Chapter 20

REID:
Abrupt silence takes over the study immediately after I denied the allegation thrown at me. Fortunately for me, I was perfect at being aloof whenever I wanted to be so it was enough to mask my emotions.
“She isn’t?” A while later, Hunter questions me while still staring at me suspiciously.
I take my time before responding, “Of course not,”
“Then what was all that about?”
My brows are raised questioningly. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“Why did you have to be so easygoing with her? Everything she did today was totally wrong and yet you let her go just like that. Don’t you think that makes you a little suspicious?”
“I was only fulfilling a duty—”
“A duty?” Hunter cuts me off. “What duty would make you act so soft toward a girl that deserves to be punished?”
“Would you rather I put her behind bars? Is that what you want?”
“Maybe even more than that,” he says, a little eerie vibe oozing out from him. “That’s why you’re the Alpha. Decisions like that are what you’re supposed to take.”
I cannot take it from him anymore. His words are no longer going through the right path, knowing full well that he has no right to talk down on me that way.
“You are starting to go overboard, Hunter,” I start to say as I get up from my seat. “And that is why I hate dealing with you most times. You never know when to limit your words,”
I try to keep it cool as I approach him where he is standing. He does not even utter a word all through but his body movement tells me he is anticipating the worst from me. Only if he knew I would never resort to that.
I am now right in front of him, with little to no distance between us. So I speak, “Let me tell you something, Hunter. I owe you no explanation about what I do with my life. And neither do you need to know about the things I do. So do me a favor and stop acting like I deserve to tell you everything that goes on with me. Because I would rather keep things to myself than spill to anyone.”
I hit him lightly in the chest after my long talk, making him flinch a little, and then turn around to get back to my seat behind the desk. I still have paperwork to tend to.
“And for your inquiry,” I chip in right after I sit, “Yes, the girl is my mate. Now that you know, don’t bug me about it again,”
Just as I get my head into the files on my desk, I hear Hunter mutter, “You could have just said so all along,”
*****
KIRA:
My intention for today is to be quiet as much as possible. After what happened yesterday, I have to make sure to evade any form of attention on me. And the first thing I need to do is avoid Sophie and her gang.
It’s pretty much a tough decision but I am certain I can pull through. All I need to do was lay low like I always do.
As I get into the school premises, I find myself going through another route. Instead of the main path into the hallway, I begin to make my way to the other side of the building. That is because I intend to make use of the back way.
I figured out that path about two months ago while I was exploring around the school for a path that would prevent me from crossing Sophie and the rest. The only downside about the path was that it was always locked due to the fact that it was hardly ever in use. But today, even if I find it locked, I would have to use any means to get myself through.
I stylishly make my way to the left side of the building, ensuring that no one is watching me do so. It was a success and the next thing is that I find myself jogging toward the back way.
My bag is clamping right against my back during the process but it hardly made any sound that would make my presence known around here. Still, I have to grab the straps to stop any form of that from happening.
Eventually, I reach the front of a door which I take my time to look at. It is a wooden door with an iron barricade over it. And both the door and the barricade were locked with padlocks.
When I grab on to the mouth of the lock on the barricade, I quickly withdraw my hand because of the effect it caused on me. It was like a burning sensation that I seem to have no idea about. Only that it hurts.
That was strange, I mutter to myself but decide to try again. And it is the same result that I get. That is when Alexia decides to inform me:
‘The lock is laced with silver. I don’t think you can do anything about it,’
The first feeling that gets through me after she mentions that is confusion. “Silver? But I’ve been here a couple of times and didn’t find anything like that on it,” I say.
‘And you touched the lock those times you were here?’ she asks.
“Yes, I did.”
‘With the look of things, the silver has always been there. You didn’t react to it those times because you were just a wolfling without a spirit wolf. Now that you have one, you have become like any other mature wolfling. Which is, you’re no longer immune to silver,’
My hand gets right to my face instantly. And yeah, it was a smack. “If only I had just stayed the same way, this would not be happening.”
‘There is nothing you can do about it, sorry. You just have to accept your fate,’
I have no reply to that because I am trying to figure out a way to get through this door at any cost. “There should be a way to get through this. I cannot risk taking the main hallway.”
‘The only way is if you have a key which you don’t. Just take the risk, Kira. I’m sure you’ll be fine,’
“This is a disaster,” I whine as I rest my forehead on the barricade. Frustration has completely overwhelmed me and I can say that today might not be going well for me even after planning it properly.
“Isn’t it too early to be this frustrated with life?”
My head makes an instinctive shift to the side where I had come from to see a young man standing a distance away from me.
An instant recognition makes me realize it is Kelvin. Yes, Kelvin. The strange boy that had come over to me when I had been alone during yesterday’s break. I am calling him strange because I still have no clue why he decided to talk to me yesterday. It was the first time I was even that close to him.
But I feel like I have been ratted out right now. This is because the plan was to prevent anyone from finding me here. It just had to be him that caught me.
I quickly distance myself away from the door while pondering what response I was going to give Kelvin who has started to make his way over to where I am standing.
“Uhm, hi,” were the only words that I could get out of my mouth.
Immediately, he stops walking. “What are you doing there?” he asks, and now I am starting to think of what to say.
I look over at the door briefly and then back at him, trying hard not to let down a gulp through my throat. I'm so nervous right now. So, so nervous.
“Nothing,” I tell him.
“Were you trying to get in through the backdoor?”
“Is that what this is?” I decide to act oblivious.
I notice him give me the look that shows he is not totally buying my act. “Yes,” he says and starts to make his way over to me.
“Well, I had no idea. I only came here to clear my head from a few things before going to class,” Then I say, “What are you doing here as well?”
The aim now was to shift the topic of discussion to him so I would not have to be put on edge.
I move to the side when he gets right to where I am standing. I watch him put his hand into his pants pocket and then fish something out. It didn’t take me too long to realize it’s a bunch of keys.
“What do you want to do with that?” I have to ask but he is already busy inserting a key from the bunch into the lock in the barricade. Soon after he has the barricade opened and he proceeds to the door where he does the same thing.
I’m surprised that he’s even doing such that I cannot bring myself to say anything at all.
He finally speaks after turning around to face me, “You can stay here or you can follow me to avoid Sophie and the rest. Your call,”