Chapter 5 5

TAMARA

“Are you seriously kidding me?”

I blinked, feeling small under everyone's scrutiny. Of all the countless scenarios I'd conjured in my mind about auditioning for the varsity cheer squad, this wasn't one of them.

The moment the judges saw my application form, they burst into laughter. Now, standing before the entire panel, I couldn't even get past the lump in my throat to explain why cheerleading meant so much to me.

The varsity cheer captain, Autumn Sinclair, cleared her throat lightly to quiet the noise around her. Then her cool brown eyes shifted to mine as she dropped her pen on my file. 

“Miss Gracìa, we do not have all day for this,” she said coolly. “Do you have an answer for me or not?”

“I do. I—”

A tall, blonde girl scoffed and leaned back on her chair. “Anna was right. There's no way this girl can cheer in public. Look at her, she can barely hold my gaze for ten seconds.”

Another girl by Autumn's other side immediately countered. 

“I think that is a small problem that can be fixed. Her flexibility, athleticism, and ability to execute difficult choreography are all top-notch.”

“Oh, please.” The blonde girl shot her a glare. “You know all of this doesn't mean anything as long as she can't even stand in front of the crowd, Ivy.”

“What do you expect, Reese?” Ivy folded her arms. “She's a submissive wolf standing in front of a judge panel full of dominant ones.”

A guy finally joined in the conversation. “Maybe that's the problem. Dominant wolves are more prevalent in this college, Ivy. We can't overlook her timidness just because she has some skills.”

“Fuck off, Gerald,” Ivy hissed, her voice full of anger. “No one asked for your input in this conversation.”

Reese snapped. “Don't talk to my boyfriend like that. Gerald's also on the judge panel too!”

“Do I look like I give a damn?”

“You're just mad that he chose me, not you,” Reese sneered, rising to her feet. “When will you stop being a sore loser?”

Ivy slowly stood up too. “What the hell did you just say?”

Their voices rose into a heated argument that echoed throughout the gym. My wolf whimpered at the sight, sensing their heightened emotions. Everything in me was screaming to run away, but I dug my heels in. 

These cheerleaders already thought I was a wuss just because I was a submissive wolf, and I wasn't going to prove them right. 

Before I could speak again, Autumn slammed her hand on the table. The room immediately fell silent as everyone flinched from the sound. They cast guilty glances at Autumn, but didn't dare talk again. 

Her gaze finally shifted to me. 

“Since you don't have anything to say, then your application to the cheer squad has been rejected.”

My eyes widened. “No, please give me another chance—”

“Even if I give you a hundred chances, you still won't be able to join the squad,” she cut me off smoothly while closing my file. “Reese is right. As a cheerleader, you must be able to perform well in front of a crowd. Your submissive wolf cannot help you do that.”

“You don't understand. I need to join the varsity cheer squad—”

“That would be all, Miss Gracìa. Thank you for coming here,” she said, ending the conversation with finality. 

My hands balled into fists at my sides. I wanted to do something, anything, to change Autumn's mind. One of my cheerleading scholarship terms stipulated that I must join the varsity cheerleading squad. That had to be why Anna had gone out of her way to ruin my chances. She didn't want me attending the same college as her.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out no matter how much I tried. Despair settled over me. This moment meant everything, and I'd just watched my future slip through my fingers.

Reese gave me a look of disdain before looking past me to the other applicants standing at the door. 

“Next!”

I cast one more glance at everyone before walking away. My chest felt tight and stuffy, but I forced myself to continue walking until I took another turn in the hallway.  

“So, did you pass the audition?”

I stopped when I heard the familiar voice behind me. Jaxson leaned against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets. His hair was still wet and messy, and the black long-sleeved shirt and matching pants he wore made him look like a model straight out of a magazine.

My lips trembled slightly. “No, I didn't.”

Silence settled between us after he heard my words. I felt even more pathetic now that I had admitted it because it made everything real. My entire future was slipping through my fingers, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. 

All because I was a submissive wolf. 

Jaxson pushed away from the wall when tears spilled down my cheeks. His hands hovered uncertainly around me, as if he wanted to comfort me but had no idea how. 

“Hey, it's just a stupid cheer squad,” he said, panic creeping into his voice. “Why are you crying because they rejected you?”

A sob escaped my lips before I could stop it. “Because that's the only way I can keep my cheerleading scholarship. I need to get into the varsity cheer squad.”

Jaxson fell silent and stared at me like he was contemplating something. Then he glanced around like he was making sure we were all alone before he finally turned to me. 

“Tamara,” he began slowly. “I can help you get into the varsity cheer squad.”

His words brought a flicker of hope to the darkness threatening to swallow me. “Really? You'll help me?”

“On one condition.”

My body tensed immediately, but I forced myself to remain calm. At this point, I was desperate enough to consider almost anything that could get me into the varsity cheer squad, but I wasn't going to accept his help blindly.

“What do you want?” I asked. 

“I need you to be my girlfriend for six months.”