2305

~Aria

He leant casually back against one of the reading tables, watching me.

Clearly, he is amused; his expression tells me that much. His lips, which admittedly, my eyes lingered on, before exploring the rest of him, were slanted in a soft smile, as he observed me like I'm his prey, cornered against the bookshelf. The book in my hand is the main piece of incriminating evidence, that suggests that I had been sneaking around here.

In the Alpha's library. Could I have dug a bigger hole for myself?

"I'm so sorry," I insisted like I was trying to get him to understand the sincerity in my voice. Being punished for this can't happen...What if I get kicked out? What would Grey do to my family? "This wasn't meant to happen."

Alpha Malik continued to stare at me, not saying a single word. His eyes are as hard as steel, the colour so intense, and so blue, it almost hurt my eyes to hold his gaze. Like chips of ice, those eyes had me stunned, along with the superiority he naturally exerts. He's not someone whose rules you want to break or word to go against.

He didn't bother breaking the silence between us. Instead, he seemed to find great pleasure just watching me squirm uneasily under his scrutiny.

What am I thinking? I can't let him get to me like this, otherwise, this entire competition will be impossible to get through. Never have I been good with my words, when it comes to mellowing people's moods, but I have to at least try and seem confident with myself. If I don't the unpacking would have been a completely waste of time, because I'll surely be walking out of here.

So I straightened, pushing my shoulders back, as I tried to seem a little less tense.

"I came down here to retrieve a better book than the one your staff supplied," I say honestly, trying to keep my eyes on the Alpha's, however, my traitorous eyes wanted to linger on other features of his. Such as his high cheekbones, straight cut jaw or naturally tousled dark hair that hung close to his eyes. He didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest.

To prove it, I held the book up. "I'm thinking about this one."

The glossy cover shimmered under the dim lighting from the fixtures above. It seems, at first glance, a crime novel. If I decide to read this, I don't think Malik cares. He doesn't even look at the book, letting me know straight away that he isn't interested in the slightest.

But that didn't stop my mouth from spewing out words profusely, which tends to happen when I get nervous.

"Really I don't think this is that bad on the scale of rule breaking. I think it is ridiculous that we are being kept locked up in our rooms, with nothing but a boring book about the Love Pack to keep us company. If I had stayed in there another second, I may have gone insane, so I really don't think you should punish me for leaving my room because I promise you I was going to go straight back...:"

My words ceased, caught in my throat as the Alpha took a step forward.

Why hasn't he said anything yet? And why does he have to smell so nice? Like old spice and cloves, as well as something like expensive fabric.

What he wore hadn't really occurred to me too flashy. It definitely didn't suit an Alpha, which leads me to believe I had caught him off guard as much as he had done to me. He wore loose black pants that hung low on his hips, and a dark shirt that revealed the smooth bareness of his fine muscled biceps.

Aria, are you seriously drooling over the man you're about to steal from?

"Mediocre..." he echoed my early word, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, with that smile still remaining on his face. "How so?"

For a moment, all I can do is stare at him. Out of all the things he could have possibly said to me, after finding me breaking the first rule that had been enforced, he chose that? He seriously chose to answer to my rambling, which at second thought, probably wasn't even fully coherent.

Slowly, I lower the book down, that I had been holding up.

"Yes," I breathe. "Mediocre."

Malik chuckles, and the sound is as enchanting as his voice. The fact that he could go from beautiful to breathtaking is astounding is irritating for the common person. It's a feat that I will probably never be able to accomplish in my life. Then again, I'm not an Alpha.

"You need to be entertained," he said pointedly, tilting his head slightly. Just those few simple words that could almost have an unhidden meaning in them sent shivers right down my side, forcing me to clench my quivering hands behind my back. "And you think that will do it for you?"

Biting my lip, I take another glance at what I was holding. Maybe not. It seems based off some kind of murder crime story, and I can't say I'm too keen to be kept up at night with horrific images mingling in my head. My thoughts were cut off by Malik taking yet another step closer.

I almost flinched away, when he reached for the book before I realised that really it's his.

"I think I can find you something better," Malik murmurs, inspecting the book curiously. He turns it over to view the synopsis, before shaking his head slightly. If he doesn't like it so much, why is it-

Again, just his movement cuts me off.

Curiously, I watched the slender, although clearly well built Alpha stroll along the side of the bookcase, looking at all the books in turn. My only hope of maybe not getting in trouble would be to go along with everything he says. That's what I'm here for, isn't it? No, it's to do everything Grey says, and not let Malik find out.

"Perhaps you need something a little more..." Malik paused, something stashed between the books catching his eye. "Exciting."

Frowning, I clasp my hands together in front of me. Using his index finger, he wiggles a book out of its spot, with some difficulty. It looks as though the covers are stuck together, with suggests this library is old; probably older than me.

