Dragon Alpha's Special Mate

23. Not Always The Best

Maxson

I’m glad my next class is with Sophia again. I’ve been feeling guilty about how I acted earlier. I just wish she knew how hard it is for me to sit there and watch her get hurt. I know it’s not the same when she watches me fight because I never lose.

We sit down together in the large lecture hall with Sapphire. I can see Rina sitting with Stefani toward the back when we walk by and decide to let them be since Sophia likes to sit right up front, as close as she can get.

This class is all about world politics and learning about previous, current, and upcoming leaders. As the future Alpha, I know all of this, so I don’t know why I couldn’t opt out. Same with Sophia, she knows everything, so why we’re forced to be here is a little lame.

I guess it’s an easy A.

The first lesson is all about none other than my mother. She is the one who shaped world politics and opened us up to one another. I look around the room, watching as so many of them in here are surprised to hear the synopsis of her story. It’s weird how much everyone looks up to her. She’s just my mom, but to many in here, she’s a hero.

Though, I guess what she went through is absolutely nuts. The fact that she’s still so strong and still leading is a testament to her strength.

Finally, the class is over, and I get to go to speed control. I give Sophia a kiss while she and Sapphire go to their potions, poisons, and herbs class. I'm not sure why mom chose that one for her, but I guess it’s good for her to identify different types of poisons to protect herself.

~

I stand in class on the massive outdoor field. It feels good to be out in the sun, just waiting for Mr. Block, the speed control teacher, to come out and meet us. As I’m warming up, I feel a familiar presence and step back when I realize Lucien is standing right in front of me.

“Woah,” I can’t help myself say as I step back from him appearing out of nowhere.

“Glad you’re in this class. Now you can see me in my element.” He smiles at me, and I give him a quick nod. Jeeze, that was freaky. I knew vamps were fast, but I didn’t realize just how fast. I can’t move without being seen, not even as Avian. I look around the field as I realize this class is mostly full of who I assume are vampires. Uh oh, did I make a mistake signing up for this class?

“Sorry, I’m late. I’m Theo Bloch. Let’s get started, shall we? Each of you come take one of these trackers.” He holds out a box, and we line up. When it’s my turn, I take the device from the box. It looks like a small silver coin.

“Great, stick it on you, anywhere will do. These are so I can keep track of you and record your base speed and make sure you’re hitting all the obstacles.” He sets down the empty box and points to the field before us.

“You’ll run through the obstacle course, and we’ll record your time. My goal is to cut that time in half by the end of the semester, so don’t hold back. When you hear my whistle, it’s go time. Ready?”

I look around at the smiling vampires and am really starting to regret my decision to take this class. Maybe it’s not too late to switch to something else.

He blows the whistle, and I can feel the whip of the air around me as I start to run, realizing there’s only one other person here.

“Wolf, you?” He asks, and I laugh with him.

“Dragon. We're out of our depth, I suppose.” He nods as he runs with me. I approach the first obstacle, barely clearing it as I round the corner to get to the next one. I’m not winded at all, and when the course is done, I’m thankful that I’m not the last—the wolf is.

I get back to the starting position to see the vampires sitting around, looking bored as they wait for us.

“Alright, Maxson Shaw, four minutes. Only three and a half minutes behind the last vampire.” Some of them snicker at me, but man, I can’t believe they can move that fast.

“Any chance we’ll get to do some of these shifted this year?” He looks at me and shakes his head.

“Nope. This is all on the ground. I can’t build an obstacle course in the sky for you to flit around in.

“Great.”

The rest of the class is spent with him teaching us how to handle curves at top speed, and while some of the advice is useful, it’s mainly for the vampires. I just simply don’t move that fast. I have no idea how I’ll cut my time by the end of the year. I’ll really have to focus on tapping into Avian and using his strength or something.

~

After the embarrassing debacle of the speed control class, I’m glad that my final class of the day is advanced combat. It’s in the same room as my Intro to Fighting Styles class this morning, and I feel much more confident.

“Oh no,” I hear Tage say as I walk in, and I give a low chuckle.

“Don’t worry about me. I learned my lesson this morning. Plus, my mate isn’t in this class.”

“Good, because you’re not doing her any good by not letting her learn.“

“I know.” That’s exactly why I’ll spend my time teaching her after class, so I don’t have to worry as much. Still, the idea of her ever needing to be in a fight bothers the hell out of me.

As I sit and wait for class to start, I see Finch, Ruby’s boyfriend, walk in. I’m shocked because he seems so small and timid. I can’t imagine him in a fight.

“Ah, Max, I just got out of class teaching your mate and Sapphire.”

“How’d she do?”

“Sapphire was awful, but don’t tell Ruby I said that. Sophia did alright. She’s got a lot to learn, but I think she can do it. She at least was listening while Sapphire texted away on her phone all night.”

That’s good to hear. I was so worried she’d be flustered all day because of me.

“Alright, everyone’s here,” Tage says, drawing my attention to him. “Get on a bag, and let’s see what you’ve got.”

I’m relieved we don’t have to fight someone today. I’d much rather use my pent-up energy on this bag. I stand in front of it, practicing some different techniques, when Tage walks by. I see him nodding and writing notes on his clipboard. He stays next to me for a while, then grabs the bag.

“Not bad, kid. You fight a lot like your Grandpa. Let’s just hope you don’t cause as much drama as he did.” He smiles at me, and I decide to take that as a compliment. I know Grandma and Grandpa had quite the run here. I just want to take my four years with Sophia nice and slowly, getting to enjoy our lives before we take over as the leaders.

Class is over for the day, and I finally get to see my most favorite person.