Charis
Kael’s roar shook the walls before I had ti to blink.
He moved so fast I barely saw it. One second, he was beside ; the next, he was airborne, diving straight at Rhett with his fist already swinging.
The punch connected with Rhett’s jaw with a sickening crack. The two of them collided with a crash so loud it rattled the vases on the dresser. Rhett stumbled backwards, hitting the wall hard but only for a second before grabbing Kael by the collar and slamming him against the wall.
"Kael, stop!" I scread, moving towards them.
But Kael wasn’t stopping. He grabbed Rhett by the shirt and threw another punch, this one catching Rhett in the ribs. I heard the breath whoosh out of Rhett’s lungs.
Rhett recovered quickly. He shoved Kael back and swung his own punch, catching Kael across the cheekbone. Blood sprayed from Kael’s split skin.
They crashed into a decorative table. It collapsed under their weight, sending a vase shattering across the floor. Neither of them seed to notice.
"Guys! Please!" I yelled.
Kael landed three rapid punches to Rhett’s stomach. Rhett doubled over, then ca back up with an uppercut that snapped Kael’s head back: more blood—this ti from Kael’s nose.
"Stop it!" I was screaming now, but they couldn’t hear . Or they didn’t care.
Rhett grabbed Kael and threw him against the wall. Kael’s head hit with a thud that made feel sick. But Kael just shook it off and dove at Rhett again, tackling him to the ground.
They rolled across the floor, fists flying. Kael got on top and rained punches down on Rhett’s face. Rhett blocked most of them, but so got through. His lip split. His eye started swelling.
Rhett bucked his hips and reversed their positions. Now he was on top, and his fist ca down hard on Kael’s already bleeding face, three tis.
Kael’s nose was definitely broken now. Blood poured down his face, onto his shirt, onto the floor. But he didn’t stop fighting. He brought his knee up hard into Rhett’s side—the sa spot where his ribs were already bruised.
Rhett cried out and rolled off. Both boys scrambled to their feet, circling each other like wild animals. Both were breathing hard, both covered in blood and bruises.
"You son of a bitch," Kael snarled, spitting blood. "If you think I’ll let Charis stay behind, then you must be stupid."
"I am only trying to keep her safe!" Rhett shot back, wiping blood from his split lip. "You think you’re the only one who cares about her?"
"You care about her?" Kael scoffed. "You nearly let her die."
Rhett froze for half a second, his expression darkening. "Watch your mouth."
"Or what?" Kael taunted, wiping his bloodied lip. "You’ll run to your father again?"
That was all it took for Rhett to swing again, and Kael t him head-on.
They collided in the middle of the room, grappling, punching, and kicking. A lamp went flying. Picture fras crashed to the floor. Blood sprayed across the white walls.
Kael stumbled back, clutching his side, while Rhett followed through, but Kael caught his wrist midair and twisted, sending Rhett crashing into the dresser. The mirror shattered, its glass spraying across the room.
"ENOUGH!"
The Alpha command hit like a physical force. Both boys froze mid-swing, their fists inches from each other’s faces.
Alpha Terry and Alpha Raymond ran into the room from opposite directions. Terry’s eyes blazed with fury. Raymond looked shocked and appalled.
"What the hell is going on here?" Terry demanded.
Neither boy answered. They were still locked in their fighting stances, muscles trembling with the effort to resist the Alpha’s command.
Terry looked at the destruction—the broken furniture, the blood, the chaos—and his eyes landed on , standing frozen at the corner of the room.
"This is your fault," he said, pointing at . His voice was cold and accusing. "You’re fueling a feud between them. Pitting them against each other. Making them fight over you like animals."
"I didn’t—" I started, but my voice ca out small and weak.
"Don’t bla her," Kael interrupted, his words slightly slurred from his swollen mouth. "Your son is an asshole. That’s not her fault."
"How dare you—"
"And I heard what you said." Kael turned to face Alpha Terry fully, blood still dripping from his face. "That Charis isn’t going with us. Well, I have news for you. If she doesn’t go, I don’t go."
The room went silent.
"Kael," Raymond said carefully, "this mission is dangerous. We need everyone focused—"
"Then let her co," Kael said flatly. "She’s Slater’s mate. She has more right to be there than any of us."
"She’s untrained," Terry argued. "She’ll be a liability."
"That’s on to worry about, Alpha Terry." Kael wiped blood from his nose. "And I’m not going without her. That’s final."
He turned and walked out of the room, leaving bloody footprints behind him.
I stood on the stairs, feeling everyone’s eyes on . The guilt was crushing. This was my fault. The fight, the tension, everything. If I wasn’t here, if I wasn’t complicating their lives—
"Charis."
I looked up. Alpha Raymond was watching with an unreadable expression.
"I’d like to speak with you," he said quietly. "Privately. Take so ti to change into appropriate clothes. et on the rooftop in fifteen minutes."
It wasn’t a request.
Terry started to protest. "Raymond, we don’t have ti for—"
"This won’t take long," Raymond said firmly. Then he looked at . "Fifteen minutes."
He left. Terry glared at one more ti, then followed. The other warriors cleared out, leaving alone in the destroyed room with Rhett, who was slowly picking himself up off the floor.
"Charis—" he started.
"Don’t," I said, my voice shaking. "Just don’t. I want to think you’re the rational one in the group, but every ti you do sothing that leaves speechless."
"Oh, so you’re going to bla now?" Rhett jabbed at his chest, staring at with surprise. "I want to be loved, too, Charis. I want to be kissed and made love to all fucking day. I am your mate too, why don’t you ever maintain the sa energy you dish out with Kael."
"Rhett..." I said calmly. "Please leave, I won’t do this with you."
We stared quietly for a few minutes before he sighed and said, "Listen, I know you’re angry with right now, but if you have any love for yourself and value for your life, please don’t co with us. Please... I beg you."
I didn’t say anything, I just turned my back towards him.
After another deep sigh, he walked out of the room, finally leaving alone. I picked my way through the glass shards, ignoring the sharp pain I felt from the errant strands that pierced under my foot towards the door.
I closed the door and picked my way back across the room, then sat on the edge of the bed, letting the tears flow freely.
Once more, I was being disregarded. Once more, people were making decisions about my life without asking what I wanted. Rhett had sided with his father. Terry had blad for everything. And now Raymond wanted to "talk," which probably ant more accusations, more bla, more reasons why I wasn’t good enough for his son.
Nobody was interested in my thoughts. Nobody cared what I wanted. I was just a problem to be managed, a complication to be dealt with.
And it hurt. God, it hurt so much.
I cried until I had no more tears left. Then I washed my face, changed into clean clothes—simple jeans and a sweater—and headed for the rooftop.
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