Spirit Tales (The Millennium Wolves AU)
Chapter Sixteen

I was in bed, reading a Biology textbook, when Strider, Fred and Apollo entered the room. The three had already made amends after the arguments at the inn a few days ago, and were on speaking terms again. But, like the rest of them, they glanced at me and got quiet, as though they had no idea what to say or something.

I ignored them, of course, and pretended to read the textbook while Tempest cussed inside my head. You’re annoying, I told her.

Fuck you! She shot back.

Giving up on trying to talk to her, especially when she was in this mood, I busied myself with the Biology homework. Meanwhile, Strider took out an iPad from his book and started tapping it rapidly, Apollo lay down on his bed with music blasting in full-volume from his earphones, and Fred put on his own reading glasses and started working on some paperwork.

A nice, calm afternoon. Right.

The tension in the air was apparent, and I knew I was the cause for it. I didn’t think I did anything wrong when I’d delivered that speech, but now I wasn’t so sure; I would’ve preferred being completely ignored, instead of being even more of a black sheep. So I guess I deserved it.

“Girl.”

I jolted, my head snapping up to look at Apollo. “What?” I asked, my voice raspy from misuse.

He didn’t look at me, instead keeping on listening to his music. “You have one last week of training. Afterward we’ll start working on the Spiritual stuff.”

My heart gave an excited thud. “What do you mean? I thought you were adamant about me losing thirty pounds of whatever.”

He glanced at me now. “It can still be arranged,” he said threateningly.

“N-No!” I said quickly. “I… I just thought…”

“So stop thinking,” he cut me off impatiently. “On sunday next week we’ll begin.” His tone was final, so I knew the conversation was now over.

Heart still beating loudly in my chest, I realized this was the calmest chat I’d ever had with him. I found myself smiling a little at this fact.

An hour later I started getting ready to dinner. I took a shower, and dressed in jean and tunic, and when I got out, I saw only Fred remained in the room. He leaned against the closed entrance door, his arms crossed, and when he saw me exiting the bathroom, he straightened himself. “Angela,” he said.

I tensed, feeling the air turning charged. I knew it was again my reaction to him, my complete, stupid attraction to him. “Yes, Fred?” I murmured in question.

He walked toward me, and I was frozen in place. My eyes refused to stay put, though, and they roamed over him, studying his toned body, the white tee he wore under a black leather jacket, both accentuating his mocha skin, those slanted red eyes, so unique and beautiful… He was like a walking fantasy in the shape of the most lethal, dominant werewolf in the world.

“How are you?” he asked, his voice less raspy and softer than usual.

I was more than a little bewildered by this sudden personal interest he gave me, and I blurted a squeaky “Fine!”

The response wasn’t enough for him, it seemed. He stopped a few inches away from me, so tall I had to lean my head back to look him in the eye - and I was considered tall, being five-eight. My cheeks heated up a little when his strong arm was suddenly cupping my face and electricity burst from the contact, coursing down my body and pooling in a part that had been asleep until not too long ago. He was confusing me again, and I was utterly susceptible to the worry he was obviously showing.

This hot-and-cold attitude had been extremely attractive at first - in this mysterious, curious way - but now it was completely off-putting, and while I so wanted to lean into his touch and let what my body felt consume me whole, I had to get a grip. I forced myself to take a step back, farther from his hot touch I wanted to feel still. “Don’t,” I said, my voice shaking as his hand fell back to his side, “don’t touch me if you don’t mean anything by it.”

The worry was wiped from his face, and were replaced by the more familiar and enigmatic inscrutable expression. “You’re one of my people, Angel,” he said softly, using that nickname again, and I blushed a deep shade of scarlet, “I’ve been worried about you ever since what you said back at the inn.”

I lowered my gaze, unable to stare at him any longer. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

“What you said was true,” he said, stepping closer slowly. “Apollo is arrogant, and Strider too, and it’s the truth werewolves treat humans like they don’t belong. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I - or anyone else - can do about it, and there’s a reason for it.”

