The boy nodded nervously. "Yeah, I saw him heading toward the main gate about twenty minutes ago. I think he was leaving."
Rhett did not even wait to hear the boy out completely; he sprinted through the corridors, running towards the main gate. He knew he shouldn’t run, but right now, he needed to see Kael.
Just as his vision was beginning to tunnel, he got to the gate just in time to see Kael loading his things into the boot of a black car.
The sight of seeing Kael go home just like that, and after everything that happened, ignited something within Rhett.
"KAEL!" he called out at the top of her voice.
Just as Kael turned, Rhett launched at him, swinging his fist with all the force he had—the punch connected with Kael’s jaw, making a loud pop sound, sending him staggering backwards.
Before Kael could recover, Rhett tackled him again, slamming him against the side of the car.
"You killed her!" he screamed, his voice as he swung again, this time catching Kael in the ribs. "You drove her to her death! You betrayed her, you betrayed us!"
Blood was trickling from Kael’s split lip now, but he didn’t try to fight Rhett. He only lifted his arms to shield his face and head from Rhett’s blows, which were raining down on him.
"She trusted you!" Rhett continued, tears streaming down his face as he grabbed Kael by the shirt and shook him violently. "She loved you, and you betrayed her! You stood there in that hall and condemned her to die!"
Still, Kael didn’t fight back; he stood there like a condemned man accepting his punishment.
"Fight back!" Rhett roared, grabbing Kael’s jacket with both hands. "Defend yourself, you coward! Tell me why you did it!"
But Kael remained silent, letting him pour out all his rage.
It took several minutes before Slater arrived with a group of Sentinels, alerted by the commotion. They pulled Rhett away from Kael, restraining him as he continued to struggle and shout out accusations.
"Calm down!" Slater ordered as he held Rhett back. "This isn’t helping anyone!"
"Don’t fucking tell me that!" Rhett wheezed, holding his chest. He was struggling to contain the sharp stab of pain he felt anytime he breathed in. "This is on you, too." Latest content published on NoveIꜰire.net
The Sentinels dragged the still-fuming Rhett away from the scene. As they disappeared back toward the campus, Slater remained behind, staring at Kael.
Today had been the last day of the school term—the administration had rushed everything so the students could go home for the holidays. Eamon’s death had traumatised everyone, casting a shadow over what should have been a time of celebration and rest.
Seeing that other students were beginning to gather and stare, Slater stepped closer to Kael.
"Why did you do that to her?" he asked. "Tell me, Kael. Did you ever love her? Did you ever care, even once, about Charis?"
Kael remained silent, dabbing at his broken lip with the back of his hand.
"She loved you," Slater continued, his voice cracking as he fought back tears. "She preferred you over both of us, chose you first, gave you everything she had to give. And you..." His breath hitched, and he had to pause to compose himself. "You stood there and voted against her. You looked her in the eye and condemned her to die."
Still, Kael said nothing.
"Do you know what it means to have a mate?" Slater pressed on. "Do you understand the bond you shared with her? She would have died for you, Kael. She would have given up everything—her freedom, her identity, her life—if it meant keeping you safe. And this is how you repay that devotion?"
"You destroyed her, Kael. You destroyed us."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Kael straightened, wiping the blood from his lip. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, revealing nothing of whatever emotions might be going on inside him.
"Happy holidays, Slater."
With that simple, devastating dismissal, he turned and climbed into the waiting car, leaving Slater standing alone on the gravel drive, staring after him with tears streaming down his face.
Inside the car, Kael’s master, a stern-faced man in an expensive suit, narrowed his eyes at Kael.
"What’s going on, Kael? Why did you allow Thatcher to hit you like that? You didn’t even defend yourself. You didn’t kill, Eamon. It’s not your fault that he died, nor anyone’s. So, why are they trying to blame you? Is there more to it than I know?"
"I’m talking to you," his master barked. "Didn’t I warn you not to form any emotional attachment with anyone? I told you love and loss work hand in hand. The more you love something, the more likely you’re to lose it."
"I can’t fight Rhett," Kael said quietly. "He’s sick. A punch from me would kill him."
"Why was he referring to Eamon as a girl? Were all three of you dating him? Did you think of him as a girl? Aren’t you supposed to ..."
"Because she was a girl!" Kael said quietly, and then turned to stare at his mouth, which had frozen in shock. "Eamon Riggs was Charis Greye, Alpha Greye’s only daughter and child. She escaped to Ravenshore to avoid her abusive father, and she’s also my mate."
"Slow down, Kael. You’re not making sense," His master tried to make him calm down.
"You said I should never tell a lie, that being truthful is better than anything. That it doesn’t matter who the person is..."
"Kael!" his master tried to reach for him, but Kael brushed him off.
"I killed her," he growled. "It’s my fault that she’s dead. Maybe if I had just told a damn lie... all I wanted was to give her a chance to leave Ravenshore. To save her from the evil going on in that school, and now she’s dead."
"Kael!" his master called again.
"I’m FINE!" Kael shouted, then relaxed after a few minutes. "Can I just take a break for the next few weeks?"
There was a short pause before his Master said, "Two days and after that, you’d be punished for talking down at me."
But Kael didn’t respond. He turned toward the window, watching the Academy grow smaller in the distance, and said nothing.