Alpha Kael

~Jada

I didn’t get any sleep that night.

Sitting up in bed, I rocked back and forth, wondering whether I was stuck in a dark, cruel dream or not. It doesn’t seem real, when I think about all the small details of it. Being mates with an Alpha doesn’t even seem in the realm of possibility. I’ve thought about how much I’ve hated him before throughout my teenage years, however, unlike the rest of the girls in school, I never considered being mates with him.

Thoughts raced through my head about how Kael would react to this. I mean, if I told him how I found out, he wouldn’t be happy. But would he be happy if he found out we were mates? Or does he have too much on his plate already?

Morning took eternity to come. The moment the sun rose through my open window, I snuck out, not wanting to confront him until I’ve collected my thoughts.

This is a lot to deal with.

Not to mention, the injuries my face has sustained from the fight. I will have to put off seeing Kael if I can for at least a week while things die down. Then, I can use to excuse that I got hit while training, or maybe that I tripped and fell. Hopefully that if believable.

I somehow doubt it…

Luckily, the cafeteria was open early, fresh food laid out for all the Silent’s who hit morning workouts. After not getting anything last night because of the fight, I eat quickly and get another serving, close to starving.

Picking up my spoon, I check my reflection. The bones in my face ache, and this morning, I can see the true extent of my injuries. She got me good. Both my eyes are shrouded by black shadows, the bruises also coming down both my cheeks and alongside of my jaw. And to add to it all, almost everything is swollen. I look horrible.

It didn’t take long for a Silent I didn’t know named Bradon to drag myself and Ace out for some exercises under the rising sun.

At least he seemed nice.

The exercises were for our fitness alone, and were difficult enough to take my mind off the situation with Kael. Does he already know, or am I the only one? It doesn’t matter when I’m running across the front field, touching trees at the border before racing Ace back to the main building.

Once Bradon was done with us for Fitness, we moved onto basic sparring skills with Axel. Unfortunately, of course.

Straight away, he had no interest in me, only Ace. He briefed us only looking at Ace, and demonstrated all of the moves on Ace. It bothered me, however, I have more to deal with then Axel having a bad attitude with me.

“Don’t be afraid to hit each other,” Blue mutters, standing back from us as Ace and I practice certain moves on each other. Mainly defense, since Silent’s aren’t mean to start fights so often. “You’ll take worse hits in your life.”

That felt like a dig at me.

Ace raises and eyebrow at me. There is no way he is going to take a hit at me in my condition. It seems like he’s the only one here who cares about my wellbeing. Hopefully I will have time to talk to him after this session. I need to get it straight that I didn’t mean to be harsh turning him down, and that he doesn’t need to hate me for it.

Reaching his fist out toward me, I block Ace’s hit. He does the same to me a few times before we step away from each other.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Come on Ace. You don’t need to be so soft,” Axel prompts.

I glare toward him. Is he trying to get me more hurt than he can already see I am? I know for a fact he watched the fight last night. It hurt a little knowing he watched it and didn’t help me when he could see how badly I needed it. Especially as a senior Silent.

Ace goes to hit me again, still not being rough with me. I defend him aptly. I’m starting to get good at this.

Axel doesn’t look impressed.

Either Ace figured out there is something strange going on, or her truly had to go, but he stepped away from me, holding his hands up. I’m grateful. I’m not sure how much energy I have left.

“I think another Silent wanted me for something around this time anyway,” he said, looking down at his watch. Perfect, he’s giving me some alone time with Axel. “I should go.”

He picks up his backpack, slings it over his shoulder and walks away, waving farewell as he goes. I glance at Axel, who watches Ace go for a moment, before he starts packing up his equipment. For a at least a minute, I stand there watching him, arms folded across my chest, waiting for him to address me.

“You’re not going to say anything? You’re not going to address the fact that you watched me get into a fight and didn’t help me get out of it?” I question, tapping my foot on the ground to get his attention.

Axel doesn’t say a word.

He must be purposefully ignoring me. He has done throughout this entire session, only giving Ace attention and feedback throughout the entire thing. He knows I won’t go to Kael about it and jeopardize precious information. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t put his job as a senior.

“As a senior Silent, this doesn’t look so good ignoring a student,” I say flatley, trying to provoke him to say something. Anything.

Axel gets to his feet after stuffing everything into his duffle bag. He finally looks at me, those intense blue eyes that used to be so friendly and kind to me beforehand have turned ice cold and judgemental.

“Why don’t go to that precious Alpha of yours and throw his intentions in your face too,” he mutters.

Ouch.

He moves to the fenceline of the field, looking for a missing piece of gear. I want to knock him over the head and ask him why he is so obsessive. I didn’t ask him to spend his entire life trying to find and help me. Of course I’m grateful, however, he shouldn’t be so angry at me over not wanting his advances.

“You know what you did for me is something I can never say thank you for enough, but I’m not interested in you in that way. Not now at least,” I explain to him, trying to seem kind in the way I speak, instead of confused like last time.

“There’s plenty of ways you could have thanked me,” he says, picking up his missing piece of gear. I swallow uncomfortably, knowing what that means.

I follow him as he starts walking away. “Seriously, I didn’t mean to turn you down in a mean way. It’s just I didn’t think that’s what you wanted from me. I thought you did this for me because we’re family.”

It was all that made sense at the time.

“Well then you’re not that smart are you,” Axel mutters, walking along the fenceline toward his next objective. I follow him, not wanting him to think he can say that and not have me follow him. He has gotten away with some fairly messed up things, and he needs to be held accountable.

“You cannot be spiteful because I didn’t kiss you,” I reason, hoping I can change his mind, no matter how stubborn he seems to be about this.

Axel pauses, turning around to look at me. “If you didn’t want to be ignored, you shouldn’t have rejected me. Now go away.”

I stand there, looking at him in disbelief as he walks away. I don’t bother following him, knowing there is no hope in convincing him of anything more. Anger grows within me at his reaction. How can he think like that? I hate him.

Just as I was about to leave, a whining noise sounds from behind me before something hits a tree. I whirl around, thinking maybe someone had taken a shot at me. Finally, one of the Silent’s have decided to go through with hurting me. But instead, I see a lone arrow stuck in a tree over the fence behind me, something attached to it.

Looking around, I try see who shot it, but the forest seems empty and Axel is the only one walking across the field.

Strange.

Vaulting over the fence, I walk to the arrow. There is always the risk someone could shot again and hit me, however, I doubt it. This looks like a message being delivered in the strangest way I’ve seen.

I untie a rolled up note from the arrow, unraveling it. On one side, a note with a long letter written on it. On the other, it’s addressed to someone. Right away I realise this isn’t for me, and I’m being used to deliver. Because it’s not my name addressed on the front.

To Alpha Kael,

From his missing mother.