MATED TO TWO: A BULLY AND A GOODBOY

8

Athena:

My eyes suddenly opened to take in the beauty of the brightly lit night sky, which was illuminated by the beautiful round moon that hung above us. I sat at the top of the lotus mountain, taking in the perfect view of our little pack and the houses that seemed small from where I was.

“Finally, some peace and quiet,” I said as I leaned back and rested my head on the warm rock.

As soon as I closed my eyes, their smells hit me, and I heard ferocious howling everywhere. I sprang to my feet as soon as I opened my eyes, then ran to a nearby tree to hide. I panted heavily as I pressed my back against the hard tree. They were not supposed to frighten me, but I was a weak omega, and they were in wolf form.

“You will not live to survive today!” Cameron said to Daren, and I peered out from where I was hiding to see them both standing tall in wolf form. Cameron’s wolf was black, while Daren’s was gray.

“We will have to see about that!” Daren said this before charging at Cameron. They fought mercilessly, striking each other at every opportunity, with no compassion or remorse. I cried, but could not say a thing because Cameron had the upper hand and I was afraid he would kill Daren and hurt me.

I thwarted my plans to remain as quiet as possible when something fell on my body. When I realized it was just sap from the tree, it was too late because I screamed and jumped out of my hiding spot to see Cameron pull Daren’s heart out.

Cameron charged towards me as Daren breathed his last, forcing me to take to my heels. When this occurred, I attempted to awaken my wolf, but she ignored me. I ran as fast as I could, but I was no match for Cameron’s strength. He quickly caught up with me, causing me to trip and bruise my elbows.

“Cameron, please,” I muttered as I crawled away from him on my buttocks.

He closed in on me, raised his paw, and struck my face several times. I kept pleading as the pain burned, but he persisted, and just as he was about to rip out my heart, the alarm on my nightstand went off.

**

I could not tell if I was scared because of the dream or because Cameron was a nefarious being. Something about the duel seemed off, and I knew talking to him would be pointless, so I avoided him.

To finalize my plan, I wore a black hoodie and I had my cap on whenever I walked down the hallway. I also ignored Daren’s texts and phone calls. Despite my hunger, I went to the library during my lunch break because it was the last place Daren would look for me.

My phone beeped as soon as I walked into the library, and it was another text from Daren.

‘I am sorry if this is about yesterday. Please do not ignore this.’

I sighed and stuffed my phone into the tote bag I was carrying over my shoulder. Then I turned to face the massive wooden shelves, which held a plethora of old and new books. They were all neatly arranged in an oddly satisfying manner. I paused briefly to inhale the musty odor of the books before proceeding to the librarian’s desk.

Reaching for my bag, I took out my purse, then my library card, which I showed to the elderly lady with silky white hair sitting at the desk. She nodded, barely looking at me, and I made my way to a cubicle to place my bag. After that, I went to the shelves to select a book. I ran my fingers through the book, feeling the different volumes, but stopped when I got a paper cut.

“It is funny how we both have the same hobby,” Cameron said quietly, and I froze for a second, pressing down on my cut thumb.

I tried not to look at him, but he approached me and took my hand in his. He looked at my thumb and then wiped away the blood with his hand.

“What do you want?” I asked, and then he stared at me with a coy smile on his face.

“mmm... what could I want?” he asked, tapping his chin and walking around me.

I tried to keep myself in check while he enjoyed himself, so all I did was remain silent and wait for him to speak.

“The duel is tomorrow, and we both know who will win,” he whispered, drawing me close to him by my waist. I averted my gaze to avoid making eye contact with him.

“I am here to make an offer. Reject Daren today, and you will have a seat on the throne when I take it.”

When he said this, I pushed him away, causing him to crash on the shelf with a low thud that drew the librarian’s attention. Cameron caught the books that had become lodged before they fell, and I smiled at the old librarian, who hissed in a low tone and went about her business.

While Cameron was still arranging the books, I grabbed a random book and made my way to my cubicle. As soon as he was done, he came after me.

“Think about it, and you have twenty-four hours to respond,” Cameron said, and I stared at him across the small space between us. I ignored him and flipped through the pages of the book in front of me, hoping he would leave, but he had not even begun.

“You and I both know you are worthless, and...” Before he could finish, I stood up and slammed my hand hard on the desk, disrupting the serenity of the library.

“Out! You are both banned for two weeks!” The librarian yelled, and I rolled my eyes at Cameron before picking up my bag and walking away with heavy steps towards the door. I put up my middle finger when I got to the door.

“Ms. Gunnolf!” exclaimed the librarian, and I sighed, slamming the door shut.

“Three weeks!” she yelled.