Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen
Jaslyn

My hands were sweaty as I placed them atop my lap, and focused on gazing through the window. But even that didn't take my mind away from the nervousness I was feeling. My stomach clenched just like it always did whenever I was afraid. And at that moment, I was.

Fear.

I shook my head yet again and muttered something intelligible beneath my breath. It wasn't like it was a life or death affair. It was merely an Inter-pack Alpha-Luna competition. I could do it. Well, maybe I would have, if my inner wolf wouldn't keep disappointing me. I could've sworn I felt something when I tried rousing my wolf yesterday. It was a sharp feeling. But it was there. I felt it.

I heaved a sigh, and wished my heart wouldn't keep jumping like that.

“If you sigh one more time, I'll throw you out of the car,” Zeeland who was seated beside me said. Clutching his right arm, wrapped around his body like a koala, was Alyse. She flashed me a weird look, but turned away quickly before I could make anything of it.

“And how would I get to the venue of the competition?” I retorted. I really should've kept my mouth shut. And I quickly realized that, when Zeeland's eyes turned molten. I cleared my throat and avoided his gaze.

“Then you'll walk the whole way there.” Zeeland finally said, after glaring at me like he'd really like me to vanish from the car's seat. 

“Right. Like you would.” I mumbled.

“What?” He asked with narrowed eyes.

“Nothing.” I shrugged, and shut my ears off. If he liked, he could continue talking. But that wasn't what I wanted to hear or think about. If I didn't win the Luna's part of the competition, Zeeland was surely going to kill me.

Literally.

I couldn't resist sneaking a quick glance at him. He'd gone back to staring ahead, and although his side profile was gorgeous, it was rather cold. 

His stepmother had wished me luck during the competition as we set out, and although I'd found it weird, I appreciated her kind gesture. She just didn't seem like the kind of woman that would birth two devil spawns like Armand and Benoit. The fact that she had them as sons made me feel sympathy towards her. Recalling how she'd helped me clean myself up when I'd fallen into the pool made me smile to myself.

Yet Zeeland seemed to hate her. Well, the guy was a bad judge of character, if he had someone like Alyse as a partner. Someone like that couldn't possibly see right through a person. 

”Zee,” Alyse called out in a childish voice. 

Zeeland placed his arm across her shoulder and pulled her against him affectionately. Their display of affection made me sick to my stomach, and I sneered inwardly. I bet my new lacy panties that Alyse was deliberately acting chummy just to get under my skin.

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again. Then I began reciting some nursery rhymes to distract myself from listening to their conversation. It didn't work though when I caught some of Alyse's words.

“Darling, I think I want to switch cars. I feel quite uncomfortable in this one.” Alyse said with a coquettish smile which Zeeland reciprocated.

I rolled my eyes. “Two-faced bitch.” I muttered and Alyse snapped her head at me like she'd heard me.

“Is that necessary?” Zeeland asked with a frown.

“Yes, Zee. I don't feel comfortable riding in this car. The interior reminds me of my dad's.” She said as a way of explanation. 

Zeeland nodded in understanding. “Stop the car.” He ordered Dmitri who was driving.

Five minutes later, Alyse was settled in the car that'd been driving behind us. Secretly relieved that she was longer there, I allowed myself to drink in the look of Zeeland before turning away again.

“You should be practicing some moves in your head. The Lunas from other packs are quite formidable.” Zeeland broke the silence after a few moments.

I grunted what could pass off as an agreement or disagreement, and went back to tapping my hand against my knee. I was dressed in leather pants, leather jackets and black boots. It was safe to say that I was fully leathered up. If the word existed.

“Maybe I would also be as formidable if you'd taken time to teach me some moves instead of enjoying yourself with Alyse.” I regretted the words immediately when they were out, and although I couldn't take them back, I defiantly met Zeeland's gaze.

“What did you just say?” He asked icily.

“Oh, you heard me quite well,” I jerked a bit on my seat as our car went over a pothole. “I'm an Omega, and perhaps that's all I'd ever be in your eyes. But if you really cared about the reputation of your pack, you'd have taken out time to teach me yourself. Instead you-” I was talking when he coldly cut me off.

“I suggest you stop talking. And right now too.” He warned.

One glance at his furious face made the decision for me. I'd regret it if I continued talking. 

I never got to let out the sigh I was going to, when a very loud explosion went off in the car behind us. Ours was pushed away, and I gasped as my head collided with the seat in front. Dazed and shocked, I turned around quickly at Zeeland who was yelling out orders to Dmitri. 

“W-what's happening?” I whispered, and didn't get a response.

My head was bleeding, but not enough to knock me out.

All the cars that'd made up a convoy on the way to the competition converged as a grim-faced Dmitri pulled Alyse from the car. She was bleeding profusely and her eyes were closed. 

“The hospital, now!” Zeeland ordered. I'd never seen him so hysterical before, and my heart actually shook. 

Leaving the others to take care of the driver, Dmitri got back into the car, and pressed hard on the accelerator as we drove to the hospital. All the way, Zeeland held Alyse's hand tightly, his face contorted in pain.

“Stay with me, Alyse. Stay with me.” He kept whispering with a cracked voice. 

“I-I'm sorry that-” I opened my mouth to say.

“Keep your words of comfort to yourself.” He said harshly, and I recoiled.

To Dmitri, he yelled, “Faster!”

The stench of blood was now permeating through the air, and it got stronger by every minute. I was tempted to roll down the windows to let in some fresh air but decided against it. That'd be a mistake indeed, seeing as Zeeland's jaw was clenched like he'd really love to punch someone at that moment.

I let out a shaky breath and avoided looking at Alyse. At the same time, I avoided thinking about what actually happened. Someone or something had set off a bomb in the car. Okay, not a bomb, but a grenade perhaps.

We arrived at the hospital, and Zeeland almost forced himself up, but Dmitri beat him to it, got the injured Alyse off his body, and yelled out for a stretcher. I helped Zeeland onto his wheelchair and rolled him in carefully despite his urgent “faster!”

I excused myself to no one in particular, and went off to stand outside. There was just something about hospitals that gave me the chills and I couldn't stand them at all. I paced the floors of the entrance to the hospital, as I tried to make sense of what had happened. Alyse had gotten out of our car. It also didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that someone had implanted whatever had gone off in the car. For a brief moment, I nursed the idea that it might've been Alyse herself. But I dismissed the thought immediately. Alyse might be snobbish and arrogant as hell, but she wasn't suicidal. Besides, she had nothing to gain from it.

Another thought occured to me and my eyes widened slightly. It could've been one of the other competitors. Maybe it was their idea of slowing us down, and making sure we didn't appear at the competition. The thought was confusing. I was the one who was competing, and not Alyse. But she was the one who got hit.

A slight ache in my head made me close my eyes briefly. The thoughts weren't making sense at all.

A car pulled into the driveway, and when I spotted Zeeland's stepmother on the passenger seat, I smiled in relief. Maybe we could think about it together. She hurried out of the car with a fierce expression.

“Where is Zeeland?” She asked as she whizzed over.

“What are you doing here?” Zeeland asked from behind us, and we turned back to see him coming out of the hospital, Dmitri close on his heels.

“We found the culprit.” She said instead.

Zeeland's eyes narrowed. “How did you-” 

“That's not important right now. We found who almost killed Alyse.” His stepmother continued like he hadn't interrupted. 

“That's great. So, who is it?” I asked with a relieved smile.

Zeeland's stepmother looked at me with a hostile expression. “You.” She said.