Chapter 95 - Bending The Biases
Chapter 95 - Bending The Biases
On the training ground, all the members had arrived except a few, which I believed were still patrolling the borders. There were some members who looked tired and yawned till their eyes watered. As I was walking towards them, they were busy chattering with each other and there was one face missing; Hailey who must be in prison as Channing had warned.
The moment I went closer and someone spotted me, there was a gasp which had others turn my way. The murmuring about me being perfectly healed surfaced in the crowd like fire.
"How did she heal this fast! I thought Diana would continue even today," said someone.
Another voice followed closely, "Wasn't Elaine by her side when Selene was injured?"
"I didn't know Elaine had this potent ability. I had never seen her heal so major injuries"
"Ya, how is Selene even walking in just two days!"
I sighed internally. This was bound to happen. It would get so messy if people were to start asking questions. I needed someone to divert the attention and let people know I was still little hurting.
"Selene!" And here it was. Suzan came running towards me with a happy, concerned face and put her arms around me. "Where were you-"
Her words were stopped by Sam, who jerked her away from me and I winced in a fake act to let people think I was still hurt. The murmurs immediately lowered and were replaced with words of how brave I must be to come here, even in my injured state. If there were sympathies that would follow this, then I would surely hate them, but I had no other choice.
Sam creased his brows and warned Suzan, "Be careful, Suzan. Selene is yet to heal properly. At least, check before lunging ahead"
I passed a grateful look at Sam and he nodded with a blink to reassure me he wasn't abandoning my trust this easily. This small gesture was big for me.
"Sorry, Selene," Suzan was quick to apologise, but her overreactions were on their way now. She took my hand in hers. Her concerned voice spoke hastily, "How are you? Where were you? I missed you so much, and I looked everywhere, but do you know how stressful it was to want to see you again"
I smiled at the train of her words that would not stop if I did not reply. "I am alright now Suzan, thank you for caring about me"
"Idiot, if I don't care about you, then who will?" Suzan was quick to reply as tears almost came to the brim in her eyes and she saw me with her foggy vision, drinking the tears back.
Arina spoke in a fake offended tone, walking towards us, "Haw Suzan, you aren't the only one who cares about Selene. We are glad to see you all fine, Selene," she said to me with a smile and I returned it to her graciously.
"Yes, we were so stressed we looked around the hospital as well," Connie said and his twin, Donnie, accompanied him.
It was very warming to see the few people who actually cared about me in such a short time. Until yesterday I thought only Sam and Suzan had a friendship bond with me, but it wasn't true. My circle of friends and people who cared about me was increasing slowly.
My eyes glanced towards the other members and I received glares from people Dandeline had mentioned were in support of Diana. I only hoped they did not bring trouble to me.
My hand went reassuringly on Suzan's shoulder before I turned to everyone else. I cleared my throat to speak in a low voice to a few people who had flocked around me, "I am fine now. We can catch up after the duties for today are done. Please take a seat everyone"
They went back and joined the pack, and I did not waste time with formalities. "Good morning everyone, I will be the acting Beta, officially" I lifted the card that Sam had given me and passed a look to the people who were sending their glares my way. "There would be a delegation of duties between the pack and I would do that properly as per the urgent and less urgent requirements. The members who had the night shift can go home, but your return is expected at three in the afternoon when you will get your duties."
Members who had the night shift left lethargically when a man with undercut curly brown hair got up and it did not take me long to understand that was one of Diana's supporters. "We only have the duties to patrol. The rest are your tasks. Don't push them on us, let us do our job you do yours"
Arrogance oozed from this man and he made the others get up with him and follow him towards the border, as it was their shift to patrol the borders.
"Oliver, was it?" I asked in a loud voice, remembering Dandeline having mentioned him and the group of men and two women stopped. Oliver, who had just shown his sharp tongue, turned with an annoyed face, challenging me. I smiled at him and then addressed everyone, "this group is so eager to patrol the borders. It would be sad if I didn't let them do it. Well, Oliver and team, I am sure others are exhausted of just patrolling past two days, then you eight members will patrol at night as well today."
This aggravated Oliver, and he walked ahead threateningly, "Who do you think you are to order us around? With that injury of yours, Diana will become the Beta and I have no interest in serving someone as weak as you." Seeing me not even spare a glance at his words, he came to hold my collar, "You wouldn't even have won the duel against Diana. You expect me to be a slave to your useless words?"
In a split second, I held his wrist and twisted his hand and bent him by his neck, "Just because I am hurt doesn't mean I can't strike and would take such disrespect towards the Beta." Oliver tried to get up but I pushed him further flat on the ground, "I am the acting Beta and you will watch your tone unless you want a trip to the prison for offending the Beta"
Oliver squirmed in my hold, but I was firm with my grip and no matter how older Oliver was to me, he was an Omega. In front of my Alpha blood, he didn't stand a chance.
I pressed my palm against his face as his angry breath sent a blow of dust into the air. My head tilted, and I said with a smile on my face, addressing the rest of Diana's followers that were previously John's followers, "I hope we can all work well together and no discrimination or biased group formation is seen in the members. The Alpha might have been kind to the betrayal you had shown by following John. But I won't tolerate any such behaviour that can bring threat to the Alpha obliquely in the future."