The Rejected Alpha (Book 1 of the Rejected Series)

Chapter 55

I was working on my schoolwork when my phone rang, and I bit back a groan of annoyance because it was the phone for the Viper, meaning that someone was trying to wake me up.

I tossed the pencil onto my desk and picked up my phone. "What?" I asked, sounding groggy. "Why the fuck are you waking me up this fucking early?"

The person on the other end of the line was silent for a second before they cleared their throat. "It is nearly three thirty in the afternoon, Miss Viper," the person, Bryant, said. "You should be awake."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes. "On whose standards, Doll?" I asked, and I could tell that he bristled when I called him that. I grinned, loving that I was able to make him mad, even though we were not close together.

"Society," he replied coldly. "It means that you have to follow the rules. You can't sleep in until whatever time like this. You have to make money a-"

"And, I don't have to follow your rules of society," I said, interrupting him, and he growled in warning. "I am a fucking adult, Love. If I want to sleep in until five o'clock in the afternoon, then I can. I still work, I still pay my bills; I just like to sleep in the morning and work at night. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going back to bed, and you can go to hell. Good night."

And with that, I hung up the phone and slammed the phone onto my desk just as there was a knock on my door. "Enter," I said and moved a hand across my face before I laid it on the desk.

The door opened and my grandmother walked in. She stayed silent while she closed the door behind her and walked over to me. "Tea?" she asked when she got to my side, and I looked at her from the corner of my eye with a scowl on my face.

I didn't say a word while I looked at her, silently wondering why she was here and if there was another motive than offering me a cup of tea.

"Hmph," my grandmother said and placed the tea on my desk. "How are you holding up?" she asked and cocked her head while she studied me.

I didn't reply and blinked, and she chuckled.

"That bad, huh?" she asked and moved a hand through my hair, and I absentmindedly closed my eyes and enjoyed her warmth and company. "You need some sleep, Alex, Dear," she said. "You can worry about school and everyone else later."

"But I did sleep," I said, even though it didn't leave me feeling as refreshed as it could have because someone decided to change my memories of something to do with a symbol that I had seen. "And I have a lot of work that needs to be done. Not to mention that I have a meeting to go to tonight and make sure that my mate stays out of trouble."

My grandmother stopped running a hand through my hair and sighed. "That was not sleep," she said, and I opened one eye and looked at her. She had a scowl on her face while she looked at the desk, anger and power filling her eyes, and again, I was reminded as to why I should not mess with her.

"Then what was it?" I asked and lifted my head from my desk while I stared at my grandmother. "What happened last night? Where were you?"

My grandmother didn't respond to my questions and let her hand fall to her side. She stared at me with intelligent brown eyes and studied me almost as if she was trying to find the secrets that I hid from her and others. "What do you remember?" she asked instead.

I pursed my lips in annoyance but decided to answer her question truthfully. "After going to my room after having a "chat" with Salem, nothing," I replied. I moved a hand across my face and pursed my lips further. "There's something else that I am not remembering, but I do not know what it is."

"Hmph," my grandmother replied, and for some reason, she sounded disappointed.

I moved my hand from my face and stared at her weirdly. "Grams?" I asked and raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what happened to me? Why do I feel like something is missing from my memory?"

My grandmother didn't reply and dipped her head. She didn't say a word while she studied me, trying to find out what secrets I hid from her and why.

I didn't say a word while I stared at her, making sure to keep my face neutral and uninterested but hiding the nervousness I felt underneath.

I had no idea how dangerous my grandmother was, nor what she was capable of, but I had a feeling that she was dangerous enough to make whoever Bryant worked for nervous.

"Hmph," my grandmother said and pressed her lips into a thin line. She cleared her throat and looked away from me. "I do not know what you are talking about," she said and looked toward me again.

I frowned and narrowed my eyes slightly, letting her know that I didn't believe her.

Again, my grandmother cleared her throat and looked away from me. "Drink your tea. Are you going out tonight?" she asked, again.

I huffed and took the cup of tea off of my desk before I started to drink it. "I am," I confirmed after a sip. "I'll be fine," I said, noticing the dissatisfied look on her face.

"Hmph," my grandmother said and dipped her head closer to her chest while she studied me. "And where will you be going?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Meeting someone to get some information," I replied, not stating who I was meeting and when I was to arrive home. I took another sip of my tea and cleared my throat. "And what will you be doing?"

"I will be here," she replied, and I had a feeling that she wouldn't be in the house. "I don't have anyone to meet and will spend my time alone."

"Who are you going to meet?" I asked, knowing that she was lying. I raised my hand when she opened her mouth because I knew what she was going to say. "My plans aren't going to change because you are meeting someone too and not staying home as you should, Grams," I said. "However, I want to make sure that you are going to be safe, especially since there are those that seem to know who you are."

"Hmph." My grandmother smiled and patted my arm. "I am protected, Dear," she said, not going into detail about how she was protected. "Now, finish your tea. Horus said that you should finish it before you leave tonight."

"Who is Horus, exactly?" I asked and took another sip of my tea. "Why is he interested in our family, and why do you get stuff from him?"

Something in my grandmother's look changed while she smiled sadly, and she looked fragile and old, not her usual confident, young self. "That I can't say," she said with a small hum in her voice and patted my arm apologetically.

Her voice quivered just a little, and I bristled slightly, not a fan of seeing my grandmother so upset and old. "Trust Horus with whatever information you find or can't find. He'll keep it, and you, safe from everyone and make sure that no one knows what you know."

"Even you?"

She slowly nodded. "Even me," she replied and cleared her throat while she grew serious. "I can not say a word about what I am doing and who Horus is or what he means to our family. I am not allowed."

"By who?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.

My grandmother smiled sadly and shook her head. "Even then, I can't say, but I am sure that you can find out by using your... connections." She winked and smirked, silently telling me that it was fine for me to find out on my own but to make sure that no one else knew what I knew.

I placed the tea down and leaned back in my seat, much to my grandmother's distaste. "And any questions that I may come across?"

"You'll have to find those answers on your own," she said. "Now, finish up your tea and get your school work finished so that you won't have to worry about it when you go out tonight."

"And you?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be fine. If I need you, I'll call you."

I nodded while I pressed my lips into a thin line. "Ok," I said.

My grandmother nodded and left, leaving me alone to finish my tea and work before I had to leave and get actual work done.

Goddess please make sure that she stays safe, please.

I can't lose her, too...