Helanie:
"Welcome to my home," said a tall lady standing beside Kaye the minute we arrived. The guards had already prepared for our meeting with the alpha queen of the Red Crown Pack.
I was guessing the woman beside Kaye was not only the alpha queen but also his mother. She was tall and broad, making it almost obvious that she was the mother to those tall and crazy rogue kings of the west, south, north, and east.
But that was for the future. They would be crowned accordingly. It made me wonder where I would be in my own future.
"I am Darcy—," she said with a sleek smile, her red lipstick glistening, "this handsome trainer’s’ mother."
The way she turned to talk about Kaye was odd. It seemed forced, but Kaye’s reaction was even stranger. He looked shocked, as if he couldn’t believe his mother had spoken about him at all.
"I have opened my arms for your arrival and have prepared my guesthouse for you all. I hope your stay here is meaningful and that you learn a lot about the grass and bushes," she said. However, that little mention, which seemed like a joke to everyone and caused them to chuckle, appeared to mean much more to Kaye. His smile briefly faded before he forced it back and gulped.
What was he swallowing down?
Was it a defense mechanism? Was it something he wanted to say about his passion for poisons and herbs?
I guess we would never know.
The warrior now gestured for us to move in the direction of the guesthouse, which was a little farther in the huge yard. The narrow alley leading to the guesthouse made the whispers louder.
"Umm, Helanie and Sydney—stay over there," Kaye called to us, making us both stay behind while the others marched ahead.
"Why did you have to wait with me?" Sydney muttered under her breath.
"That’s right. You should be in prison, not here waiting by my side," I snapped.
Ever since I had lost my baby, I realized something had changed in me. The shift could be for better or worse, but it was definitely not for the better for those around me. I had lost my sense of subtlety—the ability to not say things directly.
"I have been spared; I shouldn’t be punished again by words—," she turned to hiss at me just as Kaye arrived.
"Sydney, back off. You are now a monitor; gain some class," he growled, stopping next to us. He was so tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist, that I couldn’t help but admire his physique with one quick glance.
"But sir, she was talking about—" Sydney lowered her head when Kaye raised his hand to silence her.
"You know what, you should go back. I will only introduce Helanie as a monitor to my mother for now," he said, dismissing her with a hand gesture.
"I am—," I replied, my voice hesitant.
"She’s not like her. She’s actually the best student—" Kaye started, only to be silenced as his mother cut him off.
"The best student who is a rogue? I doubt that. Anyway, why on earth is she a class monitor when I’m certain she can’t even handle combat?" Her tone dripped with mockery, as if she was trying to provoke me.
I didn’t need to read her mind to know she hated me.
"I actually agree with her," I said calmly. "I didn’t deserve to be the class monitor. But I’m glad I passed the test and became one. I promise not to disappoint Professor Kaye or any of my other professors."
As I looked at Kaye and said that, his face lit up with pride. But at the same time, his mother’s face darkened. She clearly didn’t like the way her son was smiling at me.
"Sure, we’ll see about that. I’d love to ask Norman for your report," she said, the glint in her eyes sinking my heart into my chest.
I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Her words felt more like a threat than a concerned alpha queen simply checking on her son’s student.
"Like she said, she will not disappoint," Kaye declared loudly and resolutely this time.
But I could tell—his support for me only made her dislike me more.
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