RONAN

Trial by fire

The sun wasn't even up in the sky.

when the horns screeched through the dorms.

It was sharp enough to split my skull.

I jolt upright, my heart hammering, sleep still clinging to my eyelids.

For a second I forget where I am, then the pain of the suppressant patch comes back.

Then it all crashes back into my head.

Eldenridge.

And an annoying,grating voice bleeds through the speakers.

" Cadets,up! You've got sixty seconds before I drag you out myself,"

The head Alpha shouts out.

Sixty seconds.of course Alphas don't need rest just commands.

I jump up from by bed, still dazed from the suppressant patch burning under my arm.

I dressed up in silence while the aggression from all the other alpha who didn't care who they stepped on rang through the air.

Day one and I already don't like it here.

By the time I stumbled groggily into the yard, my breath fogging up the air.

My head still hurts from the loud horns,and I still need to sleep, this is pure torture.

Kieran was already there, tall and composed with his hands behind his back.

Commanding the space like it belonged to him.

"You're not Alphas yet you're strays dogs and I'll see which one of you deserves to stay at Eldenridge."

The head Alpha yells his voice smooth and dangerous.

"That's General Nightshade weak alpha son,"

A voice whispered just loud enough for others to hear.

"one might peg him to be a beta or even an Omega."

The air around me seemed to thin, my chest tightened , heat rising under the patch on my skin.

I didn't turn. And I also didn't flinch

I just straightened my shoulders, pretending their words slid right off, even though they didn't.

I shake their comment of my shoulders I catch Kieran looking directly at me, not mocking, not amused just watching.

" We are going to be running 2 laps round the school, so Alphas get prepared."

The first lap was easy, but by the second it was fire, each breath heavier than the last.

One by one other Alphas start to run past me, their laughter sharp and cruel, the scent I've fought to hide all morning, threatening to let lose.

I hear across the field, " come on, Nightshade, I thought generals raised good Alphas," someone jeers.

I might start perfuming here, the patch feels heavier and lose under my sleeve.

The sound and jeers from other Alphas finally get to me and I slip hard, into the mud, someone laughs.

but Kieran doesn't move. He just stands there his eyes on me.

His voice then booms from the watchtower.

"Get up Nightshade Jr., if the ground wants you for itself, you better make it fight to get you."

I spit out the dirt, push myself up and continue running to the finish line, my body heavy with mud.

I don't stop until, I cross the finish line,covered in mud and my skin burning.

As we finish up,I rush to get to the Locker room to freshen up, the locker room smells of sweat and metal and little to no pheromones.

I keep my head down to get my breathing in check, my heart hasn't stopped racing since the run.

The suppressant patch had already worn off from being worn too long, I peel it off slowly.

For a moment, I feel relief.

my faint omega scent , subtle ,light and clean escapes.

An unmistakable omega scent. The kind that doesn't belong to an Alpha.

I wave my hand in the air, as if that would do anything to it.

That's when the door opens

Kieran walks in with flanked by 3 other Alphas.

Then his head turns slightly, as if he caught something in the air.

His eyes find me and I freeze.

" What's that hell is that...... ?" The first Alpha exclaims

" Smells like, no it can't be," Another mutters..

The room goes silent and Kieran steps in.

In a low, and dangerous voice he says

" Everyone get out,"

His voice cuts through the room like a blade.

I hear feets moving as the locker room emptys out.

I don't move, my pulse is hammering against my throat.

He is standing between me and my locker, the place I need to be.

My suppressant is inside.

" Your scent," Kieran says slowly, his eyes on me. " It has changed, it's different now."

My throat goes dry.

I stumble through my words

" Or maybe your just smelling your own ego."

I manage to say.

He takes a step closer, I feel the space shrink between us.

"Funny, I didn't see you as the kind who snoops around others business," I say in an effort to get him to drop the subject.

" I didn't peg you as the kind who hides from others," he counters softly

"Ronan," he heart stutters from the way he said my name.

