IN FULL COLOUR - Dark Fantasy

Axel

I woke the next morning with a pounding headache and limbs as heavy as lead. Exhaustion and tiredness dominated my senses, even though I had slept throughout the night and had slept practically the entire day in the tub yesterday.

The prominent bruise around my left eye has transformed from a deep blue to a lighter shade of purple, well on its way to fading entirely. The swelling around my broken hand had gone down also and as I carefully examined it, I found no bones to be disfigured or sticking out of places it shouldn’t be. Still, I would have to bandage it somehow in preparation for today’s training.

It was definitely broken though, judging by the lingering pain and discolouration of my skin.

In my suitcase, I found a small medical bag with some basic supplies Lily must have shoved in there, knowing me better than I knew myself. As I pulled the little red bag out with the white cross printed on the front, my eyes drifted to the picture of us sitting on the bedside table. How happy we seemed.

“Axel, are you up? It is Beta John!” The male voice flitted through the door after two loud knocks.

I swiftly glanced at the wall clock, 6h20.

“Come in,” I grumbled and shoved the little bag back into my suitcase.

A tall, well-groomed male stepped inside, leaving the door ajar behind him. He stood proud and had a natural grin on his face as he held out his hand, “John.”

“Axel.”

“Pleased to finally meet you,” he said, voice smooth. Too smooth.

His chocolate brown hair was cut short but not too short. It was elegantly combed back, his fringe making an almost natural, soft curl over the one side of his forehead, disappearing into the rest of his perfect hair. Not a single strand was out of place and for a second, I wondered how long it took him to get ready in the morning before stepping out of his room.

He had a strong jawline and bulky muscles underneath his too-tight pink polo shirt. How he had even gotten into the damn thing, was beyond me. He was a pretty boy and by the way he held himself, he knew it. Not that I was very different. My reputation of being an arrogant prick proceeded me, mostly among the men. The ladies, however, had other rumours to spread.

“Same,” I replied as I shook his hand.

He squeezed my right hand with much more force than required, a silent challenge. Yet, I felt a wave of relief wash over me that my left hand had been the one that got injured and not the right.

He smiled stiffly at me for a moment, probably trying to size me up, but I would never step back for this prick or any other, so when I lifted my brow in question, he looked away and started to casually wander around the room, studying the few things I had brought with me.

“I have come to formally introduce myself and escort you to breakfast,” he finally said without turning to face me.

“Oh?”

“We enjoy breakfast together as a pack and seeing that you will be staying with us for the next three months, you are considered a part of the pack.”

“Great,” I grumbled while pulling the medical bag back out. I didn’t wait for him to continue before I started splinting my hand, using bandages from the little bag’s belly and pencils I had found in the drawer by my bedside table.

John eyed me from a few feet away as I did so and kept the stupid grin on his face. He didn’t comment on the injury, yet, he must have known about it. I didn’t recall seeing him when it happened yesterday, though it doesn't prove his innocence in the matter either.

“How was your dinner with Gabrielle?” He inquired, trying to sound casual. Trying too hard to sound casual.

“Let’s go,” I simply said, tucking the final piece of bandage into the others and throwing the medical bag back into my suitcase. I headed for the door without waiting for the Beta.

It wasn’t long before I heard him following close behind, but I did not slow down for him to catch up. Eventually, he did, and he acted like he owned the place. There was something about the guy that just pissed me off. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on what it was, but sooner or later it would come out.

I followed my nose down the hall and as we neared the large communal dining hall, loud chatter, laughter and the sound of cutlery clinking directed me on. Just before I entered, the Beta stepped in front of me and went in first.

My blood instantly simmered in my veins. Maybe it was just an Alpha thing, but no one stepped in front of me like that, especially not a lower-ranking wolf such as himself. He gestured for me to follow him, but I stopped dead in my tracks, surveyed the room and turned to head the other way.

To my right sat a bunch of rowdy males and females, all enjoying their breakfast together, laughing and making jokes. As soon as they saw me approaching, they quieted down, and I came to a halt in front of a semi-familiar looking large male. He had a bandage taped over the bridge of his nose, but the black and purple colouration peeking out from underneath gave away the severity of his recent injury.

His muscles tensed as he rose, and I stepped closer, into his personal space. We stood face to face for a few seconds, examining each other. All the other wolves around the table were now quiet and staring at us. The moment was saturated, intense until we were rudely interrupted by the too smooth Beta.

“Axel, why don’t you come with me?” He said, half-turning and waiting for me to follow him.

I scanned him over once and turned back to the large male, “looks like a pretty nasty break you got there,” I said, briefly gesturing to his nose.

A sly grin formed on his tanned, chiselled face, “I fell.”

I cocked a sceptical brow, but the Beta spoke again, “trust me, you don’t want to sit here.” There was an undertone of something in his voice which I did not like.

The big warrior stepped aside and took his seat again. There was an empty chair next to him and he simply kicked the chair out slightly and went back to eating.

I looked the Beta over one last time and sat down next to the warrior whose nose I had broken with my knee the previous day.

“You look pretty beaten up yourself,” he said while shoving another heap of eggs into his mouth and chewing like a cowboy.

“I fell too,” I answered with a smirk.

A deep chuckle rumbled inside of him, and he shoved some more eggs into his trap.