Raising the Alpha

Chapter Seventeen: Distractions

Lydia

I was freaking out, to say the least. I was pacing the classroom and wearing tracks into the linolium. We were all nervous. Why we couldn't have had time to prepare was beyond me. In the movies, they got to train for battle. None of us were prepared, except Sawyer. Granted, we all knew what we had to do as our individual role in this.

"Calm down," Damian said and placed his hands on my shoulders. "This will work out. I promise."

I looked over at Mr. Hernanchez who was giving Kaide instructions on his part. He was supposed to be the distraction. His job was to try and get close enough to Kohl to get some knife or whatever. Then he'd stab him and then it'd be over. Kohl would be dead, therefore, so would our problem. No awakened alpha. Phoebe looked over at me and smiled as she grabbed Kaide's hand.

"Here, come with me for just a second," Damian said and pulled me out of the room. As soon as the door closed, he lifted my chin with his index finger. "This is going to be okay, Lydia. We'll kill Kohl and things will be normal and we can have a happy normal teenage relationship."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "You failed to mention the fact that we're vampires. We'll have a happy normal teenage vampire relationship even though you're also ninety three years old."

He nodded. "Mhm. And you can go back to only worrying about what outfit you'll wear every day."

The tears were a steady stream now. "Something just feels so wrong. I can't explain it and Jasmine isn't here and I'm stressing over my job. Even though all I have to do is stand guard!"

Damian pulled me into his chest. "It'll be fine. The majority of us are only standing guard. If somehow something happens to me, or you, there will be the others. But we will be fine, okay?"

I felt him resting his chin on my head and it was comforting. "Can we go get a drink?" I asked, pulling out from under him. "Like, alcohol."

Damian nodded and we left the school after telling everyone that we'd be right back. We went to the same bar that we met at (technically met, even though I was dead). About twenty minutes in, I noticed a guy on the other side of the bar. I stared hard and tried to remember him. I watched as he made his way over to us.

"Well, hello guys." I felt him press something sharp into my neck. "No time to beat around the bush. I'm here to temporarily take you out. I wanted to kill you, but Kohl said no. He's a bore. Well, anyway, who wants to go first?"

"You, you, um, can't do this public, you know," I managed. I was past freaked out. Especially when I finally realized that this was the guy from the masquerade that was attacking Athena. He would kill me, I was sure of it.

The guy looked at me, smiling cruelly. "You didn't think I wouldn't have fixed that? Everyone in here is compelled to let me do whatever necessary to fulfill my role in this."

Damian gave me a look that said to trust him. "Me. I'll go first, I suppose." When the guy got up and readied himself to inject Damian with whatever was in the syringe he was holding, Damian tried to get a hold him and snap his neck. But he didn't and it ended with Damian laying in a heap on the floor. I didn't worry about him, he'd be fine. But I ran. This guy would kill me.

I was almost to my car when I felt something dig into my skin. I fell down on the gravel and reached around to pull a wooden steak from my shoulder.

"Not as smart as I pegged you to be," the guy said, walking up to me.

I tried to get my phone out and call Phoebe, but he was there before I could even unlock my phone. He snatched it from my palm and crushed it like a cookie. I started sobbing. Phones weren't cheap after all.