Rylee's Pov
I limped as I came out of my room. Cameron smiled and rushed to help me, making me balance half my wait on him. "You going for that breakfast?" he asked.
"Definitely not," I answered.
Cameron chuckled, "I figured you would say that. How about we go to Nancy's, I'm sure she would happily make something for you."
"Oh, Nancy's cooking," I moaned as my mouth watered, "take me to her place immediately."
Cameron chuckled and we both walked in a pace that was good for me to the omegas apartment. It was hard pretending not to work properly but I knew it was the only way to keep the pack from asking questions. I could see the looks the wolves we passed were giving me and I knew that if it wasn't the fact that I was half leaning on Cameron, a lot of them of would have flooded me with questions.
Some eyes held pity; some held mockery and some were just neutral. I ignored them as much as I could and paid more attention to the story Cameron was telling me. When we got to the omega's apartments, a lot of them greeted us as they passed and some shared their sympathy with me, telling me how happy they were to see me back on my feet immediately.
Finally, we arrived at their destination and a black-haired woman with beautiful black eyes opened the door for is. She smiled and ushered us in immediately. "My lady, you are here."
"Sorry Nancy, I couldn't say no to a breakfast prepared by you when Cameron mentioned it," I apologized immediately as we entered the house.
"Don't apologize my lady, my duty is to serve you. I actually made some breakfast, I was on my way to bring it to you. I just didn't expect you to be here. I thought you would be bedridden for now," Nancy explained as she quickly set her table to unpack the food she had carefully packed in the basket earlier.
"I'm from the Alpha's linage, Nancy, our healing abilities is faster than most. Plus, Catherine is the best healer," I lied smoothly with a smile. I cleared my throat and touched my neck, making sure the scarf was in place.
"Yes, that is true. Well, breakfast would be ready soon," Nancy smiled and continued setting the table when she received a nod from me.
After having our really enjoyed breakfast, we limped our way to school where we saw all the young wolves outside instead of being in class. "What's going on?" I wondered aloud.
"Oh please, is someone trying to act strong?" Olivia asked, bringing the attention of her friends to Cameron and I's presence.
"My, my, shouldn't you stay at home and be wallowing in misery?" Natasha asked, smirking.
"Sorry Nat, but I am not you that cries in every little thing and expects to be pampered," I replied with a gentle smile.
"You…" Natasha wanted to reply but she was interrupted by the mention of her name.
"Nat," Eric called, walking up to us, "not now." He went straight to me and ignored Cameron, "what are you doing out of bed?"
"What does it look like?" Cameron asked.
"Wasn't talking to you," Eric replied.
"Well you should start respecting your future Beta," Cameron warned.
Eric scoffed. "You have to survive to claim that title first."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Don't you know what today is?" Eric asked and from the looks on my face, he knew I didn't. "We are going into the woods and we will be going way past our territory."
"The demons' realm?" I asked shocked.
Eric nodded, "yeah, it's the lesson for today. Since it's still morning, we don't have to worry about encountering them, but we will be spending the night in the woods, so…" he rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "I think you should go back, you are not fit for this test, wasn't expecting you to even be here after last night."
"But…why are we being sent to the demon's realm and also spending a night in their woods?" I asked, terrified about the situation. I had never met a demon before and I definitely did not want to meet one in their woods.
"The elders are suspecting that the monster last night is a demon, they are not sure though as a lot of them had seen demons and none like the one last night."
That's because he is not a demon, I almost said but stopped herself in time. I bit my tongue to prevent selling myself out. I glanced from Eric to Cameron and I could see the fear in their eyes even though they were trying to be strong. "Do we all have to go?" I asked.
Eric shrugged, "part of surviving skill, they said."
"There is no need to worry," Cameron turned to me. "The demons love staying on their own, if we don't look for their trouble, they won't fight us. Everyone knows the Demon's code."
"Then what about the one last night?" Eric asked, "we certainly didn't look for it's trouble and not only did he fight us, he killed a lot of us and injured many."
"As the future Delta of this pack, don't tell me you actually believes that was a demon last night," Cameron taunted.
