Chapter 7

"They're not for you." I shifted the centerpiece to one arm. "It's a class project."

Adrian's smile didn't waver. "You don't need to pretend, Kaia. I said things I shouldn't have earlier. I understand if you're still upset. But these—" he gestured at the camellias, "I appreciate the gesture."

"There is no gesture. I arranged flowers. In a flower arranging class."

He nodded slowly, the way you humor a child having a tantrum. "Of course."

I stepped to go around him. He shifted with me — not blocking, just staying close.

"Before you go." He reached behind him and pulled someone forward.

Lila emerged from behind his shoulder, head bowed, eyes swollen and red. She looked even smaller than this morning, uniform hanging off her thin frame.

"Kaia." Her voice cracked. "I owe you an apology."

She clasped her hands in front of her chest. "You chased Adrian for so many years. He's always had you in his heart. I never should have gotten so close to him — I can see how it looked."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I promise I'll stay away from him. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding."

She bowed her head. Her shoulders shook with sobs.

Adrian placed a hand on Lila's back, then looked at me. "You have my word. I'll keep my distance from Lila. This was entirely my fault."

A crowd had formed. Students clogged the pathway, phones out, craning to see. I could hear whispers stacking behind me.

The choreography was flawless. Tearful apology, noble sacrifice, the protective hand on the fragile omega's back. All of it staged for an audience.

Someone at the back called out: "Teacher's coming!"

Mr. Valerius rounded the corner with an unhurried stride, a stack of folders tucked under one arm. He surveyed the blocked hallway.

"What's going on here?"

I didn't think. I turned and pushed the flower into his arms.

"A thank-you gift, Mr. Valerius." I stepped back. "For your advice earlier today."

He looked down at the arrangement. White camellias, winter branches, an hour's worth of careful work. His hands adjusted to take the weight.

Behind me, the silence was deafening.

Adrian's composure fractured. His eyes flicked between me and Mr. Valerius, and for the first time all day the warmth dropped away completely. A muscle jumped in his jaw — jealousy, raw and ugly, breaking through.

I'd given the flowers to someone else. A man. In front of him.

Mr. Valerius studied the centerpiece. His hand, which had started to push it back, closed around the vase instead.

"Thank you, Kaia." His voice was even. "That's thoughtful of you."

He looked up at the crowd. "Class starts in three minutes. Move."

Students scattered. Adrian turned and walked away without a word. Lila hurried after him.

When the corridor emptied, I let out a breath.

"Sorry," I said. "I put you in an awkward position."

Mr. Valerius set the arrangement on the window ledge. "Your construction technique is solid. Mrs. Fairhollow's class?"

"Yes."

A pause. "What's your actual plan, Kaia? For the dance."

"I'll find another partner. "

He nodded once. "Good luck with that."

The next morning, the gymnasium smelled of rubber mats and old sweat. Combat class was a full-grade session — all four sections packed into the largest training hall on campus, over a hundred students crowding the bleachers and floor space.

Students stretched in clusters on blue mats. The sharp sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed off the vaulted ceiling. A pair of boys circled each other on a side platform, testing grips and footwork. The instructor chalked the match schedule on a whiteboard near the entrance.

When free training was announced, I walked to the center ring. The raised platform was padded, squared off with tape, large enough for two fighters to move. I climbed up and turned to face the room.

"I'm looking for a mating dance partner." My voice carried. "Anyone who wants the spot can challenge me here. Beat me, and I'll accept your invitation."

A beat of silence. Then noise erupted.

"She's doing this for Adrian." A girl near the mats rolled her eyes. "She goes through this whole breakup routine and now she sets up a fight she knows only he can win?"

"That's not what this is," someone else said. "She's making him come to her."

“She’ll lose to Adrian on purpose, then use it as an excuse to become his date for the dance.”

Adrian stepped out of the crowd. Blazer off, sleeves rolled, training shirt stretched across his shoulders. He cracked his knuckles one by one — a show, not a warmup. That patient, indulgent smile was back, the one that said he was doing someone a favor.

"You're something else, Kaia." He climbed onto the platform and rolled his neck loose. "Fine. If this is what you need."

The crowd pressed closer. Someone started a slow clap that fizzled when nobody joined in.

I looked at him. Square jaw, strong neck, broad shoulders tapering to a lean waist. Powerful arms. Hands that had poured poison with a steady grip and folded pack documents into his jacket without a tremor.

This was the man I'd given everything to. My strategies, my pack, my pride.

"I already agreed to take you to the dance," he said. He spread his hands, palms up, still smiling. "Why make things harder than they need to be?"

I dropped into a fighting stance. Weight low, hands open, feet staggered.

"Beat me first. Then we'll talk."

He shook his head, still smiling. The smile of a man who'd never been beaten. He didn't even bother taking a proper guard. He just stood there, arms loose, as if he were waiting for me to tire myself out.

I kicked.

My right foot caught him square in the ribs. He threw up a guard — instinct, muscle memory — but the impact blew through it and kept going. His heels scraped across the mat in a long, grinding skid.

The smile vanished. His arms dropped. His eyes went wide.

The gym fell silent. A hundred students held their breath.

Before he could speak, before he could rearrange his face into something controlled, I planted my lead foot and drove a second kick straight into his raised forearm. The crack of impact rang off the walls.

He staggered. Caught himself. Stared at me.

"Oh my God." A girl's voice cut through the silence. "How is she that strong?"

I settled my weight. Rolled my shoulders. Looked him in the eye.

I had always been this strong. I just stopped hiding it.