The Bully Alpha's Fake Alpha Mate (BL)-Chapter 36: THE ISOLATION BEGINS

ASHER

Morning came too soon, and I’d barely slept after the texts from Reed. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face in the firelight, and I heard his voice promising to break me.

Tomorrow, the real fun begins.

I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for class, moving so slow like someone who had already given up. My hands were still shaking from last night, my body felt wrong, like my skin was stretched too tight over my bones.

The suppressants were wearing off faster than they should.

I needed to see Ms. Chen, I needed help from her, and I needed something to hold me over until I figured out what the hell I was going to do. She was the only one who knew my secret and could possibly help me out without turning her back on me. She was my last hope but first, I needed food.

I walked into the cafeteria at seven AM, the usual breakfast rush already in full swing, and the moment I stepped through the door, the noise level dropped.

Not completely, not like in the movies where everything goes silent and everyone stares but enough that I noticed.

Enough that the students nearest the door glanced at me, then quickly looked away. I kept walking towards the food line, trying to ignore the prickling sensation on the back of my neck.

More glances, more quick looks followed by immediate avoidance. I grabbed a tray and moved through the line, loading up on scrambled eggs and toast that I probably wouldn’t be able to eat, then I turned to find a seat.

The table where I usually sat with Scott and a few other students from my dorm was occupied.

Scott was there, so were the others but when Scott saw me approaching, his expression shifted. He glanced at the students around him, then back at me, and then he looked away.

My stomach dropped but I wasn’t going to show signs that whatever was going on was slowly killing me, I was going to stand strong all through this.

I stood there with my tray, scanning the cafeteria for somewhere to sit.

Every table I looked at, students either avoided eye contact or actively turned their backs.

Reed’s declaration had worked, I was untouchable. I finally found an empty table in the corner and sat down alone.

The eggs tasted like ash in my mouth as I forced myself to eat anyway, keeping my eyes on my plate, trying not to notice the whispers and stares from every direction.

Then someone sat down across from me.

I looked up, and Julian with a worried look on his face.

"You look like shit," he said conversationally, setting down his own tray.

"Thanks." I said, my sight focused on my plate.

"No, seriously, you look like you haven’t slept in days." Julian took a bite of his bagel. "How are you holding up?"

"I’m fine." I told him even though I was far from being fine.

"Liar." Julian’s expression was serious despite his casual tone. "Everyone saw the videos, everyone knows what happened and now Reed’s declared war and turned the entire Academy against you."

"I noticed." I told him, still not looking up.

"Yeah, well." Julian glanced around the cafeteria. "For what it’s worth, I think Reed’s being a psychotic asshole, and I told him as much last night."

I blinked. "You what?" I said almost in a yell, my eyes met his, completely surprised and dumbfounded.

"I told Reed he’s being a psychotic asshole." Julian shrugged. "He told me to stay out of it or become his enemy too. I told him to go fuck himself."

Despite everything, I felt a flicker of warmth in my chest. "Are you insane? You’re going to get yourself hurt. Hope you know that, right?"

"Maybe but someone needs to tell Reed when he’s crossing a line." Julian took another bite of his bagel. "And this? This is so far over the line it’s not even visible anymore."

We ate in silence for a moment, I didn’t know what to say to him because part of me was dead worried that Reed or his minions shouldn’t see him sitting with me because that would mean trouble for Julian, and I wasn’t ready to see someone get hurt because of me.

Then Julian spoke again, breaking the long awkward silence between us. "Callum wanted me to give you a message."

"What message?" I asked, my interest piqued.

"He says Reed’s in pre-rut. Full Alpha instincts, zero impulse control, and completely obsessed with you." Julian’s voice dropped. "He also says Reed’s fixated on your scent, he keeps talking about how it doesn’t smell right. How there’s something wrong with it."

My blood ran cold. "What else did Callum say?" I asked, trying to find out more of what Reed knows about me and what I should be scared of.

"That you need to be careful, and that whatever you’re hiding, Reed’s going to figure it out eventually." Julian met my eyes. "And when he does, it’s going to get bad."

"It’s already bad." I told him, "How badly can it get any further?" I asked even though I knew the answer to my question.

"It can always get worse." Julian finished his bagel and stood up. "Watch your back, Asher, and if you need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me."

He walked away before I could respond, andI sat alone at my table, pushing eggs around on my plate, trying not to think about what Julian had said.

Reed was fixated on my scent, Reed knew something was wrong, and Reed was going to figure it out which got me scared and which meant I needed to be extra careful as not to let him ever find out about my secret.

The rest of the day was a nightmare.

In every class, students avoided sitting near me, group assignments suddenly had no room for one more person, and even the professors seemed uncomfortable calling on me.

Reed’s influence had turned the entire Academy against me overnight.

By lunch, I’d stopped trying to find somewhere to sit in the cafeteria. I just grabbed food and took it back to my dorm, and by dinner, I’d stopped going to the cafeteria altogether.

I was in my room, staring at the ceiling. My roommate has completely abandoned the room because of Reed’s threat, and I was stuck up alone wondering what my next step would be when someone knocked on my door. At first, I considered not answering but the knocking continued. I had no choice but to answer because whoever was there was not.planning to leave any time soon, so I got up and opened the door, and Scott stood there, looking miserable, tired and restless.

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly, and I stepped aside, Scott walked in and sat on the edge of my bed. He looked exhausted, and defeated.

"I’m sorry," he said quickly catching me off guard.

"For what?" I asked, completely confused as to why he was apologising to me when he did nothing wrong.

"For being a pawn in your game." Scott’s hands were clasped together, his knuckles white. "For agreeing to go to that party with you, and for helping you provoke Reed."

I sat down in my desk chair. "We both agreed to it, Scott. You didn’t force me." I told him, making sure he understands it because it seems that was why he was looking this way.

"No, but I helped you." Scott looked up at me. "You came to me with this plan to make Reed jealous, to push him, to see how far he’d go, and I said yes instead of saying no. I played along, and I let you use me as bait."

"I asked you to help me, that’s a different thing than using you as a pawn. I asked for it," I said. "and you were doing me a favor."

"Some favor." Scott’s voice was bitter. "Now you’re completely isolated, and Reed’s hunting you. The entire Academy has turned against you, and I can’t even sit with you at lunch without risking becoming his next target."

"I know." I told him but Scott shook his head, and I could see the pain on his face.

"I hate it." Scott’s voice cracked. "I hate that I’m too much of a coward to stand up to him. I hate that I’m letting him isolate you like this. I hate that I helped you provoke him into doing this."

"You’re not—"

"Yes, I am." Scott stood up. "But for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I agreed to help you torment Reed. I’m sorry it backfired this badly, and I’m sorry I can’t help you now, even now I am still a failure who still can’t do anything. All I ever do is to depend on you and I am sorry."

He walked to the door, then paused.

"Be careful, Asher," he said without turning around. "Reed’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants, and whatever that is, it’s not going to end well for you."

Then he left without waiting for my response and I sat alone in my room, the silence pressing down on me.

Reed had isolated me completely. No friends, no allies, and no one willing to risk Reed’s wrath by being seen with me. I was alone... cmpletely and utterly alone.