The Alpha King and His Human Queen

Teach Me

Alexandra

A tap on the door startles me and I look away from the book I’ve been reading since I woke up. Opal stirs but remains where he is as I get up and approach the door. Should I open it? Or say “yes?”

Another tap comes and I say a quiet “yes?”

A servant comes in, bringing food. I recognize her- that’s Cara, the one Lave kissed that day when we went to the town.

“Hello, “ I greeted her and this time she was much nicer than before.

“Hello. I was told to bring you food. And clothes, I will be right back with them.“

Opal eyes her strangely as if he will peck her any minute now. But he doesn’t and I decide I have imagined this.

When Cara comes back later with clothes for me she is all polite and nice - too nice- and tells me to call her if I need anything.

I eat and get changed. Then I decided I couldn’t spend the whole day here.

“Shall we go for a walk?” I ask Opal and the bird flaps his wings.

“You understand way more than you give off, don’t you?” I joke. The raven looks at me pointedly and for a second, I am sure he does understand.

“Okay, let’s go. “ I tell him and Opal follows out, walking on the ground as he usually does when he's inside.

We walk around the castle until I find the right way out. Guards and servants are walking around but no one stops me. There's no need to - I can’t go much further.

I can’t run either way because even if I try Opal will let them know in a heartbeat. On top of it - if I run I should have won his trust first. Otherwise, I will fail the moment I step out of the castle. I thought about it last night- my only chance to get out is to win his trust. At least to some extent.

Once I get to the yard a familiar voice reaches me.

“Alexandra!” I pause and turn towards Lave.

“Lave, hey. “

“I see you look much better. “ He smiles and I return the smile.

“This is what food does to you, right?” I joke.

“And you have Opal with you.” he points at the bird and the raven jumps as a way of greeting him.

“Where are you headed to?” Lave asks and I shrug.

“Just walking around, I can’t stay in all day. I tried to read but there are some words I don’t understand. “

“Oh, yes, “ he says, “We sometimes use old words which even I don’t understand. So I don’t read. “

I burst out laughing and he offered to walk with me.

The weather is nice and Lave shows me some parts of the garden. We talk about nothing in particular when we reach a part of the yard I haven't been to.

“It's a training ground, “ Lave explains and I stop walking. Because I see them. Wolves and humans are training together. Some of the women are dressed in leathers, others are in plain shirts, fighting alongside men.

“Your women fight with you?” I ask, puzzled and Lave turns to me

“Yours don't?”

“Not… not really. It’s one of the reasons why my mother was so glad to have a daughter. “ Lave laughs with me.

“Have you fought before?” he asks.

“No. I wanted to but I somehow never got to do it. “

Lave doesn’t press further asking and shrugs.

“You can always start now. “

I laugh but then I discover he is serious with this offer.

“Why not?” He asks.

“I just can’t… it’s…”

Then I turn back to the others and look at them. And pause. Nathaniel is here.

“He fights, too?” I ask before I can stop myself and try not to sound too interested.

Lave follows my gaze and says lightly.

“Of course. Why wouldn't he? “

“I don't know… he just doesn’t look like someone who would fight in a battle. “

Lave doesn’t respond and I turn to him.

“What?” I ask and Lave frowns.

“You don’t know, maybe. “ he begins, carefully, “but yes, Nate fights alongside the others. He fought in the war for a while, even though he was very young. We all were. Garreth was the only one who was there from the beginning till the end but we were alongside him most of the time. “

I consider his words. Sirius didn’t say anything like this. Perhaps Lave is lying to me. Or…

I turn back to them. No, not to them. To Nathaniel.

He is in a plain shirt and wide pants. He fights with a man much bigger than him. But Nathaniel is so skilful - or at least that’s what it looks like to me.

The man charges and Nathaniel ducks the hit. It looks like a dance. Some of the wolves pause and look at them too.

“Is he good?” I ask, bitterly. I don’t specify who but Lave understands who I am asking about.

“He is. “ Then Lave’s face darkens. “Garrett was always the best one and Nate grew up looking up to him. He always tried to make his brother proud of him. But now that I stand here I realize how much better the king has become. “

Lave trails off and remembers something which most likely makes him sad because his entire expression changes. And he doesn’t continue.

This is when I realize there's something I don’t know….and they won’t tell me. I turn back to Nathaniel.

The sun is dancing on his face. His hair is wet, sticking to his sides - they must have been fighting for hours. Nathaniel runs his hand through his hair and pushes it back. A casual gesture but he is so attractive I want to kick him.

The bigger man stumbles backwards and Nathaniel is going to win. But instead, as the man starts losing balance Nathaniel outstretches his hand and grabs him, stopping the large man from falling.

The man laughs. And then Nathaniel laughs with him and pats his opponent on the back. My heart misses a beat. I stop and stare at him with the full awareness I am looking at him. This time I didn't even stop myself. He is so beautiful when he laughs. His entire expression changes. It’s not the grin he shows sometimes - the one that is still dishonest and hides how he truly feels.

It’s not the fake laughter and the things he says because he has to.

So this is how he looks when he is genuinely laughing I think to myself and continue looking at him, at the way he is so patient with his opponent, because even though the other man looks stronger Nathaniel is visibly more skilful.

Nathaniel doesn’t look like he wants to win at all costs. On the contrary.

“He is so different from Eliot,” the thought appears in my mind and surprises me. I have seen my mate fight sometimes during practice. Eliot has always been so determined to win even if that included cheating. At that time I thought that was the right way - you either win or do anything you can to win. Perhaps it was because he wanted to prove himself to my father, I don’t know…

But Nathaniel looks like he fights, careful not to hurt the other person, to teach him rather than show off how good he is.

“He is a murderer, ” I remind myself when Nathaniel’s eyes flicker in my direction and our eyes lock. His back eyes are like an abyss I can't look away from.

He’s seen me. I am filled with the urge to look away - or to run- when Opal lands on my shoulder and flaps his wings, ruffling my hair slightly.

“Hey!” I laugh at the bird “My hair is bad, anyway. Don’t help it get worse. “

When I turn back towards the playground Nathaniel has returned to practice, not caring I am there.

Not that he cared in the first place.

“So?” Lave asks, hopefully, oblivious to my staring at his friend. “Do you want me to show you how to fight?”

“What?” I gasp. But then I hear myself say.

“Yes. I do. I can learn. “

Something I didn’t really consider when I agreed to this, however, was that it would mean I would have to fight with Nathaniel too. And this is such a terrible idea.