~Kael's pov
I watched them leave.
Akilah walked beside Taylor, their voices too low for me to hear from where I stood. Taylor said something that made her laugh, and the sound carried across the training grounds.
She smiled.
A real smile.
Not the guarded one she had given me throughout the afternoon.
Not the small, knowing smirk she'd thrown in my direction before leaving.
A genuine smile.
Something twisted inside my chest.
My jaw tightened.
It shouldn't have bothered me.
There was no reason for the sight of them walking together to irritate me.
And yet it did.
I turned away.
My hands curled into fists.
I walked toward the punching bags.
The nearest one swung slightly from the previous session. I grabbed it and struck.
Hard.
The bag jerked backward.
I hit it again.
And again.
The chain above it rattled with every impact.
My breathing grew heavier as I continued, each punch harder than the last.
I didn't count.
I didn't need to.
I only needed the noise.
Something simple enough to drown out my thoughts.
It didn't work.
Because every time the bag swung back toward me, I saw her face.
I hit the bag again.
Why did seeing her with another guy make something inside me turn vicious?
I'd spent days convincing myself she meant nothing.
The word had become a shield. A convenient one but it was getting harder to believe.
I struck the bag again. My knuckles began to burn from the constant impact. Good. Pain was easier to understand than whatever was happening inside my head.
My thoughts drifted unwillingly to the night of the party.
A few days.
That was all it had been.
A few days since I'd kissed her.
A few days since I'd felt her freeze beneath my hands before slowly giving in to the moment.
I'd told myself I'd only done it to distract her.
She had seen too much.
She had been too close to discovering the truth about me.
I couldn't afford that.
So I'd kissed her.
That was the explanation I'd given myself but It wasn't the whole truth.
The whole truth was much more inconvenient.
I'd wanted to.
I'd wanted to before I'd even made the decision.
I'd seen her that night and something in me had slipped.
Her dark hair. Those amber-brown eyes.
The confidence she wore even when she was clearly nervous.
The way she had looked at me as though she could see through every lie I'd built around myself.
I'd wanted her close.
That was the truth.
Not because my wolf had forced me.
Not because the bond had dragged me toward her.
I'd made the choice.
I punched the bag again.
I'd never been good at losing control.
My entire life had been built around the opposite.
Control was survival.
Feelings were liabilities.
Attachment was a weakness someone could use against you.
I'd learned that early.
So when I'd discovered that Akilah was my mate, I'd immediately decided what had to happen.
Nothing.
I wouldn't bond with her.
I wouldn't accept her.
I wouldn't allow myself to become attached to a werecat.
It should have been simple.
Reject her.
Walk away.
Move on.
Except I hadn't.
Every time I'd tried, something inside me stopped.
I didn't understand it.
Maybe I was afraid of the consequences.
Maybe it was the bond.
Or maybe I already knew the answer and didn't want to admit it.
Because rejecting her would mean losing her.
And the thought of that bothered me far more than it should.
The punching bag swung slowly in front of me.
I stared at it, breathing heavily.
What the hell had she done to me?
She had been at Veyloria for such a short time, yet somehow she'd managed to occupy more space in my mind than people I'd known for years.
And the worst part was that I couldn't even blame her.
She hadn't asked for this.
She hadn't asked to be my mate.
I'd been the one making everything worse.
I'd pushed.
She pushed back.
I'd insulted her.
She'd slapped me.
I'd told her she meant nothing.
And today, she had stood in the training grounds and acted as though she didn't care.
That should have made things easier.
Instead, it irritated me more.
She had been hurt.
I knew she had.
I'd seen it in her eyes yesterday.
But today?
She had laughed.
She had trained.
She had walked away with Taylor.
And she had smirked at me as if she knew exactly what she was doing.
My jaw tightened again.
Maybe that was what bothered me.
Akilah wasn't reacting the way I'd expected.
She wasn't chasing me.
She wasn't avoiding me.
She wasn't begging for an explanation.
She was simply moving on.
And for some reason, that felt worse.
