Chapter 171
The summit grounds buzzed with excitement. The sky was a clear, radiant blue, and the air shimmered with anticipation. Today wasn’t about debates, politics, or formal speeches—it was about the Summit Fitness Games. A rare day of chaos, camaraderie, and competition. And from the moment Anna burst into our shared room practically vibrating with excitement, I knew it was going to be wild.
“Get up, sunshine,” she sang, throwing a hoodie at my face. “We’ve got games to win.”
I groaned, dragging myself out of bed. “What games exactly?”
“No idea,” Anna said, slipping into her combat boots. “But there’s a scoreboard, and apparently the winners get something exclusive—like dinner with the council alphas or a special assignment.”
My brows shot up. “You want to eat with the alphas?”
“I want bragging rights. And maybe to show off these thighs I’ve been squatting for,” she winked, flexing. “Come on, Alpha Princess. Let’s go lose gracefully.”
I rolled my eyes and threw on my gear—a fitted black tank top, my favorite combat leggings, and a sleek ponytail. As we walked down toward the field, I noticed groups forming—junior ambassadors huddled together like they were heading into war. And maybe in some ways, we were.
I spotted Tomas waving us over. “Guess what? We’re on the same team!” He grinned. “Team Red.”
“Red for blood,” Anna said dramatically.
Tomas smirked. “Red for victory. Come on, let’s meet our opponents.”
As we approached the lineup, that’s when I saw him.
Alex.
He stood a little apart from the crowd, tall and broad-shouldered with that casual, quiet confidence that didn’t need to beg for attention. His jet-black hair curled slightly at the nape of his neck, and his gray eyes scanned the field like he already knew every outcome.
“Who is that?” Anna whispered.
I didn’t respond. Mostly because my brain short-circuited for a second.
“That’s Alex,” Tomas offered. “From one of the Northern packs. I heard he’s a top trainee back home.”
“Is he single?” Anna asked.
“Don’t know,” Tomas replied, “but good luck getting a word out of him. The guy barely speaks.”
Alex glanced in our direction, his eyes locking with mine for the briefest second. It wasn’t a smirk or a smile—just a look. Like he’d already figured me out. Like he saw me.
My heart thumped once. Then twice.
“Looks like the hot brooding types are making a comeback,” Anna muttered.
Before I could respond, a whistle blew and Alpha Oliver’s Beta stepped forward.
“Alright teams!” she shouted. “You’ll compete in a series of events. Agility, strength, coordination, and strategy. Each task earns you points. Most points at the end wins.”
Simple. I liked simple.
The first event? Obstacle course. Mud, ropes, logs, the whole chaotic mess.
“Let’s go,” Tomas said, practically bouncing.
We ran, climbed, ducked, and swore through mud pits and monkey bars. Anna took a face-first dive into the mud, and I nearly pulled my arm out of its socket helping her up while laughing like a lunatic. Tomas was a speed demon and somehow managed to smack his head on a tree branch mid-sprint.
“Are we... alive?” Anna gasped as we reached the finish line.
“Barely,” I panted, spitting mud.
“Team Red places second!” someone announced.
We high-fived like champions, even if I was still coughing up twigs.
The next game was a memory maze—like a giant game of matching but with puzzles and traps. I had no idea who designed these, but I wanted a word. I paired with Tomas, and our strategy was mostly him shouting “LEFT! NO, RIGHT!” while I barely avoided falling into pits covered in illusion spells.
We nailed it though. Barely. Anna tripped a magical alarm and got a minor shock, which she took like a champ.
And then came the final event—team relay sparring. A tag-in brawl against another team, with Alpha Jeremiah and a few others judging from the sidelines.
Great.
I caught sight of him just as I tied my wrist wraps. He stood tall and cold at the edge of the sparring ring, arms crossed, face unreadable. And right beside him—Esther. The woman who haunted my nightmares since the hallway.
She leaned in close to say something, and he nodded slightly. My gut twisted.
“Stop staring,” Anna whispered, nudging me. “Don’t give her that power.”
I forced myself to look away.
As the matches began, the field turned into a flurry of punches, blocks, flips, and shouts. The crowd roared for their teammates, and for once, I let myself get lost in the energy of it all.
When it was my turn to fight, I stepped into the ring and saw my opponent—it was Alex. My pulse thrummed. This would be a challenge.
But just as we squared off, Alpha Jeremiah stepped forward.
“I’ll take over this match,” he said flatly.
My blood froze.
Murmurs stirred around the ring. Why him? Why now?
He didn’t explain. Just took his stance, eyes on me like I was nothing more than another trainee.
My breath caught as I mirrored his position. This was so awkward ,last time we did something like this it was just as awkward...
The whistle blew.
It started slow—light sparring, measured movements, testing the water. But every time his fingers brushed mine, every block that brought us chest to chest, something in me cracked a little more.
I felt the heat between us like a current running under my skin. When he grabbed my wrist and twisted, I flipped with it, landing on my feet, breathless and wild-eyed.
We circled each other. Closer. Closer. Until he lunged, and I caught his shoulder—only for him to twist behind me and press his chest against my back, one arm hooked around my waist to steady me.
Time stopped.
We didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
I could feel the rise and fall of his chest, his breath just under my ear, his grip tight but not bruising. For a heartbeat, maybe two, the world held its breath.
And then he stepped back.
“The games are over,” he said abruptly, walking off.
Silence rippled across the field.
Anna grinned at me wiggling her eyebrows.
“Shut up,” I muttered, even as my skin burned where he’d touched me.
Later, as the scores were tallied, Alex passed by our team and gave a simple nod.
“Not bad. Good game.”
Anna stared after him like he was made of sin and protein powder. “He talks.”
I chuckled under my breath. But my gaze drifted back to where Jeremiah stood, jaw clenched, arms crossed, watching.
Alex’s words were simple. Harmless. But the flicker in Jeremiah’s eyes was anything but.
And somehow... that made me feel just a little bit victorious.
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