Chapter 8 Fractured Control
Chapter 8
Cael’s POV
Fractured Control
"Do you enjoy creating scenes for yourself?" I snapped angrily, the words coming out sharper than I intended it to be.
Lira said nothing, instead, she shifted her head to look at me, her eyes fixed directly on me like she could read through me. And worse of all, she was enjoying the show.
"You think I purposely staged that scene earlier on?" She asked feigning ignorance, her voice low in an annoying way. Even till this point, students hadn't dispersed yet. They stayed behind, waiting to get details for scandal, their gazes moving from her, to Riven, then back to me.
Riven, that glorified bastard, only concentrated in smirking, leaning lazily against one of the ring's post, his arms folded like he actually owned the place. "Don't waste your time glaring at me, crowned prince. I wasn't the one who dragged your precious recruit into this. She did it willingly."
Did he just say precious recruit?
"She did it willingly?" I repeated. "Is that really true?"
Her lips parted like someone about to talk, but no word came out of her mouth. In a blink, Riven pushed off the post, quickly closing the remaining distance. I watched as his fingers briefly brushed her jaw, as if he was indirectly taunting me.
"She smiled the moment I touched her," he murmured, his eyes hinting mischief. "Be very careful, Cael. It's possible you might not be the only Alpha she tempts."
My wolf stirred violently inside me, almost making me to lose control. "Remove your hand this minute," I growled in fury, literally restraining myself from going physical with him.
"Or what will happen?" Riven mocked, provoking me the more. "Are you going to duel me right before the whole Academy because of her? That would be a temptation, but I will gladly accept it. An opportunity to watch the crown prince bleed."
Gasps from students filled the whole place, many of them eager to watch the already forming scene.
"Are they really fighting over the new girl?"
"She's a nobody, just an omega."
"Why will someone like Cael even bother to..."
"Enough!" I roared slamming my hand against a nearby desk, the courtyard becoming quiet in the process. My voice echoed the whole arena, vibrating like thunder. My wolf stirred restlessly, threatening to burst open from my rib, pushing me to tear Riven apart in seconds. But no, I did now of that. If I had given in, he would have gotten exactly what he wanted.
Lira, however, didn't shake through out the commotion. Instead, she quietly slipped out of Riven's irritating touch, but the ease with which she did it unsettled me. It was more like she had seen worse situations, caught up in more dangerous scenerio all her life. Her gaze roamed between the both of us, but remained guarded.
"I'm never a prize to be won," she stated firmly. "So, it would be better if both of you stopped speaking like I belong to you "
Her defiance should have irritated me like it always does to many others, but instead, for reasons unknown to me, it ignited a heat inside me. A heat I hated myself for allowing it start in the first place.
"Lira," I called, my voice lower than intended, very dangerous. "You should come with me this minute."
Her brows lifted in challenge, daring me to loose control. "And if I say no to that?"
Before I could give her a response, Riven saw my hesitation as weakness, chuckling darkly like he was winning already. "Then, I will be the one to gladly excort her, since it's obvious how busy you are lately with being the Council's lapdog."
That was the last straw. I couldn't take it in again, so I lunged at him, hard and sharp.
But before we could go far, I felt Lira's hand pressing softly on my chest. Though not hard enough to disengage us, but firm enough to hitch my breathing. Her storm gray eyes locked irresistible with mine, very unyielding.
“Don’t do that,” she whispered sweetly, taking my breath away. It wasn't an order, neither was she begging. She was just Lira.
In a terrifying moment of what I felt, I obeyed without a blink.
Riven also noticed how smoothly her effect ran through me, his smirk deepening, but I cared less. "This is interesting. The crowned prince now bows to not only her voice, but her magical touch."
Heat from the fury brewing inside me burned deep, mixed with shame of how quick I responded to her charm. Without thinking, I shoved her hand aside, and took to my heels. "Be in my office in ten minutes. If you as much as come a minute late, it would be better you never showed up again."
I didn't wait to see her reaction, or for her to answer me. I know without being told that if I had stayed a little longer, I would do one of these two things: claim her without calculating the consequences right in front of everyone around...or kill Riven in a blink.
By the time she finally made it to my office, whispers had spread like wildfire, many reporting what they heard to me. Many students, including those who weren't supposed to talk, has started questioning my authority in the Academy. To worsen the situation, the Council's crimson sealed letter arrived on my desk, needing my urgent attention. It was no coincidence, it was a mockery of my hard work, placing more demand on perfection, loyalty and to be in control of the game.
And here I was, completely disoriented by a strange Omega who wasn't supposed to exist in my world.
Just as I was roaming around in deep thought, the door creaked open and she walked in gracefully. She was as calm as ever, no sign of her being the reason for my behavior lately. For few seconds, her eyes wander freely to the bookshelves, the war manuals, including maps stacked neatly on my desk. There was no sign of fear, just an infuriating calmness.
.
"You wanted to see me?" She asked sweetly.
"Yes." I replied with a nervous voice. "Close the door."
She obeyed without a word, slowly but deliberately.
"Tell me," I started, already standing up and pacing around. "Who trained you? How did you learn to fight like that?"
"No one that might interest you." She replied smoothly with so much confidence.
"Don't start any games with me, Lira." I slammed my hand ony desk. "You didn't just block my strike, you did it like a duelist born from war. Your move can only be used by a warrior who had bled on battlefield. Omegas don't fight like that, and you know it."
"Who exactly are you?" I demanded again. "What brought you to this Academy?"
She smiled mischievously, but guarded, not cracking even for a second. "You can't be expecting an answer to that, or do you?" She whispered.
"It's not up to you to tell me what to expect." I snapped.
"Then, if you really want an answer, I would advise you keep watching me, Cael." She murmured. "That might help you soon enough."
My heart pulsed, my wolf howled. This is the first time since my existence, I....Cael Dravenhart, crowned prince, and royal heir to the Wolf Throne...felt dumb and not in control.
She was the forbidden fruit that keeps drawing me close, even without me knowing how deep the water I was jumping into was. Why does my wolf stir up when she's close by? Then again is the Council and their demands. The straining demand for loyalty, for control and perfection. How do I handle everything?