HIDDEN ALPHA

~Chapter 6~

I wake up before the alarm goes off.

Which is already suspicious.

I stare at the ceiling for a few seconds, completely still, trying to figure out if it’s worth getting out of bed or if I should just pretend to be dead until Monday.

My head is throbbing slightly.

Not because I’ve had anything to drink.

But because my brain has decided to replay the same scene about a thousand times last night.

The cafeteria.

Cedric.

That stupid word.

Mate.

I pull my pillow over my face.

“No,” I mutter into the material.

I’m not thinking about that today.

Today we’re going to the cabin.

Forest.

Lake.

Campfire.

Completely normal things that don’t involve dangerous Alphas who think they’re bonded to me for life.

Perfect.

I take a deep breath and toss the pillow aside.

In the bed next to me, Otis is sleeping diagonally like a dead starfish.

A blanket is half on the floor, and one of his socks hangs suspiciously over the edge of the bed.

I narrow my eyes.

“How do you manage to…?” I mutter.

From the other bed, Rowan opens one eye.

“He moved three times in his sleep,” he says hoarsely.

“At one point I think he tried to push me off the bed.”

Otis makes a strange noise in his sleep.

Rowan looks at him.

“And he snores like a diesel engine.”

“I hear,” I say.

Otis mumbles something completely unintelligible and pulls the pillow over his head.

Rowan slowly sits up and runs a hand through his hair.

“It’s Saturday.”

“I know.”

“The cabin.”

“I know.”

Rowan studies me for a few seconds.

“You don’t look excited.”

I rub my face.

“I am.”

“You’re lying.”

“You’re lying, too,” I say.

Rowan smiles a little.

Otis suddenly sits up in bed just then.

“CABIN!” he shouts.

I start.

Rowan closes his eyes slowly.

“Good morning to you too.”

Otis looks at us, wide awake now.

“We’re going to the cabin today.”

“We know,” Rowan and I say at the same time.

Otis stands up on the bed.

“FREEDOM!”

“Get down,” Rowan says calmly.

“NO!”

Otis jumps off the bed and almost slips on his sock.

I laugh involuntarily.

Rowan rubs his forehead.

“It’s going to be a long day.”

I regret falling asleep in their room last night.

I get out of bed and stretch a little.

And just then…

I feel something.

Very faintly.

A familiar smell.

I freeze for a split second.

Then I shake my head.

No.

This is not how we start the day.

Absolutely not.

I quickly get up and go to the bathroom.

Maybe a cold shower would throw that feeling away.

I close the door behind me and lean against the sink for a few seconds.

I take a deep breath.

Once.

Twice.

I look up at the mirror.

I look… tired.

Light ringlets, completely disheveled hair, and that expression that clearly says I slept badly.

“Great,” I mutter.

I turn on the shower and let the water run for a few seconds before stepping in.

The cold water hits my shoulders and I immediately flinch.

“Damn,” I hiss through my teeth.

But I stay there.

Maybe if I stay under the cold water long enough, my brain will decide to focus on the fact that I’m freezing and not on…

other things.

Like:

The cafeteria.

Cedric’s look.

The way he said that word.

Mate.

I run my hand through my hair and let the water run down the back of my neck.

No.

There’s no such thing.

Or… at least not for me.

Alpha and Beta are complicated. Everyone knows that.

Sometimes it works. Most of the time it doesn’t.

Plus, he’s Cedric Loxley.

A full-fledged Alpha with a pack to lead in the near future.

I don’t even know how old he is, or if he knows I’m only 19.

The last thing I need in my life is to be tied to him for life.

I turn off the tap more abruptly than necessary and run a towel through my hair.

“Perfect,” I mutter.

Problem solved.

Complete disregard.

Excellent plan.

When I come out of the bathroom, Rowan is standing on the edge of the bed putting on his shoes, and Otis is in front of the closet trying to find a T-shirt.

“Did you die there?” Otis asks without turning around.

“Not yet.”

Rowan looks up at me.

“The buses leave in forty minutes.”

“Perfect.”

