Red String {EDITING}

Chapter Fourteen: Strengths and Gifts

"No, Blu." Rylan folded his arms, eyes cold, looking every inch the stern Alpha King she'd always envisioned as they sat around the dining room table a little while later. "She can't train with her Gift. Not there."

The dusty blue-haired Alpha eyed him up, sighing loudly. "She has a lightning-type Gift. It's the best way for her to work on it."

"She can produce a high enough voltage on her own right now!" he hissed, glaring his fellow Alpha down. "She needs to work on her control."

Blu crossed his own arms, leaning back in his chair. "It'd help her with her control too – especially with voltage levels... you know... so she can paralyze or stun instead of just killing her opponents."

His hand slammed down on the table. "No."

Lyra flinched.

Rylan spun to face her, eyes wide, hands out in an attempt to placate her. "Shoot, Ly... I'm so sorry."

She smiled, trying to conceal the small tremble in her words. "I want to do it."

"You don't even know what he's asking of you!" he said, his voice raised as he glared between them. His eyes softened ever so slightly whenever they landed on her – a fact which soothed the bond humming quietly in the back of her mind.

He cared about her. That had to be it. He wouldn't trick her, would he? He was nothing like the boy she'd so foolishly admired once upon a time.

"I don't care," she mumbled, biting her lip. "I want to get stronger... so please... don't stand in my way."

He stared at her, shock written across his face. "I—I'm—I'm not!" he pleaded, stumbling back when she refused to meet his gaze. "I'm not standing in your way!"

"Rylan..." Glancing back up, she paused, staring at the space her mate had been only moments before. Her heart pounded frantically in her chest, a small whine escaping her lips as she heard the slam of a door. She bit her lip, tears pooling in her eyes.

Was he leaving her?

Her heart throbbed painfully at the thought. Sure, she hadn't exactly fallen in love with him... but he'd been slowly gaining the last dregs of her trust. She could trust him. She was supposed to trust him.

Lyra felt her lips twitch up into a mocking sneer, directed at none other than herself.

All good things came to an end eventually.

It was only expected.

Her shoulders sunk.

"Don't go getting upset," Blu said, nudging her arm to pull her attention off the closed door Rylan had left through. "He just cares too much."

"Why won't he let me do what I need to do then?" she asked, scowling as she stared down at the table, picturing his hand slamming down on it over and over again.

An act of aggression.

Just like theirs.

"Because of what it involves," he explained, gesturing for her to follow as he led her out of the dining room. "From what we think you've been through... let's just say it could trigger some bad memories."

His words echoed in her ears, confusion pulling at her face. What could trigger her memories? Where was he taking her?

A shiver crawled up her spine, her mind silently putting the route he was taking to memory. She didn't like where her thoughts were venturing. The air was growing cooler, the stone walls becoming more sparse, an odd metallic scent growing stronger as Blu led her down a set of steps.