Chapter 29 Hayden's Inner Conflict
Hayden
I sat on the chair, my hands gripping my head, which felt like it might explode. Adonis' words echoed relentlessly in my mind. How could he say something like that so casually? Destiny? Moon Goddess? I couldn’t accept any of it. Sharing Phoebe? Especially with someone like him?
Never.
\[You know, Hayden, we can’t fight the Moon Goddess’ destiny,\] Noel’s voice broke into my thoughts, his tone serious. “She’s chosen Phoebe for us, and Adonis—”
“Don’t say his name,” I snapped, gripping my hair in frustration. “I don’t care what the Moon Goddess decided. I’ll never let him have Phoebe.”
Noel sighed, the kind of sigh you give a stubborn child. \[You know it’s not that simple. Your feelings can’t erase fate. If you keep fighting this, you’ll only hurt Phoebe.\]
I didn’t reply. Instead, I stared at the hourglass on the desk, willing my mind to focus on something else. But deep down, I knew Noel was right. A tiny part of me even wondered if I’d made a huge mistake confronting Adonis earlier.
Coach Cooper stood behind his desk, his expression dark and unreadable. A low growl rumbled in the room, sending a chill down my spine—I’d never seen him this angry before.
I was still convinced I was justified in defending Phoebe, but I remained silent, arms crossed, despite the coach’s piercing glare as he paced in front of us. Respect for him kept my mouth shut.
“Explain yourselves!” Coach’s voice boomed, filling the room and making all of us—me, Adonis, and Zion—hold our breaths. None of us dared to speak. His sharp gaze shifted to me, and I could feel it burning into my back as he continued pacing.
“What were you thinking? Fighting like that in broad daylight? Do you realize what could’ve happened if someone saw you?” His voice was a mix of anger and disappointment. “Not only have you tarnished the school’s reputation, but also that of your packs.”
“It’s just a typical dispute between men,” Adonis said nonchalantly, throwing a glance my way.
My hands clenched in my lap as I fought the urge to lash out at his smug tone. Beside me, Adonis sat relaxed, as if this was all just a game for him. That slight smirk of his was infuriating.
“We’re at fault, Coach. We lost control,” I said quickly, trying to take control of the situation.
“You’re my team captain, Grey. I chose you because I believed in your ability to lead wisely and control your emotions. Was I wrong?” He took a deep breath, then continued, “I hope this incident doesn’t affect the team’s performance.”
“I promise, Coach. We apologize.” My eyes flicked to Adonis, silently urging him to back me up.
“Yes, Coach. It won’t happen again. This won’t impact the team,” Adonis added smoothly, his tone far too composed for my liking.
“Fine. I’ll escalate this to the principal, and he’ll decide your punishment,” Coach said, stopping in front of us. “For now, both of you will handle after-school cleaning duties for one week.”
I lifted my head, dismayed at the punishment. Cleaning? Really? Just as I opened my mouth to protest, Zion subtly shook his head, signaling me to stay quiet. I shot a glance at Adonis, hoping for a shred of guilt or remorse. But no, his face remained annoyingly calm, with that ever-present smirk.
“Do either of you have anything to say?” Coach asked, his eyes darting between us.
I shook my head, deciding to stay silent. I didn’t want to make things worse, though my frustration was boiling over inside. Adonis stayed quiet too, though his smirk remained firmly in place.
“Good,” Coach finally said. “You’re dismissed. Don’t let this happen again, or the consequences will be far worse.”
We rose from our seats almost in unison. I walked out first, Zion close behind me. Adonis followed at his usual leisurely pace, and I could feel his eyes boring into my back. Once we were in the hallway, I quickened my pace, putting as much distance as I could between us.
“Hayden,” Zion called softly, his tone filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I replied curtly, not bothering to look back. I knew Zion was trying to help, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk. All the emotions I was holding back felt like they might explode at any moment.
“Hey, Hayden,” Adonis’ voice rang out from behind me, his casual tone grating on my nerves. I stopped but didn’t turn around.
“You’re going to have to share Phoebe, whether you like it or not,” he said lightly, as if discussing the weather. “We can’t fight the Moon Goddess’ destiny.”
My fists clenched, but I didn’t respond. I knew he was trying to provoke me again, and I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, I walked faster, leaving both Adonis and Zion behind, trying to contain the fury burning inside me.
Yet his words wouldn’t leave my mind. I knew I couldn’t go on like this. Something had to change. I had to find a way to protect Phoebe, no matter what.
I couldn’t bring myself to trust Adonis. He’s a Lycan, bound by rigid traditions and laws. It wasn’t surprising that he acted ‘strange.’ If he couldn’t even control himself, how would he treat Phoebe?
I decided to push the storm in my mind aside and focus on class. A small weight lifted when Finley found me in the cafeteria later and told me Phoebe was awake. I would explain everything to her. She deserved to know the truth.
“Hayden, I need to talk to you.”
I glanced up at Finley, chewing a piece of ham. His expression was serious, his brows furrowed. Swallowing my food, I nodded for him to continue.
“I think you should know something. Lexus, my wolf, says Phoebe is my mate.”
For a second, I could still feel the food I’d swallowed, but after that, my mind went blank. Stunned by the reality slapping me in the face, I stared at Finley sharply. My eyelids twitched, a reflex to the bombshell he’d just dropped on me.
I hadn’t even finished dealing with Adonis, and now someone else claimed to be Phoebe’s mate. Was I losing my mind?
Slamming my knife onto the table, I created instant silence in the cafeteria. Feeling all eyes on us, I stood abruptly. I didn’t want to hear any more nonsense from anyone.
“Wait, Hayden!”
“Get lost, Finley. Leave me alone unless you want to end up like Adonis.”