Reincarnation

Chapter Fifteen

There are few things I used to hate more than confrontation. Back when I was still Kate, still a human, I used to go out of my way to make sure everyone was comfortable. I'd practically bend over backwards in order to help others achieve peace.

And if that peace could only be achieved by keeping a secret from me, I'd leave them be.

I don't know when that changed. Maybe it was when Kaleb first started looking at me as a 'threat' to his and Michelle's relationship

"I don't want you anywhere near her, you got me?" Kaleb snarled, seeming more animal than human.

I stared him in the eye silently, cold rage filling the pit of my stomach. Who was he to talk to me like that. Like I was nothing. Once upon a time I had a crush on the boy from the football team with a heart of gold. Those days were long gone.

This possessive maniac would not be allowed to see me cry. I refused to bow down to some boy who listened to no one but his own ego.

"I've heard about the rumors of you bullying Michelle, even if she won't tell me herself. I don't want you anywhere near her. Do you understand me."

I stayed silent, and he grew even more angry.

"Do. You. Understand."

He took a step closer to intimidate me, and for a moment I hesitated, ready to back down and give him what he wanted.

But then I remembered all the times I let others take and take but never give. Like the boy in front of me, whom I had given my heart to.

Something in me exploded.

"Who are you to tell me who I can and can't talk to, your not my father" I spat, venom I had shoved to the pits of my heart rearing its ugly head.

"And I recall you making it very clear that you weren't my boyfriend. You're going around telling me what I can and can't do like your my coach. Like you're anyone of importance. But your not. You're a high school has-been waiting to happen, following your next crush around until she bores you."

"You don't know who your messing with," he growled, but I felt no fear.

"I know exactly who you are,"

Or maybe it was when I was thrown into a world where consequences don't exist if you're strong enough.

I'm certainly strong enough.

Maybe that's why I was able to stare Axel down and demand answers, as though I couldn't see his growing discomfort at my blunt question.

"Do we have to talk about this now?" He was sitting on my couch, looking at anything but me. The floor, the lights. He even looked at Ann like she could help him out of the predicament he managed to get himself into.

I was seated opposite to him, never letting my eyes leave him.

"Yes," I said bluntly, not sparing his feelings at all.

He made a strange whining noise, something akin to a kicked puppy, before sighing.

"Me and Yora sneak out a lot. It was just harmless fun, y'know. The guards knew about it, but since we were still on property they didn't snitch on us."

He paused, taking a deep breath. I nodded for him to continue.

"We were on one of those expeditions,when we uh, we stumbled a bit to far from the estate. We ended up in a nearby city, where we were ambushed and kidnapped. Yora heard we were headed to the capital to be sold there. She realized that if we escaped we could go to either you or Uncle Kir. But, things didn't exactly go according to plan. "

I raise an eyebrow, silently waiting for him to continue.

"We were planning to spring out escape in the city, so we would have to worry about monsters. But the wagon we were in crashed, so we made a run for it." His eyes glistened with tears and his voice wavered, but he continued.

"I made it into the forest, figured they wouldn't follow me in, and Yora was right behind me. But before she made it, they grabbed her and dragged her back to the wagon. I was supposed it to tell you, but I heard them talking about bringing her back before coming for me, so I was gonna find you. But you were so happy to see me, and I didn't want to ruin it by telling you what happened but then they came after me and you got hurt and now Yora's been sold and I'm going to have to go home by myself and never see her again,"

He was outright bawling by the end of it, and I sat there stunned.

How am I supposed to comfort people?!?!

I shuffled closer as he cried, and took him in for a hug, letting hin cry on my shoulder.

I don't know what to do in situations like this. Why do things like this happen to me?

I patted his back as he hiccuped, and Ann watched awkwardly from her spot by the wall.

For at least thirty minutes, Axel cried in my arms. Then, we heard a knock.

"Oh for fucks sake,"