Alpha Wolf: Starlight Bar

Chapter 1

Kelly Hayes picked up the framed photo and stared at it. A painful longing filled her chest. Her fingertips gently caressed the cold glass, covering the photograph of her family.

She wanted to go home and not to the tiny house where she had existed for the last four years. She wanted to go home to her family.

She missed her parents. She even missed her pain in the ass, Neanderthal brothers. Even with their overbearing ways, she knew they loved her and would protect her.

Talking to them on the phone wasn’t enough. Hugs. The teasing. Family dinners. She wanted all the things she gave up when she moved away. She needed those things now more than ever. She hated living alone so far away from home, so far from her family, the people she loved and who loved her.

Are you sure there’s nothing you can do?

Kelly looked at her fellow teacher, Linda Andrews, and nodded. I’ve done everything I can. Oakson won. I’m officially unemployed. And about to be without a place to live. She thought about the eviction notice she found taped to the front door when she got home last night from the school board meeting.

Tired of dealing with the problems Coach Martin Oakson was causing her, she now had the standard thirty days to vacate her rental. She had no idea what she was going to do, or even where she was going to go. Kelly wanted to go home to her family, but she knew Linda wasn’t interested in any of that information. The only reason Linda had stopped by the classroom was on the pretense of helping Kelly pack her stuff so she could get some juicy gossip for the teachers’ lounge. The woman spent the whole time asking questions and making comments about everything. Not once had she even lifted a finger to pack anything, not that Kelly needed any help.

What about talking to the superintendent or the school board? Linda picked up the Teacher of the Year plaque. She rolled her eyes. So much for this award. They should have given it to me. At least I’ll be here next year, unlike some people. The corners of her lips curled up into a smirk. She dropped the plaque onto the desk.

The loud clatter echoed through the classroom.

Kelly glared at the woman. It was apparent Linda was still ticked about not winning the award last year. Oakson’s cousin is the school board president. She honestly didn’t know why she was explaining this to Linda. Everyone knew the school board president was Oakson’s cousin because Oakson bragged about it to everyone. He didn’t care if they were interested or not.

I take it that’s a no.

Definitely a no. Kelly tucked the photo of her family into the front pocket of the over-sized tote she had packed her personal belongings in just before Linda sauntered into the room. She looked around the room. Tears threatened to spill, but she refused to let Linda see them. That’s it. I’m ready to leave.

Aren’t you taking the rest of this stuff? Linda gestured to the room.

No.

But—

There’s no reason for me to take any of it. According to the school board, I’m not an employee of the district; therefore, she gestured to the room, this is no longer my problem. Kelly hated sounding as if she didn’t care. She loved teaching and was going to miss her students, but she didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on those things. She was no longer a teacher for the Westown Independent School District. Kelly didn’t want anyone accusing her of taking school property, even though she had bought almost everything in her classroom with her money and not school funds. Whoever they hired to take her place would probably rip it down.

She bit her bottom lip.

Oakson was making good on his threat of making her pay for turning down his advances and for breaking his nose when he got a little too touchy-feely.

She regretted her actions were forcing her to leave her students, but she had absolutely no regrets about breaking Oakson’s nose. Well, maybe one regret. She wished she had been able to do more damage to his face and his family jewels when she had the chance.

Kelly picked up the heavy tote and took a last look at the classroom that had been hers for the previous two years.

When one door closes, another one always opens. Kelly thought about the message her mom sent her in a text message about two weeks ago. At the time, the message didn’t make a lot of sense. Now, it had her wondering about what the future had planned for her.

What are you going to do now? Linda sat down in the chair behind the desk and pushed a stack of papers to the corner.

I may sleep late. Read a book. I don’t know, but I’m positive the right opportunity will present itself when the time’s right. Kelly looked at Linda and gave her a half-smile. Have fun reporting back to the other teachers. Without looking at anything except the door, she walked out of her classroom for the last time. The door made a soft click when it closed.

She wiped away a single tear and told herself she wasn’t going to let this place or situation have any more of them. She had given too many.

Enough was enough.

She had other things to worry about.

Okay, mom. The door has closed, and I’m looking for the open door you always talked about, but so far, I do not see it. A little help would be good.

Her footsteps echoed through the empty halls. She stopped at the glass doors at the front of the building. Slowly, she turned around and looked at the familiar walls covered with student work and flyers about upcoming events, like the school dance she was supposed to help chaperone next week.

Tomorrow the halls would be filled with 7th and 8th-grade students, but she wouldn’t be there.

You can’t leave until you hand over your badge. I can’t have you using it to get into the building whenever you feel like it. Principal Trevino stood in the doorway of the main office with his hand out.

Kelly unclipped the id badge.. She looked at the glass door standing between her and freedom.

Yeah, there was a lot of uncertainty attached to her life after she walked through the door, but it was freedom and a new start if she took advantage of the opportunity. She realized the situation was tough, but hidden underneath was a chance to begin a new chapter in her life.

She looked back at the beady-eyed, potbellied principal. She knew he was some sort of shifter. Probably a pig or boar if his looks were any indication of what animal he had inside him, but that didn’t bother her. What made her mad, was that he had sided with Oakson. He had even told her she needed to be kinder to Oakson.

She snorted.

Trevino and Oakson were probably part of the same pack or whatever they called their group.

With a smile, she held out the badge and let it slide out of her hand. It bounced and slid a short distance across the polished tiles.

Principal Trevino’s face turned red. Pick that up and hand it to me.

You want the badge? You pick it up. As you said, I no longer work here. That means you are no longer my boss, and I’m not required to follow your directions about school matters. She turned and pushed open the door. A cool breeze swept around her, picking up strands of her blonde wavy hair.

Get back here and pick up that badge! The door closed, effectively muffling Trevino’s screams.

Kelly lifted her head and squared her shoulders as she continued walking toward the parking lot. I found a door and walked through it. Now what? An idea took root as she walked toward her black Mustang and freedom. She smiled as she pushed a button on the key fob. The dark car roared to life.

That’s a little too much horsepower for someone like you.

Kelly clenched her teeth. Coach Martin Oakson’s voice grated on her nerves. Losing her job was terrible, but never having to see or hear him again was going to make it a little better. Go away! she said as she opened the passenger door and put her tote bag on the floor.

Now, why would I want to do that? He crossed his arms and leaned against the car.

Her car. Her baby! How dare he touch it.

She closed the door and glared at him. Get off of my car, and crawl back under the rock where you live.

I can get your job back for you, but you’re going to have to be a lot nicer to me than you have been. He stood up, trying to use his full height to intimidate her as he smiled down at her.

I’ll be nicer to you when Hell freezes over, and the Devil starts teaching Sunday school classes. She turned and started walking around the front of the car, but Oakson grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

I told you to be nice to me. Your tone is not nice, and neither is walking away from me. His eyes turned a freaky red color. He squeezed her arm to emphasize his point.

Kelly winced. She knew he was trying to bully her into submission. She had a feeling bruises were going to be the least of her worries if she didn’t get away from him. Let. ME. GO! Her growl would have made her brothers proud of her.

He laughed. I don’t think so. You’re going to get into the car, and I’m going to take you to my place. It’s time for you to learn who your alpha is, sweetheart. You are human, and you are fat. With those two things against you, you should be grateful I’m even interested in you because no one else will ever want you. He shook her.

She twisted toward him and rammed her knee as hard as she could into his family jewels.

Oakson gasped. He let go of her and grabbed his crotch. You, stupid bitch! His face turned several deep shades of red.

Don’t ever call me stupid! growled Kelly. She punched his nose as hard as she could. The crunching sound of the bone as it broke was sickening, but at