Academy Of Mates novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I stared, lips parted, as Benedict, a man so beautiful he didn’t look real, rose from the water, pushing back his hair with his right hand and reaching for the golden wreath with his left.

He was naked except for some very tight boxers that did little to hide his large…

I quickly quelled my thoughts before it could go on, but it was impossible as my eyes trailed after the water that slid against his muscles, how it went down from his incredibly large built body to his abdomen. Or how his hair stuck to his angelic face, gleaming from its dampness.

The sight of him pulled at my chest, reminding me of our time in the lake yesterday, and suddenly, everything else faded in the background. He was a beacon and I was the lost boat trying to find my way back.

He seemed to glow, his gorgeousness making everyone stop everything to stare.

The humming in my veins increases slightly once more, a slight buzz that makes me dizzy.

I didn’t even know that he was competing.

“He kinda looks like he should be on top of a Christmas tree, doesn’t he?” Kelcey whispers to me. “The most perfect looking man in the world.”

I couldn’t take my eyes away from him either. “Because he looks like an Angel?”

“Because he’s fucking perfect. Look at him.” She says, staring at him too. “He’s golden. He’s… just so good looking.”

I couldn’t help but agree.

He is golden. And very good looking.

A bright, dazzling thing that I couldn’t look away from.

The organizers on the dock congratulate Benedict, beating everyone once again. They mentioned the honor and respect he had won, while the entire time, Benedict looked utterly haunted, his lips were turned down and his eyes were hidden by his hair as his head was tipped forward.

Though he was the exact same Beta that I spent the day with yesterday, something was different this time.

It felt like life was sucked out of him.

Not at all like the man that I danced with under the neon lights, the man I kissed in the water.

He looked like a shell of himself.

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“Hey,” It was Andrew, swimming towards me.

Distracted by the sight of Benedict, I could only blink. “Hi,”

“I guess…” He looked disappointed in himself and angry even but he masked it with a smile. “I tried-”

“Beta Benedict, who will you crown with the golden wreath?” The organizer asked loudly, gesturing to the girls floating around the wooden dock they were on.

For the first time, he looks up and I am struck by the cold beauty of him all over again. He was truly perfect, his face shaped and sculpted like the Gods personally made him.

His beautiful eyes didn’t need to scan the area, he knew exactly where I was, zeroing

me with a stare that made it difficult to breathe.

“Vareesa,” He says in a voice so low and so deep that I barely caught it. “I chose Vareesa.”

Much like yesterday, there was dead silence.

The kind of silence that all I could hear was the water rippling against us.

Seconds passed before heads started to turn, searching and finding me.

No one wanted to believe it at first.

Because it can’t be.

Surely we all heard wrong.

Yesterday was a fluke. A mere ego battle between two Betas picking on a poor little girl from an even poorer pack.

But the golden wreath? A prize only one girl every year is awarded with. A prize that only Alphas and high ranking women receive… it was not for me.

It can never be for me.

I was dumbfounded and frozen as I gaped towards the dock, the eyes that watched me weighing me down. My chest tightened even more when I saw that Benedict was still looking at me.

Waiting.

For me.

Like this was all actually real and not a joke.

“Vareesa, may you please join us so we can crown you?” The organizer says, sounding just as confused as I was.

I felt everyone beside me slowly inch away, leaving me in the middle. All except for Andrew, who stayed where he was.

“Vareesa?” The organizer tried again, more firmly this time.

Chapter 26

A thousand thoughts were rushing through my mind and one of them made me cross my arms across my chest.

I glanced down at my exposed chest and then up to the dock.

Perceptive as always, like he knew well, Benedict saw this and must have sensed my unease because he whispered something to the organizer, something I wouldn’t hear. The next moment, I saw the organizer shrugging off his coat. Benedict takes this and steps to the edge of the dock, his hand outstretched for me to take.

My heart thumps at this, wondering quietly how this happened. I suddenly felt lightheaded as I stared at his hand, but everyone was already waiting for me and I could do nothing else but swim towards his outstretched hand until I was close enough to take it.

His grasp is strong and his palms are overly calloused. The hand that took mine is etched with scars that look to have many stories behind them. As much as I tried not to, I felt each of the cuts and calluses on his hands, marvelling at how much bigger they were compared to mine. For a few silent moments, he seemed to do the same, marvelling at my hands.

Clasped together, his hand was warm and gentle to touch as he pulled me up and quickly wrapped the coat around my shoulders once I was on the dock.

He didn’t look away from my eyes as he did so, even if I knew my hair was out of place

and I wasn’t the least bit modest.

But I do hear him mutter a low, “Fuck,”

It was a mixture of frustration and sadness… not exactly flattering considering I was topless in front of him.

But I didn’t ask about it, pretending not to hear.

Because even if it hurts somehow, even if I am so out of my mind confused with Benedict, it’s as if I’m in a dream like state. I was standing beside him. He was taller than me as I looked up at him, the questions were still at the tip of my tongue. But there was no chance for that because the organizers were already starting to talk about the wreath to be placed on my head.

“This year’s golden attendee is Miss Varessa!”

No one cheered.

Except maybe Kelcey who was clapping and whooting but everyone else? I felt the burn of their hatred.

The weight of the flowers are put on my head as Benedict gently places the wreath on me. His eyes were on mine again and I felt so utterly small under his gaze.

As he took a step back, I was given a full view of all the hatred and anger of the crowd,

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of the questions and disgust. And then I find Kelcey, clapping and smiling happily, the weight on my chest eases.

“Yes, Vareesa!” She cheers loudly. “You deserve it girl!”

Beside her was Andrew, and though he smiled at me, I can sense there was something wrong.

His expression had hardened, a familiar look of jealousy and darkness.

It was hatred as well but instead of it targeted to me… it was to Benedict.

Before I can think about it more, Kelcey chants for something and it takes a moment for me to understand what it is.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss!”

I froze, my stiff body almost making me drown.

K-kiss?

What?

“Ah, yes!” The organizer says, eyes wide with surprise. “Usually, the winner of the first game gets to receive a kiss from the girl he crowns, but of course it’s not required…”

I appreciate how the organizer didn’t force it, merely saying it was the usual and giving me a way out of it.

Or maybe he was giving Benedict a way out.

It didn’t make it easier to accept though.

Even Benedict looked startled, shaking his head which hurt more than I care to admit. Didn’t he just kiss me yesterday? Or was it because there was a crowd and he was ashamed of me?

A whirl of negative thoughts start to make me panic.

Just as the overwhelming feeling took over and I was about to run, I decided to do something for myself for once and take his hand in mine… the way he held it just a few hours ago. With my heart rising, I stood on my tiptoes, stared into his eyes, trying to see that Benedict from yesterday and pressed a light kiss on his cheeks.

His pale cheeks suddenly turned red or maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.

I take my hand away from him, fisting them tightly into a ball.

Benedict surprises me by touching my fist tenderly, a small smile playing on his lips and offers a glimpse of the man that I have been thinking of all day. I relaxed a little, giving my own smile.

My hand still felt warm from where he had grasped it, and a blush crawled up my neck as I thought of the contact, innocent as it was.

Chapter 26

Our eyes still on each other, we rushed forward, jumping into the lake and letting the cool water wash over us. Just like we did yesterday. My hand to my head to make sure the wreath was in place, I broke the surface, giggling to myself.

I took deep breathes of air, only to find myself surrounded by Kelcey and Christy, but

when I looked around hopefully, Benedict was gone, leaving me as he swam back to shore… not even sparing me another look.

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