Chapter 18
1602 Words
~Sabrina~
I groaned and slapped Lily's phone away. "Why does everything about me have to be on whatever school group or page you guys have?"
She picked up her phone from the bed. "I don't know. But WWA loves gossip. Especially one that stars our famous crush."
"Our? Please don't use that pronoun because I'm not part of the crush wagon. And the K brothers weren't even starred in this."
"Oh...that's what you think?"
The hair on my neck stood still.
"You didn't watch till the end. Come take a look at this." She said and shoved the phone back to my face but fast forwarded it to a part I didn't get to watch.
It was the part where I had thrown my opponent down and everyone was cheering. Whoever recorded this also captured Khemos' reaction and that of his brothers.
Kael and Kaleb were smiling and for Khemos, he wasn't grinning but he had a pleased look on his face and that was much more beautiful than a smile. Then something strange happened. I felt movement in the lower part of my abdomen and it took me a while to realise this was the famous butterflies fluttering in your stomach feeling.
Oh my goddess.
What was that happening to me?
I placed a hand on my stomach and turned to Lily with a blank look.
"There's nothing there. You can hear others clapping as well, right?"
"Yeah...but he was also pleased with your performance."
"Nah, he wasn't. Others were cheering and the cheers rubbed off on him even though tried so much to hold back. I failed at the end though. It was terrible, and my opponent and I along with some other students will get a punishment in the next class for using our powers."
Lily sighed. "Suit yourself with whether you think Khemos was impressed or not, but for me, I know he was. I know how to read emotions pretty well."
"You're an Octave wolf?" I asked and she nodded.
"I feel so sorry for you guys. Mr Brown has always been so brutal at his training, but you guys usually emerge the best at championships and friendly combats."
"What powers do they have?"
Lily raised her brows. "Who?"
"The Darkshadows of course."
"Ohh... They are all Redmoon wolves."
"Hmmm... That's crazy."
"And you need to see them fight. Sexy as hell."
I twisted my face in disgust. "Eww... How dare you say fighting is sexy?"
Aurora stepped out from the bathroom in her bathrobe. "You guys aren't getting ready yet?"
Lily's hand combed through my hair. "Sabrina said she's still too tired to step out."
"Oh girl, you've got to be stronger than this."
Lily giggled. "She's fully healed, but I don't think she's ready to meet her new set of fans."
I caught Aurora rolling her eyes even though she turned to her wardrobe at that moment to take out some clothes in order to hide what she just did.
"Relax Sabrina, they don't truly adore you but are just after cheap gossip."
I don't say anything back to her, but wonder what I've done to make her dislike me. One minute, she's acting like a big sister, and next she's acting like I shouldn't exist in this school while trying to hide it but failing miserably.
"Pull yourself together and go freshen up."
In a few minutes, we all went out to meet with other students where they were all gathered in groups.
"Are you okay?" Lily asked as I walked a bit slower than the rest of them.
I shook my head. "Aside from the nerves, I'm hungry. Now I regret skipping lunch."
"I told you so. But now, it's too late. We are all time conscious here and anything out of line is met with consequences."
I huffed, knowing fully well there was no way out. Worse of all, it was an exercising session and Aurora had also mentioned we will be shifting after that to our wolf's skin.
"People are staring and pointing at you!" Lily whispered to my ears.
"I know that. I was trying as hard as possible not to pay much attention to that. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention." I whispered back to her in annoyance.
Aurora dropped a hand on my shoulder and strangely, it made my skin crawl.
There was just something about her that didn't sit right with me.
"Don't pay too much attention to that. You should even be swimming in the attention. Relax back your shoulders, raise your head higher, slap a smile on your face and walk like a damn queen." She said and squeezed my shoulder tighter.
"She's damn right, Sabrina." Lily added.
"Alright. I hear you both."
My phone pinged from a text and I quickly took it out to read whatever the hell it was to distract myself from the nerves that were slowly eating me up.
I slowed in my steps and came to a complete halt after reading the email I just received.
What in goddess name am I reading?
"Is everything alright?" Aurora and Lily both asked simultaneously as they turned and looked back at me.
I shook my head. "No. But spare me for a few minutes." I said and walked away from them.
Mr Brown must be somewhere around here as a trainer.
I made my way through the crowd, ignoring the whispers and stares as I searched for the male wolf who wants my life to be damned.
"There he is." I muttered as I caught sight of him in a brown coat.
I slowed my steps, breathed deeply so I wouldn't come out as annoyed and rude while discussing who he had chosen to pair me up with.
"Hi, Mr Brown." I said, trying to draw his attention.
"Mr Brown. I would love to have a word with you." A familiar voice said from behind me and that brought chills up my spine.
He was probably here to talk about the same thing as me.
Mr Brown turned and smiled lightly when he saw me and at Khemos he was behind me.
"Is there any problem young lads?"
"Yes." I answered while Khemos stayed silent.
"Okay, I'm all ears."
I turned slightly to glance at Khemos to see him staring into the far distance like he didn't care about the pairing.
"Can you not have paired me with older students that are not Redmoons?" I asked and swallowed immediately, waiting for what he had to say back.
"You do not like your match?" He asked, and I nodded.
In a much lower tone, I whispered. "I'm not going to survive this."
"Oh no, you will."
"No, she won't." His voice is colder this time around.
I sighed and held myself back from risking a glance at him.
He probably has this 'She's too worthless to fight with me' look on that too good-looking face of his.
"Why do you say so, Mr Darkshadow?"
"We both know the reason."
"No, I don't. Do you mind sharing yours with me?"
"She's too weak to stand all of us Redmoons. It won't work."
The look on Mr Brown's face softened and I hoped that was a change of heart I was seeing.
"And what has history taught us?"
Oh no. What has history proved to them?
I glanced back at Khemos. He seemed like he was getting more pissed with every passing second.
"You know that, Khemos. History has shown the weakest of our students do better and push beyond their limits when we pair them with the strongest. You know how things work here. This Academy is the survival of the fittest and I never want the Royal house to be the weakest. Every strategy I've put in place is what makes us stand out amongst the other other houses."
Nobody said a word after he was done talking.
I let his words sink in while thinking of a way out.
"So you're saying there's nothing you can do about it?"
He shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. Khemos knows that too, so I wonder why he's against this. He and his brothers have helped so many students in the past become stronger. I'm sure his brothers are not against it. I promise you, Sabrina, you won't regret this. It will feel like punishment at first, but you will be grateful for this in the end." He said while his gaze kept flickering from Khemos to me, and back to Khemos.
"Okay. I get this, Mr Brown. But can you at least change her to someone else?"
Damn... That was...harsh or embarrassing? Was I that bad of a person that he can't stand to tolerate me?
I only came to plead because I already feared the powers and strength the Redmoons possessed but for him, he just wanted me out of the picture.
"Why? And to whom?" Mr Brown questioned back.
"Anyone else, but her and preferably a male."
The corners of his eyes twinkled in humour. "So this is just about her? I see... She's beautiful I must say."
"No...that's not...I mean..." Khemos stuttered from behind me and my eyes popped wide open.
Never did I imagine him stuttering at anything. I wish I was bold enough to turn around to see the look on his face.
"I'm done talking with you guys here. I don't see any reason why I should reshuffle your pair. As you can see, I've got a session to handle." Mr Brown said and walked away, leaving me alone with my least favourite person.
- Writer
