Dark Angel of the pack

Chapter Forty-One: Kael’s Backfire

The halls of LA High were noisy, chaotic, and slightly terrifying in their own human way. Asia strode down the corridor, Jack at her side, trying to ignore Kael—who was, of course, right behind them.

Kael had taken “escort mode” to a new extreme. He was shadowing them like a caffeinated hawk, narrating every movement.

“Left turn,” he whispered loudly, “unless a rogue biology teacher decides to ambush from the right.”

Asia groaned. “Kael! I swear, if you say ambush one more time—”

“You will do what exactly?” Kael shot back, voice dripping with faux horror. “Fall to the floor dramatically? I’ve seen that in films—it works sometimes.”

Jack smirked. “He’s not wrong.”

Asia spun toward Kael, eyes blazing. “Do you ever stop? You are so… so… ridiculous!”

Kael flinched as if hit. “Ridiculous?! I am… heroic, indispensable, and dangerously sarcastic! I saved you from literally nothing this morning!”

“Nothing?” Asia shouted. “Nothing?! You shouted at everyone who walked past me, almost gave a kid a heart attack in the cafeteria, and scared a janitor into vacuuming the hallway like he was fleeing a zombie apocalypse!”

Kael held his hands up in mock surrender. “Fine! Fine, but statistically speaking, if there had been a threat—”

“THERE WASN’T!” Asia screamed, and a few nearby students jumped. “Kael, I cannot believe you right now!”

Jack stepped in, trying not to laugh. “Asia, maybe—”

“No, Jack!” she snapped, pointing at Kael. “You need to hear this: STOP FOLLOWING ME LIKE THIS. NOW.”

Kael raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow. “I don’t know if I can. It’s kind of… my thing. Protection is my thing. Sarcasm is my thing. Following you relentlessly is my thing. I have like… a whole portfolio of things.”

Asia pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re impossible.”

Kael tilted his head. “Yes. Indispensably impossible.”

A group of students tried to squeeze past them in the hallway. Kael stepped forward like a general, dramatically waving them aside.

“Excuse me! Move! This corridor is temporarily compromised by blue-eyed wolf presence!”

Jack muttered under his breath, “He’s enjoying this way too much.”

“Wrong,” Kael said instantly, spinning around. “I am suffering. For you. Heroically suffering. A martyr of sarcasm and vigilance.”

Asia groaned so loudly some students stopped to stare. She shoved her hands into her hair. “I don’t even know how to deal with you anymore.”

Jack, still amused, put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. He’s… helping. In his own insane way.”

Asia blinked at him. “Helping?! That’s harassment disguised as help!”

Kael gasped. “I heard that! Harassment?! I am… the epitome of heroic protection! I’m practically a legend—wait, don’t roll your eyes at me!”

Asia’s wolf growled faintly beneath her skin. “I could kill you right now.”

Kael flinched. “Yes! That’s the spirit! Excellent practice for your defensive instincts. I call it… immersive training!”

Jack laughed outright this time. “Immersive is one word for it.”

A teacher walked past and frowned. “Everything okay here?”

Kael waved at her cheerfully. “Everything is fine! Just… heroic training in progress!”

Asia groaned so hard she almost fell into Jack’s side.

After the chaos, they finally reached the training yard. Kael flopped dramatically onto a bench. “See? I survived the hallway. Barely. But for you? Always. Always.”

Jack leaned against the fence, smirking. “You know, for all his sarcasm… he’s actually helping. The wolf wouldn’t even think to pay attention to the corners like that.”

Asia stared at him. “…I think I hate both of you equally right now.”

Kael puffed up with pride. “Exactly! I accept that as the highest compliment. And also, your wolf should learn to respect me. I am indispensable.”

Asia groaned again. “I’m going to strangle you when we get home.”

Jack laughed, quietly shaking his head. “Kael’s impossible… but he’s good for you.”

Asia blinked at him. “…What did you just say?”

Jack’s smirk deepened. “Don’t worry. You’ll see.”

Kael, meanwhile, was already narrating their next exercise: “Okay, blue-eyed wolf! Focus! If a rogue bird attacks, you are ready. If a paperclip falls near your foot, it’s a threat. Remember, vigilance is everything! Heroically impossible vigilance!”

Asia groaned, but even she had to smile. Somehow, Kael’s chaos, absurd as it was, made the day… survivable.