Chapter 2

My roommates made up some excuse about going to the dorm to get my stuff and left.

Only Liam and I remained in the ward.

Even though it was my roommates talking about him, I still couldn't help looking down, feeling a bit guilty.

He didn't make a big deal out of it.

"Ms. Smith, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm much better. Thanks for your concern," I replied.

Suddenly, it hit me that he was the chief instructor, basically a leader.

He was standing there talking, while I was lying in bed replying. Was that inappropriate?

I shakily tried to sit up, but he pressed me back down.

"What are you doing? You just woke up, so don't move around. If you need to talk, do it lying down," he said.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried authority.

I lay back obediently without thinking.

"Did you skip breakfast?" he asked.

How did he know?

"Yeah, I overslept and didn't have time to eat," I admitted.

He set a box of scones and a bag of warm milk on my bedside table.

Oh my god, scones and warm milk were my absolute favorite.

He began, his voice gentle, "You students always skip breakfast and end up fainting.

"Ms. Smith, training matters, but your health matters as much. Make sure you plan your time well and have breakfast every morning."

"Okay," I replied.

He seemed so much more approachable now, nothing like the strict instructor from the training field.

I stared at his handsome features, remembering he'd carried me all the way to the healing den. A warm heat crept across my cheeks.

I found myself wanting to lean closer to him and make some small talk, but the next thing he said completely killed the mood.

"Ms. Smith, can you handle the afternoon training?" he asked.

He'd put it that way. How could I possibly say no?

I bit the bullet and replied, "Reporting, Instructor Brown: I can do it."

"Good. Don't be late."

After Liam left, I wolfed down the scone in my hand.

Hmph, he was still the same old Liam. He'd got a tiny bit of warmth, but barely any.

Just then, my dad called. "Amelia, I'm teaming up with James Brown's pack for a big project. His son just got back to the Brown Pack. You two should meet and get to know each other.

"Dad, I'm in combat training right now. I can't," I said.

"Ask for leave. This is a big deal. I gotta run to a meeting. Talk later."

Before I could protest, Dad hung up on me.

*****

That afternoon, I arrived at the training field half an hour early.

But Liam was nowhere to be seen.

When the training started, he still hadn't shown up.

Looked like he wasn't here today. Thank goodness.

During the break, I went over to Jake. "Instructor Wilson, I need to take Wednesday night off for something."

Jake was always easy to talk to, yet he turned me down without a second thought this time.

"It's not that I don't want to let you go, but our class's been singled out before. Taking time off right now would look terrible, and I'll get chewed out too. You'll have to tough it out," he said.

Seeing how troubled he looked, I didn't press the matter further.

"Maybe you can go straight to Liam. He's the chief instructor. If he says yes, I'm good with it," he suggested.

Looked like Jake was scared of Liam, too.

Then I remembered how Liam had carried me to the healing den last time.

I guessed we are slightly familiar with each other now.

Maybe there was a slim chance he'd let me off.

Should I give it a shot?

Just then, Jake shot up from his seat. "Line up, now! Liam's here."

All the students snapped to attention in a flash, like someone pressed fast-forward on them.

It wasn't just our class; every other class and every instructor fell into line instantly.

Liam, looking sharp in his uniform with his hands behind his back, walked slowly past each class.

He stopped in front of the class ahead of ours, where the students were going through their combat drills.

That was the computer science department, mostly guys. Their fighting looked pretty decent.

Liam nodded, looking satisfied.

Then he walked over to our class.

"Did you all see that? That's how it's done. I'll show you how it works. Anyone brave enough to be my partner?" he asked.

A heavy silence fell, and none of us dared to meet his gaze.

"No volunteers? Alright then, I'll have to choose. Amelia," he called out.

I knew it.

Who else would he pick? He only knew my name.

I mumbled, "Here."

Liam barked, "Louder. I can't hear you."

I raised my voice. "Here!"

He turned to the whole class. "From now on, when you answer, I want to hear you loud and clear. No more half-hearted responses. Show some spirit. Is that clear?"

The whole class shouted at the top of their lungs, "Understood!"

Great, I was the example of what not to do.

During the combat drill, he grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back in one smooth move, pinning me so I couldn't move at all.

The other students saw the mess I was in and couldn't help but laugh under their breath.

"Ouch, that hurts!" I yelped.

Liam let go of me, his expression turning sour. "You never learned this? How could you mess it up so badly?"

Jake quickly jumped in, "I've already taught all this."

I rubbed my aching arm, suddenly feeling a bit cranky for no real reason.

"I've never done any combat training before. How am I supposed to pick this up so fast?" I snapped.

"Not paying attention and still talking back? Drop and give me ten push-ups, then run five laps around the field," Liam said sharply.

Why was he so harsh?

My eyes stung, tears threatening to spill.

Whatever, I'd run and do the push-ups. Humph!

By the time I finished the push-ups and the laps, I was out of breath and sweating like crazy. I got back to the training area, only to find that Liam was already gone.

Jake told me to rest off to the side before rejoining the training.

Just then, my dad called again.

No way was I going to ask Liam for leave again. He was the devil himself; if I couldn't handle him, I might as well steer clear.

I picked up, ready to say no.

But my dad said, "Come to the Smith Pack's pack house tonight. I've booked a private room."

*****

Lucas Winston, my family driver, was already waiting for me at the school gate.

Classic Dad move: he never asked, just did it and told me later.

I didn't want to cause a scene. While no one was around, I quickly slipped into the flashy Bentley and told Lucas to get moving.

Once we were on the road, I couldn't help but grumble, "I've got training tonight. Do I really have to go to this dinner?"

Lucas chuckled, "Don't worry. Alpha Smith already talked to your principal David Hoffman for you."

Ugh, even if David said it was okay, I still needed Liam's approval.

Otherwise, when Liam made me do push-ups, I couldn't drop David's name to get out of it.

I didn't want anyone to know about my family background. I wanted to live a normal life at the Undergraduate Academy.

Lucas added, "Alpha Smith said the meeting isn't just about alliance business; it might also be about your alliance bond. So make sure you're ready for it."

Seriously? Dad was going to bring up my bond at the meeting?

I was only a senior undergrad and he was already trying to set me up?

Dad, you really knew how to push my buttons.

The service at the Smith Pack's pack house was top-notch. Five waiters escorted me all the way up to the private room on the top floor.

When the door opened, I saw my dad and James sitting at the table, toasting and chatting.

But when I saw the man sitting next to James, my jaw almost hit the floor.

It was Liam!

I froze in my tracks, totally stunned.