Apex Predator

~FIVE~

This is where I parish. This is where every ounce of bad luck and karma I've dodged in my life caught up with me. I genuinely didn't have an answer for him. How much did he hear? I'm not sure whether to lie my ass off, or just be honest because he could've heard the entire thing and was bating me. Why didn't he just question Trella? I knew she'd be able to get him off her back better than I could.

By the way his jaw clenched, I could tell he was getting a little irritated by my lack of response, but I was scared. "Uh," no words formed.

"Astrid." He snapped.

I couldn't help but flinch and look down at the ground submissively, unable to stop the word vomit as I just blurted out, "Training!"

From my upper prereferral, I watched him shift his weight from one leg to the other, "Training? What training?"

My palms were super sticky and clammy from the nervousness and I wiped them on my pants, clearing my throat, "M-my... my training." hesitantly my eyes slowly glided up until they landed on his face.

He no longer looked irritated, instead he looked a little puzzled and he crossed his arms and stepped forward a bit, "Why do you need training?"

Again, that wasn't something I wanted to disclose. It felt personal and it was my biggest weakness. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to be nosy. Like where did he even come from? "Nothing."

His eyes trailed down the length of my body before they snapped up to my face again, taking a few more steps forward. I watched him carefully and my heart nearly stopped when he slowly put a foot on our side of the river. Instinctively a growl rumbled deep in my chest and he paused, smirking a bit, "Oh, big bad wolf, huh?" He taunted. "Do you think you could beat me? A genuine question. I'm curious." Hes calling my bluff. Genuine question my ass, he knows the answer. He's an alpha, and I'm nothing.

Truth was, he could totally trespass and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I don't have the strength or coordination to stop him, and he was testing me, "No, but I sure as hell could try."

He shrugged before bringing his foot back to his side, raising an eyebrow, "You've got quite the attitude, huh?"

I didn't say anything as I held his gaze, my hands tightly balled into fists behind my back as my nails dug into the center of my palm to keep my mind off of the fact that he's shirtless, "Sometimes."

He pursed his lips and looked down at the clear water washing over his bare feet, "If you don't answer my original question, I'm going to have to go over there and force it out of you." his voice grew deep as he spoke.

For some reason that gave me butterflies and I cleared my throat. Like I said, it seemed like personal information, but the hoarseness in his tone somehow had me in a trance, and I slipped up, "I don't know anything when it comes to being a werewolf... I needed help outside my clan." Admitting that could instantly get me banished. All Atlas had to do was drag me back to camp and spoil everything I told him. I felt instant regret as he stood there silent, like he was deep in thought. "I know it's wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'm desperate. I can't protect myself and everyone hates me because I'm useless. I can't hunt, I can't fight, I can't control my shift all the way. It still hurts, and takes forever because Dad refuses to train me, and no one will train me in the clan because it would go directly against his orders and-"

"You don't have control over your shift?" He cut me off from my rambling by raising his hand, his tone was full of confusion, and no hint of bitterness like I expected.

I was genuinely shocked that he wasn't berating, "No..." I said in a soft voice

He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Your father is a fool. You're how old and can't control your shift? You can't even hunt or fight? At that point, you're not even a werewolf. You're a human that smells like dog." Now he sounded bitter, and I dipped my head down in shame. He actually seemed concerned for a second, but he was only venomous to how unwerewolf like I was, "It's not even your fault." he finished in a soft voice, almost like he didn't want me to hear and I peeked my head up again, my heart soaring at those final words. Maybe he didn't despise me as much as he let on.