chapter 20
1379 Words
AVELORA
The knock on the door stopped him. Khyrix adjusted his shirt, his expression shifting from that intense stare back to his neutral death glare.
"Enter," he barked.
The door swung open. It was Zayn—Khyrix’s Beta. He looked like he’d been up for hours, his posture rigid and professional. His eyes scanned the room before landing on me with a flicker of judgment, as if silently reminding me I didn't belong.
"Alpha, it is time to head to the dining hall for breakfast," Zayn said.
Khyrix didn't move. He stayed exactly where he was, effectively shielding me from Zayn’s view. "Good. We’ll be down in a moment."
"The elders are already asking for... "
"They can wait," Khyrix interrupted, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. He turned slightly, his eyes locking onto Zayn's. They stood in silence for a moment, they were communicating through mind link.
"Hello, Avelora," Zayn said suddenly, bowing his head quickly.
A strange shiver ran through my body. His Beta had just bowed to me? Before I could process it, Khyrix grabbed his gear and headed for the door.
"Hey!" I called after him. Like always, he stopped. That simple gesture made my heart skip a beat. What is wrong with me?
"We weren't done discussing the meeting," I whispered, fear crawling up my spine at the mere mention of the Council.
"You need to freshen up," he said simply, walking me back toward the room.
"What, are you telling me I smell?" I tried to joke, but his face remained stoic. He opened the door and ushered me in. "Please... I can't go into that cafeteria alone," I added, my tone lighter than I felt. "I think it would be better if we went together."
"You don't need to be afraid, Avelora." His voice was suddenly sincere, cutting through my nerves. "You're belong to me. Nothing can touch what's mine."
My legs turned to mush. He had called me his, echoing what his wolf had said. They seem to be forgetting how thiscould all end any day.
"I'll wait right here for you," he promised.
I don't know how long the bath took. It’s hard to focus when a lethal Alpha is standing guard outside your door just because you asked him to. By the time I stepped back out, dressed in his black hoodie that nearly reached my knees and a pair of leggings, my heart was beating like a bird in a cage.
"Thank you," I whispered.
The dining hall was a noisy. As we walked in, silence rippled through the room, starting from the doorway and spreading to the back. A dozen sets of eyes tracked us, most of them skeptical, some outright hostile. Khyrix led me to the sovereign Hall.
He helped me to his table and pulled out the chair next to his. I sat down, offering a small, tight smile to appear approachable.
Immediately, everyone at the table stood up. I looked around, confused, until Khyrix sat down. Only then did the rest of them follow suit.
"Don't you know you're only supposed to sit after the Alpha does?" The girl on Zayn’s arm, Jade, pointed out, her voice dripping with condescension.
I turned to Khyrix, my cheeks flushing. "I'm sor..."
He shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips to silence me. Then he turned his detached gaze toward Jade.
"She should apologize," Khyrix said, his voice quiet but carrying across the entire hall.
"What... Alpha?" Jade stuttered.
"I won't repeat myself, Jade. Stand up and apologize to her."
The room went deathly quiet. Zayn let go of Jade's hand. Reluctantly, she stood. "Sorry," she muttered, her face twisted in a scowl.
"Are you playing with me? I said apologize to your Luna." The authority in his voice made me flinch. "She commands the same respect I do. If anyone from any pack dares disrespect her, they will see their end. If she wants to sit before I do, then so be it."
He leaned forward, his eyes boring into Jade. "Now. Apologize to your Luna for speaking out of turn."
Jade’s face turned a deep red. She scrambled to the side of the table and dropped to her knees. "I apologize for speaking out of turn, Alpha Khyrix... Luna."
She stayed there, head bowed, even after Khyrix took his seat. The power he held was terrifying. I felt powerful, but I also felt like a bully. She had asked for it, but the humiliation was hard to watch.
"You need to accept her apology for her to stand up," Khyrix whispered in my ear. I moved to speak, but he added with a dark smirk, "Personally, I don't mind you keeping her there until we’re done with breakfast."
"Absolutely not," I whispered back. He just shrugged. "Apology accepted," I said, my voice a bit higher than intended.
"Thank you for your grace, my Luna," she murmured before retreating to her seat.
Breakfast resumed, though the atmosphere had shifted. People spoke in hushed tones, treading lightly around me. It felt isolating. I had accepted their stupid initiation ritual just to belong, to be seen as one of them.
I was staring at my leftovers, thinking of the kitchen staff's children, specifically Anthony, who would love the extra food.
"Are you okay?" Khyrix asked, and I nodded.
I wasn't okay , far from. I covered the plate of leftover out of habit.
A stranger walked in. He didn't look like the others; he had golden hair that glowed from the morning sunlight and an easy, inviting grin.
He bowed to Khyrix and took the empty seat opposite me. "I'm Miles," he said, leaning forward. "The pack's resident tech expert."
"I'm Avelora."
He teased a smile. "Just Avelora?" He moved to reach for my hand but caught Khyrix’s look and stopped.
"Can you focus on the information you’re here to pass?" Khyrix snapped.
"And leave our beloved Luna to listen to boring tech stuff? No," Miles chuckled. I couldn't help a small laugh, though I went quiet the moment I saw Khyrix’s expression. Who pissed in his cereal?
The rest of the meal was totally boring as I listened to Miles and Khyrix, their voices lulled me to sleep then then the thought of facing the Council in two days wakes me back up again. It was a vicious cycle.
I was grateful when they finished discussing and finally rose to leave, Miles fell into step with us.
"So, Avelora, I heard you handled the run this morning," Miles joked. "Most people pass out by the third mile when he’s in a bad mood."
"I'm surviving," I said, leaning in playfully. "But I genuinely think he’s trying to kill me."
Miles laughed. "Classic." We started talking about the territories, a discussion that stemmed from how I had ran to the school border this morning.
"You need to come to the Eastern Territory, although I prefer the vegetation here." The eastern territories were the richest and most influential pack, they provided other packs with financial assistance in exchange for man power.
The eastern territory population was dwindling because about seventy years ago, a law was put in place to stop the population of betas from growing which ended up as a disadvantage to them.
"I can't go where I'm not invited," I noted. The Eastern Pack was notoriously strict and proud.
"So, are you asking for an invitation, Avelora?"
I giggled. "Maybe. Have you tried asking me nicely?"
I glanced up at Khyrix, and my smile died. His posture was rigid, his pace accelerating as he began to walk ahead of us, leaving me behind.
"Can we continue this later?" I called to Miles, already jogging to catch up.
"Library later?" Miles yelled back with a grin.
"Yes!"
I caught up to Khyrix at the door to his quarters. He walked straight to the closet, ignoring me.
"What did I do wrong?" I asked, my courage wavering as he turned around.
"Oh, nothing, Avelora," he snapped, his eyes flashing. "Maybe it's just the fact that you’re supposed to be my mate and you're flirting with my subordinate."
I stepped closer, my heart racing for a entirely different reason now. "He's your friend, Khyrix. Are you... jealous?"
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