Otis takes a T-shirt out of the closet and sniffs it.

He grimaces.

“No.”

He throws the T-shirt on the bed and takes out another one.

Rowan looks at him for a few seconds.

“Tell me you have more than two T-shirts.”

Otis is silent.

Rowan sighs.

“You have two T-shirts.”

“That’s not true,” Otis says defensively.

“I have… three.”

I laugh softly and pull a white T-shirt over my head.

The atmosphere in the room is light.

Normal.

Just what I needed after yesterday.

Otis finally puts on his T-shirt and turns to us with a big smile.

“Guys.”

Rowan rolls his eyes.

“And this is where the drama begins.”

Otis raises a finger.

“Right.”

I grab my phone from the nightstand and put it in my pocket.

“If the drama means pushing you into the lake, I’m all for it.

”

Otis seems very happy with the idea.

“It’s worth it.”

Rowan puts something on.

“Come on. If we’re late, Kane’s going to make us run to the cabin.

”

Otis freezes.

“…you’re kidding.”

Rowan opens the door.

“No.”

Otis is the first one out of the room.

“THEN MOVE!”

Rowan and I look at each other.

Then we start laughing.

And for a few minutes…

I actually forget about my problem.

Unfortunately…

that feeling in my chest comes back just as we step out into the hallway.

Faint.

But there.

Like someone is… close.

Towards the bus, I look at Rowan because I want to ask him something.

"Why are we taking the bus if we're werewolves and we can get there in 5 minutes max.

..it's not a long route, right?" I ask and he brings his gaze to me from the hallway.

"It's much better this way, Idris" he starts and I look at him confused "we don't have to hit each other's paws anymore so this is a treat for us.

And no, it's a giant route. It's close to the lake, so you have to go to the other side which is.

.. a long" he continues and I shake my head.

The morning air is cold when we step outside, but no one seems to notice.

The academy courtyard is already full of students.

Groups everywhere. Laughter. Jokes. Someone even brought a small speaker and music can be heard somewhere in the back.

The atmosphere is completely different from normal days.

Less discipline.

More chaos.

Otis takes a deep, dramatic breath.

“You feel that?” he says.

Rowan doesn’t even look at him.

“If you say freedom one more time…”

“FREEDOM.”

Rowan sighs.

I laugh softly and shove my hands in my pants pockets.

Two large academy buses are parked in front of the building, and the teachers are vaguely trying to organize the crowd.

I say vaguely because no one seems particularly interested in listening.

“I think this is the first weekend Kane hasn’t yelled at anyone,” I say.

“Give him ten minutes,” Rowan replies.

Otis is already looking around the crowd.

“Where’s Emy?”

“She’s probably still asleep,” Rowan says.

Otis looks disappointed.

“How can you sleep when we’re going to the cabin today?

”

“Because some people aren’t hyperactive at seven in the morning,” I say.

Otis completely ignores the comment.

“I swear if I get to the lake first…”

Rowan interrupts:

“No.”

“But…”

“No.”

“But I want to jump off the dock!”

“No.”

Otis turns to me.

“You’re on my side, right?”

I shrug.

“It depends.”

“Why?”

“How deep is the lake?”

Otis pauses.

“…unimportant detail.”

Rowan rubs his forehead.

“He’s going to die.”

“I’m not going to die,” Otis says.

“You tried eating glue in second grade,” Rowan reminds him.

“IT WAS ONCE!”

I laugh again.

For a few moments it’s… easy.

Normal.

Then my instincts decide I can’t have peace for much longer.

Because I can feel it.

I can’t see it yet.

But I can feel it.

The smell hits the air like a sudden jolt.

Calm.

Strong.

Familiar in a way that completely annoys my brain.

I freeze a little.

Rowan notices immediately.

“Idris?”

I blink and look up at him.

“Yes?”

“You made that face.”

I sigh.

“What face?”

Otis immediately replies:

“The problem face.”

“I don’t have the problem face.

”

“You have the problem face.”

Before I can respond, someone shouts from the front:

“Everyone on the buses!”

