Chapter 51
A wandering beast
“Fuck. I have to check this out”
“I’ll come with you.”
Holden and Kade shared a look.
“I could be dangerous, baby. I’ll feel more comfortable if you stay in my room until I come back.”
I shook my head. “I’ll go to the omega quarters instead.”
They’re all looking at me funny but there were predators in the Alpha castle. I had a domestic exam coming up. I went to my room and dragged out my clothes. I needed to be perfect at folding and washing to ace this class.
The dorm was quiet. I was the only one to fill the silence with the soft sound of clothes being folded and put away. A ripple through the silence happened when two girls burst into the room.
“The academy’s never had attacks like this,” the girl with long knee socks told her friend with ponytails.
“Or any attacks. Martin said he saw the beast run off after hurting that guy.”
“Are you sure he isn’t making it up? How did he see it?
“He said he was outside when he saw a huge black wolf run off.”
“Ginger, don’t you know what this means?”
The ponytail girl shrugged. “The monster was close to the quarters what if it attacks here next?”
“Don’t be ridiculous…” her voice trembled.
“It attacked a beta wolf and left it for dead. It’ll have a feast with us.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. She was right. I escaped from my bed while they were too busy to notice me. I heard voices which meant classes were over and everyone was back. I ran into Emery.
“There you are. You missed class. Mr Masters wasn’t happy.”
I shuddered. “He looks at me funny.”
Emery nodded. “He looked at everyone weirdly.”
-Did you
hear about the thing that attacked the beta?”
“Who hasn’t? The Alphas are out in the field investigating where it happened.”
“Is the beta okay?”
1/4
Emery lifted a shoulder. “It’s awful-”
I grabbed her arm, cutting her short. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we
going?”
“To check out the attack scene!”
“No, we can’t be there. The Alphas are there.”
“They won’t see us.”
“Doesn’t matter. They can smell us, remember?”
“I’ll teach you a few things about how to go about unnoticed.”
“I was expecting a costume or some sort of disguise, still want that.”
Emery and I hid behind a dried–up hedge that acted like a barrier between the outskirts and the academy. I grabbed a bunch of white stopper leaves, the plant grew in abundance in the academy. Beautiful but stinky to further mask our scents I handed us English boxwood trees to hold. We looked like a massive garden monster but the Alpha wouldn’t catch our scent they’d get a strong nasty smell instead.
“It’s not that bad,” I said.
Emery gasped before fixing her attention back on the Alphas. Alex was there, Gareth, Tristan, Kade, Harlow and Leiah as well as other Alphas I didn’t know.
“Let’s get out of here, it smells like shit,” an Alpha wearing a long coat spat.
It wasn’t that bad, I thought. They scrutinized the area and walked around gathering scents. There wasn’t any property for miles. If it weren’t for Martin’s testimony, I would have thought this was a fight among betas and the other guy concocted a tale not to look bad,
“I don’t get it what was he doing out here alone?” I asked.
Emery shrugged.
“The question is what are you two doing here?
Emery and I turned at the same time. Emery slapped a hand over her mouth to snub a scream. Eva folded her arms and grinned at us. Thank goodness it was the nice Alpha female.
“You said these things would help hide us,” Emery hisked.
“Oh yeah, I can’t smell you at all. Your clothes gave you away.”
“Darn it,” I said. I put down the English boxwood plant it did its job now I smelt all over.
2/4
“I wanted to check it out. It’s not far from the omega quarters what if it attacks again?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Bret said it was a beast but we’re not sure. There are too many scents out here.”
“Isn’t that strange? It’s too far from the Beta Squad,” I said.
“No one patrols out here either.”
Eva sighed. “I know he was probably doing something he shouldn’t have.”
“Gabriella Chambers.”
Crap. He saw me too.
Kade and Tristan appeared behind Eva. She didn’t flinch at their presence.
“Oh no,” Emery’s words mirrored my thoughts.
Tristan wore a long coat like the other Alpha to brace the chill out here though Alex wore a simple cotton long–sleeve shirt. His fury must keep him warm.
“Didn’t I–What did I Goddess.” That summed up his feelings pretty well.
“Give her a break Kade, she was worried this happened close to her quarters.” I mentally thanked Eva.
His features softened a tad. Emery looked everywhere but at Tristan, whose gaze burned holes in her clothes. She didn’t owe him an explanation. His mate did but she wasn’t there.
“We’re leaving anyway,” I grabbed Emery’s hand. A quick look passed between Kade and Tristan.
Kade tucked me under his arm. Tristan stood in front of Emery, hiding her from me. Kade kept me firmly in place.
“We need to talk,” Tristan said.
“N–no. I have nothing to say to you.”
“Emery, I’m sorry.”
“Fine but I don’t have anything to say to you. I’m going to the quarters. Gabbie, see you later.”
She walked away with her head high and her shoulders back. A sense of delight washed over me. She found her strength. Now if Tristan was serious he could chase.
“You and I are going to take a bath. A long one,” Kade said.
“How romantic, Eva smiled.
Back in Kade’s room, he drew a bath. I sat on the toilet waiting for the tub to fill.
3/4
“Do you think he was out there alone?” I asked.
Kade tested the water heat with his arm. It took him a moment to respond.
“He wasn’t alone. He’s beaten up so he hadn’t said much.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t think anything it’s too soon. Come in.”
Kade knew more than he was letting on. I saw it in his demeanour and his short responses. Was there a beast roaming around or was Bret out there doing something so dangerous it left him nearly dead?
Send Gifts
4/4