The sky had turned orange and I grabbed my bag deciding I had been here long enough. The walk to the dorm building felt like forever. There were a few students inside, but I couldn't hear anything but my loud thoughts.
I grabbed my water bottle and took a long drink.
"Kael?"
I looked over my shoulder.
Darien was walking toward me, still in his training attire, his bag slung over one shoulder.
He looked like he'd just come from somewhere else.
"Where were you?"
He stopped.
"Hello to you too."
I ignored him.
"Where were you?"
"Somewhere."
I glanced toward the path he'd taken.
"You came from the girls' dormitory."
His mouth twitched.
"Did I?"
"Yes."
He snickered.
"You notice everything."
Before I could respond, he threw an arm around my shoulders.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"Café."
"I don't want to go."
"I didn't ask."
He started pushing me forward.
I shoved his arm away.
"You're irritating." I gave him a flat look.
He grinned.
"You look like you've murdered someone."
"Do I?"
Darien laughed.
I didn't understand what was funny.
He shook his head as we continued toward the café.
The café was quieter than it usually was.
We ordered food and sat at a table near the windows.
I wasn't hungry but I forced myself to eat anyway.
Darien, on the other hand, attacked his sandwich like he'd been starved for days.
I watched him for a moment.
"You eat as if you've never seen food before."
He didn't look up.
"I'm hungry."
A group of girls walked past our table, giggling.
One of them glanced at Darien but he didn't look up. Normally he would have gone up to them and flirted.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Since when do you ignore pretty girls staring at you?" I asked taking a bite out of my sandwich.
Darien shrugged.
"I have more important priorities."
I nearly choked on my sandwich.
I stared at him. "Excuse me?"
He continued eating.
"I said I have more important priorities."
"Since when?"
"Since when what?"
"Since when do you have priorities?"
He laughed.
"Very funny."
I leaned back.
"Who are you and what have you done with Darien?"
He rolled his eyes.
"I've changed."
"Clearly."
He swallowed and looked at me.
"I'm saving myself for my mate."
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
"You?"
"Yes. Me."
"You gave that up in high school."
"That was the old me."
I shook my head knowing he would probably be back to his normal self within the next week.
"I've matured."
"You have slept with three of those girls before."
"Four."
I stared at him.
He shrugged.
"What? I'm honest."
I laughed again.
Darien had always been like this.
He could take something miserable and somehow make it lighter.
We were alike in ways neither of us talked about.
Our families had both left their marks on us.
The difference was that Darien had refused to let his family's behavior decide who he became.
He was still kind.
Still loyal.
Still capable of trusting people.
I wasn't sure when I'd stopped being like that.
"What about you?" Darien asked.
I looked at him taking a sip of my drink.
"What?"
"You saving yourself for your mate?"
My grip tightened around my drink.
My mind instantly went straight to thinking of Akilah.
I placed my drink back down onto the table.
"No."
Darien watched me but didn't say anything.
I looked at him.
"If you have something to say, say it."
He was quiet for a moment.
Darien swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You know what I find strange?"
I glanced at him.
"What?"
"You."
I frowned.
"You've been different lately."
"I haven't."
"You have."
I leaned back in my chair.
"Explain."
Darien tapped his fingers against the table.
"I haven't figured it out yet."
I rolled my eyes.
He continued eating for a moment before saying,
"You've been quieter."
"I prefer quiet."
"Not like this."
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
"You're usually irritated by everyone."
"I'm still irritated by everyone."
"True."
He grinned.
"But lately, you're distracted."
"I've been busy."
"With what?"
"Training."
Darien nodded slowly.
"Right."
There was something suspicious about the way he said it.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Darien."
He smiled.
"You know, I used to think you were incapable of being interested in anyone."
I scoffed.
"I've been interested in plenty of women."
"It isn't the same thing."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
He shrugged.
"You've always been good at keeping things casual."
I said nothing.
Darien leaned back.
"But lately, you don't seem casual."
I scoffed starting to become irritated as he wouldn't get to the point.
"You're reading too much into things."
"Maybe."
He took another bite of his sandwich.