The crowd immediately begins to move.

Otis instantly lights up.

“First bus!”

“This isn’t a competition,” Rowan says.

Otis is already walking towards him.

“He is!”

Rowan and I follow.

We board the bus with other students, and the noise inside is already loud.

Laughter.

Jokes.

Someone throws a bag of chips across two rows of seats.

Otis immediately finds three empty seats.

“HERE!”

He throws himself onto one of them.

I sit by the window, Rowan next to him.

The bus starts to fill up quickly.

And just when I think maybe this day is going to be…

bearable…

my instincts suddenly kick in.

The smell gets much stronger.

Too close.

I look up without meaning to.

And I see him.

Cedric boards the bus.

He looks at me as he passes and I think he frowns, but then he walks in front of me and I don’t see anything.

I immediately look out the window, as if it’s the most interesting scenery in the world.

It’s not.

It’s just the academy parking lot.

Otis doesn’t notice anything because he’s too busy turning around in his seat to talk to someone in the back.

Rowan, on the other hand, does.

Of course he does.

He looks at me for a few seconds.

Then he looks to the front of the bus.

Then back to me.

“No,” he says quietly.

My eyes narrow.

“Not what?”

“Don’t start.

”

“I’m not starting anything.”

Rowan raises an eyebrow.

“You made that face.”

“There’s no such thing as that face.

”

Otis turns around just then.

“There is.”

“Shut up,” I tell him.

He smiles broadly.

“It was Loxley, right?”

My jaw tightens.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.

”

Otis leans back in his chair, completely interested now.

“Oh, you know.”

Rowan glances at him.

“Otis.”

“What?”

“Leave him.”

Otis pauses dramatically.

“…okay.”

Three seconds later:

“But if we get to the cabin and Loxley..”

Rowan elbows him in the ribs.

“Ow!”

I look out the window again.

The bus finally starts moving, exiting the academy courtyard.

The students in the back are already laughing loudly, someone is playing music on their phone, and the atmosphere is getting even more chaotic.

Otis immediately starts tapping his foot.

“This weekend is going to be brilliant.”

“Or a disaster,” I mutter.

“Both,” Rowan says.

Otis nods seriously.

“Exactly.”

I lean back in my seat a little and try to relax.

Seriously.

I really try.

But my body seems to have other plans.

Because I feel that gaze again.

Its weight.

Like someone is analyzing me.

Slowly.

I look up involuntarily.

Two rows ahead, Cedric is standing by the aisle.

He’s not talking to anyone.

He’s not laughing at anyone.

He’s just sitting there.

And just as I look up

his green eyes meet mine.

It’s like he knew exactly when I was going to look.

I clench my jaw.

He doesn’t look away.

Not even for a second.

Then, very slowly…

the corner of his mouth lifts in a small smile.

As if he knows something I don’t.

---

The bus slows down slowly on the gravel road, and the noise inside immediately increases.

Everyone starts to stand up, look out the window, push their heads over the backs of their chairs.

Otis is the first to lean against the window.

“I’M HERE!”

I haven’t even gotten up yet.

But when I look out the window…

I understand why he’s reacting like this.

We arrive at the cabin that doesn’t look like a cabin at all.

It’s as big as the academy.

Maybe even bigger.

A huge dark wooden building with huge windows and a high roof, and behind it you can see the forest that seems to stretch on forever.

A little further to the right, through the trees, you can also see the lake.

Otis turns to us, his eyes wide.

“This isn’t a cabin.

”

Rowan looks out the window too.

“Technically… it is.”

“No,” Otis says seriously.

“This is a hotel.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Have you been here before?”

Rowan nods.

“Once.”

“And you didn’t say anything?

”

“You didn’t ask.”

Otis looks at him betrayedly.

“Rowan…”

The bus comes to a complete stop.

Immediately everyone starts to stand up.

Noise.

Backpacks.

Voices over voices.

Rowan stands up first.

“Come on, before there’s a traffic jam.

”

Otis jumps to his feet instantly.

“FIRST TO THE LAKE!”

