Alpha Island: The Lycan's Mate

Chapter 8 Not my Alpha

                “You should come to class but just avoid the shifting part. You know the professor is going to make you do extra credit again if you don’t come.” Mia said with a frown as she ran her fingers through her hair and straighten out her shirt.

                “It isn’t too bad. He does it all the time for the omega’s too. I think he is a sympathizer.” Ava shrugged.

                “Yeah but it ruins several of your Saturdays and evenings.” 

                “Mia, my Saturday and evenings aren’t like yours anyways.” Ava giggled shaking her head at her friend. “I wish I could go for a run now though.”

                “You should. I don’t think anyone will say anything about you… well… of course Brittany might.” Mia knew that the b***h wouldn’t miss an opportunity to destroy Ava.

                “I’ll plan for a night run soon. You want to join me?” Ava watched as Mia gave her a guilty smile.

                “It will have to depend on how my schedule looks that evening…”

                “Oh goodness Mia, you can’t go one night?” Ava looked at Mia’s indifferent face.

                “Of course not. Why would I do that? My body is a machine and it needs to be kept fine-tuned.” Mia stood up from the bench and winked down at her friend. “Plus I found someone who hits all the right spots. I’m not going to lose him by letting him bed someone else.” She looked down at her friend and smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

                Ava watched her friend walk away and then felt a body plop down beside her.

                “Your friend is special,” Kadae said behind his sunglasses his hair was still slightly tussled.

                “Oh my goodness. Is that what was going on before she stopped here…” Ava rubbed her forehead. “And from what I am hearing she has your nights booked up too.” She watched Kadae pull his sunglasses down and smile wider at her.

                “That’s fantastic news for me. I wouldn’t mind being her exclusive go to.”

                “Okay well this isn’t an us conversation to have.” Ava shook her head not wanting to know any more than she already did.

                “Fair enough.” Kadae said with a smirk. “Soooo what do you think of Dylan?”

                Ava tilted her head to the side and raised her brows up to him. “Seriously? The guy I have only known for a day? What is it with these fast gears you have? Were there no females where you came from?”

                “Oh there were… but…” Kadae shrugged. “None like you.”

                “There is a cheesy line if I ever heard one.” Ava shook her head and half rolled her eyes.

                “It’s the truth though.” He turned and studied Ava. “So who are you hiding from? You’re not an omega… so you are hiding from someone, right?” Kadae watched as her face dropped. She looked at her hands and began playing with her own fingers as she focused on them. “I’m surprised no one else has asked about this.”

                “They would all rather believe I am a weak omega and honestly it is easier for me to let them believe that.” Ava whispered still playing with her fingers. She was studying them carefully as she continued to avoid eye contact as if she was expecting to see something different.

                “Dylan and I can protect you, Ava.” Kadae said and watched her bright green eyes snap up to meet with his. There was a fierceness in her eyes and also sadness.

                “No one can protect me…” Ava said tersely.  

                “Now that isn’t true. Dylan and I are more than strong enough to protect you.” Kadae said with an arrogant smirk.

                She shook her head slowly. “But you are not. Thank you but I’ll just keep doing what I am doing. Hiding is my best protection.”

                Kadae studied her tense body with a frown. “What does the person want with you? Or is it a they? If that is okay to ask?”

                Ava bit her bottom lip and inhaled a shaky breath. “Could be several things. Possibly kill me… Maybe keep me under surveillance. But what I am told… I’ll be used as no more than a breeding machine…” A thunderous growl ripped out behind Ava. She jerked her head around to see Dylan’s dark eyes glaring at her.

                “Who, Ava? Tell me who?” Dylan’s voice dripped in a dark venom.

                “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. This makes me uncomfortable.” Ava whispered out. As if talking about what could happen would put her on the lycans radar. She watched as Dylan stomped forward and grabbed onto her shoulder. His eyes peered into hers and the color flickered back to them.

                “No one will ever touch you. I promise you that.” Dylan said in a low soothing tone.

                “They won’t because I won’t let them find me.” Ava said scooting away from Dylan’s hand.

                “You should just tell him, Ava. He could take care of the problem easily. You know he could make you tell him.” Kadae smirked and watched Ava giggle shaking her head.

                “He couldn’t make me do anything.” Ava watched as amusement flickered in Dylan’s eyes.

                “Are you testing me?” Dylan walked around the bench to stand in front of Ava.

                “Go ahead. Take the ego hit. You can’t order me around. I’m not part of your pack.” Ava shook her head and rolled her eyes. Alpha’s…pfft.

                Dylan fixated his gaze on her. “Ava, I command you to tell me who is after you.” A cool deep sound came from Dylan. The words swirled with power and authority. And he waited expectantly for her answer.

                Ava felt a deep pull inside of her as if she wanted to tell him. But the other part of her fought back. It lashed at the energy angrily. How dare anyone try to order her around? She took orders from no one because no one was her alpha.

                “I’m not a genie you can command. You aren’t my master or my alpha. Nice try though.” Ava said as she stood up brushing past a dumbfounded Dylan.

