Waking up next to someone can feel a lot of different ways. There's shame, comfort, and regret. I feel all 3 creeping up on me.

  It doesn't help that my limbs are intertwined with my childhood best friend.

  His body radiates warmth. His breaths were quick and shallow.

  "Lilas, wake up."

  He tossed and turned. As he did, his hold loosened.

  Usually, he wouldn't let go so easily.

  He cracked one eye open before closing it again.

  "Did Kai ever come back last night?" I asked, feeling guilty.

  "He slept outside." He answered quietly.

  "He did?"

  "Yes, he did," He said, chuckling to himself, "He can't even bear living under the same roof as me." He coughed with a mix of laughter.

  "You sure know how to make everything about you..." I mumbled as I slipped away from the bed, "How sure are you? That he slept outside?" I asked as I looked around in my luggage for something to wear.

  "Fortunately or unfortunately for others and myself, my mind has the sort of disease where it does, in fact, believe the world revolves around me," He says jokingly as he sits up and leans against the headboard. Eyes still closed, "And I used my magic to check on him." He said as he waved his hand around.

  "I should've known...using magic is like drinking water for you."

  He shrugs, eyes now open, and watches me get dressed.

  "You don't plan on taking a shower?"

  "No, why? You want me to join yours?" I teased as I sat on the bed to pull up my socks.

  "Haha, very funny. You already know the answer to that." I felt him shift behind before the weight of the bed lightened.

  He walked past me and left the room.

  I didn't dare look up... I couldn't watch him leave because... I usually am the first to go.

  Is this how it's going to be from now on?

  I let out a sigh and flop down onto the bed.

  Everything seems back to normal.

  But everything has changed.

  What am I going to do?

  Can we keep going like this?

  He's acting like nothing happened...and I'm playing along with him.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  It's like we're two puppets stringing each other along. We dance around each other...hoping the other won't try to trip the other.

  When I think about last night...about the promises Lilas made to me. I feel dread.

  It makes me feel uneasy.

  Maybe I shouldn't have pretended everything was okay... I shouldn't have let him walk out the door without having a proper conversation.

  It's not too late.

  Setting up quickly reminds me of the lack of food I had yesterday and the past few days.

  Food can wait.

  I stand up, pushing through my dizzy eyesight.

  "Lilas!" I called out.

  Since this isn't a manner, he should be able to hear me from just about anywhere.

  "Lilas!"

  I head downstairs.

  And that's when I see him...my other childhood friend. Sitting alone on the sofa, head leaning back, his white trousers were stained with streaks of green. His ceremonial black button shirt was undone.

  He looked like a mess.

  "You just missed him. He went out."

  "How long ago? Did he say where he was going?"

  "He didn't say a thing. He just flew out of here... like a demon was chasing after him," He noted, "Kinda looked pale," He mumbled to himself.

  I hope he's not coming down with something...a sick Lilas is an unbearable Lilas.

  "So, he used his magic to go somewhere... somewhere like off the pack lands?"

  "Seems like it. He doesn't need to use magic to get around this area."

  Right, if he was planning on staying in this area, he wouldn't be using his magic to get around.

  "It's kinda unfair that he can just fly off like that." He notes sitting up from his seat on the sofa.

  "It is."

  We fell into silence.

  Aalackai then patted the spot next to him.

  "Kitayana, let's catch up... It's been a long time since we talked."

  I nodded slowly and sat next to him.

  "You...you smell like Lilas and something else." He said in a neutral tone.

  How could I forget? I'm no longer wearing the spell like it's my second skin.

  It's gone...he took it away from me.

  "It's temporary," I blurted out.

  Not for his benefit but my own.

  "It's only for a month."

  He nodded in understanding.

  "Do you sleep with him?" He asked out of the sudden.

  I blink rapidly at him.

  "I'll take that as a no." He said as he laughed dryly, "I only asked because you smell like an omega in heat...or one about to enter one." He said as a matter of fact.

  "You...then why aren't you reacting to me? My scent."

  He swallowed hard before answering, "Because of my amazing control, of course." He laughed, "What do you think they taught me at the all-alpha Academy?" He made a little show of tossing his hair around.

  "Really? They teach you that type of stuff?"

  I've never heard about this technique before. Everything I know about Alpha comes from my home library and my parents.

  "Oh, yeah, they do, but..."

  "But what...?"

  "Graduates from that school aren't supposed to tell outsiders about the things we learned during our time there."

  "Oh..." Unexpectedly, I felt dejected at these words.

  "But since it's you...I'll tell you all about it."

  "Really? You promise?"

  At that moment, I felt like a gleeful child who got the last cookie from the cookie jar.

  "Have I ever lied to you?"

  I shook my head in response.

  Not in recent years...

  "Where do I begin?" He asked himself as he taped his chin, pondering.

  So, we sat there talking and talking until darkness fell.

  He told me all about the Alpha Academy secrets, and when he ran out of things to say. We moved on to talk about my life at home.

  When he noticed we hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He cooked us a meal.

  "Did they teach you this, too.. at the Academy?" I asked in between mouthfuls of food.

  "Yes and... no. We had volunteer shifts. During my time at the academy, I signed up for all the kitchen shifts. It was sort of like a safe haven for me...." He trailed off and took a sip of water.

  "Then maybe you can teach me sometime..."

  "Maybe I could."

  We ate our meal in blissful silence after that.

  When we finished eating, we talked about all the drama that occurred while he was away.

  Turns out Kai is really into gossiping. He was asking all the right questions, even questions I didn't even think about asking.

  We didn't talk about Lilas once. It's like we both have had a mutual understanding... without saying anything.

  But subconsciously my eyes kept drifting towards the front doors until they didn't.

  "Aalackai, I missed you."

  "I missed you too, Kitayana."