“No,” Rowan and I say at the same time.

We get off the bus with the rest of the students.

The air here is different.

Cooler.

Cleaner.

The smell of the forest, of water, of damp earth.

For a second, my whole body relaxes.

My instincts seem…

satisfied.

Then I smell that smell again.

Strong.

Too close.

I tense my shoulders involuntarily.

Otis is already spinning in circles, scanning the place.

“Guys, there’s a pontoon!”

Rowan grabs his hoodie before running.

“No.”

“But…”

“No.”

Otis sighs dramatically.

I look up at the cabin.

Students are already filing in, teachers are shouting something about rooms and rules.

And just as I take a step forward…

someone stops next to me.

I don’t have to look.

I already know who it is.

The smell is too clear.

Too… familiar.

His voice comes from beside me, low.

“Idris.”

I freeze completely.

Otis and Rowan are already a few steps ahead and don’t notice.

I breathe slowly and turn my head.

Cedric stands next to me, his hands in his pockets, looking straight at the cabin.

Not at me.

But I know he’s paying attention to my every reaction.

“What do you want?” I say softly.

He’s silent for a few seconds.

Then he looks at me.

His green eyes are more intense in the morning light.

“We need to talk.”

A short laugh escapes me.

“No.”

I try to walk past him.

But his hand grips my wrist lightly.

Not tightly.

But enough to stop me.

My instincts react instantly.

I pull my hand back.

“Don’t touch me.”

Cedric freezes for a split second.

Something dark crosses his expression.

But it quickly disappears.

“Idris..”

“No,” I say firmly.

"There is no Idris and Cedric. Do you understand?

"

Silence.

For a few seconds we just look at each other.

Then he says quietly:

"This is not just up to you. "

At that moment, Otis's voice is heard from ahead:

"IDRIS!

"

I turn my head.

Otis waves from the steps of the cabin.

"COME SEE THE ROOM!"

Perfect.

My salvation.

I look at Cedric one last time.

"It depends.

"

Then I turn and climb the steps.

But even as I enter the cabin…

I feel his gaze on me.

---

So glad I'm the only one in the room here.

"It's not fair! Come sleep with us, I'll stay on the floor" Otis comments and Rowan hits him.

"Let him breathe" he whispers and I huff as I put my backpack on the bed.

The room isn't anything special, a medium-sized room with a tiny bathroom, but it's everything I want, and some other essentials.

I turn to them and take off my shirt.

"Let's go to the water. It's June and it's too hot in my room," I say and open a window before we go outside the room.

"Finally!" Otis murmurs and Rowan puts his hand to his head.

I understand him perfectly.

We walk down the steps of the cabin and immediately I feel that the air by the lake is warmer than by the forest. The sun is beating directly on the water, and the surface of the lake is so bright that I have to blink a few times.

We arrive at the small beach by the lake.

The sand is warm underfoot, and the water seems incredibly clear.

A few students are already in the water, swimming or splashing around.

Two girls are lying on towels in the sun, talking to each other, and a few guys are sitting by the trees with bottles of tonic water and cigarettes.

The atmosphere is relaxed.

Way too relaxed.

Otis takes off his shirt as he walks and throws it directly into Rowan’s arms.

Rowan catches him reflexively.

He looks at the shirt.

Then at Otis.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the leader of the group,” Otis says very seriously.

Rowan sighs so deeply that it seems like he’s lost faith in life.

I take off my shirt too and throw it on the sand next to my backpack.

Otis turns to face the lake.

“OK!”

He raises his arms dramatically.

“HISTORIC MOMENT!”

Rowan says calmly,

“No.”

Otis is already running towards the dock.

“OTIS,” Rowan says.

Too late.

Otis reaches the end of the dock and jumps into the lake with a dramatic shout.

A huge SPLASH is heard.

Water jumps over the edges.

I laugh involuntarily.

A few seconds later, his head pops up.

“IT’S COLD!”

“SHOCKY,” Rowan says.

Otis turns to face us from the water.

“Come on!”

I approach the edge of the dock, looking at the water.

