. Before long, the bus carrying Theodore pulled up. He was the third person off the bus, and the second he appeared, every girl on campus went wild. "Ahhh! Theodore, I love you!" Scarlett smoothed her hair and stepped forward with the bouquet, looking shy and excited. "Theodore, while you were gone, I took care of a big problem for you." She took a deep breath and looked up at him hopefully, like a kid waiting to be praised. "I know some shameless Omega has been threatening you. "So I got everything back for you. Look, here's your debit card..." She handed Theodore the debit card she'd taken from me. Theodore looked a little confused. "I already reported her to the school and had them discipline her. If she dares to keep harassing you, she'll be expelled." There was a strange gleam in her eyes, and she sounded thrilled. "She even had the nerve to claim she's your sister. Why don't you set the record straight right now so she can't hurt your reputation?" "Sister?" When he heard that word, Theodore frowned. Scarlett jumped right in. "That's right, Theodore. You're confused too, aren't you? I knew there was no way a lowly Omega like her could be your sister! "She's got some nerve. She almost had us fooled..." Scarlett was still chattering away. A second later, Theodore realized what she meant. As if sensing me, Theodore looked through the crowd and met my gaze from several hundred yards away. He took in my hollow cheeks, the dark circles under my eyes, and the hurt written all over my face. His expression darkened instantly. "Oh? So she's the Omega tramp you say was coming on to me?" Theodore's tone was impossible to read. I knew that look of his all too well. It meant he was about to lose it. The last time I'd seen him this angry was when a rogue kidnapped me. Afterward, he used the guy as a punching bag for three days and three nights. Scarlett, oblivious to the danger, kept going. "Yes! Her! A worthless Omega throwing herself at someone far above her station. I'll have someone teach her a lesson right now!" Theodore narrowed his eyes. "Oh? And how are you going to teach her a lesson?" Scarlett eagerly started to answer, then froze. The ice in Theodore's eyes made her shiver. He looked down at her and spoke slowly. "Since when does anyone get to teach my sister a lesson?"