เข้าสู่ระบบEvans nodded. “You have been avoiding me since whatever happened on Friday night. I sent a text message which was delivered but you did not reply.”Ophelia scoffed softly. “Maybe I have more busy things to deal with than you, who seem interested in Jasmine’s attention to even notice.”“This…again?”“Just don’t provoke me.” She answered immediately, but her tone was different.Evans noticed and, as he studied her carefully for the first time, something felt different about her. It wasn’t anger or irritation, it was something different.Ophelia’s hands clenched at her sides, she hated that he noticed. She was beginning to lose control of what she shouldn’t have felt in the first place, especially not for the Alpha she was sent to watch.Evans took the coffee in the car, and the ride to the training ground was quiet. He did not pester, nor did he say a word.Soon, they arrived at the training ground, and the clouds were clearer after all, it was still early in the morning. The trees surr
“What do you mean?”“What do I mean? You know what I meant very well.”Ophelia scoffed. “Are you just paying attention now? It's too late, Evans.”Evans furrowed his brows. “And what's that supposed to mean?”Ophelia relaxed in her seat. “I’m just focused on getting you home safely.”Evans looked at her for a few seconds and said, “You have been acting strange ever since Jasmine showed up. Wanna share why?”Ophelia’s jaw tightened. “She is obviously distracting you.”Evans blinked, unsure if he heard well. “What?”“Your focus should be on training and finding the people or person who murdered your father, Evans.” She replied, her tone sharper. “Not sitting in the backseat and staring into someone’s eyes. You know how many times we have wasted?”Evans moved forward slightly. “That's not what happened. You heard our conversation, didn't you?”“Of course I did, but are you sure that's not what happened?”Evans’ expression changed. “Why do you care though?”The question lingered in the ai
Evans straightened and then walked up to Ophelia even though his steps weren’t steady. “Why? I told you I saw something, doesn’t that count?”“You saw something, but it wasn’t clear. This is the second time we are here and we can’t figure out anything,” she retorted calmly. “Why don’t all of us leave for our respective homes and have a good night’s rest? We can come back anytime.”“I think she’s right, Evans,” Jasmine proclaimed.Ophelia scoffed. “You think? You saw what happened right now, didn’t you? Now, if you would be so kind, advise your friend, if you really care for him, to leave here. We will come back soon.”Both watched as Ophelia walked away, her steps steady and confident.“What’s wrong with her?” Evans asked no one in particular.“She’s right, Evans,” Jasmine retorted calmly. “We have to leave. Probably when she has trained you well to control your inner energy, we can come back.”Evans was reluctant. He knew whatever he saw was important and he needed to start working,
“I will become stronger. You said it yourself that I’m unrefined and I need training,” he proclaimed firmly. “You will train me more properly than you’ve done.”Ophelia stood up, her expression changing. “The last time I trained you properly, as I should, you lost control. You think I should push you harder than that?”“Yes.”Ophelia noticed that there was no hesitation in his voice. His words were firm, and his eyes gleamed with determination.Ophelia laughed then rested her hand on the arm of the chair. “You are actually oblivious to what you’re asking of.”“Make it clear to me. That’s your job.”“That’s enough,” Jasmine declared, and both of them looked at her. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to stop their argument. “This won’t do anything. Arguments won’t make him stronger. We have to join hands instead of fighting each other.”“Why don’t you train him, Jasmine?” Ophelia inquired, stepping forward slowly.Jasmine furrowed her brows. “He was assigned to you. You are the be
Ophelia moved first.“We are done here,” she said and then walked away.Evans did not argue. He and Jasmine followed her side by side. He brushed the remaining soil from his hands while Ophelia walked through the tall grasses calmly, her steps controlled.“This way,” she said as they walked out of the forest.Evans paused as he realized the forest had gone back to normal. He could hear birds chirping and the leaves rustling as they were all pretending as if nothing had happened.Shortly after, they arrived at the bungalow where Ophelia parked her car. It was then that Evans noticed the building was old, but it was maintained. Both Jasmine and Evans watched as she walked up to the door and removed a key from her pocket.“We will rest here for a while before we move in the evening,” she said as she slipped the key in.“But we are not done training. We have not done anything since.”Ophelia paused then turned to look at him. “We can’t be out in the open, and we are not training tonight.
Ophelia studied him carefully.“What do you feel? Whatever you feel could lead us there.”“Pain,” Evans replied immediately and kept walking. Ophelia’s expression hardened, but she followed him.Evans reached the clearing, and the sight was unforgiving. The trees formed a circular shape around the clearing, as if they were silent witnesses, their branches twisted.The air that hit Evans was harsh, and then he stared at the floor. His breath hitched. The ground was darker, and even the grasses did not grow on that spot. The more Evans looked at the darker ground, the more unsettling it became. The soil had something reddish buried in it, even though it had soaked in it all this while but refused to leave.The air suddenly stopped passing through the clearing, and Evans’s breath hitched. His heart pounded, and he felt like he could pass out any moment, but he remained decisive. Even birds kept their distance from the clearing; no chirping or rustling of living leaves.Everything was sti