It looks… good.

Cool.

Just what I needed.

But just as I’m about to jump,

my instincts kick in again.

Strong.

Much stronger than before.

My breath hitches for a split second.

I can feel him.

Behind me.

Too close.

Rowan notices immediately.

“Idris?”

But I already know.

I don’t even have to turn around.

His voice comes calmly, low, right behind me.

“You shouldn’t jump.”

I clench my jaw.

“It’s none of your business.”

Behind me, a footstep sounds on the wood of the dock.

Almost there.

“The water’s cold,” he says.

“Thanks for the tip.”

Otis screams from the water:

"IT'S SO COLD!

"

I completely ignore the comment.

I finally turn around.

Cedric stands just a meter away from me.

The sun lights his green eyes, and his expression is…

difficult to read.

He doesn’t look angry.

But neither does he look calm.

More…

focused.

On me.

“You didn’t sleep well,” he says.

I narrow my eyes.

“You started guessing too?”

He inhales lightly.

“I felt you.”

My heart skips an annoying beat.

“That’s not how it works.”

“Yeah,” he says simply.

Otis appears by the dock, leaning against the edge.

“What are you two doing? Flirting or arguing?”

“Neither,” I say.

“Both,” Cedric says at the same time.

Otis smiles broadly.

“Interesting.”

“Otis,” Rowan says from the beach.

“What?”

“Back in the water.”

Otis sighs dramatically and lowers himself back into the lake.

I turn back to Cedric.

“Seriously,” I say quietly.

“Leave me alone.”

Silence.

For a second I think he’s going to leave.

But Cedric takes a step closer.

So close that I can feel his body heat.

His voice is lower now.

“I can’t.

”

“You can.”

He shakes his head slightly.

“Not when you’re six feet away from me and every instinct in me says you’re mine.

”

I feel heat rising in my chest.

Anger.

Panic.

And something much more dangerous.

“I’m not,” I say through clenched teeth.

Cedric looks at me for a few long seconds.

Then he says quietly,

“Then why is your heart beating so fast?”

“Because I was going to jump in the water, you idiot,” I comment and dive into the water.

Freezing

Otis was right about the water being cold.

Cedric looks at me and frowns a little, looking...nervous. Maybe.

I don't care, or I try not to.

I stand there for a few seconds, not moving.

Seriously.

Why the hell is this lake so cold?

Otis appears next to me, floating on his back like he’s on vacation on a tropical island.

“I told you,” he says proudly.

“Shut up,” I mutter, rubbing water on my face.

On the dock, Rowan stands with his arms crossed, looking at us like a tired professor.

“If one of you gets hypothermia, I’m not jumping in after you.

”

“You’re lying,” Otis says.

“I’m not.

”

“You jumped in after me when I fell in the river last year.”

Rowan pauses.

“It was a moment of weakness.”

I laugh softly and run a hand through my wet hair.

Then, without meaning to, I look up at the dock.

And that’s when I see him.

Cedric sits down on the edge of the dock, his long legs dangling over the water.

He’s just taking off his tank top and leaving it next to him on the wood.

For a second… my brain decides to stop working.

Seriously.

Because Cedric Loxley looks…

ridiculously good.

Broad shoulders, strong arms, defined muscles without looking exaggerated.

His skin is lightly tanned, and the sunlight reflects off the water and casts shadows across his abs.

I swallow.

I immediately look away.

Then, like a complete idiot, I look back.

Otis notices instantly.

“Ohhh.”

He flashes me a wide smile.

“Did you see that too.”

“What?” I say defensively.

Otis raises an overly dramatic eyebrow.

“Alpha boy on the dock.”

I splash water in his face.

“Shut up.”

He laughs and dives for a second before surfacing again. .

On the dock, Cedric seems completely relaxed.

But just as I look up again..

his green eyes move straight to me.

He’s got me.

Perfect.

I clench my jaw and pretend to be very interested in…

water.

Very… interesting water.

From the water, Otis’s voice comes out:

“I don’t think water is that fascinating.

”

I elbow him underwater.

