Betrayed by the Beta, Loved by the Alpha

7. Moving Target

Eden’s pov:

It was only once Hunter left my room that I finally breathed out a sigh, which I didn’t even know I had been holding. Looking down, I groaned, almost unable to believe how I managed not to freak out. I was in a towel for heaven’s sake!

But then again, his eyes had remained stubbornly on my face. Whether he didn’t like what he saw, or he simply viewed me as a small sister, I would never know – not unless I asked, and that was just not an option.

“He truly came,” I told myself, still awestruck that he actually barged into my room, like he owned the place… Even though he technically did.

His making true on his words and showing up at my room had me smiling like a silly girl. At least, he meant what he said when it came to training.

I was giddy with excitement, and was lowkey trembling as I got dressed.

Before the ten minutes were up, I was outside in the training grounds. I tried not to show my excitement at being included in such a basic thing as training. I couldn’t let them see how much they had actually hurt me, without even trying.

Indeed, not only did Gamma Daniel reprimand me many times for my lack of agility and other things which were out of my control really…. But nobody ever spoke up for me. Not when I was bullied, and definitely not when I was cast out of training.

I realized then and there that I had never truly mattered to either Sebastian or Clarissa. Otherwise, all it took was one voice – one voice! – to be heard, to possibly make change.

Stretching was all good and dandy. Watching common wolves trying to impress their future Alpha was lowkey amusing.

When Sebastian, as pompous as ever, tried to show his best move, Hunter had his wolf in a headlock in less than 10 seconds.

Foolish Sebastian thought he could take an Alpha. I had to hold back a snort.

Many girls tried to impress Hunter, but he treated them as he would treat any other wolf – dispassionately and with that infuriating scowl on his face.

To be honest, that attitude had the knack to calm something within me… I refused to acknowledge the feeling as petty jealousy. It was just nerves. It had to be the nerves.

When it was finally my turn, and I explained to him in earnest how I could provide support to the pack, some guys stopped holding back insults.

Seeing the anger on Hunter’s face, as he called each one of them out, was deeply satisfying for some reason. I didn’t know what kind of knight in shining armor he could be in moments of crisis, but right then, he was already doing plenty.

Before long, gasps followed Hunter’s statement of “A head, an apple.”

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline, but I recovered quickly.

Peter, Hunter’s beta, soon placed an apple over each head. The five guys were bulky, and no doubt strong, but right then, they were shaking in their boots, and it showed. But they dared not go against the Alpha’s word.

“Don’t worry,” Hunter told them placatingly, “These aren’t silver arrows, and they’re not coated in wolfsbane either.”

“Al-Alpha Hunter…” one began, his bravado seemingly vanishing the moment Hunter’s gaze settled over him. “You can’t be serious…”

Hunter merely looked at him levelly, as if he were trash beneath him – and in a way, he might have been.

“Weren’t you guys offering your services earlier?” He raised an eyebrow at him. “You must have wanted to help, but inadvertently said the wrong thing by accident. Right?”

They didn’t even dare to nod, afraid of the apple falling, afraid of the repercussions. They couldn’t bring themselves to say yes, and couldn’t possibly say no either.

“Shoot, Eden,” he then commanded, while I weighed the bow in my hand, feeling it.

It was exactly the same kind I was used to. And for that, I was glad.

“Don’t you move, and show us what you’re made of,” he winked at them in a way a psychopath would have.

In that moment, however, to my eyes, he was a hero in combat boots.

I had the bow in a good solid grip. And before Hunter could instruct me once more to shoot, I pulled on the string, the arrow sliding in my hand like a treacherous snake I was used to.

Brandon, the tallest of the mouthy guys was in the middle, and that was exactly whom I decided to start with.

The apple flew back from the impact with the arrow, and he fell backwards, unconscious.

Hunter clicked his tongue in dismay, even as he shook his head in disapproval, “Can’t even trust one of your own… What am I going to do with you?”

“We do,” one of them fell to his knees, his desperation clearly written on his face. “We trust her now.”

“Do you?” Hunter raised an eyebrow, and I wondered what he had in mind.

The guy nodded eagerly, and I honestly felt for him.

“Are you telling me the tasteless words I heard were but a trick of my mind?” He quipped and then shot me a look.

I immediately pulled another arrow from the sack, and got ready.

The three remaining guys fell to their knees as well.

“We are so sorry, Alpha,” two of them said in unison.

“We shouldn’t have,” another one continued.

“We were wrong,” the last one finished with much difficulty.

“You should be apologizing to Eden,” he deadpanned, crossing his arms.

Their eyes bulged almost comically, and I had to hold back the bubbling laughter that threatened to spill.

“They don’t look half as sincere as they should be,” Hunter clicked his tongue again.

“We are. We are,” one of them said in haste, dampening his lips as he got ready to apologize, “We’re sorry, Eden. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have called you names.”

“We’re sorry,” the other three nodded eagerly, sweat trickling down their faces, fear oozing off them in waves.

I merely nodded at them in reply.

“You’ve proven you can shoot, Eden,” Hunter then turned to me, and the guys finally relaxed. “How about shooting a moving target?”

“Still needs some work, Alpha Hunter,” I told him in earnest.

“Let’s test that out,” he nodded. “Get ready.”

I obliged him, and he soon threw an apple in the air.

The trajectory was random – as in not one I was used to try my hand at – and yet, before it began to fall, I shot the arrow, and it didn’t miss.

Oh heavens! It didn’t miss, I mentally cheered, eyes wide, even as a clap sounded from behind me, soon followed by another, and then the whole pack was clapping for me.

“Do not sell yourself short ever again,” Hunter let out in a slightly softer tone of voice, even as he nodded at me in approval.

“Yes, Alpha,” I beamed at him.