CHAPTER 5 — THE GYM

Kayla's pov 

The gym doors swing shut behind me and Drest finally stands up from the bench. His large frame towering over me. "Five laps. Warm up."

The students already here turn to look and immediately they know why I'm here because I never go to the gym unless someone forces me here to get beaten. 

I drop my bag by the wall and start running, hoping that all I'll be doing today is run. But even as I hope, I know that it never ends with just running. 

I run until my legs almost stop working before Drest finally calls for contact drills. The atmosphere deepens immediately. 

He pairs me with Cole. A broad, heavy wolf who prides himself in beating up his sparring partners till they're rushed to the hospital for medical support. He looks at me with an evil grin, already knowing how this will end even before it starts. 

"Spar." Drest barks and Cole lunges forward, not letting me catch my breath. 

He shoves his fist at me and I land hard on the mat. I catch myself on my palms, feeling the flesh on my knees split open against the floor. I push myself back up.

"That's it?" He grins. "Come on. Fight back."

The second blow catches my shoulder and spins me sideways. I almost avoid the third but it clips the side of my head and lands directly on the wound that Nova tore open earlier today.

My vision fractures.

The world goes white for a minute. Then doubles before it starts coming back to one. Slowly and painfully.

I plant both feet, standing upright through sheer determination. 

A loud laugh erupts at the corner of the gym and others join in. 

“Look at her. Does she even think she can survive Cole's fist?”

"She's not even trying." Another answer. 

"Does she even have a wolf?"

Cole grabs my arm and twists it behind my back casually and I feel something pull in my shoulder. I clench my jaw and swallow the sound whole.

'Don't give them anything. Just survive it.'

His final shove sends me down properly. And I fall back flat on the mat, the ceiling spinning slowly above me.

I count to three, pull my knees in and press my sleeve to the side of my head where the warmth of fresh blood is already seeping through the old bandage.

'One more day.” I console myself. “Just one more day and this will all look different.'

"Well, well." Nova's voice sounds above me.

My eyes open to see Nova crouched in front of me, with her head tilted. A warm expression dances on her face like she's enjoying this. 

“I hope this teaches you that Caius is mine. Nobody… and I mean nobody goes near what is mine. Understood?”

I say nothing.

"If you keep getting their attention like that," She leans in slightly. "then you leave me with no choice than to make you suffer like this."

She reaches out and taps the bandage on my head gently.

I curl my fist, feeling pain explode through my skull. 

Then someone clears their throat.

Nova freezes, then turn.

THE Ryker Stone, heir to the stone pack stands at the edge of the gym with his arms crossed and his eyes on her. Not the room. Not me. Her. His gaze is steady and unmovable. Enough to make anyone shudder.

Nova straightens, quickly rearranging her face before I can blink. 

"Ryker." She smiles like she was pleasantly surprised to see him."I didn't realise you were—"

He says nothing, his eyes are still on her. Unblinking. 

She starts to feel uncomfortable as her smile wavers but she tries again. "I was only checking on my darling sister."

His jaws harden and a deep frown appear across his features, suffocating the pretence out of her. 

She turns red immediately. 

I have watched Nova walk into every room she has ever entered like she owned it and I have never for once seen this happen to her.

She smooths her dress with both hands.

"I was just leaving," she says.

She walks out fast, banging the door behind her. When she has gone, Ryker's eyes finally settle on me. He looks me over with an expression close to concern and turns to the room. "Out."

Cole goes first. Then the rest collect their bags without eye contact and leave. Unable to ignore an alpha command. Drest looks at his clipboard then at Ryker and leaves without a word.

Then it is only us.

I stand up to leave as well but his gaze holds me gently. 

“Stay.” He says softly. 

I sit down automatically and he crouches down in front of me. 

"Let me see it."

"It's fine," I say automatically to avoid attention. 

"Your arm is bleeding through your sleeve."

I lower my arm slowly and anger shows across his features. He didn't ask me who did this to me, he just reaches into his jacket and produces a small compact kit and opens it.

“Let me.” He says when he see me flinch. He takes my arm softly and carefully cleans it with alcohol. 

I stare at him, too stunned to flinch even when I feel the slight sting. 

His hands are careful and steady. Cleaning it with such focus of someone who has all the time in the world. Something crawls up my skin till it lands in my belly and flutters wildly. 

Nobody has even treated me this way. Nobody. And the realization of that is what makes this moment more special than it should. 

"This was already open before the gym," he says.

I nod in reply, not trusting myself to speak. He smiles slightly as he applies the bandage and presses the edges flat to check that it holds.

"It would have gotten infected," he says quietly. "Both of them."

He brings the cotton up to my forehead and stops, catching my eyes for a moment. Something moves through his as he holds my gaze. Something raw and intense. Then without warning he slowly tucks a stray strand of hair that was stuck to my forehead behind my ears and my eyes flutters. 

I sit still as he cleans the wound on my head till he place the plaster on the wound. I blink when he's finished and he smiles softly at me. 

My hand moves on its own to the my head and then my arm. Every slight bruise, tear or bleeding in my skin has been carefully cleaned and covered. For the first time, I am having no open bruises. 

I drop my hand fast.

“You… you didn't have to.”

Something passed between us that I cannot explain. Not bad, not dangerous. Just — present. Like I was with someone I could trust. 

He stands and looks at his own hands for exactly one second then he clears his throat.

"I'm done. You can go," he says.

I nod and walk to my bag. And by the time I open the door, Nova is standing behind it.

She looks at me, taking me in from head to toe and noting the change. Then she looks past me. 

She takes one step forward and opens her mouth, but suddenly I can feel is present behind me, intimidating, yet comforting at the same time. 

Something shifts in her expression as she lowers her gaze and steps back. 

She turns and walks away without a single word. “Phew,” I breath a sigh of relief.

---

By the end of the day, I am standing by my locker sticking my books back inside when I begin to feel dizzy. My shoulder aches, my head aches, but I force myself to stand. 

I finish and swing my bag over my shoulder. As I turn to leave, my foot catches my lace.

I pitch forward, crashing down quickly when a hand catches my arm.

I stop. Only one inch away from the floor then look up.

Zane Ardell raises an eyebrow. "You should tie your laces," he smirks. "You won't always be this lucky."

A small giggle escape my mouth before I can stop it. I realize immediately and press my lips together. "I'm sorry. I'll—" I bend down to tie it.

"Just stand. I'll tie it for you."

I freeze and watch him as he drops to one knee in front of me and ties the lace gracefully, catching me unaware. He checks the knot then look up.

"The dress looks more better on you now anyways." He says with a cheeky humor which makes something warm move through my chest before I can stop it and I smile the most genuine smile I have ever smiled in a long while.

Zane stands and looks at me for one moment with an expression I cannot fully read then turns and walks away.

I remain standing by my locker for a very long time, the smile still on my face and my heart still doing that strange and unfamiliar thing. 

Then I feel the air behind me go cold.

I turn slowly and see Nova standing three feet away. Her eyes fixed on the space where Zane just disappeared.

Then she looks at me.