Ryder’s POV

“Hand it over, Ryder Stone! Don’t play games with us, you useless Fatso!”

The gang’s voices echoed like a death toll across the cracked restroom tiles, each word sharper than the fists crashing against me. My back slammed into a basin, the porcelain groaning from the impact as another punch landed square on my cheekbone.

“I told you—I don’t have anything!” I gasped, blood spilling from the corner of my mouth, painting my teeth red.

“Liar,” one of them hissed. “Hit him again! Let’s see how long the Fatso keeps up the act.”

A kick, sharp and cruel, drove into my ribs. Something cracked. My breath hitched as my knees buckled, but I refused to fall—not in front of them. Not while I still had a shred of dignity.

“You’ll regret this,” I rasped, tasting blood, defiance lacing every syllable.

The leader stepped forward—silent for a moment. Then, with venom in their voice:

“You really think someone like you could stand up to us? Look at yourself.” A laugh followed, low and scathing. “You’re nothing but a sorry, oversized joke. Fatso, next time you so much as breathe in our direction—”

They didn’t finish the sentence. They didn’t need to. Their eyes, gleaming with malice, said it all.

Another push, another bruise.

And then they left—turning their backs as if I were less than garbage. As if what they’d done wasn’t even worth remembering.

I lay on the cold, blood-streaked floor. My chest burned. My bones screamed. But the worst pain wasn’t physical. It was the ache no healing magic could fix—the feeling of being reduced to a walking target, a stranger in a body that wasn’t mine.

And yet, even as darkness swirled around the edges of my vision, one truth stayed rooted deep in my soul:

I was not weak.

I was not broken.

And one day, they’d all see who I really was.

* * * * *

Four years ago...

Third Person POV

“Are you sure you want to go to that human school?” Zoe asked, her voice trembling with maternal fear as she looked at her son—innocent, brilliant, and already too brave for his age.

“Yes, Mom. I got the scholarship. It’s one of the top universities on the planet!” Ryder's eyes sparkled as he spoke. “They only accept the best. I want to prove myself on my own terms.”

“But you’ll be the youngest there. In a foreign land. Alone,” Zoe whispered, her voice barely concealing her dread. “You won’t have a guardian. What if—”

“Mom! I’m a trained warrior. A Dark Arts prodigy. And I’m not a child anymore.” Ryder’s tone sharpened with quiet fire. “I can protect myself.”

Zoe’s lips quivered. “Sweetheart, I have enemies. Powerful ones. They wouldn’t hesitate to target you.”

“I know. But I won’t let fear decide my future,” Ryder said. “I’d rather face danger than live with regret.”

A heavy silence fell. Zoe looked at her son, so full of purpose… and then at Nyssa, the royal seer, who had quietly stepped forward from the shadows.

“I can help,” Nyssa said. “Suppressants. Potent ones that’ll mask his wolf and vampire forms. He’ll be untraceable to any supernatural detection.”

Zoe frowned. “Suppressants will distort his appearance—he’ll look bloated, dull… unrecognizable.”

“That’s the idea,” Nyssa nodded. “He’ll look like a normal, clumsy human. It will keep him safe. No one will suspect he’s a born Alpha.”

“And what if someone picks on him because of how he looks?” Zoe’s voice cracked.

Nyssa hesitated. “Then he endures. He must not reveal himself—not for pride, not for pain. Not even if they hurt him.”

“No!” Zoe’s eyes blazed. “I will never let anyone harm my son while he stands there defenseless!”

“Mom, it’s alright,” Ryder said gently. “It’s just a sacrifice. A test of control. I promise—I’ll never expose my powers, no matter what. For the sake of the pack.”

Zoe’s shoulders trembled. She was the fiercest Alpha the continent had seen—but in this moment, she was just a mother trying to shield her child from a world that didn’t deserve him.

Nyssa stepped forward again, this time more solemn. “Zoe… I’ve seen the future. Let him go. He’ll come back stronger. And the world will never be the same again.”

Zoe swallowed hard, her eyes misty. She turned back to Ryder, searching his face for the little boy she once carried in her arms.

“You can go,” she said softly, pulling him into a tight hug. “But promise me one thing—if it ever gets too much, tell me. Just tell me.”

Ryder’s arms wrapped around her. “I promise.”

And with that, the journey began.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SEXTUPLET SIBLINGS AND THEIR BOOKS:

1.⁠ ⁠Kai Stone – MY DRAGON MATE

2.⁠ ⁠Ryder Stone – DON’T BULLY ME, ALPHA!

3.⁠ ⁠Jax Stone – MY POSSESSIVE MATE

4.⁠ ⁠Aira Stone – MY ABUSED MATE

5.⁠ ⁠Samantha Stone – MY ASSASSIN MATE

6.⁠ ⁠Joy Stone – MY NERD MATE

* * * * *

CHARACTER SKETCH:

ZOE'S MATES:

Talon Green – Green Moss Pack

Lucan Cohen – Ocean Spirit Pack

Corwin Dixon – Moon Shine Pack

Valen Anderson – Crystal Blood Pack

Zarek Rexter – Silver Bow Pack

Victor King – Vampire King

SHADOW GANG MEMBERS

Zoe Stone – Leader

Draven – Zoe’s Beta

Lyra – Draven’s sister

Seris – Draven and Lyra’s adopted sister

Kael – Third in command

Damon – Fourth in command

⁠* * * * *

Author's Note: You can follow me on my Facebook page, Mia X Novels, and get to know more about my stories !