Chapter 26: Day Fourteen
Juliette sat up, gasping for air.
Where am I?
She looked frantically around the room, to see she was no longer alone in the cabin of the resistance, but in her and Jazz’s old room. She sighed and slipped from bed, her feet finding the familar carpet.
“It was only a dream…” Juliette muttered softly to herself. Skinwalkers, she had never heard of them. She looked down to see she wasn’t in her uniform, but a pair of black trackpants, and a blue shirt she had never seen in her life.
“What the-“
Juliette looked up, and screamed as she saw Ace, sitting on the edge of Jazz’s old bed, his eyes on Juliette. She sighed and held her hand to her chest, feeling her rapid heart.
“You scared me,” Juliette snapped, glaring at him. Ace chuckled.
“You look better this morning, the cut on your side has healed well,” Ace informed her. Juliette’s hand flew to her side, and when she pressed down, she felt a familar jolt of pain.
“So it was real… she murmered. Ace nodded.
“Your best bet, is to act innocent. You can’t lie well if your life depended on it. What you need to do, is tell them that you saw something suspicious, followed it in and got lost. Make up anything you like, as long as it has nothing to do with your ‘cousin’ and baseball.”
Juliette nodded.
“Try to make it realistic, say you slipped and cut yourself on a branch. Say it rained, you wer2e scared, couldn’t find your way in the dark, anything that will take Jaxon’s mind of the problem at hand,” Ace ordered.
He picked up the uniform Juliette was wearing yesterday, and handed to her. A note was on top.
“First get down to the showers and do whatever you can to get that scent off you. It’s not too strong, but it’s enough, you do smell like the resistance.”
Juliette noded again and picked up the note.
Juliette
I fixed the rip in your uniform, and washed it. Remeber what we told you.
Sophie.
Juliette sighed and put the note down.
“So who-“
Juliette broke off when she looked up, and noticed Ace was gone. She put the note down, before sizing Jazz’s bed up. She really didn’t like that thing.
Suddenly Juliette heard a strange noise coming from outside. Juliette stood and walked to the window, frowning slightly.
A large, black helicoper flew over the forest, heading out to the middle of it. Juliette watched it go.
Weird.
After a shower, Juliette decided to skip breakfast and go to her class for the day, which happened to be weapon handling with the Alpha King. She sat on the bleachers alone for awhile, thinking of any exuse that could come to mind.
Much to Juliette’s luck, the first to saunter in happened to be Blaise. She cursed this apparent Moon Goddess, and watched his face light up at the sight of Juliette.
“You know everyones looking for you right? The King sent out a massive search party to scour the forest, helicopter, guns and all…” Blaise said, holding his arms out to show the prodigious extent of the search.
Juliette groaned. Trust him to make a big deal out of nothing much. She could only imagine his reaction when he walks in, and she’s sitting on the bleachers, acting completely normal.
“He flipped, he even called a massive assembly for the trial members, said that if any of us saw you, to tell him straight away,” Blaise recalled, sitting next to Juliette. Juliette gazed at him quizzically.
“And why aren’t you going to tell him straight away?” Juliette asked, mainly teasing. Blaise chuckled like this was his favourite inside joke.
“Because we happen to be alone, and that doesn’t happen alot…”
“True, but I am sure that the King will be delighted that you disobeyed his orders.”
“Well you go tell him you’re here then,’ Blaise grumbled, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Juliette shook her head.
“No thanks.”
Soon more students started arriving, and Juliette caught a glimpse of Ayla, the girl who pricked her with the knife and ran away at the sight of blood, her blue blood.
Ayla’s black eyes never left Juliette’s as she scaled the gym and sat next to Juliette. That’s when Juliette remebered Sophie saying that the reistance had someone inside the trial. That would be Ayla.
“Are you-“
“Shhh,” she whispered harshly, cutting Juliette off. She was scowling at Juliette, her eyes narrowed.
Woah, sorry bout it sister.
“Hey, it’s the missing student, let’s go tell the King!” some kid yelled from the other side of the bleachers. Like wild fire, people started noticing Juliette.
