Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 22 - Too Weak

Chapter 22 - Too Weak

The next day I suck it up and force myself to go to the training session. With my head held high and my shoulders back, I walk straight through the gym doors, ready to start acting like an adult. Then, the emptiness of the main room hits me. Mateus isn't here; he's always here first.

Accepting the fact that he likely thought I was going to avoid him again today, I trudge to the nearest bench and relax onto it. This is my punishment for acting like a child, I guess.

For a while, I stare at the far wall, lost in my own thoughts, the only sound coming from the industrial AC unit. Then, the gym door loudly squeaks open, and Mateus enters, staring into the center of the room. When he turns to leave, he either catches my scent or notices my sitting figure in the corner of his vision because he whips back around and stalks over to me.

Mateus stops a few feet away from the bench, and I have to fight the urge to run and hide when I see the anger in his eyes. Instead, I resort to humor to fill the awkward silence. "Why so grumpy, little Matty?"

He crosses his arms, clearly not amused.

"Well, let's get to training, shall we?" I ask, jumping up at the chance to get out of the way of his glare. Hurrying past him, I step into the center of the room, putting distance between us.

Mateus doesn't move from the side of the room, only turning to face my new location.

"Mateus?" I force myself to smile at him brightly.

His angry expression softens a bit before he responds. "Look, I'm all for pretending the other day didn't happen, but we still need to talk."

"I'd rather we not," I murmur, knowing the wolf perks will still allow him to hear me from across the room.

He walks forward, and dropping my gaze, I hide my shaking hands, a visible sign of my nerves, behind my back. T

"Jeez, Ariadne, do you think I'm that cruel?" he asks incredulously, looking to where my forearm disappears behind me. "I'm not demanding that you explain the details of what happened to me. If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to talk about it. But I know what happened wasn't a migraine. If it's going to affect your fighting, I just need to know the basics."

I keep my gaze on my shoes until I notice him coming closer. However, when I try to take steps back, he takes longer strides forward. Damn him and his longer legs.

He lightly grabs my chin, tilting it upward. "Please, look at me," he begs, voice softening.

Instead of looking into his blue eyes, I stare at the tip of his straight, slightly-tanned nose.

"So stubborn," he murmurs before clearing his throat. "Ariadne, I just want to help you, okay?"

Mateus's free hand snakes behind my back, grabbing one of my shaking hands. "In order for me to help you, to train you, I need to know a few things."

I move my chin out of his grasp and look down at my pale hand engulfed in his large one. He gives mine a firm yet gentle squeeze, reassuring me. Tingles shoot up my arm, and they only make me more nervous.

As much as I don't want to have to tell him about it (him knowing about it is already terrible enough) he's right; if I want to continue training for the tournament, I need to get past this.

When I slide my gaze back up, looking him straight in the eyes in a silent agreement, he sighs and speaks again. "Does it happen often?"

"It hasn't in awhile," I whisper, but he nods, still hearing me.

Then, he pauses, thinking my response over, before asking another question. "And only in wolf form?"

I slightly shake my head. "No..." I stop, trying to find the right words, "only when my opponent is in wolf form."

Through his blue eyes, I can see the wheels in his head turning, and I notice the moment Mr. Psychology has figured it out. His hand squeezes mine again.

"Only when you're pinned down?" His voice is quiet but rough, clouded over with something, likely sympathy.

I look away, nodding at the floor, hating how weak I feel, how he now knows how weak I am.

"That's all," he says, letting go of my hand, "thank you."

My hand goes back to my side, still warm from his grasp.

"I'm going to help you," he promises quietly, and when I look into his eyes, I can tell he means it.

"Let's just talk strategy today," he says, switching into warrior mode, all traces of expression wiped from his features. "Since you're going to be smaller than all the men at the tournament, it's going to be the most important part of fighting in wolf form for you."

Relieved we're not talking about the incident anymore, I relax a bit and decide to take a seat on the floor, stretching my legs out in front of me, as Mateus continues talking.

"You tend to go for the neck..." he looks down at me when I move to the floor, so, leaning on the back of my hands as I look up, I give him a cheeky smile in return. The right side of his mouth twitches up for a second, and he continues to speak as he sits down next to me, "but since the neck is so hard to get a good grip on, we should discuss better areas for you to attack."

To show him I'm listening, I nod along as he speaks, discussing potential moves and situations. Eventually, he finishes his thoughts, and we sit in silence for a bit, me hoping I can remember the bits with new information.

"This part of the tournament is not child's play," Mateus says suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. "You know that, right?"

He looks to the side at me and, noticing my annoyed expression, rephrases the question. "Look, I don't doubt that you'll take it seriously or that you have the potential to win." He pauses to turn and look me in the eyes. "I'm worried you'll take it too seriously."

Confused, I tilt my head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Some of those matches can be pretty brutal. I'm sure you already know this, but rules allow participants to break skin, expecting you to submit if you can't continue."

I wrinkle my nose at the thought of submitting to anyone.

He notices. "See? That is exactly what worries me. Ariadne, I can tell you don't like to back down from a challenge, and when I said that it's not child's play, I meant that not submitting when you should could lead to your death."

"If I admit defeat, I lose, and I admit that I'm too weak to lead a pack," I tell him, trying to get him to understand.

"Losing won't make you weak," he states adamantly, capturing my eyes with his in an intense stare off.

"Yes, it will."

"No, it doesn't. Come on, Ariadne, you're a reasonable person. Is not submitting really worth your life?"

I don't answer.

"Ariadne."

"Mateus."

"Ariadne, it's not worth it."

"Mateus, I need to make it through in order for my pack to become official."

"Your pack wouldn't want you to die."

I stay silent. He's right, but I know my pack needs the benefits of being official.

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