Too Late, Alpha: I Choose Your Rival

Ch 4:I Will Kill You!

Elisa’s POV:

Wait…What the heck just happened?

The moment I broke free from his lips, my mind was already a mess of complete, chaotic blur.

I had somewhat expected Kael Blackthorn to reject my offer blatantly the moment I walked up to him; however, something didn’t make sense.

As per the rumors always circulating around the Lycan prince, he was supposed to hate the mere sight of wolves.

And me? Especially me!

Everyone in the academy had already branded me as a wolfless "defect." So, for someone who holds such a strong prejudice towards wolves, I had expected him to be barely reluctant to touch me if he wanted to get over with the academy tradition.

Instead, he just went ahead and completely devoured my mouth.

His lips had pressed against mine with such a fierce, possessive heat that left me utterly paralyzed.

After he had finally pulled away my lips felt swollen, tingling with a dangerous warmth. And it made my heart race so fast in the first night of my second life that I couldn't think straight.

While I stood in a complete daze, my knees were ready to buckle. I couldn't breathe…but for the first time in two lives, it wasn't because of my chronic asthma.

Perhaps it was because Kael Blackthorn had brazenly stolen the air right out of my lungs.

I desperately looked down, trying to shield my flustered face behind a lock of my wavy hair, being absolutely mortified inside by how intensely he had claimed my lips before the hundreds of eyes staring at us.

My pride hated to admit it, but for a terrifying moment, I had been truly hypnotized by this man.

The predatory aura radiating from this future Lycan King felt like a drug, making me temporarily forget my revenge, my past life, and the generational hatred that has always existed between the lycans and wolves.

CRACK.

But then, the sharp sound of a shattering glass snapped me back to reality.

I whipped my head around, and my heart was hammering violently against my ribs.

Right behind us at a measurable distance, Ethan stood tall…trembling, as if his entire body was vibrating with a volatile rage.

His whiskey glass had been crushed into dust within his bare palm, and jagged shards of glass pierced his flesh. Thick blood droplets were already pooling down from his hand, dripping steadily on the cold stone floor.

"Oh no! Ethan!" Maria screamed, as her voice echoed vibrantly within the dead silent courtyard.

She rushed to his side, her hands fluttering frantically over his bleeding palm, while her eyes were rolled with panicking tears, "What did you do?! Why!?”

But the moment she averted her eyes from Ethan and looked up at me, her fragile, innocent facade vanished into thin air.

Instead, her face now twisted with pure hatred as she shrieked across the courtyard, making sure everyone could hear.

"Elisa, what the hell are you doing over there?! Can't you see Ethan is bleeding because of you?!"

Old habits die hard. For a split second, my muscle memory almost took over my senses.

My body mechanically wanted to rush over to Ethan, to pull out those glass shards and tear a piece of my dress to nurse his bleeding hand.

In fact, for the past 10 years of my life, I had willingly played the role of his shadow, his savior, and his caretaker…almost ruining myself thoroughly only to make him shine brighter.

But this time, I forced my feet to freeze, digging my heels into the stone.

Every time I looked at them standing next to each other, that agonizing memory of my death flashed on my mind, making me remember vividly how terribly I was pleading and gasping for air on the cold floor, while these exact two people watched me die.

This time…Let him bleed all out.

Strangely, Ethan didn't even look at the girl who was still sobbing, holding his elbow.

Instead, his bloodshot eyes were pinned entirely and obsessively on me, unhinged. But then, his gaze shifted slightly upward, and his jaw clenched so hard that I heard his teeth grind.

However, Kael hadn't moved an inch, standing tall on my left side.

Before I could process everything, I felt his heavy, searing hand rest leisurely against the bare skin of my backless dress as he pulled me a little closer to him.

His long fingers traced a slow, deliberate line across my spine, as if he was openly mocking Ethan’s possessiveness and playing with him, driving the Alpha insane.

And looking at the smug smile on his lips, I could tell he was enjoying every single second of the torment.

But that touch became the absolute breaking point.

A low, furious growl ripped from deep within Ethan’s chest, making a sound so primal that it instinctively made the hairs on the back of all the wolves’ necks stand up.

Before I could blink my eyes, razor-sharp claws violently tore through his fingernails, ripping his own skin.

I rolled my orbs when I saw his chocolate-brown eyes were shifting into a dangerous, volatile copper-red, showing off the unmistakable aggressive aura of a dominant Alpha.

Ethan glared past me once, and then his voice sounded menacingly cold as he stared directly into Kael's emerald eyes.

"Let your filthy paws off her! Or…I am going to kill you, you lycan bastard!"

The entire surrounding crowd flinched hard from his howl, drawing out collective, terrified gasps while the casual party ambiance had instantly evaporated.

Not only them, but I was already panicking at the thought of the onset of a bloodbath which would ruin my plans before I could even get them started!

I forcefully broke myself free from Kael's heavy hand off my back and tried to step toward Ethan to deescalate the situation before it would worsen.

But my path ahead was instantly blocked.

In a flash of blinding speed, ten to fifteen of Kael's Blood Fang teammates stepped forward, creating a massive wall in front of us.

Rex, Kael’s best friend, whom I had never talked to in my past life, but I was aware of him being Kael’s most dependent teammate.

This time, he stood before me, crossed his massive arms, and held a mocking, arrogant sneer cut across his face when he glared at Ethan.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Rex taunted him loudly, his voice dripping with disdain.

"A dominant Alpha who can't even control his wolf from shifting at a campus party? What a pathetic, weak wolf! Do you even deserve to be called the Future Alpha?”

"Dare to lay a finger on Kael," another towering Lycan growled, coming forward, as his upper lip curled back to reveal a glimpse of white fangs, "And we will rip your head off your shoulders right here. Try us, wolf."

"Back the f**k off!" Desmond, Ethan’s Beta, roared aloud, instantly stepping up with fifteen of the towering Ice Moon players, who stood right beside their Alpha.

However, the air had started to grow so suffocatingly heavy with the crushing pressure of dominant Alphas and overpowering Lycans unlocking their violent auras.

And just from a glance at them, the ancient, centuries-old generational war between our races wasn't just history anymore; it was almost ready to tear the academy to pieces.

But to my surprise, Kael calmly walked forward among his towering giants, and he seemed to look down at Ethan from his imposing giant height.

A wicked, thoroughly amused smile played on his lips.

"Are you mad, Rawcrest?" Kael provoked him; his deep, resonant tone froze the panicked whispers of the crowd. "Because I first tasted the delicious honey you were stupid enough to leave unguarded?"

That’s it. Just from his blatant taunt, the entire courtyard erupted into absolute chaos.

My hands began to tremble violently when the weight of the moment settled in. I was already aware…Kael wasn't trying to defend me, nor was he trying to settle things peacefully.

Instead, this sly lycan had deliberately poured gasoline onto a raging fire, and I was trapped right in the center of the blast!

"You…fuckin’ bastard! DIE!"

Ethan roared, completely losing his mind as he lunged forward towards the towering lycans, his clawed hand slashing through the air, aimed directly at Kael’s throat.