“No need, I know exactly where she is now.”
Juliette winced and looked up, as did everyone else, who had fallen silent at his presence.
He stood in front of everyone, his silver eyes unreadable, as was his expression, which remained totally impassive. He watched Juliette, not letting a single expression slip past his dispassionate features.
He was angry, but it wasn’t like Juliette couldn’t play that card, she was just as stubborn as him. She stared back, not blinking. He didn’t have to send out a massive search party when she wasn’t even gone for over 24 hours.
Luckily she had just the excuse, and it may or not be believable.
“Anyways, class all students will be handling the proper weapons of choice.”
“I thought you said we would all be using the proper weapon of choice!” Juliette argued, glaring at the piece of wood in Jaxon’s hand. He was shirtless, which was obvious he was using it to his advantage. But Juliette wouldn’t be swayed by the perfect figure of muscle and sinew that was being flaunted in front of her.
“Well, everyone, but one,” he stated finally. Juliette gazed at him, completely shocked by his unbelievale behaviour.
“Is this your way of getting back at me?”
“Of course not, this is my way of protecting you.”
“Well news flash Jaxon, I happen to be prefectly capable of looking after myself, considering I did make it through the night, in a thunderstorm.”
Okay, so that wasn’t exactly what happened, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Who’s fault was that?”
“Look Jaxon, I don’t want to have this argument in the weapon room, it’s too much temptation to grab the cross bow right next to me,” Juliette stated. Jaxon eyed her carefully.
Without anymore explanation, Juliette grabbed the block of wood and walked out of the weapon room.
“So where’s Jaxon?” Jazz asked at lunch. Ever since Juliette had be ‘found’, people had been looking at her funny.
“Sulking his way into oblivion,” Juliette answered. She had just finished explainning herself to Jazz, who had seemed to believe her lie. Hopefully, stubborn old Jaxon would believe it too.
“Maybe you should go find him, I mean he was so broken and flustered when held the assembly yesterday. I think he believed that he had lost you forever,” Jazz said softly, picking at her pasta. Juliette sighed, and she couldn’t help but feel bad.
“Yeah, maybe I will. And maybe we should stop leaving the arena,” Juliette said, standing. Jazz nodded and watched Juliette walk off.
When Juliette made it up to Jaxon’s room, she took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She was nervous to how he would react, but she suspected he would be angry. She bundled up some courage before she pushed the door opened because no one had answered.
Jaxon was standing right there when she opened the door, a frown on his face. Juliette jumped; he had given her quite a fright.
“Okay, can I co-“
She was cut off as Jaxon grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her inside the suite. She didn’t know what he was doing till he pushed her against the wall and kissed her.
Juliette was shocked for a brief moment, not expecting him to do that. He kissed her with fervent passion and hunger, like he hadn’t kissed in years. His strong hands grasped and pinned her own above her head, so she couldn’t touch him.
He tasted so fresh and delicious, it was addicting. When he pulled away, Juliette found herself gasping for breath.
“What was that for?” Juliette asked, swallowing. Instead of answering, Jaxon pressed his lips back on Juliette’s. This time, Juliette was able to wind her arms around his neck and tug softly at the soft hairs on his head.
She nearly screamed in pain as Jaxon grasped her waist, not realizing she still had a healing cut there. He pulled away as soon as he realized she was in pain. His eyes searched hers in confusion.
“What did I do?” he asked, his voice a breathy whisper. Juliette shook her head, trying to play it of as nothing.
“I am fine, just kiss me,” Juliette ordered, grabbing his hand. He used his lips as a distraction for Juliette, so why couldn’t she do the same to him. He growled and shook his head.
“Lift your shirt.”
“Last time I took my shirt off in front of an Alpha, shit went down.”
“I have control, lift your shirt.”
“Don’t make me read my rights, because I will.”
“I don’t have time for your sarcasm Juliette, lift your shirt.”
“Give me five good reasons and I may reconsider tomorrow.”
“Juliette…”
“I’m not even wearing a shirt, this is like a full body suit.”