The way it falls from his lips makes my stomach twist, heat curls low in my chest.

Our eyes meet, heat brews , still not anger something we are both unwilling to confront.

As I grab at his shirt trying to push him back, but he doesn't budge.

My hands trembles more than I want them to.

"Move," I hiss at him.

He leans in enough for his breath to touch my cheek.

"you hide, whatever it is you're hiding,"

he says quietly.

" but don't let me find out."

and he walks out of the room.

I grab my suppressant and leave the room with his threat hanging over my head.

++++++++++++++++++

I sit by the balcony, bandaging the raw skin where the suppressant patch burned through.

As the campus glows with lamps and the patrol officers match around rhythmically.

Then I feel a prickle long my neck

I look up.

Across the cross yard, on the opposite balcony, Kieran stands hands on the railing, shirtless, with his body lit from the glow in his room.

I freeze I don't move, I stare back not dropping my stare.

"Great, just great," I mutter to under my breath, trying to break the tension

"Now the king of Eldenridge has decided to stalk me himself,"

I turn and head back to my room shutting the balcony door a bit harder than I mean to.

A faint sound, and I see a paper sliding against the floor from under my door with the words

" you hide it well, little Omega,"

written on them and all the blood drains down from my face, the world turns woozy for a bit

Someone knows.

RONAN

The note in the locker.

The academy feels different this morning.

I walk through the halls, the scrape of my boots echoing for too long.

I feel a lot of eyes on me as I walk, the incessant whispers in my ears

" He is a transfer student,"

"The General's son,"

" The one who made Kieran notice him,"

Each sentence lands like candle wax on my skin and harden immediately.

I keep my face blank,like it doesn't affect me,but inside I'm scared, each word reminds me of yesterday's note.

As I pass a group of students a beta there smirks and says.

" Careful Nightshade, Kieran Vale doesn't look twice at anyone unless he plans to break them."

I meet his gaze, tilt my head slightly.

" Then I'll make sure he gets bored fast,"

I quip back at the beta.

A few of them laugh,but I can feel the tremor under my own voice.

I force a smile on my face but deep down, unease slowly creeps in and their laughter follows me.

It feels like even the walls know and are saying the same thing.

He knows

As soon as I reach my locker, I swipe my key card over the scanner, a small click, then the door opens.

As it opens up something flutters out, a little white note.

A folded piece of paper lies on the floor, no name,no seal , no address

I squat down to pick it up, my heart beats wildly in my chest.

" You hide it well,"

That's all it says.

A chill runs through me, the words heavier this time.

my fingers tremble before I quickly shove the note into my pocket.

Someone knows, or someone suspects me.

My eyes darted up immediately.

I quickly scan the corridor to look for unusual eyes or persons.

I look left and everyone seems engrossed in their own world.

At the right side end of the hall.

Kieran stands there, with his hands in his pockets.

watching me with his unreadable expression on his face.

And he starts walking towards me.

The air feels thicker suddenly, I can hear my own pulse, heavy and quick.

" Any problems Nightshade?" He asks in a lazy voice, but his eyes are sharp

"No, problem." I lie quickly crumpling the note in my pockets.

" Good, let's keep it that way."

He walks away but not before I see the smirk lingering on his lips.

It feels like a confession and a secret all at once.

And the bell goes off very sharply.

++++++++++++++++

RONAN

The Academy library is silent except for turning of pages and faint breathing from people sitted around me.

I sit in the back corner, pretending to study Rules of the society, a book full of oppression if I may say.

I go tense as that subtle but heavy alpha scent hits me.

why me?

He is growing a habit of showing up where ever I am these days.

Kieran pulls out the chair beside me, dragging it close enough that his knees nearly brush mine and sits.

" You're awfully quiet lately." He whispers, his voice low and dark.

"Maybe I ran out of insults to throw at you."

I reply with looking at him.

"Little one," he says softly .

"you're getting tense, I see a few eye bags which means what ever you're hiding, is getting to you and you are losing sleep over it."

