The Alpha Trials

Chapter 14

The moment the door had closed behind Beta Logan and Dariya, Captain Sorenson burst out in laughter that made me flinch away from him. His wild grin had finally faded away, being replaced by a savage laughter that both chilled me to the bone, and somehow made me want to laugh alongside him.

"What's so funny, Tyler? Couldn't you have held your thoughts in for a moment longer?" Tristan asked in a sigh, his voice sounding so disappointed and fatherly when compared to his earlier threatening tone that it made me do a double take.

Was this actually happening? Were these two men actually being real right now? Was this some kind of messed up inside joke that I wasn't in on?

The Captain snorted one more laugh and ran a hand through his light colored hair. "What isn't there to laugh about, Tristan? For starters, your little mate only grew some backbone once another female was involved in going to see you. I've never seen such a flip in authority in my life. Secondly, the way that you just felt the need to threaten the poor new girl within inches of her life was also funny," he said, pausing to take a moment of thought before he spoke again. "Then again, it was probably only funny to me because I know you're a real softie at heart."

I expected Tristan to growl, or at least to do something towards the Captain as a punishment for his words. But he only smiled faintly and let out a soft laugh of his own.

"Sorenson, you never fail to amaze me, my old friend," he sighed, before turning his eyes to me. "I trust that Tyler took care of you today, and that he wasn't too much of a pain on the walk over here. I do know that he has the occasional flare for drama."

I stared at Tristan with my mouth opened wide, but no words coming out. What was there for me to say at this point?

"Tristan, I dare say we stunned your mate into silence. Not that she's loud mouthed to start with, but oh goddess does she like to talk back to me when I say something that rubs her the wrong way," he grinned, his green colored eyes seeming to shine in the halflight of the room.

Despite my mate standing a few feet away, I couldn't help but smile back at the friendly words of the only man who had shown me any form of kindness since coming to the trials.

Sure I had Ryker looking out for me during our training, but he didn't really treat me like his equal. If anything he looked after me in the same way he would a child.

"Captain Sorenson, you have a very loud mouth, and I'm starting to get the feeling that you like to talk only for the sake of hearing your own voice," I snapped back at him, causing another grin to start working its way onto his handsome face.

"Please, moon goddess above, when it's just the three of us here, call me Tyler. My title means little to nothing coming out of your mouth. Besides, you're going to outrank me within the next year anyways, so there's barely a reason for you to be so formal with me now."

I couldn't help my small smile. There was just something about him that was so infuriating and yet so charming at the same time. It was easy to see why Tristan had chosen him for this position. Compared to Logan and my mate, it was Tyler who had the most outgoing personality. It would be him that the soldiers and common people of the pack flocked too when they really needed something.

Tristan finally stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder, sending chills down my spine and causing my poor heart to race.

"Alright Tyler, that's enough. We aren't trying to become best friends with her. One day she will outrank you, and you need to treat her with the same respect that someone of her rank will deserve," he said lightly, although I could hear the underlying warning in his voice.