Bullied By My Alpha Stepbrother

Chapter 42 – Hardin

Hardin

If I was right, I had exchanged barely six or seven words with Dad ever since the incidence at the dinning room. Maybe once when I had answered ‘yes’ to all of the advice that he was feeding me with, and some forced ‘good mornings’ to him. The only reason I still stayed back at the mansion and had not moved to the cottage where I always found comfort was because Dad had intentionally added much more duties to me, which at the end of the day will not only be exhausting, but will be so late that I won’t be able to leave the mansion anymore.

Whenever Camila had the opportunity to talk to me, she came up with the thing of how everything Dad was doing was solely for my care and growth, and how I was just misunderstanding him.

I never answered any of the things she said though, because none of it made any sense.

If Russo actually cared like Camila said, then instead of placing more jobs on me, the exact thing that he would have been doing will have been to find out why I acted up that way.

As I finally helped myself get up from the bed, I quickly washed up and dressed for school. It was only when I joined breakfast that I realized that Russo had gone on a trip to the neighboring pack. I could not help but breathe out in relief as it felt like freedom on me.

“Hardin dear, is everything okay with you?” Lisa asked as I made to stand up from the dinning, and heaving a breath of relief, I nodded with a smile. As much as she sometimes troubled me, she had been the one coming into my room and helping to put me to sleep on days I found it hard to, ever since my outburst at the dinning. And I really did appreciate her help.

From what I heard Jasmine and Camila discussing one other time that I did not intentionally eavesdrop, it was quite visible that I had withdrawn into myself, which was really fine with me. I had my own mess and issues to face, and I needed Russo to understand that.

“Is great that you are okay. I will pack up lunch for you, and Jasmine will go to school along with it.”

“Okay,” I simply said, and while I was about turning my face away, I noticed the fear that had crippled on Jasmine’s face. She had probably been having a good time to herself, as I had been distant and not troubling her. And now if felt to her that her ‘sweet mother’ was throwing her right in front of me.

Well, I cared about so many other things at that moment, and Jasmine was the least of my care.

Walking inside school, I still had to face the constant glares of people which I thought I had liked at a point, but I really did not. There was always something about me flying in the ears of people, and as much as I cared less that it was always about troubling things, I wished that it could be better.

“Hey bro,” Sandro said to me as soon as I got to my locker, worriedly and I had to pay clear attention to whatever he had to say, as Alex also had that expression.

“Did you not see the message?”

“Message? What message is that? Ohh! About the house party, I’m sorry I could not come for it,” I mentioned, then shoved my bag into the locker. “With the way you glared at me, I felt there was a rumour about me murdering someone, because people be testing me so much these days,” I chuckled and when I noticed that they did not reciprocate, I turned my face to them.

Sandro and Alex had this expression of worry on their faces, which made me to feel like I was a mentally derailed person, because how had I not still gotten what they were talking about?

“It’s not that,” Sandro pointed out immediately.

“Then what is it?” I probed, “what is the big news this time?”

“It’s about that kid, Lorenzo.” Hearing his name caused an instant swing in my mood. But because I was trying my best to stay sane as it was almost about what Dad wanted, that I always had good reports, I eased my mind.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“How does it concern me in anyway, and what’s in the message?” Seeing that they were delaying in passing the ‘big news’ , I picked up my phone, and my eyes met with a notification immediately.

It was an argument that went on in the lacrosse team group chat, as Lorenzo had asked that he is allowed to be the captain of the team. The news felt like a big blow to me, as I had been the captain of the lacrosse team ever since I could remember, well because I deserved it and no one had tried dragging for the spot with me.

But, I got disappointed when I continued scrolling and find out that some other members of the team supported Lorenzo, saying that I had stayed as captain for long, and that Lorenzo was a good player too. In their words, ‘the team needed a change.’

I felt really hurt, but I did not express it. And raising my head to meet the twins, I had not even asked my question when they gave me the reply that I expected at that moment. It was as though they read my mind, but that was a thing for another day.

“You’re probably wondering what the coach said, well since the issue made the house become a divided one, he said he was going to send a response across to us. But that till then, you and Lorenzo had to meet up with him today. Which is exactly why I’m surprised that you are just coming to school right now, and not hurrying to his office.” It was Alex this time, and I just stared at him straight faced.

“Okay, I’ll put a call across to you guys when I’m done,” I simply said then left for the coach’s office. On arriving there, the first thing I came to face with was the evil smirk on Lorenzo’s face. Thankfully, he was already leaving because I could not promise that I could hold back from punching Lorenzo.

It was so much audacity that he had to even think of dragging my spot, and I badly wanted to put him in his place.

“You called for me,” I said to our coach as I made to sit on the chair that was in front of him.

As you already know, I’m at a dilemma trying to decide if you get to stay as captain of the team or if it’s better to allow Lorenzo fill in the space. Listening to his words, I wanted to growl at him for even having to deliberate between those options.

It was not even up to 6 months since Lorenzo joined the team, and because of how greedy he was, he already eyed the top postion. Besides I had led our lacrosse team to a good number of victories so it pissed me off that we were even having a discussion about it.

And after staying to hear him blab about everything he wanted to say, the coach came to a conclusion that I and Lorenzo will be watched dilligently and assessed. With the assessment ranging from our academic performance to our performance at lacrosse.

I did not know how to feel about it. At that moment, nothing felt right to me, and my academics was not any better.

I left the office rather sad, compared to the enthusiasm that I had used to come in and only felt a little bit alive when I had to talk to the twins at an empty class during lunch break.

“So you now have to fight for something that you own?” Sandro questioned rhetorically.

Call it pride, but I was certain that the position as captain of lacrosse team was what I deserved and owned. And I wished I could tell Sandro that it was absolutely what my life had turned into. I had to fight for everything, and now I was even fighting to prove myself that I was fit enough to be Alpha. Something that was rightfully given to me by the moon goddess.

And just as I was about to continue with my sad tale of how my academics was not really good to the twins, Jasmine stepped inside the class with a lunch pack in her hand.

“I’m sorry for interrupting. Mom asked that I give you this,” She said, and passed it to Alex who had stretched out his hand before hurriedly stepping out.

I watched her with hatred and disgust. As much as I undeniably wanted to pass the blame of my problems to another person, the issue of Lorenzo was definitely all Jasmine’s, as his relationship with her definitely gave him the nerves to think it wise to challenge me.

But asides the feeling of hatred, there was still another feeling lingering in my heart. I was lusting towards Jasmine and my wolf was heating up in ways that I could not explain.