Claimed by the Wrong Alphas

Charis

My eyes widened with shock at the nomination.

I whipped around to look at Phil, who wore a satisfied smile that made my stomach churn.

This was a trap. Phil’s apology had been fake; this was a way to bully me. Being Class Alpha would give them access to me no matter how much I try to deny it.

The student who had seconded the nomination—a tall boy with sandy hair, I vaguely recognised from orientation—gave me an encouraging nod that felt more like a death sentence.

Panic clawed at my throat as I turned back to the form mistress and desperately raised my hand.

Janet rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her irritation. "What?"

"I—I don’t want to be nominated," I stammered. "I don’t have what it takes to be a leader. I’m not qualified for this kind of responsibility. I’m just...I’m not good enough for something this important."

Her words came out in a rush, betraying the confidence I’d been trying so hard to project since my arrival at Ravenshore. But at this moment, desperation made me honest in the worst possible way.

"I barely know anyone here," I continued, my voice growing smaller. "I don’t understand things like this, and given my birth situation, I didn’t get a lot of exposure. I’d probably mess everything up and let everyone down. There has to be someone more suitable, someone who knows what they’re doing."

Janet sighed deeply, her expression shifting from irritation to mild exasperation. "Well, if the class nominates someone else and that person wins the election, then you’ll be free of this burden."

Before I could protest further, she turned back to the class. "Any other nominations?"