CHAPTER 11 – JELOUS MUCH?

CHAPTER 11 – JELOUS MUCH?
Sloane P.O.V.

We practice a move where he tries to punch me and I dodge, then he tries to punch me again, and I block. After showing the movements multiple times to the students, we get off the stage and walk among the students to help them correct their positions and give them suggestions. So far, they are all doing incredibly great.
When everyone has mastered the sequence, we go back on stage and Matteo, and I get ready to show the second sequence. In this one he hugs me from behind and I drop my weight, then elbow him in the stomach, turn around and kick him.
The first time Matteo hugs me, I feel a cold shiver run from the nape of my neck down to my lower back, and wonder what that is, the second time we replay the sequence, I feel a glacial stare coming from Nathan, and I immediately understand what that cold feeling on my back was just now. 
When we get to show it a third time, Nathan interjects saying out loud, “I think Rogers is being too soft because the opponent is a female, we should show our students how combat is in real life, not give them a mollified version.”
Rogers seems offended by Nathan’s words, after all, we were just displaying the moves, not fighting for real.
“Why don’t you show us how to handle a female opponent, then?” I challenge him, annoyance dripping from my words. My mate can really be a dick sometimes.
Matteo takes a few steps back, while Nathan walks slowly towards me, like a predator ready to jump on his prey, his green eyes cold and calculating. I turn around, not in the least scared by him, don’t forget that I am an Alpha, I have already fought battles and ended lives, I am not a pup you can scare with one cold look.
My body goes into battle mode, ready to react to the aggressor, but what really throws me off, are the tingles that spread through me when his strong arms encase me in their warmth, his appealing scent making me lightheaded, taking all the fight out of me. 
His hold is tight, and I know I should be trying to get out of it, but what if I don’t want to? I want to stay in his arms a little longer.
“Little devil, shouldn’t you be trying to make me let go?” Nathan whispers in my ear, low enough that the others can’t hear him, and I shiver involuntarily, hoping no one has noticed. 
Ok, Sloane, get it together!
I am so angry at myself for looking weak in front of everyone, just because he has tingles in his arms and he smells good, it is no excuse for me to lay down belly up and let him do what he wants, so I pack all the force I can in this blow, and elbow him hard in the stomach. He is not expecting such a strong blow, because he loses his balance and retreats three steps, holding his stomach with his hand, his eyes wide in surprise.
I feel immediately guilty for hurting him, damn it, everything is going all wrong; I wanted to make him jealous, not furious. Crap, he’s going to hate me now.
“Wow, Alpha, that was a good blow! Now kids, let’s try not to hit this hard, ok? We are just practicing, possibly we don’t want anyone getting hurt. Try to replicate the moves, we will be walking around to help you if you need it,” Damon says to the students, and they start practicing. He then gives me an inquiring look, but I don’t explain myself, I just mouth to him that I need a break, and I leave the grounds to get my nerves back under control. I am losing it.

