Chapter Thirty-Six

CAYDEN POV

Ignoring everyone at the barbecue I head into the pack house with the test papers, I cannot believe I scored so low it. How did the pups even score more points than me, it was an alpha test, and I can clearly see the questions are related to an alpha so I know they shouldn't know them. For example, how do they know the laws? Some of the answers I cannot work out if they are right or not and having no idea, I have no choice but to head to the library and research them. I don't trust the answers written down and want proof, even though Hunter disagrees with me he is fully supporting me in my decision, probably hoping that it proves me wrong, and that Jenni conducted the obstacle course fair and square, but I don't like the fact that she is better than me I am meant to be an alpha and she is a mere omega wolf.

It takes me a while to source the main books I need to find the majority of the answers, but I find that the answers provided are indeed correct, even proving that my answers were wrong as rightly marked, making me feel even more of an inadequate alpha to be. I need to talk to my father tomorrow and ask him why my education is lacking compared to some orphaned pups. Thinking of it how did they even know? I don't even remember any of this being covered in school. Sighing I get back to the tests leaving the royal one until last knowing it will take me longer to find the answers.

"Still here Cayden?" peering over the top of my book I sigh deeply at my mother who places a food and drink on the table for me "You know you're going to find that there is no cheating. Why are you so adamant that she has?"

"How can she know all this?" I toss some test sheets across the table "How is she able to fight? Do you even know that you haven't let in a spy to our pack? Is she actually the age she says she is?" Hunter growls at me in my mind not liking us throwing accusations out about Jenni.

"She has had a hard life-"

"It could have been a trick."

"You're blinded by jealousy. She has only strengthened our pack and even by observing her you cannot see this. Not only that we now have an alliance with our neighbouring pack that we have been at odds with for years. How can you not see she is an asset to our pack?" she looks at me disappointingly "Once you have finished with this, I think you should get some sleep and hopefully when you wake up you will open your eyes and see the bigger picture and what is actually going on in the pack. Not only that you need to listen to your pack. I have heard so much good tonight I actually feel disgusted at the way you are trying to dishonour one of your own pack members because that is what she is now Cayden."

"Mum" I groan, I hate when she lectures me.

"Don't Mum me. I'm going to bed, and I hope when I see you next you have your head on straight." She turns away from me leaving me with the books all around me.

'Perhaps you should just let this lye, Cay.' Hunter attempts me to see the truth again that she is an honourable wolf, but I just cannot get past it, for the past month she has been avoiding us and acting weird. I even thought it was due to Scarlett being around and avoided her like the plague to get close to her, but she still avoided me, always with an excuse she needed to be somewhere. Where the hell could she need to be? She doesn't go to school and as I'm aware of she doesn't have a job.

'No, I need to know.' And I do, I need to know that all these answers are a hundred percent because I then need to find out how the hell, she knows all of this. Grumbling Hunter decides to curl up and sleep while I carry on my research.

It takes me all night in the library to confirm the answers of the test proving that there was indeed no cheating, the only ones I have struggled to find are the royal test answers and even then, I have only found a few of them but with Hunter constantly bickering with me I have decided to give in and accept that no cheating has gone on. The books are scattered all around me and I am absolutely exhausted, putting them away I head back up to my room to try and get a couple of hours sleep before I suck it up and apologise to Jenni yet again. Perhaps even ask her to hang out like Hunter wanted me to do in the first place to get to know her, I might even be able to find out why she has been avoiding me like the plague at the same time. Then, then I need to have a long chat with my father and find out what is going on, if I am going to be the alpha, I need to know what is going on in my own pack just like mum lectured me last night.

Collapsing on my bed without undressing I am suddenly overwhelmed with a sickly scent, one that I used to find quite pleasant but now, now it makes me want to gag.

"Babe, where have you been?" Scarlett asks as she sashays out from the bathroom only in her lingerie "I have been waiting all night for you."

"What are you doing here?" I snap at her; I have no patience to deal with her neediness right now I haven't slept a wink all night.

"Come on babe don't be like that. You haven't been any fun since that whore came around." She runs her fingers gently up my chest making me shudder in disgust, in the past it would have turned me on, and I would have tugged her on top of me but now, now I have no interest and have to hold back Hunter from killing her.

"Scarlet, you have training in a bit, and I have been up all night and want to get some sleep so can you please leave me be." I ground out trying not to cause a damn argument when all I want to do is sleep.

'Don't let her touch us' Hunter growls in my head 'She is unworthy and how dare she call Jenni a whore.' Why is he so damn defensive of the she-wolf? She doesn't even want to spend time with us.

'I know just let me deal with this.'

"How can you treat me this way?" she sobs big ugly tears falling down her cheeks making her mascara run along with it. "You told me you would choose me as your mate and now, now you avoid me and treat me this way. Even when we went out last month you were distant."

"Look Scarlett. You have training and I need to get some sleep I need to talk to dad later and its best I'm fully awake, can we please discuss this later" or not at all if I can help it but I know it's something I need to do but I need to be fully awake for it to make sure I can clear everything up and cut ties with her. She may think it's because I have feelings for Jenni due to the timing and I will need to make that clear too, Dad was right when Jenni asked me to spend time with my family for her favour I haven't been acting appropriately since I have been with her.

"Fine" she snarls back grabbing her dress and sliding it over her head, hope you're up to training the girls today Zach because they're going to be a damn handful. I'm just glad that Zach is still willing to take the class, it should have been taken over by me or my second or third by now, but we just let Zach carry on, I should really talk to my beta to be and gamma to start taking more active roles within the pack.

The door slams behind Scarlett and I groan she is going to be a pain in the arse today. I really do feel sorry for Zach mind you they don't pay attention to him as it is they spend all their time flirting with Dad's training group but I remember Harriet and Scarlett complaining over lunch about Jenni, it seems that no one paid them any attention due to her taking the class. Perhaps I should head to training today, I don't get any further than thinking about it though as I descend into darkness from exhaustion.