The Lycademy - Fire and Death

7. Unforgiving b***h

-Vaughn's P. O. V.-

"What do you mean he didn't win? Seth always wins. Was he fighting with Valkyrie?" - I asked over lunch when Ty included me in their martial arts classes.

I was shocked. Really f*****g speechless. I know my abilities and I'm not ashamed to admit that there are bigger fish in the sea than me and strength isn't my best trait. But Seth's is.

Since I met him, he has always been invincible. When I heard he handed Osprey's ass while only being sixteen, I knew he was a great fighter and someone like this is always a valuable ally. It's only reasonable to associate with those who can have your back. This world can be cruel after all.

So hearing that my strongest friend isn't the strongest after all was a new piece of information.

"Naah, Val was watching them as if she couldn't believe it. We all were, but her face was priceless." - Titus chuckled, mimicking my Cousin with mouth wide open and bulged eyes.

"Well then who was it?" - I demanded impatiently.

"You won't like it, but it was Kein."

I wrinkled my nose and grimaced.

"Kein?! Seriously, the most boring guy in the world is as strong as Seth? Nope, I'm not buying that. Maybe Seth was still hungover after yesterday." - I said in disbelief.

"He drank four beers. In what world would that make a werewolf hangover the next day?" - Peter stated with his duh expression. They were right. I know they were, but I guess I was in deep denial. I never really liked Kein, and even thinking that he was that powerful was strange. And I didn't like that. Fang Pride is a valuable ally, my Mom's sorta-wolf-family is from that Pack, but working alongside Kein in the near future always made me want to stab the fork in my eye.

"Well that's new." - I murmured and returned to eating. Why do I even care if they are equally strong? It's not like I plan to start a war with any of them. But I simply can't bring myself to trust Kein, so the fact that he's one of the strongest wolves there are and a great strategist, as guys mentioned after their other classes, is simply unsettling.

"Speaking of the devil." - Pete brought me back to reality and tilted his head towards the entrance where a very familiar redhead strode in with his usual confident pace. But what surprised me was that Seth didn't join our table like he usually does. Instead, he went past us and when I followed his path I saw the table with the Boyl twins, Cole, Buzzard, a fairly short black-haired girl, who was facing away from me, and at the end of the table Kein.

"Looks like your boyfriend is looking for a new group." - Ty sneered.

To be honest, I was mostly curious about their encounter. I wanted to hear more about it and my curiosity was always my biggest flaw, something my Dad used to joke would get me in trouble one day. Well, my old man likes to be always right, so why not prove him just that.

"We should go and say hi too." - I said and my Beta and Gamma shot me the look as if I'd grown a second head.

"Why?" - Pete asked.

"Look how miserable Cole looks, he's basically sending signals with his eyes." - I said shrugging.

"Yeah, sure, because that's the case." - Pete said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, knowing fully well that it is useless to lie, they know me better than I do myself.

"Fine. I'm curious." - I admitted with a groan - "So can we?"

The two of them shared a look and chuckled. Assholes.

"Alright Alpha boy, let's go and say 'hi'." - said Ty making quotation marks with his fingers.

The three of us stood from our table and walked the short distance to the other table. Kein and Seth were both standing at the side talking about their practice. I have known them both for quite some time, yet I never saw any of them this enthusiastic. And what's even stranger, I never saw Kein smiling. Smirking - sure, but genuinely smiling - never. He almost didn't look like a douche. Almost.

"So we should totally try sparring together. I think I could ask Valkyrie to use an indoor ring." - I heard Seth saying as soon as we were close enough.

"You know Valkyrie?" - Kein asked utterly surprised.

Just then they both saw us and Seth slapped his hand over my shoulder.

"Yeah, I know her, she's Vaughn's Cousin." - Seth said matter-of-factly, as if Kein wasn't already aware of that fact.

Kein's green piercing eyes landed on me and his previous smile vanished.

"Cargarough." - he nodded towards me.

"King." - I acknowledged him in the same manner.

"So you two know each other?" - Seth asked, looking between us - "That's great! Vaughn, do you think Val would mind?" - he asked.

