Reborn To Defy The Alpha

Chapter 89: Respect The Alpha

Ares did not wait for a rebuttal. He brushed past her, his shoulder narrowly missing hers, and continued forward. A strange heat began to crawl beneath his skin, centering in his chest where she had nearly collided with him. He tightened his jaw, his mind racing with a confused agitation. What is wrong with me? he thought, his pulse thudming a little too loudly in his ears.

"You..."

​Rhea started to surge forward, but Tavian moved with desperate speed. He clamped his palm firmly over her mouth, his other arm hooking around her waist to anchor her in place. He held her back with everything he had, his eyes wide as he watched the Alpha’s retreating back.

​Rhea stopped struggling and turned a lethal glare toward Tavian. The intensity in her eyes was so sharp that Tavian yanked his hand away instantly, as if her skin had physically burned his palm.

​"What did you do that for?" Rhea barked, spinning around to face him fully.

​Tavian took a shaky breath, his hands trembling at his sides. "I am sorry," he whispered, glancing down the hallway to ensure Ares was out of earshot. "I was just trying to stop you from doing something you will surely regret."

Rhea scoffed, her lip curling in a sneer of pure defiance. "Regret? I have nothing left to lose, Tavian. He can’t take anything else from me."

​Tavian maintained his gaze, his expression softening into a painful, weary sort of pity. "I know the Alpha has not been treating you right, Rhea. But you should learn to respect him and at least try to understand him."

​"What is that supposed to mean?" Rhea glared at him, her voice rising in pitch. "Understand him? Understand the man who treats me like a stain on the floor? Why should I give an ounce of understanding to someone who clearly hates the very air I breathe?"

​Tavian kept his eyes locked on hers, his voice steady but heavy. "If you were the Alpha, would you not feel the same way? His parents were killed, Rhea. And the only suspects in that murder were your parents. If it were you, would you not hate the child of the people suspected of killing your family?"

Rhea flinched, but her chin went higher, her eyes swimming with a bitter light. "Didn’t he kill my parents for that already? He took their lives. What more does he want from me?"

​Tavian exhaled a long, shaky breath. "Honestly, Rhea, you are lucky to be alive. If this were some other pack, they would have killed you right along with them. But you are still here. You are still breathing."

​Rhea opened her mouth to argue, her chest heaving with a retort, but Tavian cut her off before she could speak.

​"Lately, the Alpha has been tolerating you," Tavian insisted, stepping closer. "He is ignoring your challenges. He is letting your insults slide. You need to respect him, Rhea. No matter what has happened, he is still the Alpha. He has every right to cast you out of this pack and leave you to the rogues. Just because he has not done that yet does not mean he could not do it tomorrow."

Rhea fell silent, her breath hitching. The fire in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a cold, jarring stillness. Fuck, I will be cooked if he does that.

​"I am only saying all of this because I care," Tavian said softly, his voice cracking slightly. "I do not want to lose the only friend I have ever made. Even if you are now gifted by the Goddess, you still owe the Alpha your respect. At least as long as he is not going out of his way to look for trouble with you."

Rhea exhaled a long, shaky breath and shoved her hand through her hair, tugging at the strands as if the physical pressure could clear her clouded mind. She honestly did not know what had come over. It felt as though she had developed a twisted sort of joy in getting under the Alpha’s skin, pushing him until he finally snapped.

The truth was far more complicated, a secret she kept buried beneath her layers of defiance. She was desperately trying to cover up for the slip that had happened in the gym. If they had not been interrupted by the arrival of that ugly looking Eberhard, she and Ares would have kissed. The memory of his closeness made her stomach flip in a way that terrified her. I am fucked, she thought, the realization hitting her with the force of a physical blow.

She turned her gaze back to Tavian, the anger draining out of her to leave only a weary guilt. "I am sorry, Tavian," she whispered, her voice soft and sincere. "I promise I will try my very best not to disrespect your Alpha like that again. As long as he does not try to get on my nerves." Though he seems to do that quite a lot without trying, she finished internally.

​Tavian offered her a small, gentle smile. He shook his head, reaching out to give her arm a reassuring squeeze. "You do not need to apologize to me, Rhea. I understand you, truly I do. I just want you to be safe. I want you to have a place here without always having to look over your shoulder."

Rhea nodded, a genuine smile finally touching her lips. "Thank you for caring about me, Tavian. I do not know what I would do without you in this pack."

​Tavian’s smile widened, his eyes brightening with relief. He reached out and took her hand in his, his grip firm and warm. "Now come on, let us go before we get to dinner late. I do not want to give the pack another reason to look at us funny."

He pulled her along the walkway, his pace quickening into a light run. Rhea laughed, the sound bubbling up from her chest as she let him drag her along.