27. Adrianna

ADRIANNA

Isense the concern coming from Flora as she sits across from me in her usual spot, but I opt to focus on my breakfast instead of trying to explain the cluster fuck that has been this morning. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I'd rather get our classes started for the day. There's no combat on the schedule, which is a bummer, but I'll take whatever distraction I can get.

Speaking of distractions, three out of the four men hell-bent on causing destruction in my life take their seats at the table. Brody is across from me. Raiden and Kryll get comfortable on either side of me. Arlo and Flora smirk like all of this is amusing. If they only knew the stress these fuckers really put me through.

"Where's Cassian? I was expecting him to be here already," Brody asks, looking at Raiden and Kryll. Like clockwork, a member of staff brings their food over not even ten seconds later.

Raiden rolls his eyes at Brody. "Probably moping."

I frown. They actually don't know where he is. Which means I have the pleasure of delivering the news. Fun.

Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I clear my throat. "Uh, his father summoned him."

All eyes whip to me. Flora and Arlo included.

"How would you know that?" Raiden asks, his eyebrows gathering with doubt.

"Because I was there when Professor Fairbourne told him." I take a fork full of food as he purses his lips at me, while Brody grins from ear to ear, wagging his eyebrows.

"Why would you be there? Was it because?—"

"Ew, please, don't say anymore," I grumble, making everyone chuckle. "And I was there because he was giving me a hard time about the fact that I went for a run," I admit, and Flora gasps.

"You went for a run?" I can sense the same shock I got from Cassian oozing from her. "You said you were going to shower."

"And I did. It just wasn't enough, so I decided to go for a run as well."

Flora's eyes widen further. "What the hell kind of nightmare?—"

"Flora. Stop," I interject, my heart racing at the mention of it in front of everyone.

"Nightmare?" Kryll murmurs, but I shake my head, focusing on my plate.

"Nope. We're not talking about this. We're talking about Cassian," I grumble, trying to refocus the conversation on something that doesn't leave me quite so vulnerable.

"Why are you talking about me?" His gravelly voice makes me shiver as he catches me by surprise.

"Because you're an asshole," I retort, refusing to lift my head.

Silence stretches out around us when he doesn't deny it, and I use the moment to eat as much food as possible because I get the feeling today is only going to continue to go downhill.

"We need to talk," he states, as if sensing my thoughts, and I force myself to look up at him. Much to my dismay, it's me he's looking at.

His jaw is tight, lips set in a thin line, and eyes swirling with a storm of emotions that I can't decipher. It looks like someone had a fun visit with their father. I shouldn't care, yet my stomach clenches with concern for him.

"We did enough of that this morning," I retort instead, shaking my head at him as I catch amusement dancing in Flora's eyes. I need to put distance between us, not encourage him to be in my proximity more, and that's exactly what the look in her eyes is suggesting.

"I barely said two words," he barks back, and I shrug.

"And it was two too many."

I yelp in surprise when my chair drags across the floor at the hands of the asshole wolf. He turns me to face him as he braces his hands on his knees, getting down to my level and right in my face.

"Are you walking, or am I carrying you?"

This fucker.

"You wouldn't," I bite, hands clenched in my lap as he takes my warning as an opening.

In the blink of an eye, I'm hoisted over his shoulder, my stomach clenching from the impact of his tight muscles before he starts sauntering through the dining hall with ease. "Put me the fuck down," I growl, irritated and embarrassed that I can sense people looking at us, but he proceeds to ignore the hell out of me. "Everyone is looking!" I push, my irritation growing to new heights.

"I can speed walk if you like?" It's not an offer. It's a threat. One that makes my stomach churn.

"Nope, an audience is better than the nausea," I snarl at him, accepting my fate as he leads us outside and away from the crowd.

He lowers me to my feet, holding my body tightly against his so we are pressed chest to chest. My hands fall to his chest, feeling the warm pitter-patter of his heart before he releases me. Remembering myself, I take a step back, clearing my throat as I try to remind myself how agitated I am with him.

