Chapter 7 - The beginning of rivalry
Anyone watching from afar could see the two best friends looking at each other and see that their friendship was deeply rooted in brotherly love. It was always Xavier and Howard. Nobody, just a few against the world. Young Alpha and his friend Warlock. The two always do their work together and seem separate. It was like nothing happened and no one could come between them. Or at least that's what the world sees.
Then there was a girl named Kyler, human, pinning after the young alpha like every other girls in school does, who wouldn't? The young alpha was a 6'1 stunner, dark hair and piercing blue eyes, almost like frozen sea water in the winter. She was beautiful and she knows it. She was not like an insecure girl who wasn't aware of her beauty. But, as she was totally heads over heels for the young alpha, so does the warlock friend fancying the beautiful Kyler.
"Hey", the beautiful red head that is Kyler said as she tucked her hair behind her right ear, speaking to the two friends, she was staring straight at Xavier trying to make her intentions known, but as handsome as the young alpha was, he wasn't the type that catches on to others' feelings easily.
"Hello", Xavier and Howard answered at the same time, but the warlock's voice sounded kind of broken making it seems like he was stunned by the girl's beauty.
"Um, Do you guys want to study together later tonight?" she thought it would be easier to ease Xavier into liking her if his best friend was present.
"Yeah, sure", Xavier was the one to answer as Howard was still staring shamelessly with mouth wide open, making his friend nudge him in the arm, he nodded too.
"Alright, I'll see at the diner", with that said, Kyler turned around and left to do her own thing- planning to make Archer fall for her.
"Howard, are you okay?" the young alpha asked his friend seeing as his friend was looking like someone who was put in some kind of trance.
"Did you see how beautiful that girl was?" Howard fired back making Xavier's eyebrow shoot up like what his friend said is the strangest thing ever.
In Xavier's defense, Howard is never one to show interest in any girl since the beginning of their teenage years, where girls were swimming around the young alpha, the warlock simply lets him have his moments without interruption. As a warlock, having mates wasn't easy, but, seeing Kyler, something unlocked inside of Howard, like love at first sight.
"We should go to that date, and then…" the warlock told his friend, more of a command
"Date, what do you mean date? She said studying though", Xavier cut his friend off
"Fine! We should totally go the studying", Howardrephrased
"Okay", Xavier couldn't help but agree seeing the kind of reaction his friend was giving; it was new and strange to him
With that, the two best friends continued their day of boring classes and almost meaningless conversation with so called friends. Being the future alpha of the Blood River Pack brought a lot of attention; wanted and unwanted towards Xavier's way and Howard was more than happy to back his friend up whenever. After all, it was them two against the world.
Going to the study session was not the hard part, it was hard keeping Howard focused for more than two minutes, hewas just staring at Kyler shamelessly every chance he got. Although the said girl noticed, she neither did nor say anything about it because she also was busy staring at Xavier, who was the only serious person during their study session. He didn't really need the education, as his only legacy was being the Alpha when the time comes.
After the study session, the trio parted ways, Kyler headed to her home in town and the two best friends who lived side by side at the pack house to their homes as well. Their little study dates went on for about a month; it strengthened their friendship in some kind of way with the love triangle going on, a love triangle that Xavier knew nothing about.
It was a sunny afternoon, the trio was under the shady tree where they usually have their lunch at, when Howard decided to shoot his shot and ask Kyler out on a date.
"Kyler?" Howard called out
"Yes", she answered
"Do you want to go out tonight?" he asked
"Yeah, sure", she responded thinking he was referring to the three of them going to their usual study date
As if sensing what she was thinking, Howard clarified for her "I mean just the two of us, you and I", he told her, and immediately she scrunched her face up as if a vile thing entered her mouth. Not liking the reaction he got, Howard came all out.
"Like a date", with that, she starts to shake her head no furiously.
Xavier wasn't interested in Kyler, so he decided to keep quiet and let his friend have his moment.
"I can't go on a date with you, Howard", Kyler spoke out after shaking her head no
"But, why?" a confused Howard asked why the only girl he has ever showed interest in wasn't responding favorably
"I'm in love with someone else", she said. Xavier decided to intervene to side his friend
"Who are you in love with?" He asked her ready to convince her as best as he could to date Howard, but the answer that came out of Kyler's mouth shocked them both to the core.
"You!, Xavier, I'm in love with you", she shouted with so much confident like it is the most obvious thing in the world.
It was obvious that Kyler's response angered Howard to the point that he doesn't want to be in the presence of his best friend, to him it seems like the greatest betrayal of the century. He took off to the forest with the intent of no return. For someone who had barely shown any interest in anyone since they were little, Xavier seems to understand his friend's feelings, but at the same time, he had an idea of where Howard might have ran off to, so he made a mental note to check on him later after sorting things out with Kyler.
"Listen Kyler", Xavier started as stern and cold as he could be. Being the future alpha gave him that privilege of making anything in the world listen to him whether they like it or not. It is natural instinct to want to listen to an Alpha, human or super-natural.
"I don't like you that way at all and you just hurt my best friend's feeling with what you said, it is better if you stay away for a while", he told her and left immediately, not giving her the chance to say whether she heard him or not.
Xavier knew the only way to help Howard was to keep calm, because he had the tendency of making things blow up with his magic when he was angry or did not get his way since they were little. Xavier knew he needed to be level headed to keep his friend out of danger.