"You know that this gym is like her baby, but I think she can be persuaded." - I answered knowing that most likely I would have to do another ridiculous favor to her for that, but she was actually right about Gini, so maybe it wouldn't be completely terrible.

" Would you all like to sit with us?" - Kein offered, pointing to the table his group was occupying.

Hearing that, the short black-haired girl glared at all of us standing above her and just one look at her violet eyes and I knew exactly who that was.

"Springer! It's good to see you." - I said happily because that girl was always a fun kind of rebel and whenever Dad had any sort of business in Red Moon Pack she was like my playmate, if by playing you consider sneaking close to her Father's office and eavesdropping or stealing his liquor when we were older - "What happened to you? Have you fallen into the coal?" - I asked gesturing to her eyes hidden by a thick layer of black eyeshadow.

She smirked with amusement at that comment.

"It's good to see you, Cargarough. Where are the other parts of your brain?" - then she glanced behind my shoulder where Titus and Peter were standing - "There they are."

She stood up and gave me a hug, but when her eyes landed on Seth they narrowed once again. What was her deal?

"I don't want him here." - she said to no one in particular, but she was clearly speaking about Seth, who frowned at her statement.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" - Seth asked, taken aback by her words.

"Thanksgiving, three years ago." - she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

For some reason, Seth started looking really uncomfortable, ashamed maybe even. Huh, that was interesting. If he did something to piss her off that much he should watch his back. Kite is fun to be around, but a real new definition of b***h if you cross her.

"Springer. You are Osprey's sister?" - he asked carefully - "I'm sorry I didn't remember you."

"Oh, I'm not concerned about your poor memory, but I know Asshole when I see him. I'm allergic, in fact. And standing so close to you makes me want to sneeze really bad." - in that very moment she sneezed at him, but I'm most certain it was fake, but the spit on Seth's jacket was very real. - "Down on your knees, you're not that tall. Remember?" - she asked challengingly.

I had no idea what she was talking about. But the stunt she just pulled was unbelievably insulting. Kite just spit on Alpha heir. I'm almost positive that at her brother's ally too. If I know Seth at all, and I believe I know him very well, he's about to blow up any second now. So much for his short-living friendship with Kein.

"Kite, you can't act this way. Do you know who he is?" - I asked her in disbelief. I was probably the first one to shake off the shock we all fell into.

"Oh, I know exactly who he is. And now he knows who I am. So watch your back ginger!" - she said, stepping closer into his personal space, and it probably would have been a threatening gesture if she wasn't so damn short and didn't have to tilt her head so much to meet his gaze.

Seth didn't answer her. To be honest, I was sure he would snap her neck or strangle her. But to my surprise, he just took one step back, giving up on a fight with her and he turned to Kein.

"I'm looking forward to our sparring."

"Likewise." - answered Kein, gaining his voice back.

Then Seth nodded and turned on his heel and went away. I looked at Kite and shook my head, then I went after Seth catching up to him just before he reached the buffet. He took two to go containers and started filling them with various choices of dishes, but I could tell he was angry, his hands were shaking as if he had real trouble with keeping his wolf at bay.

"f**k, Seth, are you alright? She's a bit crazy, you know. Don't take her words too seriously." - I told him.

"Mh hymm." - he mumbled in response.

I watched him angrily putting some steamed veggies next to the club sandwich and I didn't know what to make of this encounter.

"What was she even talking about?" - I asked letting my curiosity take over once again.

He stopped with spatula midair and turned to me with a sigh.

"I fought her brother then. And when I won those" - he pointed towards their table - "were the exact words I told him. I guess she didn't let that go."

"s**t Man, that's intense." - I said rubbing my face.

"Yeah. I apologized a few weeks later, but I guess it wasn't my brightest moment." - he said returning to filling the containers.

"Do you want me to join you for lunch outside?"

"No, that's fine. I'll take it to Virginia. I know she hates crowded rooms, so she's probably starving without lunch and I could use a quiet meal." - he announced, watching my face for any sort of reaction. He was after all inviting himself to lunch with my cousin. But in the light of what just happened, that didn't look like too big of a concern. At least I hope so.

"Yeah sure." - was all I could say from the lack of better words.

Seth nodded and without another word left the dining hall.