CHAPTER 261: 261-A THREAT OR A WARNING?

Clementine:

"Oriana, stop it!" I yelled once she tried to push the door shut. I was sure Troy saw everything, because instead of running toward us, he went the other way.

"Troy, come over here!" I shouted, trying to get his attention.

"I can’t take the risk!" he yelled back as he ran off.

Honestly, I felt awful. I had always been able to rely on my mates, but today he couldn’t do the same. He had to take another route because he wasn’t sure if we would let him in since Oriana and I were both struggling over the gate. The thought made me feel sick.

Oriana slammed the door shut, and while one of the monsters chased Troy, another earth eater came straight for our gate, crashing against it. We both stepped back, Oriana even fell on her butt, scrambling away from it.

The thing was massive. Its mouth could open wide enough to swallow a person whole. It tried to pry the gate open, ramming itself against it again and again before finally giving up and charging off in another direction.

When it was gone, I turned to Oriana. She didn’t even seem to notice the look I gave her. Instead, she offered me her hand, as if that was why I was staring at her. But I didn’t take it. I was too fucking pissed at her.

"What the fuck did you do, Oriana?" I screamed, anger and fear crashing through me. I couldn’t stop thinking about whether Troy had made it or not.

"What? I saved us both," she muttered, intensifying my anger. "He was being slow. Those things were fast. Didn’t you see how close it was behind him? We wouldn’t have had time to fight it if we’d let Troy inside and we wouldn’t have been able to close the door."

She hissed the words, and I clenched my jaw hard.

"Oriana, if that was the case, I would’ve fucking fought the monster instead of leaving Troy outside!" I yelled back at her. The more I spoke, the more she looked shocked, gasping and staring at me in disbelief.

"You would jeopardize your own life for him? He’s just your squadmate! Come on, Clementine, it’s your life above others!" she shouted, standing up and brushing the dust off her skirt.

"There’s something called friendship, loyalty, and humanity," I muttered through clenched teeth, refusing to tell her the real reason. Not only that, but he was also my mate.

While saying that, I grabbed my weapon and decided to go after Troy, at least to look for him. But she quickly grabbed my hand, stopping me before I could reach the door.

"You must’ve lost your mind to go out there when this place is swarming with those things!" she argued, making me stare at her in disbelief. One might think she acted that way out of fear or hesitation, but the fact that she still stood by it proved she only cared about herself.

"Don’t look at me like that! I’m being honest with you, Clementine. Why do you need to care for them? What if it’s just the two of us? If we stick together, we’ll be stronger and can save ourselves. We don’t need to expand the group or take responsibility for others. You know, the more people there are, the greater the responsibility becomes," she said, still hoping to convince me that leaving him behind was the right thing to do.

"What the heck are you even talking about, Oriana?" I screamed, watching her step away and straighten her posture.

"Well, I’m just saying, you’re a little too trusting of these men," she said, then added, "and I know there’s something going on between you and them."

My spine stiffened, but I didn’t feel awkward or ashamed. I folded my arms across my chest and tapped my foot, not denying the accusation. Her eyes widened at me.

"How can you trust men, Clementine? Your own father was a cheater. Your own father was a killer. How could you even trust someone else now? And not just anyone, alphas who were cast aside by their own families and packs. The same men who bullied you at the start. How could you even trust them now?" she began to say all sorts of nonsense.

"I’m just saying, I can make them turn against you in a day," she said, and her words left me slightly stunned. I shook my head and blinked several times, trying to make sure I’d heard her right.

"Are you threatening me?" I asked, and she waved her hand as if to deny it.

"I’m not threatening you. I’m just letting you know how easy it is for me, or anyone, to turn these men against you," she explained, though I couldn’t understand why she was doing it. Why would she purposefully try to drive a wedge between me and my squadmates?

"You know I’m the new meat right now," she went on. "If it came down to it, they’d choose me. They’re only passing time with you in the dorm. You’re not even their type of girl. Come on, they’re only with you because you’re the only one. They’re only with you because it seems like you’re entertaining them all."

She kept going, and my jaw dropped.

"I’m not judging you. I’m just telling you to be careful," she added.

At this point, I began to wonder if I knew her at all. I understood she was dealing with a lot. She had her own troubles, but what she was saying felt pure malice.

"I hope you think about it and don’t trust them too blindly," she said. "These men just want fresh meat. If you think they’ll respect someone they know is entertaining everyone, you’re wrong. They’re just in it for fun."

She gestured at the gate, letting me know I could leave if I wanted. I kept watching her face, then headed for the door. I heard her grunt defeatedly, probably upset that I wouldn’t stay with her after the way she tried to poison my mind and talked about my character. Still, her reaction didn’t stop me. I walked out of the gate with a spear in my hand, ready to fight anything or anyone who tried to harm my mates.