                Dylan and Kadae watched Ava walk away in shock.

                What the hell just happened? Kadae looked at Dylan and could see his own confusion.

                I don’t know… how… she ignored a direct order. That can’t happen… Maybe because of the magic barrier around the school? Dylan could only guess it had something to do with the weird school barriers and blocks. Otherwise, it made no sense. A werewolf couldn’t ignore his orders. A lycan couldn’t  ignore his orders. So what did that mean about Ava? What was his mate exactly?

                It must be the barrier. Kadae reasoned mentally to Dylan. It had to be. What other explanation was there?

                I’m going after here. Dylan straightened up and started to pursue Ava.

                Want me to be your wingman again?

                Dylan shot him an irritated look before he jogged after Ava.

                “Come on? You didn’t think that was cute of me?” Dylan said trying to make it like what he did was a joke.

                Ava tilted her head to look over her shoulder as Dylan came up from behind her. “Cute? Seriously? Seems like a typical alpha move to me. Trying to order answers even if it is something someone wants to keep secret. Besides… it looked like to me you really believed you could order me. It sounded like that enough.” And the truth was she could feel the truth in the tone. She felt it tugging at her chest.

                “Well I had to give it a serious attempt or the joke would have fallen flat, right?” Dylan nudged her side playfully with his elbow grinning down at her.

                Okay, that was a fair point. So maybe it was all just a joke after all. Which would make sense. Why would he think he could order her around anyway? No alpha could order someone who wasn’t in their pack. The only one who could do that would have to be lycan royalty. And there is no way lycan royalty would be here.

                “I guess it would have fallen flat.” Ava gave him a wry smile.

                “So where are we going?” Dylan asked like a puppy following his master around.

                “To the library… actually… on second thought let go to the theatre auditorium,” Ava said with a scowl remembering how Mia had her escapades in the library.

                “Something wrong with the library?” Dylan looked down at Ava and watched her scrunch up her nose.

                “Yeah… I think there will be traces of Mia and Kadae over various surfaces in there.” Ava said as slight pink stained her cheeks.

                “Oh…OHHHH.” Dylan said with a chuckle. “Kadae seems to be very into your friend.”

                “I think Mia plans on keeping him busy the rest of the year so the feeling is mutual with them.” Ava shook her head. She wasn’t going to have much of a roommate this year. 

                “Well, I guess this means both of our roommates won’t have much free time for us. Guess we should pair up.” Dylan watched as Ava raised her brows up at him. “I mean so that we have someone to talk to and such. I didn’t mean pair up as in PAIR up. I meant companionship… wait not like that. I mean I’d like that but that’s not what I am saying. Gosh…” Dylan flung his head back and looked up at the ceiling running his hand through his hair.

                Ava giggled. “You are not too good at this whole conversing thing are you?”

                “I thought I was… but when it comes to you I just can’t seem to speak right.” He looked down to see something flash in her eyes. It looked like he said something right for once.

                “I need to make sure I pass this demonology course. I know nothing has been assigned but I like being prepared. I can use a solid study partner… you interested?” Ava watched a grin spread over Dylan’s lips.

                “You are in luck. I happen to be a bit ahead when it comes to demonology. I think I can be of assistance there.” Dylan had already passed all of his classes with flying colors. These courses would just be a review for him. This could be his angle with her. He could help her with her studies. “I’m actually pretty good with all of my classes. I don’t mind helping you with them if you want? I’m going to have the free time.”

                “Really?! I mean… if you’re sure you don’t mind spending all your time studying with me that would be great. I actually could use a lot of help on history. Don’t judge but I just can’t seem to retain it. I get sidetracked and bored. And before I know it I am daydreaming instead of paying attention. Oh and potions too!”

                Dylan chuckled and smiled down at her. “I’ll help you study. Together we will make sure you pass your classes with flying colors.”

                “It will be nice to have a real study partner this year.” Ava said excitedly.

                His eyes wandered over her adorable face. How she scrunched her nose up slightly with excitement and how the light twinkled in her eyes… She was perfect. She had no idea how much he desired her. How her every move was driving him crazy. He had to have her. At least he now had a solid in with studying.

            He would be studying too but not academics. He would be studying Ava. He would be studying her. What she loved and what she hated. He would study what made her happy and sad. He would get to know her… everything about her. And hopefully, earn her trust so that she would tell him who was after her. He would show Ava that he was who she was looking for to be her partner in life. He hoped she would fall for him without the mate pull.

                It would make them being mates even sweeter. He would try to win the heart of his mate. It would be something the two of them could treasure forever.

                He could balance between winning his mate's heart and solving the mystery behind the school.  He already tasked Kadae with researching the students that were missing. And they already had one interesting clue. Most of the students who were missing were practically loners. Someone like Ava would probably be an excellent target. She kept to herself and wasn’t into the whole social circle on campus. The more he thought about it, it would be best to keep a close eye on Ava.

                Between him and Kadae they were going to work out a list of the students who could be the most probable candidates to be targeted and try to keep an eye on them. And he would be keeping a very special eye on his Ava.