Nathan P.O.V.
I see her jog out of the training grounds, her expression troubled. 
I don’t know what’s going through her mind. Today she practically ignored me, which would be fine by me, if it wasn’t for her flirting with that idiot of Matteo, their continuous smiles and touches were driving me mad. 
I couldn’t stand seeing him hug her over and over, I should be the one hugging her, no I shouldn’t be hugging her either, no one should be hugging her. Fuck. Who am I kidding? Of course, I want to hug her, she fits so perfectly in my arms, so soft and warm, and she just smells divine, I am completely addicted to her scent.
She elbowed me with so much force that I think she broke a bone or two, what’s gotten into her? Does she hate my touch so much? Is she repulsed by me? She didn’t seem repulsed yesterday when she had her tongue down my throat. The sole memory of our kiss is making me hard, I need to stop thinking about that, there are kids around!
I want to follow her, and see what is wrong with her, but it would look too suspicious; maybe I can try talking to her later, if she’ll give me a chance.
Fifteen minutes pass, and she is finally back, I was starting to get worried. She looks better now, her smile is back in place, a sense of calmness and positivity about her. I don’t know how she does that, she always exudes this charge of energy and cheerfulness, that makes everyone happy around her; makes people want to stick to her, she’s like a free battery charger.  
“She’s a work of art, isn’t she?” Matteo asks me; he caught me staring. “I would definitely try my luck if she wasn’t an Alpha.”
“Too bad she is an Alpha,” I reply lost in thought, if she just weren’t an Alpha. I don’t even try to deny with Matteo my attraction to her, I know it is showing, I tried to keep it under control, but the pull is just too strong, she’s too beautiful. Fuck!
He pats me on the back, like we are two buddies in the same situation, but we are not, I am his fated mate for fucks sake, how shitty is that?! It is one hundred times shittier, because I could have her all for myself, and she wouldn’t turn me down, but I can’t because she’s a fucking Alpha. Fuck!
Suddenly I feel irrationally angry, I am so frustrated and tired of fighting this longing, it is exasperating, and she is the cause of it all.
“I am sorry for hitting you so hard, I didn’t mean to. Are you ok?” she asks me while approaching me, her tempting scent hitting me hard, making me even angrier.
“Don’t worry, I am not that weak, you just caught me by surprise. At least now I know what kind of person you are; Axel, me, Matteo, maybe even Damon, how many men are you fooling with, while playing the innocent virgin? You disgust me.” 
I feel bad as soon as the words are out, and I see the hurt and shock on her face. Fuck, why do I keep doing that? I am hurting her over and over again.
I want to apologize, say something to make things better between us, but she leaves quickly, to supervise the students and talk to Mason. Damn it! She’ll hate me now! Maybe it’s for the best, the plan was to reject her anyway, if I am lucky enough, after this she will reject me on her own accord and finally put me out of this misery.
For the rest of the day Sloane stays glued to Mason during training and then Daniel during lunch, without giving me any opportunity to approach her. She ignores me the entire time and avoids my gaze completely. 
The following day the same. 
Today is the third day of training, it is already evening, and we are wrapping things up. She has kept her distance from me today too, while she has been laughing and joking with Mason and Matteo, even with the kids, anyone but me. 
I shouldn’t have expected anything different, but being denied her smiles and her attention is affecting me more than I thought. It’s like the sun has turned its face the other way and its shining for any flower but me. 
I feel jealous, but more than that I feel sad, desperate even.
I see her leaving with Mason, and I decide to act. I don’t care what the others will think, I need to talk to her, I need to apologize, make things good between us.
“Alpha Sloane,” I call her, while jogging after her.
She freezes in her tracks but does not turn around. 
I stop in front of her, her head is lowered, curtained by her long silky hair which are hiding her angelic face from me.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” I ask her, trying to keep the anxiety from my voice.
She raises her head to look at me, and her gaze is glacial while her mouth is set into thin line. She’s pretending that she doesn’t care, but I can see through that mask of indifference, and oh isn’t she pissed at me!
“It will just take a moment,” I insist, pleading with my eyes, hoping she can see I am not here to hurt her again.
“Fine,” she concedes haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.
“Will you be ok?” Mason asks her concerned.
She nods at him and smiles, he seems convinced, gives her a one-arm-hug and tells her they’ll see each other later.
“Anderson,” he says with a nod, before leaving, and I nod back, not taking my eyes off my angel, who’s gone back to looking at her feet, this way I can’t see her beautiful face anymore.
“I am sorry for what I said the other day, I was just angry, I didn’t mean what I said,” I say regretfully.
She nods her head, not even looking at me, still looking at her feet.
Silence settles between us, and I don’t know what to do, I have just apologized to her, and she is still ignoring me.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” I ask her perplexed.
“No.” It’s the only reply I get.
“Ok, then I suppose, I won’t keep you any longer.”
She nods again, still looking down, and starts walking towards the packhouse, leaving me there feeling cold and unsettled. That’s not how I pictured this conversion to go.