3 Two days ago

● Two days ago ●

Jace waited impatiently for the final bell to ring. His leg bounced as he watched the clock from his seat. His time in the gym showed through the form of his uniform. His birthday was tomorrow, and he had plans with his friends tonight, yet this stupid class couldn't end any later.

Beep~

"Finally," Jace stood and grabbed his bookbag before he met Alex and Derek at the door, "Food's on me tonight, ladies."

"Of course," said Alex, "it's tradition. The birthday boy always pays."

They laughed, walking down the halls. All three of them towered over the majority of the student body. They were the wealthiest assholes in the school, and there was no doubt that they would all present as alphas of some sort.

Alex's parents were executives in a large hotel corporation, and Derek's father inherited his grandfather's expansive estate and all of the power that came with it. Yet, neither of those could live up to the multinational conglomerate owned and operated by the Brinston family. Of which, Jace Brinston was the youngest son.

It was a pity that Jace wasted all his potential on parties when he could be top of the class.

"It's too bad your parents are making you stay home on your birthday. I would have planned a party bigger than the one you two pulled together for me last year," said Derek.

"It's a family thing. Both of my brothers had to do it too. They just want to parade me around all of our relatives for a few hours."

"Man, your family is weird. They hate on you all the time, but as long as you're an alpha, all is forgiven if you can show off for some stuck up old people," Alex frowned, "With my grades, I doubt my parents will acknowledge me even if I end up a true alpha."

"Trust me, it's not fun. My dad's older sister was a star student, but they shunned her away when she ended up as an omega. She still lives on one of the properties somewhere, but I haven't seen her since I was five."

"Whatever, you get to do what you want today, so let's go out tonight," said Derek.

Jace came home drunk three hours past curfew to find his mother Adeline Brinston and his father Walter Brinston on the couch.

"What business do you have getting home this late, Jace. Do you know what time it is?" his mother walked towards him, "It's two in the morning. How are you supposed to get your grades up when you spend every night out with those friends of yours?"

"I can't go out for my birthday?" he replied.

"Jace, you need to get your act together or we won't be able to justify sending you to a decent college," said Walter.

"It's always about how you look, isn't it? Get your grades up, you're embarrassing us! Stop going out, it makes us look irresponsible!" Jace mocked, "How about you stop shoving your shit in my face? I don't want to work for your stupid company."

"My god, Jace, you smell like a bar. I can't believe this. We have a family gathering tomorrow, and the guest of honor will be a teenager with a hangover," Adeline spat.

His father got up, "Go to your room and get some sleep before you have to get ready tomorrow. We'll continue this in the morning. It's giving me a headache. Why can't you just behave like your brothers?"

"I'm not interested in playing the lapdog for parents who don't give a shit about me," Jace shoved them aside, and walked to the stairway.

Walter grabbed Jace tightly by the collar, and pulled him to his face, "You're lucky we have guests sleeping right now, or you'd be in for some pain," he whispered

Jace pushed him away, his hands shaking discreetly by his side, "Fuck you."

Morning came with head-splitting pain and not enough sleep. By his bedside was a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers, no doubt left by one of his family's maids.

"Jace, you need to get up and get dressed," his oldest brother Hayden, a sub alpha like his parents, knocked on the door, "Mom and Dad are waiting in the dining room. What did you do last night that has them so angry?"

The door creaked open a bit, and Hayden saw Jace. He was still wearing the clothes he changed into after school the day before. His bag was thrown on the floor with his shoes. Jace's dark brown hair was a mess, and his green eyes were sunken and tired, "Well, you look like shit, little brother," said his other older brother Jaxton, a true alpha.

"Thanks," Jace croaked. He was started to feel hot. He figured it was because spring was almost over, "Get out. I have to prepare myself for the circus show."

"Yeah, yeah," Jaxton closed the door, and Jace heard him and Hayden talking as they walked down the hall.

He fell back down and immediately regretted moving so quickly.