Chapter 11
EMMA.
“My dad?” I mumble in a small breath as I close the distance between us.
Will nods. “Yeah. He was seen at the graveyard. He’s made zero appearances apart from that. I thought you might have been.
curious.
“Oh.” I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “Oh, that’s–1 thought something else happened. Thank
“Hmm
you.”
“I was training.” I smile at him when we fall into silence, and his eyebrow perks. “Yeah, and how did that go?” “Terrible. My smile grows like I’m telling him of my victory rather than my loss. “Beginner’s lesson.”
“That’s expected.”
tilt my head. “My loss?”
“Yes. You couldn’t have possibly won against anyone there.” He says with an expression of casualness and I frown. “You have no
fate in me.”
He smiles. The Alpha actually smiles. It’s not an illusion of it and it isn’t gone before I can blink again. It stays–for a few seconds, but enough for me to commit how it looks to memory. It’s a beautiful smile–one that gives a glow to his countenance and adds a softness to the fierceness he radiates. I don’t know why, but I want to see it again. I want to see it for a longer time.
And I have zero control over my next words, my mouth opening before my brain catches up. “Smile again.”
Will’s mouth presses into a thin line. “What?”
- um. Nothing. Sorry.”
a few seconds before he clears his throat. “Be here after
He stares at me with one of those looks I’m unable to decrypt for a school”
“After school?” I repeat with a brow raise. “Why?”
“I want to see how you fight myself.” He leaves before I can even react to his words, and I turn to watch his frame as he walks to where Ryan stands.
A smile rests on my lips as his words echo in my head and I can’t hold back the giggle that leaves my throat as I hold down and walk towards the pack house.
- SCHOOL.
A crumbled piece of paper lands near me, and I sigh before retrieving and unfolding it from my desk.
“Heard you were a slave. Mind sharing how the experience was?”
my hend
The corner of my mouth twitches as the words stare back at me and I drag in several breaths into my lungs to calm myself. I squeeze the paper in my hand and fling it to the back; the class erupts in a fit of laughter after my act, clearly finding amusement in this.
A few minutes pass before I feel a touch on my shoulder. I clench my right hand into a fist on my desk and try to ignore it, but it comes again. And again. And again until I can no longer control the rage that boils within me.
Isnap
“What the hell do you want from me? My voice booms through the corners of the room and everywhere goes silent. I turn to glare at the one behind me, but I’m met by a soft–looking boy. He raises his hands in the air and says, “Sorry. I was just going to ask you to ignore them. They’re mostly dumb”
My glare softens and 1 look around to see eyes on us. I turn back to the mysterious boy, who somehow looks familiar. “Oh. Sorry. I thought you were one of them”
1/4
Chapter II
His mouth curls in a smile, and he drops his hands. He leans over his desk and pushes a hand in the air. “It’s okay, I’m Elijah.”
Today must be my lucky day or something cause that’s the second hand extended in my direction.
an
“Emma.” I take his hand and he nods. “Pretty name.” Elijah holds my hand longer than you’d in a normal handshake and his thumb gently brushes against the back of my palm. It isn’t until a teacher walks in he finally releases his grip and I throw awkward smile his way before turning back to the front. I can feel his eyes boring through my skull and I shift on my seat in uneasiness as the sound of the teacher’s voice penetrates through the silence.
Mrs Hook–the history teacher–stays in the class for over an hour before the bell rings for the break time and she finally ends the lecture.
“Alright. I’ll see you guys again tomorrow. Be good.” She earns a few responses before she walks out of the room.
A deafening loudness immediately fills the class after her departure, chaos erupting in the space as students rush out of the room–walking in groups and laughing loudly.
I throw my book under the desk before rising to my feet to walk out of the class, I contemplate not heading to the cafeteria because of the unwanted attention I’m sure to get, but my stomach growls in response to that thought and I find myself dragging my feet along with the rest of the students.
I make a tray of food before searching for a seat. Most of the seats are either occupied or saved by someone for another. My eyes stop moving when they meet hers from afar, and my grip tightens around the tray as she holds iny gaze. Violet is sitting with her new friend group–one I never imagined she’d be making, considering how she swore she hated the guts of each person sitting next to and across from her.
She looks away before I do, turning to the girl by her side to laugh about something, and I curse under my breath for letting my gaze linger a while too long.
