Alpha Kael

~Jada

I have no idea who Sinful is.

By the way he looks at me, he clearly assumes I should. But just because I don’t know he is from first glance, doesn’t mean I’m not terrified the moment my gaze lands upon him. It doesn’t mean I don’t see something in those strange, lavender coloured eyes that could frighten even the bravest souls.

It’s because he’s immortal. I can tell. No one looks like that, asserts that aura and confidence without being of high power. But what an immortal is doing on mortal soul, I’m not sure.

I watch Sinful cast a rather pointed state in Karl’s direction. “I didn’t know this was going to be a party.”

“Neither did I,” Kael murmurs.

My cheeks flush bright red. I should have just stayed in that forest and should have never walked into this cabin. What was thinking? My embarrassment is so pertinent I want to turn on my heel and slink back out of this place. Especially seeing how surprised Kael was to see me. He’s my Alpha, not my friend.

“I followed you out here,” I admit, watching the way Kael’s eyes slightly narrow. “I know, it was wrong, but I’ve witnessed things today that I needed to tell someone about.”

Sinful smirks, following his amusement with a chuckle. “That was awfully stupid.”

I go to As much as I hate him for saying that, he’s right. I wish I hadn’t followed him. I wish I hadn’t walked into that forest blindly with a flashlight that conveniently stopped working. In fact, I wish I hadn’t witnessed what I have today, with that questionable Silent and Baylee making out with our superior.

“It doesn’t matter, you’re here now,” Kael says quickly, reprimanded this Sinful man before he can say anymore. “What did you witness.”

I open my mouth to say something, then I remember Niko’s threat.

What would happen if I told Kael? Niko will get me kicked from this conversation that next elimination, which will be tomorrow. But if I don’t, Baylee will keep doing it, and she will either get hurt, or win the competition based upon cheating alone. I can’t let that happen, no matter the consequences.

“One of your Silent’s has a relationship with someone in my sect,” I tell him all in one breath, before I can convince myself otherwise.

Kael’s eyes widen. “Who?”

Before I can say anything, Sinful’s chuckle cuts me off. When I look at him, he’s grinning, amusement dancing in his eyes. It seems as though it’s impossible for him to take anything seriously here, and I’ve known him for less than five minutes.

“Well isn’t this brilliant,” he says, delighted. Sinful moves closer, gait smooth, as if he is floating. “I didn’t expect my night to turn out like this.”

I turn my attention back to Kael. “Who do you think?”

I’m hoping he would answer for me, so I wouldn’t be the one to sell him out. I already have, but based on what I know about Niko thus far, I’m not surprised he would do something like this. Not with that look in his eyes. Not when he has spent a lot of time outside of the competition hanging around those in my sect. Especially females.

Kael seems solemn, which is evidence enough that he knows exactly who I am talking about. “Niko?”

I nod.

Sinful claps his hands together, making me flinch. He’s stepped closer to me; so much so, I can smell the scent he emits. It’s an intoxicating scent of pure jasmine, so heady it’s making my head spin. Again, it’s something from another world entirely, twisted in to take my mind in its control.

“You have interrupted our meeting tonight, but I can’t say I haven’t been entertained,” Sinful says, his smiling telling all.

Kael sighs through his nose. “Come sit down. You must be exhausted. I’ll deal with Niko tomorrow.”

I do so, nervously passing Sinful, whose gaze never leave me, taking a seat on the couch, right in front of the fire. I hadn’t noticed how cold I was in my embarrassment. Instantly, the warmth of the fire crawls up my arms, allowing me to relax, despite my situation.

Sinful stays behind the couch, so I can’t see him. I feel him though, right behind me. Kael comes to stand in front of me, covering the fire. The light flickers around him, shadowing his face. It only makes me more anxious. Now that he knows this, I’m hoping he won’t punish me for following him out here.

Even though I deserve it.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt whatever is going on here,” I say honestly, pretending I’m not unnerved by the fact Sinful I standing directly behind me. He could wrap his hands around my neck and take my life if he wanted to.

“That’s okay,” Kael says, looking over me at the immortal behind me. “Sinful and I were just discussing a few things.”

Suddenly, I feel his hands on my shoulders, gripping me. The touch is so overwhelming, I can barely think for a moment, before everything came to me. I studied this immortal very briefly in school. We learnt about the Seven Sins and Seven Virtues at some point. More about the Virtues, but the Sins were mentioned, along with what they are capable of. So when Sinful touched me, it was as if I could suddenly remember who he was.

He’s Lust. Sinful. It makes sense now, from his touch alone. It seems to have trapped part of my mind, leaving me to wonder whether I should stay pinned to this couch at his mercy, or if I should get up and run for my life.

Kael seems to have noticed. “Sinful was just leaving.”

The touch on me relaxes in Sinful’s surprise. As soon as his skin no longer touches mine, my body erupts in tingles, released from the hold he had on me. Now that my mind is my own again, I know I need to get out of here. Sinful is a dangerous man, and I can’t stand around here letting him play with me. I just have to wonder what Kael wants with an immortal like him…

“Was I?” Sinful says suspiciously. “I was actually thinking I would take this young girl back to her room. It’s late and it would be much better than her walking back through that forest, right?”

No. I don’t want to go. I need to talk to Kael more, as him what’s going on, about what is going to happen to Niko.

I haven’t even told him about the Silent I found in my room. And I don’t think I will. If I’m wrong, and he was doing an inspection, then Kael will think I’m foolish. Plus, everytime I think about a stranger rifling through my things, my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Kael looks grim. “If you’re there and back.”

“I’m not going with him,” I say, pushing off the couch. When turn around to look back at Sinful, he winks at me in a way that has my skin shivering. “I don’t know him.”

Sinful smiles devilishly. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”

I can’t trust him, but something tells me Kael isn’t about to walk me back through this forest. By the way they want me out of here, they aren’t done with this meeting. If only I could stay and find out what it is about. However, this is confidential Alpha business I don’t have the right to know about.

“Sinful has the ability to transport himself, and anyone else he is touching,” Kael explains to me. “He can get you back to your room in no time. And no one will have any idea you left. Not even the security cameras.”

I glance at Sinful, who is beckoning me over to him. “Kael and I have business to finish here. You should go.”

As much as I don’t want to adhere to Sinful’s wishes, I have no other choice. With one last glance at Kael, who seems sympathetic, but tied up in whatever is going on here. Sinful takes my hand, but I notice with this touch, the feeling I had early isn’t there. At least I can be grateful for something.

Kael smiled as we left. But it was strained.

Transportation felt like another feeling completely. The ground seemed to disappear from under me, but before I could scream for help, carpeted surface appeared underneath me, and I was back in my room again. This time, accompanied by a powerful immortal.

Trying to get my breath back, I stumble away from Sinful. “You can go now.”

Instead of listening to my demands, Sinful folds his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at me. “You shouldn’t have walked out there tonight. Don’t think you’ll ever get away with doing that again.”

For a moment I’m speechless. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but who is Sinful to give me demands. The only person I listen to is Kael, as my Alpha.

“Get. Out. Of. Here,” I snap.

Sinful doesn’t look offended. Nor does he look amused, which seems to be his default expression. Instead, he looks concentrated, as if he is trying to remember every detail on my face.

“Kael is dealing with a lot right now,” he says slowly. “Leave him be. Don’t be curious.”

And with that, he vanished.

I stare at where he had once stood. His words didn’t frighten me, only making me more infuriated. That was the last thing he should have told me.

Because now this isn’t just about the conversation. It’s about finding out what my Alpha is hiding.