chapter 12
1328 Words
AVELORA
The cat jumped off my lap hurriedly.
Maybe I was already too far gone, already too deep in my own head, but the sound of someone clearing their throat made me nearly jump out of my skin.
I spun around. The Chief Priestess stood there like a silent statue watching me. The cat was already at her feet, walking around her ankles and purring like nothing was wrong.
I felt betrayed.
I scrambled up from the ground, my head bowed, trying to make myself small as I moved toward the gym to get changed. I just wanted to disappear, but she stopped me in my tracks with another sharp, dry clear of her throat.
I froze and forced myself to look at her.
"What are you planning?" she asked.
The question was so simple it was terrifying. I raised an eyebrow, my brain barely able to form a coherent thought. "Sorry?"
She didn’t answer. She bent down to pick up the cat, her eyes never leaving mine. Slowly, she caressed the animal’s fur.
I stared between her and the cat, my heart pounding. Why was she blocking the only path to the gym? Why was she cornering me now?
"The blood moon is coming," she finally said.
The air around us dropped ten degrees. "Lies scream like a plague."
Before I could process whatever she meant, she moved. She walked away as if nothing had happened, like she hadn’t just delivered a cryptic, one sided warning.
My blood ran cold.
It was definitely her voice.
I bolted toward Khyrix’s room. I needed to change. I needed to be on time for lunch, because the only thing worse than going to that dining hall was going late, walking in alone while every other wolf’s eyes tracked me as I approached the tables.
I scrubbed my skin in the shower until it was raw, desperate to make sure I had no foul smell on me. Another frantic sniff test while I tore through my belongings, looking for anything appropriate to wear.
Well.
There was absolutely nothing.
Nothing I owned came close to something I could wear to sit beside the Alpha.
So I did what I had done before: I walked into his closet.
I needed a hoodie to throw over my jeans. I told myself I just wanted to be invisible, but my hands shook as I reached for his things. I hoped he wouldn’t take offense, like last time.
I picked a plain pair of jeans and the least special-looking hoodie on the rack. I already had too much attention on me, I didn’t need more.
But as I pulled the fabric on, his scent wrapped around me, heavy, suffocating and strangely comforting.
My heart thumped as I stared at the clock. The ticking was so slow that It got under my skin.
Finally, it struck two.
I stood from the bed and began pacing, biting my index finger until it was raw. My teeth nearly broke the skin. I stepped toward the door, reaching for the handle, but it swung open before I could touch it.
I moved back.
I didn’t need to see him to know.
I could perceive his scent.
Khyrix walked in, that look on his face making the room feel too small. In my panic, I forgot about our alliance. I just saw a predator.
I took a step back.
"I knew you were going to stay back," he said, eyes roaming over my body, lingering on the hoodie that was clearly his before snapping back to my face.
"You're acting like a coward."
He moved closer, invading my space.
Something in me snapped.
What right did he have to call me that? After everything?
"It doesn’t mean much coming from you." I met his eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "You chose a convenient mate, Alpha. Not your fated one."
His eyebrow twitched. Expression neutral, but a flash of heat showed in his eyes.
"If that isn’t the definition of a coward, I don’t know what is."
I bit my lip to stop my self from the word vomit.
Too late.
He lunged, pulling me into him. My chest hit his with a sickening thump that knocked the air from my lungs. I looked up, pulse hammering painfully in my chest
Why couldn’t I keep my god-forsaken mouth shut?
"You know what, Cupcake?" His gaze dropped to my lips before snapping back to my eyes in an instant. "I used to have a pet hamster. Tiny, cute, most especially... docile."
He didn’t let go. He released my waist only to wrap his hand firmly around my wrist, securing me in place.
"But every time I touched it, it tried to bite me."
He bent down, face aligning with mine, so close I could see the gold in his irises. He adjusted the hoodie I’d stolen from him, fingers lingering on the fabric.
He didn’t finish the story.
"What happened to the hamster?" I asked, whispering, forcing my voice steady.
He stepped back, corner of his mouth twitching. "You don’t want to know."
I stared at him, mind racing. What was he doing? Why tell me that?
He looked colder and unreadable.
"Are you comfortable in this, Avelora?" he asked, finger tapping the fabric.
I just needed to hide. "It's..." I cleared my throat, holding his gaze. "It's okay."
Khyrix didn’t wait for a response. He turned and walked out, and I followed like a pet.
Every step felt heavier than the last. The hallway was unusually quiet, longer than usual, like the walls themselves were watching.
He didn’t speak or slow down, and I didn’t walk beside him.
He opened the dining room door. Silence fell almost immediately.
Conversations died, cut off mid-word. All eyes slowly turned toward us, first on him, then on me.
He moved to his usual seat. The Beta sat beside him as always. I stopped, unsure where I belonged.
The Beta suddenly stood, leaving the space next to Khyrix empty. My heart thumped as I waited.
"Come." Alpha gestured.
I stepped forward, heart hammering, and slid into the seat beside him.
It felt like crossing a line I wasn’t meant to cross. My fingers gripped the hoodie for reassurance.
I took a deep breath and finally looked around the table. Surprisingly, they didn’t seem as hostile as I had imagined.
Khyrix leaned slightly toward me. "Be confident, Darling. You’re with me."
My stomach twisted.
Why does he have a nickname for me now?
The Beta leaned back, smirking. “Before we officially welcome our… special guest,” he said smoothly, “there’s a little tradition."
My stomach dropped. Tradition? More like humilation, I heard of their stupid, famous tradition when I got here.
Khyrix’s gold eyes flicked to me. He didn’t speak at first, but the pressure behind his gaze was unmistakable. It felt like he was asking me if I wanted this.
I bit my lip. I have to. I can’t show weakness.
The Beta continued, voice dripping amusement. “It’s simple. A test of… acceptance. Nothing dangerous, just a small game."
I could feel the whispers curling around the edges of the cafeteria. The Gamma grinned. Every eye was on me.
My hands clenched the hoodie tighter. Every instinct screamed to shrink, vanish, hide. Just not exist at this moment.
Khyrix leaned forward slightly, voice low but firm. “You don’t have to do this."
Yes, he put me in this situation, he should show concern
“No,” I said, lifting my chin. “If this is a tradition, then I’ll play, you don't need to skip it because of me."
He froze, just for a fraction of a second, before his lips tugged into the faintest cornered smirk. “Bold,” he murmured. Then he relaxed back into his seat, watching intently.
The Beta’s grin widened, sensing my defiance. “Good,” he said. “Then let’s begin.”
Ah, f**k.
- Writer
