CHAPTER TWO: RESTRAINING MY WOLF

LYSARA

My heart drops to my stomach. Oh no!

If Arcadia is my nightmare, Kaeren is the primary villain in it.

I instantly take a step back, not daring to look up to see the amount of damage I've done, though I doubt it's that much of a damage. Kaeren has always been much of a drama queen.

I don't need to look at him to know he's probably fuming his ears out, the whispers of onlooking students do the job just fine.

*Is she that blind to spill coffee on Kaeren?*

*She must have a death wish.*

*She's so dead!*

I summon enough courage to look up at Kaeren and he's furious. His eyes are literally shooting daggers at me and if it had any effect on me, I'll probably be melting in fear right now.

Rather, I do what I know how to do best. Apologize. "My apologies, Kaeren. I wasn't watching where I was going…"

Before I can even finish my sentence, a laughter rings across the courtyard, loud and mocking.

“Now this has to be the funniest thing I've seen all semester,” Kirrian says, moving towards us with his hands shoved in his trouser pockets. " Kaeren all covered in coffee? I'd happily have that on the pack news paper.”

Behind him, his brother, Kareal follows behind him with his signature stoic, bored look on his face.

Kaeren however doesn't look the least pleased. He takes off his shirt and throws it on the ground, leaving his tattooed chest for his devotees to worship. And worship they do.

Funny how he's dating the one person who'll kill them if they so much as look at him.

" Oh My God, Baby!” Jessica's horrified voice rings through the courtyard, announcing her presence. She runs to Kaeren, grabs a handkerchief from one of her minions and uses it to wipe the coffee off Karen's body. " Who did this to you?”

When Kaeren says or does nothing other than glare daggers at me, she follows his gaze. Her expression darkens and in a second she's beside me. She slaps me across the cheek, so hard my face swings to the side.

The crowd that's already gathered gasps.

" How dare you throw coffee on Kaeren? Are you that blind you can't see where you're going?" She yells.

I take in a deep breath and clench my fists, in an attempt to rein in the beast that's threatening to take over and snap her head off her neck.

" Apologize to him!” She demands, gesturing towards Kaeren.

" Jessica,” I exhale slowly, trying to control my anger. My wolf tends to get agitated and hard to control when I'm angry. “I did not spill coffee over Kaeren, it was an accident. Besides, I already apologized before you arrived."

Kaeren snorts and walks up to me. He lowers his head to my level and sniffs around me, like it's done during the mating season. When he raises his gaze, I see a flash of something in his eyes. But it's gone too quickly to decipher what it could actually be.

He wrinkles his nose. " Even the air around you smells horrible! I'll accept nothing short of a proper apology on your knees.”

" What?” The word is out before I can even think twice about it. My wolf growls beneath me, pushing to be let out.

A wave of immense energy washes over me as it always does when she's enraged. It's so strong that it leaves me light headed. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath in an attempt to steady myself.

*Calm down, Nyme!* I caution in my head, hoping she'll heed it.

“Kaeren is talking to you, freak!" Helen says, shoving me to the ground so hard I almost bump my head. “Get on your knees and apologize properly!"

Power runs beneath my fingertips and I itch to unleash all the pent up energy at her. Rather I clench my fists and press them into my dress, trying to rein in an extremely furious Nymeria.

As much as people like Helen, Jessica and Kaeren make me want to let my wolf lose, they're not worth risking the lives of other's. Besides, I don't want to think of how much of a tantrum Jessica’s gonna throw when she finds out I'm not actually “Wolfless" like she thinks.

I take in a deep breath and proceed to rise to my feet, but am stopped by someone stepping on my fingers. That someone being Helen.

Pain erupts from my nerves to my toes and I just about stop myself from screaming in agony. Inside me, Nyme is growling furiously, sending shockwaves of her own throughout my body. The both combined make me feel really lightheaded.

" You are going to apologize to Kaeren, you freak! How dare you disrespect royalty when you have no idea of how being even the servant to a royal family looks like,” she says, finally lifting her heel from my fingers.

My eyes meet with that of the other two brothers who are watching the scene like it's a TV show. Kirrian looks quite amused, while Kareal looks like he's being forced to watch.

" Are you willing to apologize?” Kaeren asks.

I look at him from my position on the ground and smirk at him. “You'll have to actually kill me for that," I tell him, gently massaging my sore fingers. " If you expect an apology from me, Karean, you'll get it alongside my dead body.”

Raw unfiltered anger flashes in his eyes and before I can react, he's on his knees, his hands around my neck. " You think I actually wouldn't?” He yells.

The power simmering beneath my fingertip is more feverent now, and it takes all of my self control to rein it back in.

*Down, Nyme!* I caution again, hoping she'll listen like always. She's quiet for a second until the wave of energy hits me again.

I swallow and meet his gaze, showing him that I'm not scared of him. The instant our eyes lock, something flashes in his –recognition maybe – and he abruptly lets go of me.

" I'm willing to spare you, as long as you apologize," he repeats.

“Let the girl go, Kae."