Resistance

Chapter 14

It would be foolish to go about this alone. It didn't matter how strong Eren was, or what influence he could have over the people here at the sanctuary. He was vulnerable because of me. If Erwin found a way to use that knowledge against him, things could get ugly fast. I wanted to avoid that at all costs, so I was going to the one person who could help me at a time like this. Hanji. If there was someone who had read up on royal alphas and their unique traits, it was her, and right now we needed all the information we could get.

Breakfast had come and gone without anyone noticing our absence at the dining hall. In a couple hours, we were due at the training grounds, and by then we had to have a plan to work with. So we headed to the medical wing right after we showered. Luck must've been on our side, because we didn't run into anyone along the way. The corridors were empty. Which struck me as odd. Perhaps Erwin was already onto us, and was simply toying with us now. Letting us believe we had the advantage when we didn't.

"Are you sure we can trust Hanji?" Eren asked as we stopped in front of the medical wing double doors. His eyes were back to their usual green, but that didn't make them any less menacing. I knew what lurked beneath the surface, what kind of strength he could call upon.

I scanned my badge barcode into the access control machine, half expecting the light to remain red. When it flicked to green, I pushed the door open with a sigh of relief. "Hanji is one of the only people here that I've come to trust. She may come off as ditzy, but she's rather intelligent. She'll know more about your royal attributes than I do."

"And why are you so keen on knowing more about this side of me?"

"Royal alphas have been shrouded in mystery for hundreds of years now. Although I've heard countless stories about them throughout my life, they were just that. Stories. Fairy tales. I didn't know there was any truth behind them until I saw you in your royal form. Even now it seems impossible, so I want to be able to distinguish the facts from fantasy."

"How will this help us?"

We rounded a corner and the distinct smell of burning rubber filled the air. Hanji was back to her old ways. "How much do you know about this, Eren?"

"Not much," he admitted. "The first time I shifted to this form was when I discovered my parents had been murdered in their home. It caused me to lose control of myself for days on end. Even now I can't remember everything that happened, but I've learned to control the shift."

"There's more to this than just shifting. Your anatomy differs from those of other alphas. It's important that we know all the benefits of this transition." I looked at him. He grabbed handfuls of his hair and yanked on the strands. That small act of frustration filled my heart with warmth. How could something so simple have such an effect on me? "We also need to know the disadvantages, because I'm sure there are some you're unaware of."

He sighed, letting his hands fall to either side of him. "All right. If this will put your mind at ease, then I'm not against it."

"You're sure acting like you're against it."

"That's because Erwin told me that it was Hanji who created the soap that washed off my scent. It caught me off guard, because I never expected her to side with him. She told me she would help me. Then she goes and does something like this."

I scoffed as I realized what was going on. "So, in other words, you're feeling like an alpha? That's not too surprising, considering you are one."

"I'm sorry. I'm trying my best to contain my instincts, but all my emotions are amplified when it comes to you."

"Hey." I caught his hand and waited for him to look at me to add, "I know I've been hard on you for being an alpha from the moment we met, but you've proven to me that you're different than all the rest. You're allowed to express how you feel without worrying about how I will react." Standing on tiptoes, I pressed my lips to his scent gland and mouthed at it until he was growling deep in his throat. The slight contact between us wasn't nearly enough. I wanted more. I was so tired of waiting, of resisting this desire that was burning me from the inside out. "So don't keep it bottled up inside. Your little bouts of frustration aren't going to send me running. Not anymore. From here on out, we're in this together."