“Get out.”

He laughs.

On the dock, Cedric rests his palms on the wood and leans forward a little.

“Idris.”

His voice reaches us across the water.

I look up, annoyed.

“What?”

“Get out of the water.”

I blink.

“No.”

Otis starts laughing again.

Cedric narrows his eyes a little.

“The water’s too cold.

”

“It’s none of your business.”

Rowan, from the beach, says calmly,

“He’s right.

”

I turn my head to him.

“And you?”

“Your shoulders are shaking.”

Otis studies me.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Traitors,” I mutter.

Cedric sighs softly, then does something I don’t expect.

He stands up on the dock.

For a split second, everyone at the lake seems to stop.

Because Cedric has the kind of presence that commands attention without trying.

Otis murmurs,

“Okay… wow.”

I ignore him.

Cedric takes two steps toward the edge of the dock.

Then he jumps into the water.

Right next to me.

The water explodes in a big splash, and the wave hits me square in the face.

“Hey!” I protest.

Cedric surfaces less than a meter from me.

Water runs down his hair and face, and he slowly pushes his wet hair back.

“Now it’s my problem,” he says calmly.

Otis turns to Rowan on the beach and gives him a thumbs up.

“It’s getting complicated.

”

Rowan covers his face with his hand.

I look at Cedric, irritated.

“You’re impossible.

”

He stares at me for a few seconds.

Then he says very simply,

“I know.”

And for a stupid moment…

I realize he’s way too close.

I freeze a little in the water.

Too close.

So close that if I reached out… I could touch him.

The cold water hits my chest, but suddenly it doesn’t seem so cold anymore.

Cedric doesn’t look away.

Not at all.

His green eyes are much darker from up close, and his wet hair falls a little over his forehead.

I take a deep breath and look away.

“Please tell me you didn’t just jump in to piss me off.

”

“No.”

I pause.

“You’re lying. ”

He shrugs slightly.

“A little.”

Otis appears between us, floating like an extremely happy seal.

“So… is this the romantic tension everyone’s talking about?

”

I splash water right in his face.

“Disappear.”

Otis laughs and dives back in.

Cedric doesn’t react to any of this.

He just looks at me.

Seriously.

Too seriously.

“Idris,” he says quietly.

“No.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.

”

“I know what you mean.”

He tilts his head slightly.

“Then you say it.”

I clench my jaw.

“There’s no checkmate between us. ”

That word sounds strange even when I say it.

Cedric doesn’t seem surprised.

He just studies me.

“You feel the connection.”

“No.”

“You’re lying.

”

“I’m not lying.”

He steps a little closer.

Seriously.

How much personal space can a man ignore?

The water moves gently around us as he approaches.

He’s less than two feet away now.

“Your heart says something else,” he murmurs.

“My heart says the water is cold.”

Cedric narrows his eyes.

Behind us, Otis emerges from the water again and whispers exaggeratedly loud:

“Rowan, I think they’re going to kiss.

”

From the beach, Rowan responds instantly:

“Otis, if you don’t shut up…

”

“WHAT?”

“I’ll drown you.”

Otis grins.

“It’s worth it.”

I completely ignore their theatrics.

Or try to.

Because Cedric is still there.

Too close.

And that's when my instincts do something extremely annoying.

They quiet down.

Completely.

As if his presence is... right.

Which is ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

I step back into the water.

“No.”

Cedric notices immediately.

“No what?”

“We’re not doing this.

”

“What?”

“Whatever.”

He’s silent for a few seconds.

Then he says very calmly,

“You don’t have to do anything.

”

I narrow my eyes.

“Then why don’t you leave me alone?

”

Cedric stares at me for a long time.

Seriously.

Then he says quietly,

“Because if I leave you alone… I’ll get close to someone else.

”

I blink.

“And?”

His jaw tightens.

“I don’t want that.”

I let out a short laugh.

“None of your business.”

Silence.

The water moves gently around us.

Otis is floating further away now, but he’s still clearly spying on us.

Cedric takes another step closer.

Now we’re almost touching.

