“Hey, you okay?” she asked after only hearing a word.
I felt like smiling.
“I’m fine. Just tired. We had an exam today. The new candidates took their first test,” I uttered, staring at the ceiling.
“Oh, you guys have already started new admissions?” I could tell she must be pouting or rolling the strands of her brown hair around her finger.
“Yeah, the new semester is starting,” I mumbled.
I knew why she didn’t like hearing about our academy. Her brother wanted to be a part of it, but he failed the tests, especially the educational ones. Not only that, he was slated to be the alpha of his pack before he could become the Alpha King.
“Hmmm, my brother is doing very well. He stays late on the training ground and goes back to his hostel early in the morning. His teachers are praising him a lot,” she began with her usual chatter. I didn’t mind her talking about her brother, but it had become quite repetitive at this point. She wanted her brother to be a part of our academy so he could become the next Alpha King of the North.
The academies usually trained Alphas for the final battle between Alphas for the selection of the Alpha King title. It took place every five years. But that’s not all. They have to fight the existing Alpha King in the final battle, and if they don’t win, the reigning Alpha King remains the crowned king.
“Yeah, you know what? I’m kind of tired,” I said, cutting her off. I didn’t have time to hear about her brother’s accomplishments. He was very arrogant, and whenever we met, he acted like he was a big deal.
“Oh, I’m sorry I bored you with all the talk about my brother,” she replied in a much bitter tone before adding, “Okay, tell me how I can change your mood.”
I waited in silence, contemplating how to avoid offending her. But there was no other way. Her remark hinted at the fact that I cared a lot about my brothers, too.
“By letting me rest?” I groaned. “We’ll talk in the morning. Good night!” I hung up, but before I could even put my phone down, she called me again.
I didn’t even open my eyes and answered the call. “Jessica, can we please talk tomorrow?” I grunted through clenched teeth.
“Brother, we’ve got a problem.” My eyes shot open when I heard Maximus instead. I pulled my phone away just to check the caller ID–it was Maximus calling me.
“What happened? Are you okay?” I asked, hearing some noises in the background, and goosebumps spread across my skin. Why wasn’t he at home?
“I’m in my car right now, taking Helanie to the hospital,” I said, unsure whether to be shocked or concerned.
“Helanie? Why is she in the car with you? What the fuck!” I stood up, holding my phone between my cheek and shoulder while buttoning up my shirt.
“It’s umm–she was attacked by someone and thrown into the deep mountains to die.” My phone almost slipped from my grasp as I tightened my hold to focus on my brother’s words.
A defenseless creature was attacked by someone in the shelter? Wasn’t she supposed to be safe there? Why would she be targeted?
“Listen, I’m coming over. Just send me the address,” I told him, knowing he had to drive her to the nearest pack to get her proper treatment.
“Okay, I’ll admit her until then–” I cut Maximus off because I had to.
I hated to be that person who was heartless, but I really didn’t feel good about this girl. Ever since she had shown up at our door, she had only gotten herself into trouble and wasted my brothers’ time.
“Don’t admit her. Let me come over first,” I uttered with difficulty, not happy that what I was about to do would make my brother see me as a heartless creature.
Norman:
“Why can’t we admit her? She’s in bad shape,” Maximus’s voice was raised, though not at me. His anger stemmed from sheer frustration as he paced around his car, the door to the backseat left open to reveal the wounded Helanie. The sight of her was truly devastating, one must have felt bad for her. But not me.
I didn’t feel deeply affected. My reaction was a learned behavior. I just knew I had to feel bad for her and that’s what I was trying to do.
“Do you want our academy to be in the news? We’ve worked tirelessly to reach the level of success we have today. I’m not risking it for anyone-especially for her,” I said, gesturing toward her. I tried. But I just couldn’t act like I would give up everything for the sake of someone like her.
Ever since she had stepped into our lives, she had been trying to get our attention. And my naive brothers were drawn to her innocence.
She was wheezing, probably from pain, and my eyes lingered on her longer than I intended before I looked away. No! I wouldn’t let myself feel sorry for her.
My brothers aren’t very wise. They’re emotional fools with soft hearts, prone to weaknesses. But I have none of those flaws.
The only weakness I have is ‘are my brothers’.
“To hell with that! It’s not our academy’s fault. People will understand. Right now, she’s dying-” Maximus groaned, running his hands through his hair.
I rolled my eyes and knelt down by the car door, struggling to fit in the tight space without bending awkwardly. Carefully, I touched her wrist to check her pulse. Her skin was smooth, soft to the touch. Her wrist was so slender that I could hold it between just two fingers, and it still felt fragile. If I applied a little more pressure, her wrist would split into two halves.
I noticed her thick eyelashes fluttering as she fought to keep her eyes open. Despite her injuries, she was trying to stay conscious. It surprised me.
She was so stubborn-refusing even to pass out.
But her eyes were swollen and dark, bruised almost beyond recognition. I noticed her bruised lip. She must have endured so much pain as a wolfless creature.
“What happened?” Maximus’s hand on my shoulder startled me, nearly making me jump.
I swallowed hard and immediately pulled my hand away. It was like I had drowned in a sea of unknown emotions. They didn’t seem learned for a moment and that startled me. I placed my hand on my chest, a little above the scar on my ribs and then shook myself out of the trance.
“Um, she’s sustained many injuries, but none are fatal,” I said, standing up, feeling oddly disoriented.
Why the hell had I taken so long just holding her wrist?
“Well, she can’t heal on her own. And just because she won’t die doesn’t mean she’s in any less pain. Look at her-she’s barely breathing. We need to get her immediate care,” my brother said, his voice edged with worry for a girl who seemed to do nothing but disturb our peace. Worse still, her mother had once ensnared our father in her manipulations too.
I remembered her mother behaving the same way when she first entered our lives. She used to be so helpless, constantly in trouble, and my father loved swooping in as her ‘hero.’
“Let’s take her to our farmhouse. I’ll bring in doctors and nurses, have them sign NDAs, and make sure she’s well cared for. She’ll be fine, alright?” I patted Maximus’s shoulder as he continued to stare at her. I wasn’t going to let this issue be a noose around my brother’s neck. He didn’t understand the severity of this situation yet.
“Maximus, remember what we’ve discussed about her? She’s making us lose sight of ourselves,” I reminded him. I’d been so proud of him tonight for seeing through her, but now he was falling back, just like the others.
We weren’t supposed to think like emotional fools. We run an academy, and it’s our duty to protect its reputation above all else. And then, my brother’s image meant the world to me.
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