Phoenix
"Go ahead and ask whatever it is you want to ask" I side-eyed the most infuriatingly gorgeous woman I've ever come across "Your stare is quite unnerving."
She glanced away quickly, a blush erupting across her beautiful face as she digested my words.
"I wasn't staring at you."
"No?" I raised a brow "Then what do you call it when someone doesn't stop looking at someone or something else for an extended period of time?"
"Asshat" She muttered softly before sighing "Why are you coming with me today?"
"I thought Atlas already explained..."
"He did" she said quickly "But what I want to know is why you volunteered. He said that this whole thing was both yours and the Coach's idea, which I find hard to believe since I thought you two hated each other?"
An unintentional snarl overcame my face at the mention of that asshat's name.
I had reasons why I hated Coach Calhoun, and it had nothing to do with preposterous rumors floating around about why that may be.
I hated my Uncle because even to this day he pretends to not know what really happened with my mother, or what went on in our house during the years leading up to her death, even though I know he did.
I mailed her fucking letters myself.
Even after her death, he sat back and watched idly as an Alpha continued to make his nephew and niece suffer at the hands of their father, never once stepping in or trying to help us.
And while I knew he couldn't do shit to help us, seeing as my father was an Alpha and a member of the Penta, the fact that he didn't even try to help us made me hate his guts a hundred times more.
If only people could see what kind of a man the Coach really was.
He wasn't the brave, powerful, former commander general of the Crescent Guardsmen, or the hero that everyone thought he was.
No, he was the coward that couldn't even save his big sister's life, even when she begged for his help.
I shook away my dark thoughts, trying as hard as I could to keep the venom out of my voice as I said "Coach and I have a very strong difference of opinions."
"I honestly would have believe that," she snorted "If I didn't see that ugly expression on your face."
My lips twitched fractionally before I schooled my expression.
"You shouldn't worry about anything going on between Coach and me" I dismissed her words "Just focus on how you're going to survive in there."
"Thanks for reminding me" She shot me a dirty look "And for the words of encouragement."
"I'm not Lobo" I shrugged "It's not my job to mince my words in order to spare your feelings."
"You're nuts if you think he spares my feelings" she gawked at me, her icy eyes wide in shock "None of you spare my feelings, except maybe Kassian on rare occasion when the two of you are being especially unpleasant. Other than that, you're all pretty straightforward with your thoughts and feelings."
I internally winced at her words because if she knew the truth, if she knew that we were keeping the truth from her about all of us being her Mates, I think she'd kill us.
I knew she was capable of it, I've seen the murderous look in her eyes multiple times throughout our arguments, and the moment we tell her the truth might be the one thing that pushes her over the edge.
The one thing that makes that Lupine temper, the one that all wolves hear about, come out to play.
A temper that, according to Kassian's parents, that had my father recoiling in fear.
That thought made me respect Wolff Lupine a hundred times more, for not only standing up to men like my father, but also being brave enough to not conform to the ways of past Penta Members.
"Okay, fine" I relented "We don't really spare you feelings but that's because we don't know how to deal with someone like you."
Her brow rose "Someone like me?"
"A woman."
"A woman?" she echoed, a small laugh following her words "I thought you had a sister?"
I frowned, wondering how in the hell she knew that little tidbit of information "I do."
"And isn't she considered a woman?"
I must have made a face because she started laughing, that beautiful sound making an uncomfortable feeling squirm around in the place where Atlas says my heart should be.
"She's a child."
"How old is she?"
"Eighteen."
"I just turned nineteen" Nova started laughing "She's only a couple months younger than I am."
"No," I shuddered "She's a child."
"A woman" Nova corrected on a laugh "Like me."
I shot her a disgusted look "Can we please change the subject?"
"We can for now" she teased "But if you think I'll let this go just because you're asking, you have another thing coming ."
I could only stare at her gorgeous face, happy for once that I get to be on the receiving end of her smile instead of her verbal lashing.
To see this side of her, to have her teasing me like this, was the best feeling in the world.
And as soon as the thought crosses my mind, guilt quickly followed.
Another foreign feeling I'm not used to, considering I've never felt guilt for anything or anyone other than my sister before.
No wonder why Atlas was so stressed out and panicky, lying to our Mate was absolute torture.
And the worst part of this torture?
I couldn't even claim her as mine.
None of us could...considering that we don't know how in the hell that would work considering there's never been more than a pair of Mates before.
She was about to say something else when a throat cleared from behind us.
I tensed, knowing who it was even before he opened up his big fat mouth to address us both.
"Lupine, go get ready" his barked gruffly "We're picking up where we left off from before."
Nova nodded, saluting him with two fingers as she faced the coliseum entrance.
She only managed to take a half step forward before pausing, glancing over her shoulder at me in question.
I nodded towards the pretentious structure my ancestors insisted our surname be branded onto.
When she was out of sight, I turned to the stoic man behind me.
"What is it?" I snapped, avoiding the eyes that looked so much like my mother's that it physically hurt to look at them "What do you want?"
"We won't have the same issue that I had with Lobo, correct?" he said, his voice devoid of emotion "I would hate to have to report that another student was injured due to a current Alpha Heir's negligence."
"There will be no issues where I'm concerned" I said in a controlled voice, even though the last thing I wanted to do was be in control where he was concerned "As long as you do you job and teach these students skills they actually need."
He took a menacing step forward...
I mean it would have been menacing if he wasn't six feet shorter than I was.
"What does that mean?"
"Calm down" I said with a roll of my eyes, dismissing his words "Wouldn't want your blood pressure to shoot up now, would we?"
He ignored my words "I teach those younglings everything they need to know."
I raised a brow "And what do you call that bullshit you were teaching the day of Lobo's attack?"
He gritted his teeth "It was a necessary lesson."
"Really?" I mocked, turning around and heading towards the coliseum "Because from what Atlas shared, those pathetic moves were taught in grade school."
"It was..."
"Save it" I walked away "It's not my business anyways. If you want to waste everyone's time doing trivial tasks then be my guest. It'll make my job today that much more easier."
I was almost out of sight when his voice rang out "Not everyone had the luxury of learning those maneuvers in grade school"
I paused "What?"
His footsteps echoed from behind me "You have your reasons for acting the way you do Alpha Heir but do not question my teaching methods. I teach my students what they need to know in order to not only survive out there in the world but also within these walls."
"What are you talking about?"
He faced me then, that fierce look in his eyes had me taking a step back.
"Everyday you send that girl into that coliseum means that she's one step closer to death" he growled, pointing to the big dome like building "Not that the scent of death ever really leaves her, considering her last name. Day after day I have to make sure that the controlled environment I create in there is enough to keep her safe from a hundred other wolves gunning for her"
"She's safe..."
His laugh of disbelief had me stopping mid-sentence "If you think she's safe within these walls, then you're a fool."
"Are you calling your Alpha a fool?" I narrowed my eyes at him "That's a serious offense punishable by banishment."
"I would never insult my Alpha" he answered sarcastically "I would, however, insult the boy who pretends to have everything under control."