Chapter 21–bewitched by the human girl

Alcot's POV

Sterling's sword clanked against mine, causing me to stagger and almost lose my footing. He seemed to be winning today.

"What is the matter, Alcot." Sterling asked, positioning himself for another strike. "Something's on your mind? You seem distracted today."

"None of your business, Sterling." I spat on the grass beneath my feet and wielded the sword in front of me. 

"Is it a girl?" He stubbornly persisted but I remained quiet this time. How could I tell him that he was right and it was in fact, a girl who was in my thoughts, distracting me from doing the right thing. 

How could I tell him that my distraction was her? The human girl who had accidentally binded herself to me a week ago. After I had seen her looking so breathtaking last night, I couldn't take her off my mind no matter how much I tried to. She had bewitched me. Even in my dreams. 

"It is a girl." I confessed, charging towards him and striking at him with my sword. He dodged the blow expertly, blocking my attack with his own sword. We panted as we took our positions again. 

"Who could ever believe there would come to be a girl who would someday, succeed in messing with the mind of the almighty Alpha Alcot?" Sterling's tone reeked of his usual dose of sarcasm. 

I opened my mouth to reply to him but my words were automatically frozen in my mouth as soon as my eyes caught the sight of Bloyd and Arabella walking into the field, dressed and holding some fighting gear. Sterling and I were standing behind the fence and because of that, the girls did not notice us. Arabella seemed to be cracking some jokes and laughing at her own jokes while Bloyd kept her face hard and no trace of a smile broke from her face. Anyone at first glance would think Bloyd was the one born of royalty while Arabella was the jovial common friend. Even with Bloyd's hardened face, I felt my body tense at her sight and my eyes appraised her perfect face and body. 

Sterling turned his head to see what I was looking at and a knowing smile broke from his lips. "So,... that is the girl?"

I took a step forward, standing beside Sterling. 

"I feel like she's bewitched me."

Sterling crossed his arms over his chest and did not take his eyes off Bloyd for a second. He watched her intensely.

"She seems like your type. Tough and daring. You guys are a perfect match."

"You're talking nonsense, Sterling." I scoffed and watched the girls as they prepared to fight. Or train. Whichever. "She is only human. And she crashed my mating ceremony, ruining my chances of being close allies with the Alpha of Azure pack."

My heart ached at the thought of that and I felt a wave of anger wash through me. But I did not let it show. I bottled my stormy emotions behind the walls of cold facial indifference. 

A frown creased upon my forehead as I watched the girls, realizing that Bloyd was training Arabella both in swordsmanship and in fist fights. And she was perfect. Her kicks, her blows, the way she handled the sword as if she was born with it. Arabella on the other hand was clumsy as usual. More clumsy than a first time learner. But Bloyd didn't seem to be giving up on her anytime soon. If anything, she looked even more determined to teach my sister. 

"What in the name of the gods…" I could no longer hide my shock at the discovery of a human girl being such a good fighter. She was fighting like a wolf. Not a human.

I pushed my sword to Sterling, who received it from me and I walked towards the part of the field where the girls were fighting. It was Arabella who first saw me and it caused her to lose her footing and fall to the grass. Bloyd whipped her hair around as she turned her head to look at me. I stood behind the girls, my gaze locked on Bloyd. She seemed a little surprised to see me and she swallowed hard. I bet she didn't know I had been watching her all these while. 

"Brother." Arabella got up on her feet again but I cut her off from saying anything anymore. 

"I have never seen or heard of a human fight that good." I referred to Bloyd, my eyes still on her. She batted her long, dark beautiful lashes and stared back at me. 

"Throw me a sword." I told her. "I'd like to have a fight."

I took notice of how a look of uncertainty crossed her eyes for a moment, deepening into a puzzled frown.

"Why?" She finally spoke. "Arabella and I were just playing around."

"You fight well." I remarked, ignoring her bid to stop me. "Pass me a sword, Arabella."

Arabella's eyes darted between me and Bloyd before surrendering and handing her sword to me. I held it tight to my hand and sent Bloyd a small smirk.

"Are you prepared to play with an Alpha, human girl?"

She sighed deeply and took her position, arcing the sword with less agility and enthusiasm as she did when she trained with Arabella. It was obvious she wanted to hide how good she was. I intended to bring out the beast in her. 

"Let's play."

I attacked first, sending my sword clanking against her with enough force to make her stagger as she protected herself from me with her own sword. Her chest heaved up and down as she panted heavily.

Arabella gasped in panic.

"Careful, brother. She's only human."

If there was one thing I learned about Bloyd ever she had become a prisoner here, it was never to underestimate her. She might be a human but she had the heart of a wolf.

The air was tense now. I lunged towards her and our swords collided as I attacked and she tried to defend herself from my blow. As I lunged forward again and she backed away, she mistakenly slipped and fell on the ground. But she didn't go down alone. She held my arm and dragged me to the ground with her. The next second, we were lying on the ground, her back on the grass and my body over hers. I held my breath, surprised by what had happened. She was breathing hard and fast and our eyes interlocked into each other's. 

My face softened and I couldn't take my eyes off her for a second. She looked flushed and exceptionally beautiful. And her eyes…those eyes send a feeling of deja Vu over my body. Those hazel eyes plunged me back to the memory of my teenage years and for a moment, I believed she was the hazel eyed girl. I stared down to her lips and gulped as I remembered how I had kissed them briefly, a few days ago when she tried to escape. I hungered to devour them again. 

"Get off me." She breathed hard from my weight on her, cutting me off my thoughts. Now back to reality, I got off her body and she raised herself from the grass. 

"Why did you pull me down with you?" I asked her. 

"Because, I never go down alone." She dusted the grass off her body and pulled Arabella with her by the hand. "Let's go."

I watched as the two girls hurried off, a small twitch of a smile on my face. I had never felt so interested in someone like I was for Bloyd. 

I was right. She had bewitched me.