Chapter 112: I Choose Tristan
Andria’s POV
And just as I drew closer to the courtyard, I found out that the courtyard was nearly empty as I made my way toward the gates.
Where did all the students who usually hung out in groups, gossiping with each other?. I shrugged off the gnawing feeling.
Maybe they were in the cafeteria, library or their respective dorms, or probably Mel’s news had affected them.
The air carried a chill, the kind that crept into your skin and made the hairs on your arms rise. My instincts prickled, whispering that something wasn’t right.
Then they appeared.
Three enormous wolves padded silently from the shadow of the trees, their fur bristling, their eyes gleaming with intent.
They looked exactly like the kind of wolves Mel had described in her book; these were wolves who moved with purpose, their hulking bodies blocking my path completely.
My heart slammed against my ribs. I knew that look, that same cold determination. This was how they had taken Mel.
One of them growled low, the sound reverberating through the air. "You are done for today. Now, where are your three royal guards?
Another said, "I can’t see them anywhere. That means you are left to our mercy."
"You picked the wrong person," I whispered, my hands curling into fists. Athena’s voice rose like fire in my chest, "We are going to kick butts, fight!"
When the first wolf lunged, I sidestepped, slamming my elbow into its jaw with a satisfying crack.
Another tried to circle me, and I swung my bag like a weapon, catching it across the muzzle. My pulse pounded, every move sharpened by adrenaline.
But they were three, and from the looks of it, they were Betas. Their sheer size pressed me back step by step, until I felt my balance faltering.
"No," I snarled, ducking beneath a swipe of claws. "You won’t take me like you took her!"
The biggest one lunged again, and this time I braced myself for the impact.
"You mean your friend Mel, we had such a great time with her, after we had subdued her," He said, showing off his dirty dentition. "And we will do the same with you."
A blur of motion cut through the air, faster than my eyes could follow. A wolf yelped, slammed to the ground by a force that wasn’t me.
Another blur. Another yelp.
And then, standing between me and the attackers, were the Alpha successors.
Aven’s aura burned calm and unshakable, his posture commanding.
Damon’s eyes glistened with pure rage, his smirk nowhere in sight. It was replaced with deadly seriousness.
And Tristan, Tristan’s eyes locked with mine for just a heartbeat before he pivoted, claws extended, shoving back the last wolf with a roar.
The attackers faltered under their combined strength. Within moments, they turned tail, vanishing back into the treeline as quickly as they had come.
The silence that followed was deafening. My breath came in ragged pulls, my fists trembling.
For the first time, I didn’t feel like denying it. I didn’t feel like arguing or resisting the truth. They had saved me.
I swallowed hard, meeting their expectant gazes. "Thank you," I said, my voice steadier than I expected. "For coming to my rescue."
Damon arched a brow, the corner of his mouth twitching as though he wanted to grin but resisted. Aven only gave a slow nod, as though he’d been waiting for those words.
But it was Tristan’s face I couldn’t look away from. There was no smugness there, no teasing glint, just relief.
I told you that you don’t have to go there alone, it’s not safe yet. Tracy’s friends aren’t happy; therefore, you should tread carefully," he reprimanded. "I had told you that you aren’t so untouchable."
"If we hadn’t come, I don’t want to think of what could have happened to you," Aven added.
"I already said thank you, I just don’t want any of you babysitting me around," I said in a low tone, an embarrassing blush appearing on my face.
"For now, we are going to have to babysit you, little wolf," Damon replied, a smug look appearing on his face.
"We are going to head to the hospital with you, so brace yourself to be our baby for the coming weeks," Aven added.
"I can only go with Tristan," I said sternly. A look of jealousy and disappointment appeared on their faces as they turned to look at a grinning Tristan.
Their faces had a lot of questions, but they suddenly masked them. "You can do whatever pleases you, Ari," Damon said nonchalantly, but I could hear a pang of pain laced in his voice.
I was still so angry with Damon and Aven because they hadn’t apologized for what they did in mathematics class, and I wouldn’t take Tristan’s apology as a general apology on their behalf.
They turned and left Tristan, each patting him on the back, like he had stolen from them, but they had chosen to forgive him, or he had betrayed them or had won a trophy they couldn’t win, but they had all competed for.
And I wasn’t about to tell them what they did wrong; they seem too arrogant to even ask or talk about it.
"Why did you reject going with Damon and Aven?" Tristan asked, his brow slightly raised in curiosity as we headed to the hospital.
"Let’s say it’s because they have refused to know that they offended me, and I deserve an apology after that stunt they pulled in mathematics class," I replied to him.
He nodded his head in realization. "Well, that’s feisty, little wolf."
We walked in silence, stealing glances at each other from time to time.
"Your friend Mel, what actually made her want to end her life?" he asked with concern etched on his face.
"You already know partly why. The remaining reason why I chose to keep it to myself is that it’s confidential," I replied.
"To my best knowledge, Tracy and Alexa were a part of her reasons, and from the conversation I heard from those wolves who had attacked you earlier, they were a part too, and they work for Tracy and Alexa," Tristan said, as if he was expecting me to nod in affirmation.
"Yes, but there’s more to that...