KAI
Aiden hadn't said a word since the altercation we had after I moved in; instead, he just sat on his bed, scrolling through his phone like I didn't exist. And honestly, I did not have a problem with that.
I kept my head down, unpacking my things slowly, trying to keep my movements quiet. The last thing I needed was his attention, because every time his eyes moved my way, it made my entire body go still, instinctively recognizing his power and rank.
It was exhausting, being around someone so dominant. I could feel his presence, even in the quiet of the room, and it grated on my nerves. I was already on edge, and he wasn't making it any easier.
But then, the silence didn't last like I had expected it to.
"I've never paid you any freaking attention to know that we're teammates but now that I do, I'm curious about one thing, why are you smaller than expected?"
My hands froze on my bag strap, when I heard his cool and disinterested voice, but the judgment in his tone was unmistakable.
I forced myself to stay calm, keeping my face blank as I turned to him. "What do you mean?"
"For an Alpha and Basketball player," he said with a slow, pointed glance, "You look small and fragile. How did someone like you manage to make it all the way here; let alone for a second year?"
My face heated, but I kept my voice steady. "Don't judge a book by its cover, I'm faster on the court than I look which you would know if you cared to pay any attention to your teammates as the captain."
His brows lifted, like he didn't believe me for a second. He was so self-absorbed with himself like the world around him didn't exist.
"Good," he said. "Because, moving forward as your captain, I'll be paying more attention to the almighty Point Forward of my team."
It was more of a threat than a statement and I don't know why but his words rubbed me off the wrong way. The last thing I wanted this year, was to be on his radar.
I hated him but what I hated even more was having eyes on me. Things are better for me when I'm treated like I don't exist. It has gotten me this far and helped me hide my secret so I wouldn't want anything to disrupt that.
"With that being said," he continued, "I don't like weakness neither do I tolerate it. The training will start soon, so make sure you're fully ready and while you're at it, try your very best to keep up."
His words came out like an order. He was plainly rude but there was nothing I could do rather than whine about it within myself.
"Uhm…We're training now? Isn't first training after break supposed to be slated for tomorrow?" I asked but he didn't bother replying. He only snorted softly, like my words weren't worth his time, before disappearing into the bathroom.
Great start of the season, Kai.
The Alpha Academy has always been intimidating for me just like I remember it ever since I enrolled last year on my fully funded scholarship. After waiting for Aiden to leave, I changed out of my outfit and took a dose of my pheromones inhibitors before heading straight to the basketball court.
The energy of the Alphas around me has always intimidated me because deep down, I know that I wasn't one of them. I would never be a match for any of them. They had strengths, the kind that I knew an Omega like me would never possess.
When I arrived, some of them had already started their warm-ups and their movements were very sharp, precise and impressive.
It made me feel small, like I didn't belong even though I was practically one of the best players on the team. I tried to keep my head down, hoping to blend into the crowd again like I always did and not be called up next to join them.
I prefer warming up at my own pace because aside the other Alphas being strong and all, they were big time bullies who always went out of their way to make life difficult for me.
But sadly, I had no such luck.
"Hey! Hayes!"
I barely turned before the first shove came, sending me stumbling forward. Then I heard cruel laughter from different voices behind me, and when I turned, a group of players were watching me, with predatory grins.
"Summer break lasted a long time that I'd almost forgotten how small you look. So tell me, are you ready for more chaos this season?" one of them called out.
The others howled with laughter again, and my face burned. I kept my jaw tight, swallowing down the anger curling in my chest. Fighting back was never an option for me, not if I wanted to stay hidden.
"Do my eyes deceive me or did he actually get more smaller than before?" one sneered, his eyes raking over me like I was prey.
"He looks just like my ex-girlfriend. Are we sure he's not an Omega?"
My heart skipped a beat when he said that. There have always been speculations but none were proven to be true—yet.
"I know right!" another one added. "I've always been curious about how an Alpha can look like this?"
"I'm still of the opinion that they mixed up his paperwork when he enrolled here last season," someone else snickered. "They must've forgotten that weaklings don't go here."
My fingernails bit into my palms, but I kept walking, ignoring the mocking voices. Every word they said cut deep, but there was nothing I could do or stay.
And I dare not confront them because it will only make things worse for me. As long as they don't figure out anything, they can knock themselves out for all I care.
"And now that he's roommates with Cross, I bet that he won't last a week," one of them called after me.
They weren't wrong but I couldn't let them see how right they were.
"Enough of the bullying, Jaxon. Let him be. As for you, Hayes, better keep walking."
My stomach sank when I heard Aiden Cross speak for me, I turned and saw his piercing eyes watching from the crowd. Had he been watching all along?
I also noticed that Jaxon, the guy who seemed to be the leader of the bullies, stopped immediately Aiden ordered them to. They've always been scared of him so I'm not surprised. I mean, who wouldn't be.
"What are you still staring at? Move!" He said, looking at me like I was nothing, his expression more like an obvious disdain.
"You keep wasting my time. It's practice, not a fashion parade," he added, turning away without waiting for a response.
I could hear the muffled laughter of those that witnessed my humiliation and it made my face burn hotter than ever but I forced my feet to move. This was going to be hell because I know that he's out to get me.
Basketball training after rooming with Aiden was a major disaster.
Coach Bolton's eyes swept the court, and the moment they landed on me, I knew I was in trouble.
"Hayes, you're up on defense. Cross, you're his partner on offense, let's go!"
Of course, they just had to tie me up with Cross! My luck isn't shining today as I had hoped.
I stepped onto the Court, my legs already trembling. I've never been paired up with him like this before. Usually, we played as a full team and even if we played together before, it was different because then, he didn't know who I was to give a fuck about me but sadly, I'm on his radar now.
Aiden didn't even glance my way as he followed, his face was blank and bored, like this was a waste of his time.
The other Alphas were already whispering. I caught snippets of their words, they mostly talked about their doubts in me beating Cross.
"This'll be over in seconds."
"He's dead meat."
My throat went dry, and Aiden finally looked at me but there was no kindness in his eyes.
"You said you're fast, right?" His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Try not to embarrass yourself in front of me."
I didn't even get the chance to respond. The whistle blew and the ball was thrown in the air. I didn't even see him move. One second I was I was trying to pass the ball to the next player, the next, my back slammed into the hard surface, air rushing from my lungs.
He was trying to humiliate me on purpose. What a sour loser. I stood up to my feet, catching the ball and dribbling it towards the net but before I could even pass the ball, he ran into me, his elbow pressing into my chest and his legs staged against mine so that I knock myself over.
"Pathetic," he said, his voice was softer than it should've been but it was the quiet kind of cruelty that cut the deepest.
The whistle blew again but Aiden didn't move right away. He just stared down at me, like he couldn't even be bothered to finish me off properly.
When he finally shifted a few paces away, I staggered to my feet, my pride in pieces and my breathing shaky.
"They're right you know," he said flatly. "You're not going to last a week as my roommate, Hayes."
"I'll be sure to make your life miserable and do everything in my power to kick you out, permanently." He threatened, his voice laced with contempt.
He turned and walked away without a backward glance. The other players laughed and mocked me for losing to Cross while I stood there, humiliated and furious, but too weak to do anything about it.
Just what on earth did I get myself into?