Distractions Equal Death

{Alexus}

"Come on, Lex. Is that all you got?" Alpha Harvey taunted me as we circled each other.  I hated to admit it, but he was seriously kicking my ass without even trying. Mark had completely thrown me off my game, making it difficult to focus.  What made matters worse was that Alpha Harvey had removed his shirt at one point after I accidentally tore it, trying to get hold of him.  Once, I had to physically shake my head to bring me from my stupor.  Honestly, I was in a rush to find my mate.  The quicker I found my mate, the sooner I'd be over my crush on Alpha Harvey.

Suddenly, he lunged for me. I blocked the assault and attempted to kick his leg from underneath him with an ankle sweep. He jumped over it, and I hopped back to my feet.  My mouth dropped, and I struggled to breathe when he grasped me by my neck.  I repeatedly tapped on his arm to get him to release me.  Instead, he lifted me off my feet as I continued to gasp for air. 

"Come on, Lex. Think.  How do you get out of this?" he challenged.  I was starting to feel dizzy, and black dots began to appear before my eyes.  "Remember what I taught you, Lex.  You only have a few more seconds before you pass out."

I dropped my hands that were clawing his wrist and hands and used my two thumbs to press into his eyes.

"SHIT!" he yelled out, dropping me to my feet.  Breathlessly, I tackled him to the ground and mounted him.  I repeatedly pounded my fist into his face from above, and I didn't stop until I heard his nose crack. 

"Oh...oh, my God.  Alpha...are you okay?  Hey, stop playing.  Wake up!" I shouted.  I grabbed his shoulders and shook his listless body.  I kissed my teeth seconds later when a wide grin spread across his face. 

"Did you really think you had me? Did you believe those tiny fists of yours would take me out? I'm not going to lie, you're good, Alexus, but you'll never be good enough to best me."

"Says the man whose nose is a little askew," I drawled sarcastically.

"Oh, this? It's nothing. You should see how you look."

"How do I look?"

"You look like you might want to accompany me to the infirmary."

"You just want me to walk you so that I can be on standby in case you pass out from the concussion I gave you."

Alpha Harvey shot me a crooked grin. My body flushed in excitement, and then I realized I had been sitting on top of him this entire time.  I shot up to my feet, and he pulled himself up into a seated position.

"You're getting better every time I visit, Alexus. You just need to focus. You left yourself wide open several times. What do I tell you about distractions?"

"Distractions equal death," I answered.

"That's right. I've been lenient with you, but your enemies won't be.  They will use your openings and exploit you."

"I understand," I replied as I chugged away at my water.  "Are we done for the day? I think dinner will be ready soon."

"Yeah, we're done. Are you still going to accompany me to the infirmary?"

"Might as well."

We exited the gym and made small conversation about his pack.  Not much had changed, and according to him, everyone was behaving.

"Have there been any rogue sightings recently?"

"None in the last six months. Everything has been suspiciously quiet."

"The dreaded calm before the storm, huh?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as people ran to and fro.  The head maid was shouting orders to her crew of maids, and I spotted the interior designer holding up swatches of fabric by the windows. I knew my 18th birthday was a big deal, but I had a feeling they were doing too much. My birthday was supposed to be a joyful celebration for me to share with my pack. I cared for and respected every member of my pack, from the highest to the lowest ranking.  I didn't want anyone to be stressed.  I caught sight of my father storming down the hallway on the phone.  Everyone jumped out of his way.

"Da-"

"Not now, Alexus."

"Can I just take a moment of your time?"

"I'm dealing with something right now, Alexus.  Can it please wait?  I can talk to you after dinner, okay?"

"Okay," I replied, releasing a heavy sigh. 

"I'm sorry," he mouthed before kissing me on the cheek and taking his leave. 

{The Infirmary}

I sat on one of the beds and stared at my face in a handheld mirror.  By this point, I didn't require any medical attention. My split lip had healed entirely, and the black eye I suffered had faded to an ugly yellow bruise under my left eye.

"What is taking the pack doctor so long?" Alpha Harvey growled.

"He's in town right now, no telling when he will come back," I answered. 

"Isn't there a nurse who should be on duty at all times?" he questioned.  "We do that at the White Crescent pack. It's the humane thing to do."

"If you quit bitching then I can set your nose for you." He shot me a skeptical look.  "I'm serious.  You know I want to go to nursing school."

"Okay, but wanting to go to nursing school and being an actual nurse are two different things."

"You're acting like a real omega right now," I said, making him gasp. 

"How could you?"

"I'm just saying, you're behaving a little...timid."

"Fine...you can set it.  Let's hurry up and get this done.  If you fuck my nose up, then I won't be getting you a birthday gift."

"Define, fucking your nose up."

"Michael Jackson."

I giggled before retrieving a flashlight pen. 

"You really should do something about these boogers," I chuckled as I examined his nose with the flashlight. 

"Yep, I'm definitely knocking a zero off of your gift."

"Wow, that brings my gift down to $1.00.  You might as well keep it.  You're so cheap, Alpha Harvey."

"I think I just might.  My presence should be enough of a gift."

"That's the spirit," I mumbled as I placed my fingers on his nose.  "Okay, this will be an easy fix.  On three, okay?"

"Okay, on three," he confirmed.

"One!"

(Crack!)

"Oh, shit, that hurts! I told your parents they should've put you up for adoption! Never mind, adoption is too good for you.  They should've left you for the rogues!"

I rolled my eyes.  Men could be such crybabies sometimes.  I was about to respond when the pack doctor flung himself through the doors, pulling a huge cart of medical supplies behind him. 

"Dr. Chance, what's all this?" I asked, taking inventory of the cart. 

"I had to go to town to pick up a shipment of supplies for the Luna Games.  It's gonna be a bloodbath this year. I can feel it in my bones."

"The Luna Games?  Someone activated the Luna Games?"

"Yup!"

"Who?"

"He's sitting right in front of you."

I turned my heated gaze onto Alpha Harvey.