He concludes, too precise.

" Would it make you sleep better, if I wasn't hiding anything."

I ask him softly, equally baiting him too.

He smirks as he is enjoying our conversation as he turns and faces me directly.

He tries to read me, the silence stretches and becomes very heavy.

Immediately my phone buzzes.

a message flashs across the screen.

An unknown sender.

" Since he is close to you now, you should tell him before I do."

My pulse spikes as I start looking around me, trying to find this suspicious person.

He's gaze sharpens, trying to see my phone I quickly snap it shut.

"Who is texting you?"

He asks,

"No one."

"No one makes you pale like that, huh." He's voice darkens

He then leans forward, dropping his voice to dangerous whisper.

"If someone is threatening you, I need to know"

"You don't need to know anything about me." I fire back.

Our eyes lock, as I face him head on, and a myriad of emotions pass through his face, I can't get a read on him.

Then without warning, he hooks his hand around my chair and pulls me forward, until I'm between his legs.

" You keep saying that,"

he whispers of the words brush my throat

"and yet you keep letting me get closer, Ronan."

He stands up and leaves before I can respond, his scent the only evidence of his presence.

+++++++++++++++++

As I walk down the hallway after spending 30 more minutes in the library.

I hear talks about how they've posted an emergency drill for now.

" I heard Kieran requested it by himself,"

" I'm sure Nightshade has something to do with it."

And as I get to the hall I check the list to see that Kieran and I are partners once again.

After changing to some sweats, I go to the fight hall, thank the stars my suppressant is fixed to my thighs today, safely out of sight.

"Kieran Vale and Ronan Nightshade to the ring."

The instructor voice rings out.

" If you wanted a chance to hit me, you could've asked nicely" I say.

Kieran Smirks, " you would have said no."

" You would still have done it anyway."

As the spare starts, with him trying to grab me, and pin me to the floor.

" You're distracted, Nightshade, focus."

His grin widen as he corners me, his movement very predatory, my pulse quickens.

One second I'm dodging him, the next I'm pinned against the wall, his hand braced to catch my head the other gripping my wrist.

" You talk to much, Vale."

I say to him shakily

" Then stop listening, Bello( handsome)."

As the endearment throws me off.

" You keep pretending you're not afraid of me," Kieran asks lightly.

" Why?"

" Because that isn't what this is."

For a second we both forget the fight, as the air is tight around us.

Then the instructor's whistle breaks us apart.

After the fight, I go back to the dorms, to catch up on my sleep.

As I walk in my room, my phone pings again.

" You think he is your protection from me, Omega."

Well if he is my protection, why does he feel like the threat and protection all at once.

A knock on my door breaks me from my thoughts.

I open it and Kieran stands there, jacket unbuttoned, rain dripping from his hair

"You missed patrol," Kieran asked his voice low with a bit of edge.

"And you came to remind me?"

"No."he says simply "I came to see if you let me in,"

I hesitate but still step aside.

He steps into my space and walks around my room slowly, scanning everything like a secret, his gaze stops at the crumpled note I received last night.

"What is that?" he says so softly, I might not have heard him.

" A souvenir from the stalker, I have." I tell him.

" I think you like the attention." He says while chuckling.

I glare at him, as the air gets heated between us.

He turns and steps closer, too close for my comfort.

" You're crossing the lines, Kieran." I tell him softly, licking my lips.

" You keep drawing them too close, Bello." He whispers back at me

My throat tightens, I can't look at him directly not when he is this close, so my gaze slips to his lips.

" What do you want,Kieran?"

" To see which of us breaks first."

At that moment he leaves before anything can happen, closing the door quietly behind him.

I'm left standing there, my heart pounding wondering if the danger from the blackmailer is worse than him.

That night was particularly thrilling as my dreams where filled with him.

My alarm rings, I grab my phone and a message pops up.

" The president isn't your enemy, but he'll become one if he finds out what you are."