With a sigh, I make for the far end of the room when my name is suddenly yelled. I halt my steps as the whole cafeteria becomes quiet, as though it’s a rule amongst them to say nothing at the sound of my name,
“Emma! Emma, here!” My name is called again and I turn, my eyes skimming over the heads in search of where the voice is coming from. “Emma” She waves her hand over her head and I finally catch sight of the redhead calling to me.
My body relaxes when I see her smile as she beckons for me to come and I walk to her table.
“Hey!” I seule on the seat across from her and Bianca beams. “Hey! Where were you going with that?
“Couldn’t find a seat.” I laugh and she winks. “Good thing I saved two, then.”
“Is she actually sitting with her?”
“What’s going on?”
“Is that not Bianca?”
The freak found a fitting friend. How cute.”
“Ignore them.” Bianca leans over the desk to whisper, and my mouth lifts. “Thank you.”
“We meet again, girl with the pretty name.” I lift my head and my brow raises when I see the boy from class standing by the table. He’s near Bianca and it finally clicks as I look from him to her, then back to him. That’s why he looked so familiar! They’re nearly splitting images of each other.
“You’ve met?” B Bianca voices as Elijah takes the seat next to me and he nods. “In history class”
–
“You two are you look you’re both,”
“Twins Bianca helps with my stammer. “Not identical, but you can tell we’re related, unfortunately.” She throws a scowl in Elijah’s direction, who throws up a middle finger.
“Asshole”
ays the rude one
I watch in fascination as they bicker, seeming less alike the more they speak.
Chapter 11
Elijah turns and grabs an apple out of my tray. He grins as he bites into it, the crunching sound loud in his mouth.
“You couldn’t get your tray?” Bianca hisses across from us, taking Elijah’s gaze off me and he shrugs a shoulder. “It just tastes better when it isn’t yours.”
“You’re a weirdo. He’s a weirdo. Ignore him.” She says to me and I shake my head, a smile resting on my lips as I grab my nugget, biting into it while the twins continue to spit at each other, their presence filling the void that’s been around me for a long time.
1 pace across the training grounds once more before I finally give in and rest against a tree. Wills words didn’t leave my mind the entire day and the second I got back from school, I scampered here. That, however, might have been a foolish decision since it’s been hours with the darkness of the night nearly setting in and there’s still no glimpse of him.
I’ve done some training myself to pass by time and prepare for his arrival, but he’s still not here. Perhaps he forgot? Or he didn’t mean it in the first place? Why’d he say to come here then?
“I’m so stupid. Of course, he isn’t here. He’s the Alpha. Why’d I expect to be trained specially by the” the rest of my words are swallowed when he appears from afar. The sight of him instantly changes my mood and I rise to my feet as he gets closer. “Did you wait long?” He asks and I lie through my teeth. “No. I did a few warm–ups, so I didn’t notice it was running late.” “Alright.” My eyes follow him as he walks back to put a small distance between us. He loosens the buttons that hold the hands of his shirt together and rolls the sleeves up his arms. The sight of the inked skin makes my heart stagger and my throat dries when he runs a hand through his black short curls, pushing his hair from his forehead.
Jesus, he’s…
“Come at me.”
“Uh?” I blink like a fool, and it’s a miracle I’m not drooling, with how hard I’ve been goggling.
“Come at me,” He repeats and I jerk my head to collect myself. I can’t take him; I know it and I’m sure he does, too. He’d easily have me down without trying. Yet excitement drizzles through my veins in his presence and the thought of sparring with him.
My heart is in my throat as I attack. He easily dodges, catching the hand I throw in his face
“Again.” He shoves my hand back and my exhales are shaky as I attempt another attack. He barely moves. “Again, Emma. Again!” Not my name. Not when he’s looking like that.
Goddess, I’m not focused. You’re not thinking straight, Emma
I don’t even see myself move, but I end up in front of him. He catches both hands and folds them back to my chest. My heart skips several beats as our skin comes into contact, our eyes meeting. The sound of my panting fills the air and I swear time stops for an entire minute before Will pushes me back.
“Again.” There’s a change in his voice and I don’t know what I’m doing anymore–I just launch at him. He ducks each attack and as I lift my hand through the space of his opened arm to land a hit on his chest, he grabs it and I gasp when he pins my hand to my side, slamming my back to the tree I have no idea how we get to.
His face comes up and my lips part when his body brushes against mine as he holds my other hand to my chest. Time freezes once again and I’m pulling at the position we’re in–the proximity, those eyes staring into mine, and the feel of his skin against mine even with the littlest contact,
I’m losing my mind. I have to be because my gaze drons lower. Far lower from his face and I find myself staring at his mouth
My
