Chapter 14 14
RANDOM FACTS: Alphas aren’t the only ones who can attend the Academy— they’re just the only ones the Council allows to know about it.
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“Riven.” Aaron’s voice is almost comical to hear as I walk to him.
He looks scared, like he’s about to vanish from my sight but I don’t bother to give him that opportunity as I grab his arm, digging my nails into it as I smile even though doing that just makes the terror in his eyes worsen, “I have some questions for you. And you’ll do well to follow me, yes?”
He’s with his friends— which of course I can tell from the way they’re staring at me is with the exact same fear.
Just the same way everyone in school has been staring.
The idiot follows me, because of course, what could he do really— into an empty classroom.
The second we’re in, I lock the door and turn back to him, "Those two guys. Cain and Aidan, from that night, and you know the exact night I’m talking about. Who are they?”
Aaron looks at the door, then back at me before suddenly coming to me, his hands finding my face, “Baby, oh, fuck, I’ve missed—”
I shove him back hard with my feet. A sickening type of pleasure courses through my veins as I watch him stumble, shock fluttering through his eyes before I snap, “Take one more step closer and I will bite you— and we both know you won’t like it,”
Aaron looked like I’d slapped him, which in a sick way made me wish I had before of how dumb he looked before he slowly stood, “Look, I know… I know things have been so strange with us, but I thought… I thought you coming that night meant you wanted to talk things out.”
“Why in fucks name would I want to talk shit out with you? You choked me. In the hallway.”
He flashed a stupid ass smile. “You like stuff like that.”
“Yes. From hot men who aren’t trying to push me in a corner to feel better about their little dick.” I say with a roll of my eyes before I add, “Look, I have things I need to do. And I need to know where to find those people. Now, Aaron, or I tell your Father you like being a bottom.”
Aaron’s eyes go weak. “He won’t… he won’t believe you.”
“You dated me, your father’s beautiful bill being passed was because of how pathetic my life was and your kindness in taking me. Wanna see what happens when I let everyone know that his precious son liked to bottom for the little weirdo?”
Aaron goes pale. He looks like he wants to beg but he also knows that won’t work so instead, he just goes with, “L-look, I don’t know everyone who comes to that place, okay? It’s like… it’s a place people come to wolf out since you know, we can’t really. It’s a stress reliever so different people come and stuff.”
“Wow. So you’re having a party and you have no idea if there are adults in a group of minors? I don’t think I have to meet your Father. Maybe I’ll just go straight to the Council personally—”
“Okay.” He licks his lips, his eyes searching around before he says, “Okay. They must… they must have come from the academy, okay? There is literally only one school in all of Garouihl. And one academy—”
“Academy?”
He stood there, “Yeah? There is something called that… you don’t know about it?”
Why would I? I didn’t think that far after high school. Hell, I’m here because Claire wants me here half the time. “Stop acting like a smartass and tell me what it’s about,”
“No one really knows what happens in the Academy until they’re done with school— b-but what we do know is only Alphas go.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because?”
Aaron looks uncomfortable, his eyes searching mine as he lets out another nervous chuckle. “Hell, Riven. You never really care about shit like that. Why are you sounding so surprised?”
That there’s a whole private school for Alpha heirs and a pussy like Aaron could go and someone like Claire who’s so devastatingly brilliant cannot?
Fucking prejudice. That’s what.
“Hey,” Aaron’s hand on my shoulder brings me back to reality, and I’m only inches away from ripping his hand from its socket before he says, “I need to go over to sign some papers soon anyway. You can come with, and look around? If you want, that is,”
I look at his hand, then back at him. “You’re putting your pheromones on me, aren’t you?”
I see the panic in his eyes as he instantly yanks his hand away and puts it behind his head, “I didn’t really think you were noticing when it happened. I mean… you can’t smell it so I… and we’re dating—”
“No. Keep doing it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
This… I know how it looks, but this is for research. How else will I know why sometimes I can smell pheromones, and sometimes I can’t?
By being surrounded fully by someone else’s.
When we walk out of the class, his arm is draped around my shoulder, a move that has everyone in the hallway completely confused about the new dynamics of our relationship though I send them a glare that has all of them scurrying away before I send Aaron away as well.
But the moment I turn around, to the lockers, a face I clearly don’t wish to see is staring back at me, his eyes empty… but anyone with a working brain can smell the dislike, “I wonder what he sees in you.”
Astoria. “What?”
His eyes don’t leave me as he nudges his head towards Aaron, “You want him punished for your own mistakes like the other male, yes? How very foolish.”
What the fuck? “I don’t remember asking for your opinions on any shit I fucking do, okay? And if you’re here to watch and observe like a fucking asshoke, then do that without bothering me for fucks sake. Prick.”
I don’t wait for his response as I turn around, ready to walk back to class before I run into someone I don’t plan on meeting… and let’s just say I haven’t spoken to in far too long. “Claire.”
Claire, who I have been avoiding because I didn’t know for sure what had happened that night. Claire, who I had clearly abandoned because I couldn’t face the fact that I had left her behind somehow.
Claire, who I loved more than my life itself but for some reason, didn’t think she needed to be with me.
Her hands start moving, her eyes soft, “Are you avoiding me?”
“No.” I watch her eyes get even softer and something digs into my chest, almost cutting off the air inside me but I quickly look away, my eyes moving down the hallway. “I need to go catch up with Aaron—”
Her hand clasps around my wrist, an act that has my blood running cold as I look at her.
I can already see the tears forming in her eyes but she doesn’t let go of me as she starts signing with her other free hand, “You should not be talking to him after that night. Or anytime. After what he did, what are you doing—?”
My eyes move to her shadow, my heart dropping to her stomach as I watch it suddenly grow longer… and longer until it stops right at the end of the hall.
And he is right there.
I quickly yank my hand from her, the hurt look in her eyes worsening but I quickly look away, saying as quickly as I can, “We can meet later, okay?”
And before she can respond, I’m walking away as fast as I can, the pain in my chest worsening but I can’t do anything about it.
Not now.
Soon. I’ll fix all of this and everything will go back to how it was.