Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 56

"Aiden?" Carson asks.

"Coach is looking for both of you." Aiden goes back through the doors. He pauses. Then keeps going.f

It's like freaking Murphy's Law or something. I fix one thing and something else gets screwed up. I walk towards the doors. I don't know what to do.

Carson sighs and follows. "Don't mind him. He's just set to permanent asshole lately."

I don't know why, but that comment upsets me.

Aiden isn't in chem. I don't know where he is, but he's gone.

Beyond just wondering about him, I have to deal with the fact that Ms. Baines is still not writing the instructions. I don't know what to do. I look to the only other person capable of helping me at the table. Omai. Axel's beta.

He's not even paying attention to me.

"Hey," I say quietly.

He doesn't react. He keeps writing, silently.

"Hey, Omai," I try again.

That earns a few chuckles from the table behind us. When he looks up from his paper, they shut up. I don't know why they were laughing though.

Omai looks at me with eyes as cold as Aiden's. He doesn't say a word.

I don't know if I should either. I point to my paper. "Can you tell me the instructions?"

He looks down again, writing. I frown. I guess he's no help. I look back towards where Brittany and Krys are. I could go ask them, but they're so far away and... I don't want to walk through all those people. Those mean, whispering, gossiping, glaring werewolves.

If you thought the animosity towards me had stopped since the party, think again. They have no respect towards me and I hate every minute of every class with them.

Brittany and Krys aren't so bad though, but like I said, they're so far away, at the back of the class. And I don't even know if they really like me or if they're just being nice because Axel or Carson told them to be. I don't want to bother them, and then I realize I don't really want to bother anyone. I just want to go home.

"Just copy what's on the board like this," Omai pushes his notes towards me, past the empty space usually occupied by Aiden. Each line on the board is spaced out on his paper. "We'll fill it in throughout the lecture."

About ten minutes into class, the door opens. Then it shuts and Aiden walks across the room to his seat. Of course Ms. Baines doesn't scold him for being late. She just carries on with her lecture.

I spare him a glance once he's seated. I want to nag him on the importance of timeliness, like he always does to me, but the first thing I notice is how tired he look. It doesn't make him look weak but on edge. He looks like he hasn't slept in days. It takes his usual "f you all" expression to a whole new level.

I remember how he yelled at his beta in gym and I don't want to be the next victim. I just focus on my paper.

I expect him to pull out his notes and start writing. He does the first part. He seems to attempt the second, but every time Ms. Baines breaks to add details beyond just the equations and hard definitions, he doesn't write the extra stuff like he usually does. He just stares into space.

Not wistfully. Not sadly. Just, straight forward. No awareness or care for what's going on around him. Something's off. Something more than usual.

Aiden slowly turns his head in my direction. His eyes never raise from that hard set expression. "Is there a reason you're staring at me?"

I look away.

He goes back to staring into space. At first it isn't an issue, but it starts to gather people's attention. The looks start. The whispering. But it doesn't sound like gossip this time, it sounds like downright concern. Ms. Baines stops talking.