Chapter 265: The Voice
Ah, there was Kyle’s signature rudeness. He almost had me worried with his surprisingly conciliatory behavior.
"What’s a human going to do to us?" Amanda asked mockingly. "Beta Blaise’s mate or not, if it boils down to it, even a pup can take her down."
Odd. Why did this remind me so much of what happened when I first joined Fangborne and word got around that I was Blaise’s mate? It was always the same tactic, the same trick, the same rumors.
"Apparently, I have such great skills in bed that I could charm every man in Fangborne if I wanted to, according to you three," I mused, shifting my weight from one side to another. Jeeves was nothing more than kind when he offered extra helpings, but it was starting to take a toll on my arms, especially when one of them wasn’t in its best shape yet.
I continued, "How cute. Perhaps you three would like to get some tips on how to chase your mates? With how you are acting, I am inclined to believe that perhaps your mates have rejected you and you’re now bitter about life."
Instantly, all three girls’ faces went red. Amanda even stepped forward, ready to throw a fist if it weren’t for the other two girls holding her back. It was great to know that they at least had some form of sensibility. I might not be able to best them in physical prowess but surely they weren’t dim-witted enough to think that they would be able to go unpunished when Damon and Blaise caught wind of this.
As much as I didn’t like Dahlia Elrod, I was starting to understand why she did what she did. She had such a powerful father and — unlike Darach — grew up in his care and undivided love and attention. Why wouldn’t she think that she could conquer the world, when the truth was that her father probably could’ve?
I might not have a powerful father who was willing to throw all his love at me, but I did have two wonderful mates who would stop at nothing to ensure my happiness― and in this case, safety. As arrogant as it was to say it, I had nothing to fear.
My stomach growled, the sound low and barely audible to the human ear. I couldn’t tell if the rest of the cafeteria could catch it but I frankly couldn’t care less. The food that Jeeves had prepared was best eaten hot and because of this, it was starting to get cold; I was also starting to get hungry.
"Now if you know what’s good for you," I said, "get out of my way. Nicole might be a darling but hospital food tastes like shit and I have not had something good to eat in days. Stand in my way and there will be hell to pay."
This time, the haughty expressions on the three girls faltered. They shared looks with one another but otherwise made no attempt to move from where they were. My eyelid twitched in irritation.
"Are you deaf?" I shot out. "I said, move!"
This time, all three of them jumped in their spots before scurrying to one side. They didn’t go far, and instead, formed a neat line so that I could walk through to the table I had originally set my sights on. I didn’t even spare them a glance, simply walking forward before placing my food down.
Kyle followed behind me after a second of hesitation. Only when he had set his tray down did I notice that the cafeteria had gone oddly quiet.
"Eat," I said, chewing hungrily through a mouthful of the potatoes that Jeeves had portioned me. It was absolutely delightful― the flavors were bursting in my mouth and the combination of herbs and spices had even helped to clear up the minor blocked nose I had. "Aren’t you hungry?"
"I... I uh..." Kyle started, looking around.
I followed his line of gaze just to see everyone staring at me, including the three girls who still stood in one neat line.
Unbothered, I shoved another mouthful of food past my lips, chewing and swallowing before speaking again. "Why are they all staring?"
Kyle placed his finger against his temple, pretending to massage it out of a headache. However, I had witnessed this one too many times and knew that he had to be concentrating on the pack link.
I sighed in unjust. It would’ve been wonderful to be in a built-in group chat without the need for mobile devices. I could only imagine the sort of things they must be gossiping about me whenever they thought Damon and Blaise weren’t paying attention.
Just as I guessed, Kyle bit his lip when his hand finally lowered back onto the table. He shakily picked up his fork, stabbing through the piece of potato as though it were an enemy that had slaughtered his entire family.
"I am going to die..." he muttered under his breath, his eyes burning holes into the table with the way he stared at the surface of the wood. "The Beta is going to kill me."
"Kyle?" I called out, waving a hand in front of him. He jolted a little as though he had been zapped, and when his eyes met mine, his face paled even further. "Are you... alright?"
He nodded, shakily smiling before gesturing to the people behind us. Everyone still stood still as though frozen in time, watching us with grave curiosity as I mindlessly plowed through my plate’s contents.
"Can they go?" he asked, gesturing to Rachel, Amanda, and Lucia. "It feels really awkward to eat when there’s someone staring."
"Oh." I looked past him at the girls and raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I didn’t particularly ask them to stay and spectate our meal."
Immediately after those words left my lips, it was as though someone had turned the cogs in those girls. They sprang away immediately, dashing out of sight within a matter of seconds. Even the rest of the cafeteria furiously put their faces back down, turning their eyes back to their dishes without daring to look up.
"What’s gotten into them?" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in confusion. "Actually, shake that. What’s gotten into you?"
Kyle looked up and his eyes fixated on something behind me. He swallowed, his lips quivering as he nodded slightly in greeting. When I took a breath in, I caught a familiarly intoxicating scent that was previously covered by the aromas that filled the cafeteria.
"Alpha."