His voice drops.

“He is.”

I look up at him.

“Why?”

Cedric looks at me for a few long seconds.

Then he says very simply:

“Because if anyone touches you… I’m going to have a problem with that.

”

My heart skips a stupid leap.

I cross my arms in the water.

“That sounds like a personal problem.”

“It is.”

Behind me, Otis whispers again:

“Oh, he’s jealous.

”

Rowan answers again from the beach:

“OTIS SHUT THE FUCK UP.”

“YES?”

“Get out of the water.”

“WHY?”

“Now.”

Otis sighs dramatically and starts swimming toward the dock.

I look at Cedric.

“You have no right..”

But just then…

A man appears and shouts:

"Cedric Loxley come here right now" the man says in a dominant tone and Cedric immediately turns and climbs onto the pontoon walking towards that man.

I stand motionless in the water for a few seconds, looking towards the pontoon.

Cedric climbs out of the lake without saying anything.

The water flows down his shoulders and back as he approaches the man who just shouted.

The entire beach seems to have calmed down a bit.

Not completely.

But enough so that I notice several students looking in their direction.

I narrow my eyes.

The man looks… strangely familiar.

Not in the sense that I've seen him before.

In the sense that he looks too much like Cedric.

The same dark brown hair.

The same jawline.

The same green gaze, but colder.

And the posture.

The exact same stiff posture, of an Alpha who is used to being listened to.

Cedric stops in front of him on the dock.

He says nothing.

The man doesn’t even try to speak more slowly.

“What are you doing here?” he says harshly.

“You’re wasting time when you should be getting ready.

”

Everyone around the lake can hear.

Cedric stands tall.

“I came with the other students.”

The man crosses his arms.

“You’re not like the other students.

”

Silence.

Otis emerges from the water next to me and whispers:

“Okay… the atmosphere has changed.”

I don’t answer.

Because the man continues.

“You have a pack to lead one day. Don’t sit on the dock with the kids.

”

A few heads turn immediately.

Small murmurs appear on the beach.

Cedric tightens his jaw.

“I’m at the academy.

”

“And that means you have time to waste?” the man says.

His tone is sharp.

Dominant.

The kind of voice that’s used to being listened to without comment.

Otis murmurs softly,

“Who the hell is this…”

Cedric doesn’t answer right away.

But I can see the tension in his shoulders.

“I’m not doing anything wrong.”

The man stares at him for a long time.

Then he says, loud enough for the entire beach to hear:

“Then explain to me why you’re sitting here instead of preparing to become a true Alpha.

”

A louder murmur is heard.

Cedric clenches his fists for a second.

Then he just says,

“I’m done.”

His tone is controlled.

Cold.

The man studies him for a few seconds.

Then he nods briefly.

“See you tonight.”

He turns and walks back to the cabin without saying anything else.

Cedric stays on the dock.

Still.

A few good seconds.

The atmosphere on the beach slowly returns to normal.

People start talking again, laughing, moving.

But I’m still looking at the dock.

Because something about the way Cedric is standing…

doesn’t seem right.

“Idris,” Rowan says from the beach.

I swim to shore and climb out of the water, grabbing a towel from the sand.

Rowan looks at me calmly.

“What?” I glance back at the dock.

“Who’s that guy?”

Rowan looks back at the cabin, where the man has already disappeared.

He pauses.

Then he says simply:

“The Headmaster.”

I blink.

“The headmaster of the academy?”

Rowan nods slowly.

“Headmaster Loxley.”

For a second my brain doesn’t process.

Then the pieces fall into place.

Loxley.

I look back at the dock.

Cedric.

Green eyes.

Brown hair.

Same posture.

“Wait,” I say quietly.

Rowan raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

“That’s…

”

“His dad.”

Otis stops squeezing the water out of his hair.

“Oh.”

Silence for a few seconds.

Otis looks back at the dock.

“Okay… that explains a lot.”

I don’t say anything.

Because Cedric is still standing there.

Alone.

On the dock.

And I think this is the first time he’s…

not in control at all.