"None of us has actually seen one so how can you be so sure it wasn't one?" Eric raised an eyebrow while crossing his arms on his chest. "Unless, you know what it really was last night."
"Guys enough," I said.
"What are you trying to say, that I have hand in deaths of our members?" Cameron asked, fury rising in his eyes as red furs started appearing on his skin.
Eric shrugged; unfazed on the fact that Cameron was almost turning due to anger. "I'm not saying anything, I just asked a question. But if you think that was what I'm saying then it must be your guilty conscience."
"Cameron stop," I hugged him just before he could fully turn, "there is no need for that."
"Get away from my mate," A voice squealed and they all turned to see Monica storming towards them. Her eyes glared in hatred towards me, as I let go of Cameron and hands up in surrender. "You don't need to do this now, baby," she said to Cameron who was returning back to his human self, his clothes a little torn.
"If you are done, then we can head out," a voice said and we turned to see their teacher, one of the warrior wolves and they all apologized about the situation. "Let's go, times a wasting."
"Are you really sure you are up for this? You have a good excuse to go home," Cameron said to me.
I smiled and ignored Monica's glare. "I'm fine Cameron, I'm not a weak wolf that hides behind her mate."
"That's because you don't have one," Natasha said and some of the students laughed while some kept a neutral face.
Although the confirmation stung, I wasn't ready to lose. "At least I know that I'm alone than to have a mate that is constantly looking for someone else." My eyes flashed at Eric and I smiled and walked away, reminding herself to limp even though I wanted to catwalk away so badly.
Natasha fumed in anger but she couldn't refute so she stormed out in anger. Cameron scoffed and looked at Rylee who was limping away in admiration. He just loves her fighting spirit.
'You are not the one she was talking about right?' Monica asked in the mind link.
***
Cameron rolled his eyes. 'If there was going to be anything between Rylee and I, we would have been together right before we mated. So stop that and mind the way you talk to her.'
Monica pouted, she had always envied how Cameron protected Rylee and had been secretly in love with him but never thought she had a chance with him until last mating season when he came to her and said the one word she never thought she would hear from him. Mate. Her joy had knew no bound and she thought that she would be the one he would now be protecting but to her surprise, his friendship with Rylee didn't change one bit even after they consummated their mating bond and for that reason, she was constantly in fear that she would take him away from her even though Cameron always convince her that nothing of such would ever happen. She didn't say anything else and they both joined the crowd of student silently.
***
Kieran paced around in his palace, he was restless but he doesn't know the reason to it. He glanced out the window to the darkening sky and exhaled worriedly. Jacob stood aside and watched him, he too was restless as he wondered what could be troubling his prince. He knew one thing was a fact, something happened to him last night for the man has been totally different since he came home the night before.
He had wanted to ask but the last thing he wants was to be at the receiving end of his anger. As a third generation, just a flick of an original's hand would kill him and from what he had read about the prince's temper, he doesn't want to die out of accident. He stood, watching the man as he paced to and fro in the living room.
Hours passed and when he couldn't take it anymore, he asked, "is there something you are expecting my Prince?"
Kieran sighed and stared outside the window. The night was pitch black with only the full moon illuminating the night sky. He knew somewhere at the top of a mountain or a hilltop, she would be in her true form howling away to the moon like the idiots they are. He stared at the full moon, wondering what was so special about it that they have to waste their nights away, doing nothing but just howling at it.
He scoffed, turning away from the moon, not willing to let her dominate his thoughts like she had been doing the whole day. "I am bored Jacob, bored. I had thought learning the car would keep me busy for a long while but who would have thought I would already be good at it."
Jacob smiled, "I too am surprised my Prince, I didn't learn it that fast but I guess, being an original comes with a lot of advantages."
"Mm," Kieran nodded, "how about something to help me pass the night?"
"Then would my Prince love to visit the humans tonight?"
"Mm," Kieran contemplated. "I think chasing a little snack would be interesting. Alright, lead the…" he was saying when he felt a sharp pain in his chest and turned sharply to the window he had been gazing out from earlier. He could feel uneasiness creeping slowly into his being as he was suddenly afraid…