Raising my head, I saw he was again only mere inches away. “What kind of reason can justify this treatment?” I asked, lips turning dry.

His face were full of sorrow when he replied. “Humans are much more physically vulnerable than werewolves, therefore werewolves had long ago decided to avoid them at all costs. Humans are fragile, and the wolves’ state of mind is about befriending and making a family with people who won’t accidentally break one way or another.”

“It’s such a paranoid reason,” I crossed my arms, feeling the urge to put him in his place, because sexual attraction or not - I was going to stand my ground. At least in this subject.

He nodded in agreement. “But werewolves had adopted this attitude and passed it onto the next generations, until it became part of the social norm. A wolf who’s mingling with humans is immediately considered inferior and pathetic, because he’s exposing himself for a direct hit. I don’t think it’s true,” he added when he saw I was about to speak in outrage, “I’m just saying that this is how it is. That’s why my job exists, and, whether I want to or not, I need to take care of both races. I want to, obviously, because I don’t differentiate between wolves and humans, but there are people who conspire against me because of this ideology.”

This was a surprise. “There are people who go against the Alpha of the Millennium?” I wondered how they had the dumb courage to do so.

Fred gave me a small, rare smile that made my face burn again. “You’d be surprised to know there are werewolves and humans who work together to terminate me,” he said wryly, “which is funny and ironic, and they don’t even get why; them working together, no matter for what cause, just proves in a direct or indirect way that they agree with what I and the previous Alphas were made to do.”

I found myself smiling a small smile as well. “So you’re not really in danger, then?” I asked, wanting to make things clear.

“I suppose not,” his eyes glinted, and locked mine instantly. “Now, we’d better go to dinner.”

I wasn’t sure I heard right. “You want to go to dinner?” I blurted out, blushing when he arched an eyebrow. “I mean, with me?”

His smile was gone and his face closed off again, but not before I saw some emotion passing in his ruby eyes. “Yes, Angela,” he opened the door, “with you.”

And so together we walked, the Alpha and I, to the dining room. Everyone turned to look automatically - I was starting to get used to the attention, even if it still sickened me - and the noise dissipated, leaving only quiet whispers. Fred ignored them, and I adopted this approach as well. We went together to the buffet and picked up some food - I sent a slightly evil look to Apollo when I put a steak on my plate - and Fred and I parted ways, each of us going to their own groups.

Of course the humans were curious about our joint arrival, to the point even Charlotte was asking me what it was all about. I told them the truth, and even though they didn’t seem to believe it was as simple as that, they left it at that eventually.

Afterward, they began talking about something, but I was distracted. With a beating heart, I surreptitiously glanced to the table where Fred was sitting with Strider, Apollo, Samantha and the rest. When I saw beautiful blonde Sally sitting next to Fred with a pretty blush, I felt as though something died in my chest. Especially when she appeared to talk excitedly to Fred, who had a soft expression when he looked at her. Maybe he didn’t hold the same feelings toward her, but it was obvious he was fond of her all the same.

The thought of them wrapped around each other naked, kissing and touching and having sex, made me grab my fork so hard, my knuckles turned white.

I forced to look away from them and my stare landed on Strider. He was currently warming up to Rachel, who was trying ever-so-hard to get him into her bed again. Apollo was talking to Samantha in quiet murmurs, and the need and desperation was written all over her, with the way she leaned into him, and gave him her utmost affection. Was that how I looked when talking to Fred?

“Hey, Angie?”

I turned to look at Hazel. “What?” I asked, trying to sound less distracted.

She cocked her head. “Is everything all right?”

Why does everyone keep asking that all the time? Tempest muttered in annoyance inside my head while I replied, “Yes. Everything’s great.”

Hazel shrugged and came back to the conversation with the others. I glanced at Charlotte, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would acknowledge my existence, but she was deep into the conversation and she seemed to come back to ignoring me again.

It should’ve hurt, but I was numb by this point, and so I gave the steak my entire attention, considering it was the only thing in the world that didn’t reject me.

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