Kara coughed out blood as she pushed herself to a sitting position. Her head was ringing and her vision was blurred.
"Didn't they ever tell you not to mess with a shadow?" Ezra whispered in her ear, as he crouched in front of her. She hadn't noticed him walk towards her.
Mustering all her strength, she pushed her claws out and striked his face. He stumbled back with a startled look.
"Didn't they tell you never to underestimate your opponent?" She wheezed with a grin as she tried to remain conscious. She had used all the energy she had left. Blood was dripping from her head into her eyes.
"That's enough from both of you." Reginald shouted and stormed towards them.
He put his arms around Kara and carried her.
"You smell like water." She murmured before going unconscious.
Liv stood paralysed to her spot, she couldn't believe what had just happened. Snapping out of it, she turned on Adrain.
"Why didn't you stop him?!" She shouted.
He was pissed also and narrowed his eyes at her. "I didn't see you doing anything."
He walked away menacingly, leaving Liv to herself. She looked around before hurrying after Reginald. Mara tripped her on the way.
"Keep your friend on a leash." She sneered at her.
Liv sniffed and kept walking with her head down. It annoyed her that her father told her not to retaliate, it make her seem weak.
Kara came to a day later. Someone tsked beside her. She groaned, one of her eyes had been bandaged.
"You know, when you said you'll be back, you didn't say you'll come back worse than I." Dimitri remarked.
Kara ignored him and looked around. It was just the two of them in the infirmary. The curtain between them had been pulled so she could see Dimitri clearly, he looked better. His long limbs spread straight in front of him and his shaggy brown hair fell to his face. He had a long face that housed full eyebrows and lips, brown eyes and a straight nose. His Adam's apple was prominent and his chin might as well have been super man for all she knew. Too bad she thought of him as a brother. He was her cousin anyway.
She turned to continue her survey and could see the other beds and the long windows. Could see the nurse's table on the far end of the hall and the door on the opposite end.
"Olivia left not long, it seems she is being picked on for being your friend." He told her.
Kara's head snapped towards him and she growled. "Being picked on? She wasn't the one who got on Ezra's bad side... plus, why is it any of their freaking business?"
She winced as her head throbbed from her sudden movement.
"For starters Kara, more than half the school doesn't like you. Bad enough, Liv is the headmaster's daughter." He scolded her.
Her mind went on the defensive. "I didn't ask her to be my friend."
Dimitri sighed. "No you didn't but that was what her father raised her to be in a way. Cut her some slack. Besides, I don't think you mean that."
Kara sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't. "
That was actually unfair of her, Liv was the only one who talked to her like a friend and she was a really sweet girl. A sweet girl she appreciated.
"Don't worry, she's safe as long as I'm here." Kara grinned. "Out of the clinic though."
Dimitri sighed. He didn't know if she was stupid or brave cause he understood that she meant she would beat the bullies up, he didn't doubt that she could but it was too risky. He sat up and rolled his shoulders. He should be discharged tomorrow.
"Hey Dimitri." Kara called quietly.
He raised his right leg up, it wasn't so bad. A little limping for a while maybe. "Yeah?"
"Do you think I stand a chance if I have other abilities?" She asked.
He turned and narrowed his eyes at her. He understood what she asked.
"I don't know considering you don't have other abilities since you are a wolf." He replied through gritting teeth.
Kara said nothing and turned away from him. A smile formed on her face.
■■■■
A man sighed when he felt other presence approach him. So much for enjoying a bit of breeze under the tree.
"Report." He said, with his eyes still closed.
He'd known the men since they were cubs running in the field together. They had become his betas. Wolves usually had just one beta but he had two. Two people he knew would die for him and he, the same for them. Men that could train his son to lead the pack if anything happened to him. His heart ached at the thought of the one that should be the alpha after him.
Frederick, one of the two men, fell to the floor on his back like a little boy. "Lucas went to the Sisters but I couldn't get what was discussed. It is too much of a coincidence though." He told them.
Alonzo sighed. His older brother had always been a thorn at his side since he could remember. Fueled by jealousy, he did everything he could to ruin Alonzo. He never came to terms with the fact that the alpha mark had come to Alonzo and not to him. Frederick was right, it was too much of a coincidence that Lucas met up with the Sisters now. Everyone could feel a storm brewing, the air was tense in all the supernatural realms. Riots were starting to take place.
"And you?" He gestured to the other man.
"The Faction are on the move. My source says quite a number of them ambushed the shadow prince but none survived. Though the loss has no effect since their number has increased over the years." Conrad reported after he had settled on a strong branch of the tree.
"And the prince?"
Conrad smiled as he stared at the cubs playing a bit far from them. "He found it amusing. Disappointed they couldn't land more than a single blow on him."
Alonzo Cahill chuckled. "Cocky bastard."
Frederick shook his head. "To be young again. Been a while I took on them shadows."
"They whooped your ass when you were young, we had to save you a couple times or do you not remember." Alonzo laughed at him with Conrad chuckling on top. "You could never shut that mouth of yours, always getting us into trouble."
Frederick grinned and bowed. "I'm friends with the alpha, ofcourse I'd get us all in trouble. You lot would have lived a boring life without me."
"Sure sure, we are grateful you almost got us killed a time too many." Conrad snorted.
The three lapsed into silence for a bit. They were the powerful trio of the pack. No one had managed to best them in a fight so far, no one in the pack that is.
"Heard she pissed off a shadow, managed to scratch his face before going unconscious." Conrad informed as he jumped down from the tree some time later.
Alonzo couldn't hide his proud smile but said nothing. They stood side by side, taking in the smell of the atmosphere and the sound of laughter and delight.
"Things are changing. She brings the change." Frederick said. It was weird to hear him being all serious but it was understandable. "Won't you see her? I know things aren't exactly..."
"Not yet Fred, not yet." Alonzo interrupted.
Conrad patted both their backs and urged them forward.
"She's your kid so I trust that she can handle things from her end, we'll do what we can from here."
"When do you resume?"
"Tomorrow."