“Then unzip it.”
Jaxon gazed at Juliette, his eyes serious. Juliette gazed back, her hands on her hips.
“You have hurt yourself, let me see if you are okay,” Jaxon said, his voice softer this time. Juliette narrowed her eyes, but she knew eventually he would see.
“I cut myself on a branch yesterday, but I promise I went straight to the healer this morning,” Juliette said warily. Jaxon watched her expectantly.
“It’s not like I haven’t see you in just a bra before,” Jaxon stated. Juliette glared at him, rembering the Alpha Drake incident.
In one swift movement, Juliette unzipped the front of her uniform, praying that he wouldn’t do something stupid. Juliette covered her face, to embarrassed to see what he was going to do next.
She felt him pull the edge of the uniform, then his fingers brushed the bandage on her side. Juliette opened her eyes and looked at Jaxon. His silver eyes were filled with concern, as he stroked the bandage, silently contemplating something.
“I let this happen to you…” he muttered. Juliette suddenly felt emotional, as she looked into his eyes, holding lost emotion and blame.
“You didn’t, it was my fault,” Juliette said honestly. Jaxon swallowed, but his eyes would’t leave the bandage on Juliette’s side.
Suddenly he pulled his hand away, and Juliette gasped when she saw it was stained with blue blood. She hadn’t felt any pain, but she knew it was bleeding again.
“Let’s get you to the healer.”
“Yes, she did come in here this morning. I see that my prior decision to not but stiches was wrong.”
Juliette eyed Sophie suspiciously. They had come into the healers room to see Sophie happened to be the main healer here as well. Juliette was ready to drill her with questions.
“Do you know why she is bleeding blue?” Jaxon asked, looking over Sophie’s shoulder at Juliette, who lay on the healers bed. Sophie’s gaze met Juliette’s for a few moments.
“Perhaps she has some sort of disease, would you like me to run some tests?” Sophie asked, her face completely impassive. Jaxon looked worried.
“Ah…yes please.”
“Excuse me Alpha, but in all due respect, do you think you could give me and Juliette some private time while I stitch her up?” Sophie asked camly. Jaxon frowned, but Juliette gave him a pleading look. She wanted to talk to Sophie.
When he left the room, rather reluctantly, Juliette looked at Sophie.
“What are you doing here?” Juliette asked.
“I work here. I needed a job and they agreed to let me join the team. Sorry for not telling you Juliette, but you are very lucky I am here. Any other healer would run tests, or know that you are Skinwalker.”
“So Jaxon doesn’t know? I would think he would.”
“Jaxon is very young, and he doesn’t know much about the world that he runs. He is the ruler of all Lycans, which happen to be the biggest Werewolf species in the world. He would never have seen a skinwalker before now.”
“Okay then…so is Ayla the Skinwalker here that happens to be ‘watching’ me?”
“Yes. There is quite a few Skinwalkers here, a lot you can tell from simple observation.”
“What would that be?”
“Every Skinwalker has a trait about them. The most common would be a blue birthmark. Although sometimes it can be blue streaks of hair. The more blue on a Skinwalker, the more power they have.”
“So Laila is pretty powerful?” Juliette asked, rembering the girls blue hair.
“Yes. The rarest, and most powerful would be blue eyes. Plently of wolves have blue eyes, but only the most powerful Skinwalkers have four blue specs in each eye. Skinwalkers can see them, but Lycans have to be told they are there for them to notice them. Which is why Jaxon doesn’t see they specs in your eyes.”
Juliette blanched, and suddenly had the urge to touch her eyes.
“Does that make me powerful?”
“Yes.”
Holy fudgeball express.
Juliette Kerson
This student did show up for class again today, but a medical incident stopped her from coming to the second lesson of today.
Alpha KIng.
“Maybe you should consider eliminating this student because of her poor attendance,” Olivia stated, looking over Juliette’s report.
“Don’t even think that,” Jaxon growled. No way would he eliminate her, and if anyone else had that idea, he would be sure to eliminate them.
This chapter was crazy boring, but things should pick up now!
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-Midika ♡