The Tribute (Clexa)

Chapter 7

Clarke started growling when she heard the doctor calling her out. She had hoped that if she pretended to be asleep that they would all leave her alone.

She opened her eyes to find three people smiling down at her, although Lexa's smile looked sheepish. She turned her head and closed her eyes again, her omega growl increasing in volume.

"Is she growling?" Indra asked with a chortle. "She sounds like that runty kitten you found all those years ago."

"I think she sounds more like a chirping bird." Nyko lifted the omega's wrist and took her pulse. "Open your eyes strik (little) omega. No use keeping them closed now."

Clarke let out a huff of air. She was embarrassed for having hurt herself, but even more, she was angry at the people standing in the room.

"Go float yourself," she snarled.

"That's the spirit," Indra teased. "I don't know what that means, but at least you aren't cowering away from us anymore."

Clarke's growling stopped. It was true. Her anger had superseded her fear, and it felt good. What didn't feel good was her renewed headache.

"It means fuck off. You know what that means, right?" Now Clarke was frowning.

Indra belted out a laugh. "An omega worthy of our Lexa."

Clarke started growling again. She didn't feel worthy of anyone, but she didn't let them know that. "Worthy, maybe, but not of her. I will never mate her." She pointed her finger at the alpha.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't for Indra's smile to widen. "You've got yourself feisty one, mous (almost) Heda."

Clarke was breathing hard, and it made her head hurt. She was angry, and it was such a unique sensation for her to feel that way.

All her life, she'd been put down, made to feel ashamed of who she was, and literally cast out of her society. She'd felt anger before, but all her other emotions had always covered up her resentment. It was as if suddenly hitting her head again scrambled up what she was feeling.

She had no doubt that in the light of day, she would regret and fear the consequences of the anger she was feeling, but just then, she was almost relishing how she was feeling, even if the people in the room were making fun of her.

They were making fun of her, and sadly, that was something she was used to too. She was so used to it, in fact, that it usually didn't hurt her feelings anymore.

She glared at the beta woman and the doctor, and then she looked at the alpha. She was mistaken. The alpha wasn't making fun of her. No, Lexa looked uncomfortable, apologetic, and unbearably sad, and she hadn't said a word since the blonde had started growling.

Clarke locked eyes with the green-eyed alpha, and she was shocked when the alpha looked away first. Somehow the alpha that had her trembling earlier looked deflated and almost small, and Clarke knew that it was her fault. She didn't understand why she unexpectedly felt bad about that.

Lexa was an alpha, and except for her father, Clarke found all alphas to be the same. They were arrogant, noncaring, selfish, and brutish, so why now was she feeling bad for the winner of the Conclave, the woman, who by rights could claim her?

Clarke didn't understand her wildly fluctuating emotions, and it made her lash out, something else she had never done before. "Can't you leave me alone?"

Nyko smiled kindly but said, "That depends."

"On what?" Clarke snapped.

"Did you eat?"