Chapter 74
Elara's POV
I sat on the bench at the edge of the court. My water bottle sat next to me, sweating condensation in the afternoon heat.
Kael and Ethan faced each other on the concrete.
"First to eighteen," Ethan said. "Win by two."
Kael nodded. "Works for me."
Of course they'd pick eighteen. High enough to prove something. Low enough that neither of them would collapse from exhaustion.
The game started fast.
Ethan moved like water. Quick cuts, sharp turns, his feet barely touching the ground before he changed direction. He drove past Kael once, twice, his smaller frame slipping through gaps that shouldn't have existed.
But Kael didn't chase. He planted himself like a wall. When Ethan went up for a shot, Kael's long arms were already there. Blocking. Disrupting. His height and reach turned the paint into a no-fly zone.
The ball bounced between them. Back and forth. The score climbed.
Sweat darkened their shirts. Ethan's breathing got harder. Kael's jaw set tighter.
Neither of them said a word.
I watched them collide. Shoulder to shoulder. Elbow to ribs. Every contact looked like it hurt.
This wasn't basketball.
This was something else entirely.
Ethan scored. Then Kael scored. Then Ethan again.
The rhythm never broke.
My hands gripped the water bottle tighter. Part of me wanted to yell at them to stop being idiots. The other part knew they wouldn't hear me anyway.
---
The score hit 15-14. Kael ahead by one.
Ethan had the ball. His chest heaved. His face was red and slick with sweat.
He drove hard to the left. Kael moved with him. Ethan spun right, creating just enough space to get his shot off.
The ball left his hands in a perfect arc.
Kael's arm shot up. Not blocking. Just there. Just enough to change the trajectory.
The ball hit the rim. Bounced. Hit it again.
Rolled out.
Kael caught the rebound before it hit the ground.
He didn't run. Didn't showboat. Just walked to the three-point line, turned, and shot.
The ball went through without touching the rim.
Swish.
18-14.
Game over.
Ethan stood where he'd taken his last shot. His hands on his knees. Breathing hard.
He didn't ask for a rematch.
Kael walked toward him. Stopped a few feet away.
Then he held out his hand.
"Your speed and reactions are solid," Kael said. His voice was level. Not mocking. Not condescending. "If you were five centimeters taller, I might not have won."
Ethan looked at the hand. His expression was hard to read.
Then he straightened up and gripped it.
"Your strength is real," Ethan said. "And your shot's clean."
They shook once. Firm. Brief.
Then let go.
I exhaled.
I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath.
At least they weren't trying to kill each other anymore.
---
We found a bench in the shade. The three of us sat in a row.
Kael pulled a water bottle from his bag and tossed it to Ethan.
Ethan caught it. Looked at it. Then cracked it open and drank.
"You train regularly?" Kael asked.
"Sometimes. Gym a few times a week. Running. Weights." Ethan wiped his mouth. "You?"
"Daily. Conditioning is part of the job."
"Right. The whole Alpha heir thing."
Kael's mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "Something like that."
They kept talking. Gym routines. Workout splits. Protein intake.
Normal guy stuff.
The tension in the air thinned. Not gone. But manageable.
I sat between them and drank my water. Said nothing.
This was progress.
I'd take it.
We started walking back toward the house.
The sun was lower now. The shadows stretched long across the sidewalk.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out.
An email. From the school.
Subject: Regarding Council Special Training Program Notification
My stomach dropped.
I opened it.
> To: Selected Students
>
> Report Time: Tomorrow, 8:00 AM
>
> Location: St. George High School Main Gate
>
> Transportation: School bus will depart promptly at 8:15 AM
>
> Supervising Instructor: Coach Warren and additional faculty
>
> Attendance: Mandatory
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
The Council training.
It was starting.
Tomorrow.
My hand tightened around the phone.
"You okay?" Ethan's voice cut through my thoughts.
I looked up. Both of them were watching me.
"Yeah." I forced my voice steady. "Just... school stuff."
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly. But he didn't push.
Kael said nothing. But I felt his gaze linger.
I shoved the phone back in my pocket.
Tomorrow.
I had less than twenty-four hours to prepare.
We reached my street as the sky turned orange.
Mom's face appeared in the front window. She waved when she saw us.
"Back already?" she called out. "Dinner won't be ready for another hour!"
Kael stopped at the edge of our driveway.
"Thank you for lunch, Mrs. Grey," he said. His voice was polite. Respectful. "I should head back now."
Mom pushed the window open wider. "Oh, you're leaving? Come back anytime, Kael. I'll make your favorite dishes."
"I will. Thank you."
He nodded to her. Then turned to Ethan. "Good game."
Ethan gave a short nod back. "Yeah. You too."
Then Kael's eyes found mine.
For a second, something shifted in his expression.
The polite mask slipped.
I saw warmth there. Real warmth. The kind that came from being welcomed. From being treated like a person instead of an heir or a threat or a problem to solve.
But underneath it was something else.
Something that looked like longing.
Like he wanted to stay but couldn't.
Like he was already walking away from something he wished he could keep.
Then it was gone.
The mask slid back into place.
"See you around, Elara," he said quietly.
He turned and walked toward his house next door.
I watched him go.
My chest felt tight.
I didn't know why.