"What's so important we have to talk right now?" I ask, folding my arms over my chest in hopes of putting a defensive layer between us.

"My father."

"Is an asshole."

"That's putting it lightly," he grumbles, swiping a hand down his face.

"You're telling me," I retort, pointing at my ears.

His jaw ticks as he looks away. His gaze settles on one of the picnic benches set up outside and he strides toward it, taking a seat. It's clear the conversation isn't over, no matter how much I would like it to be. So, with a heavy sigh, I take the spot beside him.

I get comfortable with the silence. It's not me that needs to get something off their chest. It stretches out for what feels like an eternity as his gaze remains unfocused, staring off into the distance.

"He wants me to take you to the compound."

"No," I snap back quickly, and he nods.

"I know."

Trying to take a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I shake my head in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because he doesn't like that you're my alpha."

"I'm not your alpha." He cocks a brow at me in challenge and I avert my gaze. I'm not a wolf or a shifter of any kind, so I'm not his alpha. Not in the way his father would assume, anyway. The nickname he seems to throw at me, though, is out of my control. "He said that?" I ask, needing to understand what the leader of the Kenner pack thinks.

"No, but he doesn't like the fact that you keep winning the duels."

"I mean, there have been two, and I would have thrown them both, but—" His hand claps down over my mouth, effectively cutting off the rest of my words.

"Don't piss me off and finish that sentence." His voice is low, but the rumble of irritation is evident enough to know that I'm toeing the line with him. Gulping, I keep my mouth shut. "Have you finished with that train of thought?" he asks, and only after I nod does he remove his hand, taking his heat along with him.

"You're nothing but mind games," I mutter, and he scoffs.

"If you think these are mind games, you have no clue what else awaits you out there," he mutters, leaning back against the table as he looks at me. "He wants you to face five wolves of his selection. If you lose, I have to stay away from you."

My heart races, and my chest clenches. "That sounds like a win to me," I quickly sass, even though deep down I don't believe that to be true.

Cassian gives me a deathly glare. "Sass may suit you, Addi, but sarcasm doesn't." My eyes narrow on him and his shit statements, but he pays no interest as he continues. "If you win, he will leave me alone and offer you what he believes to be the most luxurious prize that was ever offered."

I scoff. There's no chance in hell this man has anything of interest to offer me. Despite knowing it already, I still ask. "Which is?"

"Your mother."

My head rears back. That's not what I was expecting him to say at all. Not even a little bit. She was completely gone from my mind.

"I don't want her," I blurt, glancing away, and I could swear I hear him snicker, but when I turn back to him, his face is as stoic as ever.

"I didn't think you did."

"No, my father was adamant that if she is there, she chose to be," I admit, watching his nose crinkle in confusion.

"What does that mean?"

"Fuck if I know, but it's not a prize I'm interested in winning," I reconfirm, and he nods in understanding.

Another bout of silence graces us, but this one seems to hold less hostility and more… understanding.

"Does it leave you as intrigued as it does me?" he asks, spiking my pulse as my lips rub together.

"The whole thing calls to my curiosity, but it's a path I don't think I'm ready to take." It's the truth, a vulnerable part of me, and I don't know if I've shared too much.

"I understand that. I also know that even if you won, which he wouldn't allow, he wouldn't deliver on his promise anyway."

My eyebrows rise. At least he can admit that.

"What will happen when I say no?" I murmur, refusing to look at him as I await his answer.

"Don't worry about it," he breathes, which spikes more uncertainty than him telling me it would be a death sentence.

"Cassian," I push, turning to him with a pointed look.

"To you, I don't know, but I wouldn't rule out the fact that he's got an ax to grind, and it's aimed at your head."

I gulp. I can sense there's something he's not saying, something that relates to him. "And to you?"

Silence again. But there's nothing comforting or calm about this one. Not with the way his eyes darken and he looks at me with a void expression. It's more unsettling than hearing his wrath.

"He'll take great pleasure in asserting his dominance and make an example out of me for the entire kingdom to see."