"Action? Thriller?" I question. Those kinds of books that get your heart racing are my favourite. They draw you straight of reality, lulling you into a dream-like state where my imagination can run rampant, with no one to tell me otherwise. Moments to live for, in my eyes. If Malik felt the same way, he must understand why I had to leave my room to find something better than a nonfiction book on the Love pack.

Then he holds up the book he had chosen, and I yelp.

A man held a naked woman against him, her private areas covered primarily by only a thin veil of silk fabric. His face was by her neck, as she clung to his back, that was enveloped by a thin sheen of sweat. Clearly, they are amidst the throes of passion, or close to it. Large font pronouncing something I didn't want to consider suggested what kind of book he had produced. Some sort of raunchy, sexy romance novel.

"That is...Oh Goddess," I mutter, casting my gaze down to my feet. "Not my kind of read."

Alexa called me a late bloomer. It isn't my fault I haven't met anyone who I've been sexually attracted to. I would always be told the wild stories of Alexa's endeavours with random guys, but I never really was that interested. I knew Malik was into the same thing, with different girls. If it's something that scares me in real life, then I'm not going to spend time reading about it.

"Why not?" Malik asks, forcing me to raise my gaze.

"That's not my kind of thing."

"Why not?"

"I..I don't know. Why do you care?"

Malik pauses, resorting back to his favourite thing. Watching me. It seemed as if he is wringing out every secret of mine from my body, without me being aware of it. Not only do I feel mildly violated, but completely vulnerable to his afflictions. Whatever they may be...

"Scared?" he continues, his tone made to get a reaction out of me. It's working.

"No," I snap, narrowing my eyes. "Books don't scare me."

Sliding the book back into his slot, Malik takes another step toward. If this is his way of challenging me - of getting me to back down - it isn't going to work. Instead, I keep still, trying to watch him as intensely as he does to me.

"Then what does?" Malik asks, his voice getting lower with every word he says.

I shake my head at him. "None. Of. Your. Business."

The moment those words came tumbling out of my mouth, I regretted it. My mortification came in the form of flushed cheeks, as I realised that I had basically told the Alpha to get his nose out of my business. Had someone been near, they would have been appalled at my lack of respect for him. Really, I should bow my head and apologise, but I can't bring myself to do so.

Yet, he didn't seem to notice. "Aren't you competing? I assume that is why you are here, so you probably want to make a good first impression, Although so far, I can admit I'm intrigued..."

My jaw clenched.

He is right. Really I should be flirting, or something - not that I know how to do that. Instead, I'm telling him his book taste for me is atrocious, and I want him to stay out of my business as if I have something to hide. In actual fact, I do have something to hide from him, but it had nothing to do with my romantic tastes.

"Fine? Do you want to know what I'm scared of, Alpha? Not you, so shall that be our parting words?" I question.

My cheeks are still hot, and my body is shaking slightly from all the adrenaline coursing through my veins from standing up to an Alpha. It felt good to not be considered the lesser person, even for a moment. And if I am, at least I know I can hold my own, despite it being against someone whose heart I am competing for.

Twisting around, I begin my confident walk across the library, not caring at the time about the repercussions.

"Woah, you're not going anywhere."

My feet find a stop without my mind even willing them to. Turning back around, Malik had caught up to me, although admittedly, I didn't have time to get very far. He looked anxious, like I'm his long time lover about to walk out the door after I caught him cheating.

"Come on, Troublemaker, at least tell me your name..."

I blanch. "Troublemaker?"

He grins, and I see the hint of the youthful side of him, that seemed to be restrained behind the whole Alpha Facade.

"It's my nickname for you since you seem to like breaking the rules, then strumming up the man who is going to let you get away with it," he exclaimed. Is he seriously going to let me off the hook, considering all that I have done?

It was my turn grin. "Strumming huh? Not used to a little play, Alpha?"

"You have no idea," he said, his tone slightly darker as he lifts an eyebrow. Something tells me, I do have an idea. "Come on then. I'm going to find out your name tomorrow, I'm sure."

"I think I'm going to officially change my name to Troublemaker."

Malik smiles, and I do too. When we meet gazes, that intense feeling he gives me comes back, and I have to cast my gaze back to the floor in order to keep my sanity. I'm here for one damn thing...And suddenly my mind is swaying another way? No. I'm strong.

I was about to leave on that note. Let him think about me, even if it was a for few more seconds. Plus, a little dignity would be nice, despite it only being by keeping my name, that he was going to find out tomorrow. But something stopped me.

The treasured necklace I assumed was hidden away in a safe, that I would have to find a way into was kept somewhere even more dangerous to get near.

His neck. He's wearing the necklace, I need to steal.

💙💙

💎💎

midikacrane

Midika

~Midika 💜🐼