Chapter 8
Chapter 8 A Spark Of SköLl
— Third Person POV —
Kade waited for Lana’s response as her eyes went wide, but she didn’t say a word and instead shoved him away. Her face turned deep red as she told him her sεx life with Caleb was none of his business before returning to her room and locking the door he had seen her be so keen on inspecting.
Kade felt satisfied. Seeing Lana blush like that was so sweet.
Entering the kitchen, he grabbed a banana, figuring there would be no breakfast that morning, and leaned against the counter to eat it. In all truth, he didn’t care one bit about Lana and Caleb’s relationship; he just liked to get her riled up. There was nothing more beyond that to give a sh!t about, he thought as he took a b!te. Caleb was some stuck-up brat, thinking the world owed him everything.
Caleb cared way too much about image, and that’ll be his downfall. As much as Kade cares about being the strongest Alpha, besides that, he doesn’t care what others think of him. Life is about having fun, and that’s what he intends to do.
Tossing the peel in the trαsh, he washed his hands and then headed back to his room. Thinking about how little he knew of Lana and their first encounter. Even then, she didn’t linger in his mind other than as some Omega who was playing a game.
He had thought she had done a cute job of pretending to be so flustered, but it was still forgettable. She wasn’t his usual type. It wasn’t until he discovered she was Caleb’s mate that he paid attention.
Kade loved to create a bit of chaos, and getting under Caleb’s skin, and seizing Caleb’s mate as his partner in class did just that. It didn’t even matter who his partner was for the course, so having some entertainment for the quarter was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
Kade laughed to himself as he undressed.
However, he was somewhat surprised that Caleb’s mate wasn’t completely unattractive; the rumor was that she was just an Omega nerd he was stuck with due to the bond. Kade always saw it as more proof that the bond wasn’t needed, but didn’t think about it beyond that. Other than fυcking with Caleb, he didn’t care to learn anything about him; the rumor was enough, so he never sought to see if it was real or not.
A flash of Lana’s flustered hazel eyes passed through his mind. The rumor that she was υgly was kind of off. Sure, there was nothing that completely stood out about her, but she was far from unattractive. In fact, she was kind of beautiful. Maybe if she wore better clothes and did something with her hair, others would notice, too.
The idea of him showing up with Lana all decked out around Caleb brought a wicked grin to Kade’s face.
When he first got a roommate, he didn’t have many thoughts about that either; it was his sister’s issue, but now that Lana was his roommate, the fun could be endless. He could insinuate all kinds of things around Caleb that would drive him nuts. His initial plan to tell his roommate that there was a hands-off rule with him is entirely the opposite now. If he could fυck Caleb’s mate… Kade imagined the look on Caleb’s face and smiled.
There was a sense of anticipation of everything to come as he stripped off the last of his clothes, then he thought of another event coming up, and his smile fell. Looking down at his hands, he called to his wolf and tried to change. He could feel his Alpha power rising in him, but his wolf wouldn’t even stir. It stayed quiet, unable to reach.
All fun and games aside, he had a real problem. It had been months since he was able to call his wolf. Though he acted as though everything was fine at school, and around those he was not close with, it had been a genuine concern for him. Only his sister and Tyler knew, and he might have kept it from them if it weren’t for the fact that he hadn’t been able to mindlink with them for even longer.
Pulling on a pair of designer, black jeans, he set his jaw, trying hard not to think of the fact that his power had bottlenecked nearly a year ago. Since then, his wolf slowly faded, and he knew there was a real issue when he wasn’t able to mindlink with his sister any longer. Kade was thankful he didn’t use it with anyone else. Who knows what rumors would be circulating if others knew?
They would no longer see him as a strong Alpha, the only thing he really cares about, and that would be a huge problem. The trials were coming up, and if Caleb knew Kade couldn’t call his wolf, there would be an even worse issue on his hands. Kade would lose his place as top Alpha.
However, Maeve kept telling him that the trials and Caleb were much less important than losing connection with his wolf. She was worried about long-term issues.
Kade sighed as he pulled on a snug, black T-shirt. He thought about Maeve’s suggestion about finding his mate, the last real argument that they had. Even though Maeve knew why he was against the stυpid mate bond, she wouldn’t let go of her theory that it would fix his power issue.
They lost their own father to that stυpid bond, so why would she even suggest it? Kade tried not to get angry as he looped his belt through his pants. The mate bond and the loss of their father were wounds he would never get over.
There had to be another way to fix it.
Putting on his socks and boots, he remembered there was a glimmer of his wolf not long ago, as well as the day before. He still wasn’t able to communicate with Sköll, but he felt him stronger than he had in many months.
Kade drew in a deep breath and then let it out, “Maybe I need a small vacation before the trials. I’m probably just overexerting myself,” he said out loud as he threw on a leather jacket.
He couldn’t help but laugh. Right, overexertion. He hadn’t pushed himself any more complicated than before. When he was younger and trying to build his wolf to top strength, he would pass out from the regimens he put himself under.
Looking for his keys, Kade tried to think of what could have been the cause for his wolf to stir so suddenly. There hadn’t been anything special the first time he felt it. In fact, it was so surprising and made him so hopeful that he tried to pull power from his wolf, only to find a complete void yet again.
Kade locked the front door as he thought about how frustrated he had become, losing connection after a moment of hope. It was so bad he was ready to pick fights with random strangers, but just like the first time, it came back out of nowhere. Only the second time it was even stronger. He could almost hear Sköll; it was as if he was trying to tell him something.
Kade pulled out his bike and helmet while sorting through the events of both days in his mind, trying to find some connecting factor. The first day, he went to the hotel to meet up with the girl he had found on an app. The second time, when his wolf was stronger, was the day Lana moved in.
When he thought of Lana, it hit him that she was there at the hotel too. Both times Sköll sparked back to life, that little Omega was standing in front of him, flushing in frustration. Then, she fled… like a little bird.
Was his little bird the key to finding Sköll back?
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.