Alpha's Hidden Precious Luna-Chapter 109

Lily POV

I froze, trying to process what he meant.

“I know this is coming at maybe a wrong time...”

“Maybe?” I sighed. “It is a wrong time, Coach. I mean no disrespect, but I don’t see you in that light. I know you’ve been super helpful these few weeks and you’ve helped me go through a lot of emotional stuff, but taking advantage of my vulnerability to tell me you like me? C’mon, Coach...”

“It was Jake a minute ago, Lily,” he said sullenly. “And I wasn’t telling you to date me or anything, but I’ve been here for you all this while. I’ve listened to you go on and on about your woes. I liked you, Lily.. from the first day I saw you and I didn’t know you will be Kai’s mate...”

“So, what’s the issue now?” I asked.

“I just feel you’re not reciprocating the same energy and likeness I have for you. You literally spend the entire day talking about how much Kai has hurt you...”

“Yes, because I feel that way,” I interrupted him. “But that doesn’t mean my feelings have changed. Maybe they might have diminished a bit, but he’s my mate, Coach and I love him. We have a lot going on right not but that shouldn’t necessarily be our end.”

“So, what am I? What are we?”

I turned to him, perplexed.

“Friends!” deciding maybe I was coming on too strong, I inhaled and exhaled deeply. “I am grateful for the support and friendship you’ve shown me all these days and I’m sorry if I gave the impression that I’m ready to move on from Kai and into another relationship, even if that is the case, I don’t think I would want to go into another relationship right away. I have other things I want to do with my life and all...”

I paused, taking a breather. “I don’t see you that way, Jake. You’ve been like a family to me. You’re the reason I have a smile on my face and manage not to cry myself to sleep. For that, I’m grateful.”

His face fell and for a minute, I thought he was going to react violently, but he shrugs after a while, forcing a smile. “I’m glad I could help and I’m sorry if I was in my head. It wasn’t intentional.”

Over the next few days, things went on as usual for both of us. I would show up in the morning and train with the others and maybe do another extra session with Jake, but things didn’t go back to how it was.

I was careful not to give him too many green flags, and I hoped he wouldn’t take things out of proportion again.

One particularly difficult evening, after enduring an entire day of listening to other pack members gush about Kai and Mia—the mysterious she-wolf. Everyone was literally talking about them, about how beautiful they are together and all. Despite telling myself that things like that couldn’t bother me, my chest ached the entire day. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Not only did I have to sit and pretend like the words didn’t affect me because not everyone know I am Kai’s mate, it was so painful that we had been so much in love only a few days ago and one would think your first big fight would be something you can quickly recover from.

But days have turned into weeks and weeks going to month and there was no hope of me ever reconciling with Kai.

That day after school, I went to the training ground and trained until my knuckles bled. Jake had to force me to stop, practically.

“Let me drive you home,” he insisted.

The drive was quiet, comfortable. I leaned my head against the window, watching the streetlights blur past. “Thank you, Jake. For everything.”

He gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I’m actually fighting the urge to reach for your hand, Lily, but don’t worry. Even if my feelings are never reciprocated, it’s fine. Seeing your happy is a priority for me and that’s what family is for, right?”

After that, the atmosphere in the car lightened up a bit. We chatted animatedly, even though I still felt guilty that I could never reciprocate his feelings. In the end, I might just have to play a matchmaker and set him up with someone who deserves him.

We were so deep in our conversation that neither of us noticed Kai’s car parked across the street as Jake pulled up to my dormitory gate. As he helped me out of the car, supporting my tired body, Kai emerged from the shadows, his eyes blazing with anger.

This was the first time I saw him after nearly three weeks.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, his eyes darting between us.

I turned, stunned to see him here. “Kai...”

“Good evening, Alpha!” Jake greeted quietly.

“This is where you’ve been?” Kai continued, ignoring Jake’s greeting. “Is this why you turned off your phone?” You’ve been with him?”

My immediate reaction was to lash out at him, but we were practically on the street and I didn’t want to do this in front of Jake.

I thrust the anger already coursing through my veins aside and turned to him with a pleasant expression. “I’ve been training and Jake was nice enough to drop me home afterwards.”

Kai’s eyes flicked to Jake, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “I don’t appreciate my mate being carted around by someone else.”

Jake raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I was just helping her, Alpha Kai. She’s been going through a lot and she trained really hard today, so...”

“That’s not your place,” Kai snapped, cutting him off.

I stepped forward, unable to contain my anger again. “I’ve been training with Jake for the longest time, something you might have noticed if you weren’t so busy playing nurse. So, don’t talk to him like that, Kai! He’s been more of a support to me lately than you have!”

“Don’t turn this around on me! Everything I did was for a purpose. You don’t think I’ve been aware of what’s happening? You think I don’t see you running off with him, spending all this time together? You’re out here every night with him?”

My heart sank. Was this a dream? Was I in an alternate universe? Or did Kai purposely decide to live in denial?

“You’re the one to talk! You’ve been spending all your time with that she-wolf! Do you even care about how that makes me feel?”

Kai didn’t say anything else, putting me in a more depressing state. I had expected he’d try to defend himself, obviously; he didn’t want to or maybe everything I said was the truth.

Jake finally cleared his throat. “Alpha Kai, this isn’t what you think. Lily is my student and as her coach, I’m only looking out for her.”

“But you’ve been taking advantage of the situation.” Kai sounded so bitter, as if he was actually hurt. “Going on runs with her, sunsets, spending time with her. Why are you coveting my mate?”

“He is not coveting me!” I yelled, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. “He’s my friend, and a good one at that.”

“A man and a woman cannot be friends, Lily. He listens? Or is he waiting for his chance?” Kai shot back. “Have you seen how he looks at you, Lily? Everyone has! They’re whispering both of you might become a couple soon.”

The accusation hung heavy in the air. I turned to Jake, whose face showed a flash of guilt before he masked it. My heart dropped as understanding dawned. I had genuinely thought that little fracas from the other day didn’t go further than both of us.

But somehow, he has been giving the impression that we’re together.

“Lily...” Jake started, but I stepped away from both men.

“I thought...” I wrapped my arms around myself. “I thought I finally had someone who just wanted to e there for me. But everyone wants something, don’t they?”

“That’s not fair,” Jake protested softly. “Yes, I care about you and we already talked about this and my feeling some days ago. I cannot control what people say or see. I can’t do that and when you really like something, eventually, it becomes difficult to hide it. Am I sorry about that? No!”

I scoffed. “Wow!”

“I told you,” Kai was saying, but I held up my hand.

“Stop! Both of you, just stop.”

Jake took a deep breath. “I think I should go. See you around, Lily.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Jake nodded, his eyes lingered on me for a moment before he entered his car and drove off, leaving I and Kai standing in tensed silence.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” I finally said. “You’ve been pushing me away in the last few weeks. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but if you don’t start being honest with me, I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”

He looked away with an unreadable expression. “I’m doing what I think is best.”

“For who?” I shot back. “For me? Or for you?”

Without waiting for an answer, I turned and walked into the house, leaving him standing in the fading light.