Then, almost casually, he said,
"Whatever it is, I hope she's worth the trouble."
My eyes snapped toward him.
He smiled.
I could feel myself slowly crack but hide it before he could notice.
I knew for a fact that I had never mentioned finding my mate to anyone and I knew Akilah didn't.
Darien was just very observant.
I forced myself to relax.
"What makes you think there's a she?"
Darien shrugged.
"Because I know you."
"You don't know me that well."
"I know you well enough."
He pointed his sandwich at me.
"And I've never seen you this annoyed about someone without there being a reason."
I stared at him.
He lowered the sandwich.
"So?"
"So what?"
"Who is she?"
I almost laughed.
"You're assuming there's someone."
"There is."
"You sound very confident."
"I am."
I shook my head.
"You're wrong."
Darien studied me for a moment.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Wait."
I felt my shoulders tense.
"What?"
He looked past me for a second, thinking.
Then his gaze returned.
"It's someone you shouldn't want."
I said nothing.
Darien's smile faded.
He wasn't joking anymore.
"Is it someone your family wouldn't approve of?"
My fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"My family doesn't get a say in what I do with my life."
I picked up my glass.
"Good."
He watched me take a sip.
Then he smiled again.
"You know, whatever you're hiding, you're terrible at pretending you don't care."
I set the glass down.
"I don't care."
Darien laughed softly.
"That's exactly what someone who cares would say."
I glared at him.
He raised both hands.
"I'm done."
I expected him to leave it there.
Instead, after a moment, he said quietly,
"Just don't hurt her."
My eyes narrowed.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because whoever she is…"
He shrugged.
"You already look like you're trying very hard to convince yourself you don't want her."
I didn't answer.
Darien looked at me for another second.
Then he took the last bite of his sandwich.
I looked through the window.
My thoughts returned to Akilah.
She wasn't what I'd expected.
I'd assumed her agility would make her arrogant.
Instead, she was frustrated by her weakness and determined to overcome it.
She didn't give up when the weights became too heavy.
She kept going.
Even when I pushed her.
That was something I respected.
More than I wanted to.
She had a dangerous mouth, an even more dangerous temper, and absolutely no sense of self-preservation when she decided she was right.
And yet—
She had potential.
Real potential.
She simply needed to learn how to turn speed into strength.
Taylor had seen it too.
That was why he'd stayed behind to help her.
I didn't like that.
I didn't like it at all.
Not because Taylor had done anything wrong.
That would have been easier.
He had simply been there.
He'd encouraged her, helped her and she accepted it.
The irritation returned.
I clenched my jaw.
Darien's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Are you going to finish that?"
I looked down.
My sandwich sat half-eaten on my plate.
Darien stared at it.
I slid the plate toward him.
His expression immediately brightened.
He pulled it toward himself and started eating.
I watched him for a moment.
Then remembered his earlier excuse.
"What were you actually doing at the girls' dormitory?"
He looked up at me. " I had a little meeting nothing serious."
"With?"
He took another bite.
I waited.
"Was it a girl?"
He smiled.
"I don't kiss and tell."
A small chuckle left my lips.
"Honestly, everyone calls me the biggest player when it's actually you."
Darien swallowed.
"I'm not a player."
"No?"
"I'm a lover."
I stared at him.
He grinned.
"A lover who loves to give. That's all."
I scoffed.
"Who was it this time?"
I started listing names.
"Serena?"
"No."
"Lydia?"
"No."
"Amara?"
"No."
"Jasmine?"
"No."
He shook his head.
"I haven't seen any of them in almost two months."
"Right."
He finished his sandwich quickly.
The sun had fully disappeared by the time we left the café.
We walked back toward the dormitories in silence. When we reached his floor we said our goodbyes before I headed to the upper floor to my room.
As I walked toward my room, his words at the café stayed with me.
You already look like you're trying very hard to convince yourself you don't want her
I wasn't sure if he knew that Akilah was the she, but I wouldn't be surprised either if he did.
That was what unsettled me.
Because if he'd noticed—
how many other people had?
And worse—
how much had I already revealed without realizing it?