Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Ch 12 All Hail Thea
Dr. Boman gave Thea the all-clear six days after the attack. She could restart their early morning training the next day.
Xavier hadn’t been at school since the day he assaulted Thea. No one knew where he was. Not even his pack members.
Thea was on her way to lunch with Lizzy when a group of junior boys blocked them in the hallway.
“Excuse me,” Thea said. She tried to push through them.
Two boys grabbed her arms to hold her, and another grabbed her boobs. Lizzy backed up to let
Thea do her thing. Thea didn’t hesitate to put all three of them on their backs. These weren’t shifted wolves. They were just boys. Her shoulder was healed. It wasn’t even a challenge. A crowd gathered to see what was going on.
“Hey,” one of their buddies said. “We heard you like gangbangs. We’re just trying to give you what you want.”
“Oh, you want to give me what I want? Well then, come and get it, loverboy.” Thea held out her hands, beckoning them.
The guy and two of his friends came at her. She had them bleeding on the floor in three seconds.
She sensed a few guys coming behind her, so she spun around and took them out too. The rest of the guys came at her, and they were bloody, groaning on the floor within a minute. Thea stood above them, unscathed.
“For the record,” Thea shouted, hands on her hips. “Anyone who makes a move on me will end up like these pathetic pussies.” The crowd cheered.
“Tam a virgin, proud of it, and I will stay a virgin until I find my mate! Anyone else have anything they want to say to me?”
“Woot! Woot!” Lizzy called, skipping over the piles of boys. She raised Thea’s hand in the air. “We now declare this a rape-free zone! No more slut- shaming and rape culture! Attempted rapists will be dealt with accordingly! By Thea! You hear that girls? You need protection? Come to Thea! All hail Thea! All hail Thea!” 2
The girls in the crowd started chanting along with Lizzy, stepping on the boys to get to them.
“I knew those rumors were lies. I can’t believe people believed them,” someone said.
“By the way, who started those rumors?” Thea said.
“Pretty sure it was Xavier,” another girl said. “He came in at the end of lunch one day last week, bragging about how he got with you even though you only like rough gangbangs. Something about being all you needed. Thing is, there was blood on his shirt, and his face was still healing from something.”
“I bet he tried something with Thea, she beat him to a bloody pulp, and he started those rumors to get back at her!”
“That tracks,” Thea said, nodding.
“Xavier. What a loser.”
“He hasn’t been at school since then.”
And just like that, the gossip mill changed course. Lizzy looked at Thea. “You didn’t say anything about Xavier,” Lizzy whispered.
“I didn’t want to make a big thing.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks for today, and thanks for having my back before. I heard you defend me over the last few days.”
“Always,” Lizzy said. She took her hand and raised it in the air again.
They made their way into the cafeteria, a swarm of girls chanting, “All hail Thea!” Thea turned to face them, and they quieted.
“For real, ladies, if anyone gives you trouble, I’ll have your back.” More cheers. She turned, got her food, and went to her usual table.
“All hail Thea?” Conri said.
“Oh, the gossip hasn’t made its way here yet?” Thea said.
“It was glorious,” Misty said from behind her. Thea turned. Misty gave a play-by-play of what happened in the hall. The triplets alternated between anger at the boys and pride that their lady beat them up.
“Were any of the boys from our pack?” Alaric said.
“No,” Thea said.
“Which one touched you?” Kai said.
“Not sure of his name.”
“It was Markus from Crescent Moon pack,” Misty said.
Kai stood up. “Ill be right back.” Thea caught his arm.
“Don’t get yourself into trouble,” Thea said.
“Pl leave him alive. Barely,” Kai said. Thea stared him in the eyes.
“Nothing that will get YOU disciplined.”
He breathed in, sighed, and nodded. Conri and Alaric also stood up.
“You too?” Thea said.
“We can’t let it stand,” Alaric said.
“My rage has to go somewhere,” Conri said, his hands in fists at his sides.
“Same goes for you two. Stay out of trouble.” She shook her head as the triplets walked out of the cafeteria on their way to find the pile of bloody boys.
“Thea? Can I talk to you?” Misty said.
“Sure.”
“In private?”
“Yeah.” Thea grabbed her food and followed Misty outside to the empty sports field. She ate on the way and finished her food by the time they stopped.
“I need to apologize to you,” Misty said. “I’ve been part of spreading the rumors about you. I did hear it from Xavier, but I kept it going. I’m sorry.”
“Can I ask why?” Thea said.
Misty chewed her lip. “It’s complicated.”
“Tm willing to listen,” Thea said.
“Not here.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere no one can eavesdrop.”
“You’re making this sound serious. Like there’s some kind of conspiracy.”
“Nevermind. Forget it. I’m just, just sorry.” Misty turned and started walking quickly away. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“Wait,” Thea said. She caught up to her, grabbed her arm, and turned her around to face her. “ Where will you feel safe to talk?”
“I have a car. We could drive until we know no one is around.”
“You’re not trying to get me alone to kill me, are you?” Thea joked.
Misty looked ashamed and heartbroken. “I’m so sorry I made you feel like that’s a possibility. No, I promise. Just talking.”
“Okay. You want to go now?”
“Like ditch school?” Misty said.
“It’s the last semester of senior year. Really, who cares?”
Misty smiled. “Okay.”
“Let me just go tell the triplets I won’t be in class, or they’1l have a conniption.”
“It must be nice to have people care that much about you.”
Thea caught the sadness in Misty’s voice. “I’ll be right back.” She ran inside and found the triplets at their lunch table. “How did it go?”
“We didn’t have to do much,” Kai said. “Just the three of us walking up to the group was enough. They all stayed on the ground, bellies up, apologizing. I did break the hands that touched you.”
“Oh, Kai.”
“They recognized their mistake. You took care of that. That was the best sight —a dozen groaning boys lying on the ground in a bloody heap. Knowing our baby did that,” Conri said.
“They won’t be molesting anyone again, no matter what they hear,” Alaric said. “Why didn’t you tell us people have been gossiping?”
“Can we talk about it tonight? I don’t want to get into it here.” They nodded. “I’m going to ditch class and go talk with Misty.”
“You? Ditching class?” Alaric said.
“With the person who spread the rumors?” Kai said.
“She didn’t start them. Xavier did,” Thea said.
“But she spread them, added to them. That’s what the boys said,” Conri said.
“She apologized, and she wants to explain why.”
“You’re too forgiving,” Kai said.
“Alright, go make peace with your enemies,” Alaric said. He pulled her into a hug and a kiss. Conri and Kai followed suit. ‘
Thea ran back outside and followed Misty to her car.