Apex Predator

~FIVE~

Was the mating curse getting to him too? The whole time I've noticed that he hardly looked away from me. "I'm 19." out of everything he said, that was the only thing I could muster up the courage to say.

"Thats unacceptable." He snapped before biting the bottom of his lip in thought again, "Trella will train you. But if you get caught, the punishment will be yours, and yours alone. I did not allow this and Trella's name will stay out of your mouth."

A smile fit my face and I clapped with excitement, "Really?" why was he allowing this? It's against the rules, and he's an Alpha. His obligation is to report us to the other leaders, but here he was allowing me to get help from his sister. "Why?" now I was a tad bit skeptical, unsure of how to take his new found pleasantness.

He hesitated, before his eyes shot down to my mouth quickly, then back up to my eyes, "It's unfair. The world is full of horrible people who'd hurt others for the sake of power. You need to be able to protect yourself."

No, what's unfair is the fact that he's actually being half way decent. It's hard to forget him when he makes my soul sing every time he says something even remotely nice. "Even if that's true, you hate me and my clan. Why offer me training if that's the case?" Deep in me, I wanted him to admit he might've felt a little bit of something for me, even if he's convinced its fake. Just a little hint that a small part of me lives in his brain, and it hurts him just a bit to act so indifferent towards me.

"It's not right to leave you to fend for yourself. Your dad may be a fool, but I'm not. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

Of course, it wasn't out of sympathy or concern. I need to stop getting my hopes up, it only leads to disappointment. "Oh." my shoulders slumped and I played with the hem to my sweatshirt, "Thank you." His answer wasn't the one I wanted, but at least I get the training I'll need.

"Don't thank me yet, you got to get away with it first." He said bluntly.

To say the way that he spoke to me wasn't hurtful, would be a lie. He has to feel something for me, I refuse to believe he doesn't. If any of the other Alpha's found out he was helping me, they would banish him as well and his Beta would become Alpha instead. He was taking a huge risk for me, and even if he spit venom at me, something in him felt something for me. "I'm sneaky. I think I got it."

He nodded and stuck his hands in his pocket, "You better. Now run back home and get some sleep before someone notices you're gone."

Honestly, I wasn't ready to go back home, but he was right. It's not like I could shift again tonight. I hadn't built up my energy enough yet to be able to switch back. "Okay. Thank you again. Bye." This was probably the last time I'll see him, considering I was training with Trella and he wanted nothing to do with it, so I paused to examine every inch of his face, to his chest, to even below the waist. Covered or not, it was still a good thing to picture. This version of him was a lot better than how he was during the hunt, and I got a small smirk from him, so I can even remember that.

Slowly I started to back away before offering him the smallest smile and turning away from him. It hurt to walk away from him, but it's something that had to happen, and quickly. Like ripping a Band-Aid off. I really wished this would get easier, because I'm tired of still feeling empty even after something amazing happens.

{ATLAS}

When I got back to camp, the place was still quiet. The sun was just barely rising and quickly I made my way to Trella's cabin, knocking on her door. Normally, I'd just let her sleep in when she decided to go on a midnight stroll, but I needed to speak with her about something important.