Chapter 20 candice
After saying those words to him, I expected him to fight back or attack or insult me the way he normally does. That had always been his reaction. Cold replies. Sharp words. A glare that could pierce through stone. So I prepared myself for the same harshness. I braced for the storm that was supposed to come. But instead, something unexpected happened. He did not react with anger toward me. His face twisted with a different kind of rage, one that was not directed at me at all. His eyes darkened with something dangerous, something boiling beneath the surface. He glared at Candice one last time before turning and walking out of the room without a single word.
I watched him disappear and felt completely confused. I had not expected that from him. Why did he suddenly go silent? Why did he not fire back? Why did his reaction shift so suddenly? My heart beat faster because something about the way he behaved scared me. The silence was worse than his insults. Silence meant he was thinking. Silence meant he was planning. Silence meant something was brewing beneath the surface, and I did not know what it was.
The moment he stepped outside, he slammed the door shut. The sound echoed violently through the room, making me flinch. I almost jumped out of my skin. My breath caught in my throat. The slam was heavy, angry, filled with something he refused to speak out loud. Even after he left, I could still see the horror and fury on his face, and it made something inside me twist with fear. Why did he not react the way he normally does? Why did he not insult me or shout or glare at me like usual? Why did he simply walk away like that?
Unable to keep my confusion inside, I turned to Candice with a serious expression.
"What is wrong with him? Why did he not try to insult me back? He seemed cold. Maybe he is planning something." My voice trembled with panic without me meaning for it to.
Candice smirked softly, almost amused by my fear.
"Trust me, Kaelrix only plans for people he considers dangerous. Those who are trained to compete with him. That is the kind of person he strategies against. So do not bother yourself."
His words made me feel slightly relieved, but not completely. I still did not trust Kaelrix. That alpha was too unpredictable, too dangerous, too silent in moments where others would explode. Candice and Versus had their tempers, but Kaelrix was different. His quietness was more frightening than all their shouting combined. It was the type of quiet that warned of storms.
Then something suddenly struck my memory. The scene from earlier. The moment Candice tried to kiss me. My cheeks flushed at the embarrassing memory, and I turned to him with a calm but serious expression.
"Candice, why did you try to kiss me? I do not understand what you were trying to do."
He raised his eyebrows, blinking softly like a confused child, and for some reason that made me chuckle inside. He looked so innocent, so clueless, and it made the situation feel even more embarrassing.
"I thought you wanted it," he said.
I frowned deeply, completely confused.
"What are you talking about? When did I ever ask you to kiss me?"
He cleared his throat, looking away for a moment.
"I thought you said I should sleep with you. I mean sex."
My entire body froze. I stared at him with wide eyes as realization struck. That was what he had been thinking earlier when I told him to come sleep with me. No wonder his eyes widened. No wonder he paused. No wonder he looked so shocked. I nearly slapped my forehead at how badly he had misunderstood me. Honestly, he was so innocent sometimes it was almost adorable.
"Wait, wait, I am sorry. You did not mean it that way? You did not mean that type of sleep?" he asked quickly, almost desperately.
I shook my head immediately.
"No. I did not mean it in that way. When I said you should sleep with me, I meant you should sleep in the same room. Where I am from, it is wrong for an alpha to sleep in another room when he already has one. I am not exactly following my father’s pack rules anymore, but even then, we do not allow an alpha to leave his room for someone else. It is forbidden."
Candice’s eyes widened in surprise.
"I am sorry. I did not know that was what you meant. I thought you meant something else entirely. I am really sorry if I crossed any boundaries."
His apology was so sincere that warmth spread through my chest. I smiled at him gently.
"Do not worry about it. It is fine. I understand what you thought. Not everyone understands the way I speak. There is no need to apologize, Candice."
He blushed so hard I could not help bursting into laughter. The red tint on his cheeks spread all the way to his ears and he scratched his neck like he suddenly did not know what to do with his hands.
Still smiling, he added,
"And about your pack rules. You guys do not allow your alpha to leave his room? Well, that is fine for me. You can stay in my room as long as you want. I do not care. As long as it is you."
My heart warmed at his words.
"Thank you so much for your kindness. You are really someone who treats me nicely."
Candice truly was my favorite person among all of them. From the first day we met, he was the first to compliment my beauty. And when Versus wanted to touch me, Candice stepped in and protected me without hesitation. He made sure no one laid a hand on me. He was kind. He was soft. He was thoughtful. And I hoped with all my heart that nothing would change him.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked playfully with a teasing smirk.
I shook my head quickly.
"It is nothing."
The funny thing was how easily he understood me. He did not yell. He did not argue. He did not force his opinions on me. When I walked past that dangerous fire earlier, I saw the worry in his eyes. I saw the regret. And when I came out, he did not yell at me like his brothers. He did not force me to apologize. He simply asked gently. And when I said no, he respected my decision without pushing me. He even went as far as saying he was proud of me.
"You are different from your brothers. You are nicer and more generous. I hope that does not change," I said softly.
"Trust me, I do not plan to change," he replied with certainty.
Kaelrix point of view
I listened closely to Elinra and Candice’s conversation, every word cutting into me like a sharpened blade. My fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. The more I listened, the heavier the pounding in my chest became.
Elinra liked Candice. It was obvious in the way she spoke to him. Soft. Warm. Comfortable. She trusted him. She admired him. She even smiled for him. And every time she did, something inside me twisted painfully.
Why him?
Why Candice?
Why did she speak gently to him while her voice was sharp whenever she spoke to me?
My chest tightened with anger, jealousy, confusion, and a strange burning emotion I could no longer ignore. Hearing her talk about how kind he was, how gentle, how she did not want him to change, made something heavy settle in my stomach.
I hated hearing it.
I hated how much it affected me.
I hated how much power her words had over me.
And then she said it.
The one sentence that stabbed me deeper than any blade could.
"You are my favorite."
My breath caught. My heart hammered. My mind spun. A feeling rose inside me so strong, so uncontrollable, I could not contain it.
I knew what it meant.
I knew exactly what I was feeling.
And I hated how true it was.
I was afraid.
Because if she kept talking to him like that, if she kept smiling at him, if she kept looking at him with those soft eyes, I would not be able to deny my feelings anymore.
Not even to myself.