Her Blood Lost

Chapter 4 | Hate

"He stood proud, the moonlight capturing his powerful form perfectly, and the others awed him and bowed."

Julius's POV

I was rubbing a towel over my damp hair. A white shirt clung to my body in random areas where I hadn't managed to get the water off my body; my grey sweatpants doing the same.

Dammit. I thought as I shook my leg.

I walked out of my bathroom and was going to my bed when a rapping at the door made me stop. I let out a breath and trudged to the door, opening it to reveal Alexander.

His dark hair was damp as well and he'd changed clothes also. His golden eyes met mine and a frown twitched my brows.

"What?" I asked.

"Dad wants us down stairs." He said and I sighed and gave a nod before going out into the hallway with him, shutting my door firmly behind me. I rubbed the back of my neck and suppressed a yawn.

"Know what this lecture is gonna be about?" I asked Alex jokingly and he gave a soft chuckle and shrugged.

"Probably how we present ourselves because 'appearance is everything.'" Alexander said mocking our father's most frequent little speech at the end. I nodded in agreement and we made it downstairs in a comfortable silence.

Once we entered the living room I was unnerved to see my father—adoptive father?—Alpha Kaden and my mother Luna Amelia sitting patiently on one of the couches. I shot a glance to Alex and he looked suspicious.

"Take a seat." Mom said softly gesturing to the opposite. Alexander and I sat down.

"What's this about?" Alex was the first to ask.

"The Alpha Academy is beginning another program." Father said and immediately I was almost certain I knew what this talk was about.

I looked at my feet and reminded silent.

"A candidate for the Academy must have already finished high school or an equivalent and at the minimum be eighteen-years-old... Julius, you're twenty now." Mother said softly. I gulped and looked up at them.

"Half this pack doesn't trust me, why should I even bother?" I said truthfully. Father growled and I gulped and looked away from his glare.

"You bother because it's your responsibility as the eldest. And if they doubt you, you give them something so great they can do no such thing." Mother finished grabbing Father's hand gently.

I glanced to Alexander and he was shooting daggers at the ground. I laid a hand against his shoulder and he yanked away from me.

"This is stupid." He snapped before standing up.

"What?" Father growled. Without a word Alex marched out of the room. I swallowed emptily.

"I do not wish to be Alpha... Alexander is the better choice." I said softly looking back to my parents.

"Alex is not of age. Now you'll do as told. Pack a few things. You'll leave for the academy this weekend." Alpha Kaden growled dismissively.

I looked to Mother for help but she just gave a nod before saying, "This doesn't mean you have to be Alpha, but Alex is not ready and as of now you're going to train. Because one day you might be Alpha and if that day comes then you need to be ready." She stood and made her way over to me, pulling me into a hug.

She kissed the top of my head and I gave a reluctant nod. She was right, besides it can't be all that bad; it's just training.

"Sure." I sighed and she pulled away and studied my face until my cheeks burned and I had to look at the ground.