A persistent sound started blaring next to me, pulling me out of sleep. It was way too early for my alarm to be going off. I reached over for my phone, intending to shut it off. I cracked one eye open and saw Annie’s name glowing on the screen.“Why are you calling so late?” It was almost midnight. The moment I answered, I heard Annie sobbing on the other end.“Annie, are you okay?” I asked. She was clearly crying.“Eliza, I don’t know what to do. I’m freaking out! Please help me!”“What happened?” I jumped out of bed and turned the light on.“There’s a huge invasion happening and Liam just got recruited. He just left the house. Eliza, he’s not ready! If something happens to him, I’ll die!”“Annie, calm down! I won’t let anything happen to him.” I grabbed the first set of clothes I saw in the closet and started getting dressed in a rush. “What instructions did he get?”“They told him to head to the training area. That’s all I know.” Her voice faded again as she broke down crying.“Ann
The meatballs were juicy and well-seasoned. Meals in the training area usually weren’t this good. I wondered if I’d be able to get seconds later.“You haven’t posted it yet!” Jenna exclaimed as she sat down at my table. Jenna was a medium-built brunette whose agility helped her stand out and get enlisted. After Liam and Jonathan, she was the third to join us. Within a week, two more guys started sitting with us regularly—Bryan and Enzo. They were the trainees who got closest to me during the sessions.It wasn’t until Jenna pointed it out that I noticed most people around us weren’t eating—they were glued to their phones, clearly waiting for something. One group in particular looked like they were betting on who’d be the first.“What are they waiting for?” I asked, curious.“Lisa’s video,” Jenna explained. “Everyone wants to be the first to comment and get a follow from her.”“Oh!” I blurted out. Liliane usually posted the videos around 5 p.m., but ever since I said I’d follow the firs
I took a shower to wash off the sweat before heading to the kitchen to make lunch. After lunch, it was time to train my voice, and later I’d be giving lessons to Caroline—but a message she sent made me a little anxious:Aunt Lisa, come have lunch with me today. I don’t wanna eat alone!How about you come eat here with me? I replied.But I already told Marta to make your favorite dish, she answered.“She’s worried,” I concluded. I figured she wouldn’t bother with Lisa Responds, since she’d seen the recordings in person. Guess I was wrong. Even though I’d hidden that one question from her, I didn’t think she’d watch the final version once it was posted.Be there soon! I replied. Caroline was a sensitive girl. I didn’t know how the subject might have affected her, so I figured it was better to check in face-to-face.The moment I stepped into the Alpha’s house, I realized I’d walked right into a trap. Caroline wasn’t alone. A guard led me to the dining room, where both Alpha Clark and Wil
I couldn’t help but wonder what Mister Mysterious would say if he knew I’d talked about him during a live with thousands of people watching in real time. Then I figured… maybe he wouldn’t even understand what a livestream is, so I decided not to bring it up. I had no idea what the other side was like, or if they even had the same kind of technology we do.While I was making breakfast, I got a surprise call from my mom. It was rare—so my first thought was that it had something to do with the post and livestream from the day before.“Good morning, Mom! Is everything okay?” I asked, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear while stirring the eggs in the pan.“Sweetheart, your father and I miss you too. We just wanted to know how you’re doing.” Funny how she suddenly decided to check in just now. And I did say during the livestream that I was fine.“Come on, spill it! What are you really up to?” I asked directly. My mom’s calculating—she wouldn’t just show affection for no reason u
As soon as the car pulled up in front of the house, I let out a relieved sigh.“Eliza!” Annie called, knocking on the door. Liam stood right behind her.“I’m over here!” I said from behind the tree, waving at them. “What are you guys doing here?”“We got worried and wanted to know what that video was about. And why are you dressed like that?” Annie asked, surprised.“I’m cute Lisa!” I said, slipping into character and jumping out where they could see me. “My assistant told me to record a follow-up message, and I thought it’d be fun to show up like this. Meow!”I held my hands up like cat paws and gave them a mischievous grin, which made them laugh.“Oh my gosh, the fans are gonna love this!” Annie said.“I agree,” Liam added, smiling. “But if your students saw you like this, they’d totally stop respecting you.”“Cats scratch and bite too, you know?” I said, sticking my tongue out at him after the fake threat.“Oh wow, what did you do with Eliza?” Annie asked, laughing. “I just put he
Weeks flew by after I became an instructor. Everything changed so much in such a short time. At school, I ended up becoming the most popular girl around. Everyone smiled and greeted me when I passed by, and finding secret notes and small gifts in my locker became the norm. Because of the extraordinary way I earned my position, the teachers admired me even more. The favoritism I already had was taken to a whole new level.Annie and I talked like we always did. Between us, it felt like nothing had changed. She told me that Lorraine’s grandfather had been removed after the exam incident, and a younger teacher had taken his place. No matter how much Lorraine might’ve hated me, she didn’t dare mess with me again—especially not with the position I was in now.Caroline’s classes went on like usual, as did my trips to the waterfall. As for getting to the training grounds, I didn’t have to spend anything on taxis—Liam always gave me and Jonathan a ride there and back. I quickly earned the resp