KAISER
I was already on my knees when the first splash of juice hit me.
It was grape, freezing and thick. It felt like a heavy, cold hand slapping the top of my head before it started its slow, sugary crawl down my scalp.
I knelt there, staring at the gray dust on the concrete roof, watching the purple drops drip off my nose and splash between my hands. It smelled like fake fruit and chemicals.
"I said peach-lemon, you scentless piece of shit."
Miller was standing over me. He was a Beta with a face like a flat tire, all mean and sweaty. He looked pleased with himself in the way dogs looked pleased after tearing something apart.
He slammed the empty metal can into the side of my head.
Crack.
The sound was sharp, ringing inside my skull like a bell. A hot spike of pain shot through my ear. I tried to swallow the dizziness.
"The machine was out," I said. My voice was thin, but I didn't let it shake. "I thought you'd want—"
He didn't let me finish. His boot caught me right in the ribs. It was a heavy, dull thud that stole the air out of my chest. I slumped over, my palms scraping against the grit of the roof as I tried to remember how to breathe.
"You don't get to think," Miller spat. He kicked me again, right in the same spot. "A defect like you just does what he's told."
Laughter scattered around the roof.
Around us, the others were huddling closer.
There were six of them today. Sometimes more. A few sat on the vents watching like this was lunch entertainment. One guy was eating chips. Another kept recording with his phone angled sideways.
Sarah, a girl with a high ponytail and a mouth that always looked like she was tasting something rotten, stepped forward. She looked at me with pure disgust.
She planted the heel of her shoe on my cheek and pressed. Hard.
My face ground into the gravel. I could taste the dirt and the sour juice.
"Look at him," she giggled, leaning her weight into her foot until I felt the skin on my face start to tear. "Trying to get a look up my skirt while he's down there, aren't you? You disgusting little pervert."
Someone behind her laughed too hard.
"Careful," another voice called. "Maybe he'll fall in love."
More laughter followed.
"Oh my God," she laughed. "He's staring again."
She leaned down closer, her voice turning into a cruel mock-whisper. "What's the matter, Kaiser? Want me to take you somewhere quiet? Want to see what a real woman feels like?"
There was a collective sound of amusement this time.
"As if!" Miller barked. "He wouldn't even know what to do. He's got no equipment. He's a ghost."
Sarah laughed and pushed my head deeper into the dirt. "I'd rather sleep with a dog. At least a dog has a scent."
I didn't give them a sound. I just looked at her. My eyes stayed locked on hers. I knew they hated that.
"Stop looking at me!" she snapped, her face turning red. She shoved my head one last time before stepping back.
Then, the air went dead.
The laughing stopped so fast it left a hole in the atmosphere. The group of Betas scrambled to stand up straight, their faces going pale.
Luke Quinn, the school's golden boy and one of the very few Alphas that ran the territory walked around the corner.
He was tall, with broad shoulders that seemed to take up the whole walkway. His hair was a pale, strange silver, and his eyes were a dark, piercing purple… the color of a fresh bruise.
He had a cigarette between his lips, the smoke curling around his face. Behind him was his shadow, another taller and much larger Alpha who looked like a bodyguard.
Luke stopped a few feet away. He didn't look at the others. He looked at me, drenched in purple slime and kneeling in the dirt.
"What's this?" Luke asked. His voice was a low, smooth crawl.
"Just… just giving the ghost a lesson, Luke," Miller stammered. "He's getting real cocky these days…"
Luke didn't answer. He walked over and crouched down in front of me. He was so close I could smell the heavy, suffocating scent of his Alpha pheromones and the acrid smoke. He blew a cloud of it directly into my face. I coughed, my eyes stinging, but I didn't look away.
"Hmmm? Is that right, Kaiser?" he whispered. "You getting brave?"
"The machine was empty," I said. "I don't understand what else I was supposed to do."
A collective gasp went around the roof. Somebody muttered, "Holy shit."
"You little sh-" Miller moved to hit me, but Luke held up a hand. Miller froze instantly.
"You know… I really hate the look on your face," Luke said. He sounded bored, which was worse than the yelling. "And those eyes… they're really starting to get on my nerves."
Before I could even register his words, he grabbed a handful of my hair. I felt the roots burn as he wrenched my head back.
Then, he took the lit cigarette out of his mouth and pressed the glowing red tip directly into the meat of my thigh.
The pain was a white-hot scream. It burned through my trousers and sank into my skin. I could smell the wool singeing. I could smell myself burning. My jaw locked so hard I thought my teeth would break.
"Don't move," Luke commanded.
I didn't move. I sat there and let him sear me, the pain radiating through my whole body in waves. I stared into his purple eyes until my vision blurred. Finally, my strength snapped. My head dropped, and I stared at his boots, my breath coming in ragged hitches.
Luke let go of my hair and slapped the side of my neck, a hard, stinging strike.
"That's better," he said. He checked his pack. "Ah… I ran out." He looked at me. "Did you get them?"
I reached into my pocket with a trembling hand and pulled out a fresh pack I was forced to steal from a nearby store. He took them, tapping me on the shoulder like I was a dog.
"Good boy," he murmured. He lit one, took a deep puff, and looked at the others. "Everyone out. I'm taking a nap."