Chapter 20
I thought about what Bryan had just said, and I had to admit he was right. These were just the basics of self-defense, but I should at least be decent at this. I wasn’t living in a normal world anymore. This was a world full of supernatural beings—werewolves, Lycans, witches—and the least I could do was learn to defend myself.
Taking a deep breath, I bent my knees, adjusting my stance. My muscles were sore, but I tried to push the discomfort out of my mind. Bryan lunged at me again, but this time, I was ready. I quickly dodged, grabbed his right arm, and twisted it hard. He let out a grunt, and I took the opportunity to kick his left knee, feeling a sickening crack. Not wasting any time, I used all the strength I had to throw him to the ground. I straddled him, my hands instinctively wrapping around his throat, applying enough pressure to remind him I could choke him out if I wanted to.
We were both panting heavily, the intensity of the training session still lingering in the air. Bryan coughed out a laugh, his chest rising and falling beneath me. “Now *that’s* what I call self-defense. Ouch,” he said, wincing slightly but clearly impressed.
A triumphant smile spread across my face, and I leaned in a little closer. His eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but tease him. “What’s the matter? You’re a werewolf, remember? A little choking isn’t going to kill you.” I let the sarcasm drip from my words, enjoying the rare moment of feeling in control. For once, I wasn’t the one on the mat.
Bryan shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting away from mine. That’s when I noticed the awkward look on his face. I followed his line of sight, realizing why he looked so tense. We were in a rather... intimate position. I couldn’t help it—I started laughing.
“Bryan Lynol,” I teased, playfully slapping his cheek, “are you having dirty thoughts right now?”
He frowned, swatting my hand away before a smirk crept across his face. That mischievous gleam in his eyes made my stomach flip. Before I could react, he flipped us over in one smooth motion, and suddenly I was the one pinned to the ground, Bryan straddling me.
“Oh, that was dumb,” I muttered, my words dissolving into giggles. For a brief moment, it felt like old times. Like when we used to joke around, and the weight of the world didn’t feel so heavy. I didn’t realize how much I had missed our happy moments until now. Without thinking, I reached up and pecked his cheek. “I forgive you,” I whispered, the tension between us dissolving in that instant.
Bryan’s eyes softened, and I could see the relief wash over him. His lips parted as if he were about to say something, but before he could utter a word, he was yanked off me violently. There was a loud, sickening crack as his body collided with the wall beside me.
Panic surged through me as I scrambled to my feet, searching for the attacker. My heart stopped when I saw who it was.
“Shit,” I cursed under my breath, my blood running cold. There, standing like a demon in the midst of a storm, was Alpha Jake. His eyes were glowing a bloodshot red, his chest heaving with barely controlled rage. And he was *furious*. Before I could process what was happening, Jake descended on Bryan, raining down punch after punch with a brutal, savage force. Bryan didn’t even have a chance to defend himself.
“Jake! Stop!” I screamed, rushing toward them. I grabbed Jake’s arm, trying to pull him off Bryan, but he shoved me away with such force that I stumbled backward and fell hard on my butt. Pain shot through me, but it was nothing compared to the horror of watching Jake beat Bryan into a bloody pulp.
There was blood everywhere. Bryan’s face was a swollen, battered mess, and he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Jake’s hands were soaked with Bryan’s blood, his growls growing louder, more feral with each punch. And the worst part? No one was helping. The few people left in the training room just stood there, frozen in fear, watching the gruesome scene unfold.
“Somebody help him! Please!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice breaking as I scrambled to my feet again. I was desperate, panicked, not knowing what to do. Bryan was barely hanging on, and I was terrified Jake would kill him.
I tried to rush toward them again, but this time someone grabbed me from behind. I turned, only to see the last person I wanted to deal with right now. The blonde beauty.
“It’s best if you let me handle this. He won’t listen to you,” she said, a smug smile playing on her lips. She was all dolled up, with her blonde hair tied back in a perfect ponytail, her pink lipstick annoyingly intact despite the chaos. She wore tiny, tight blue sports shorts and a matching pink sports bra, looking like she was about to pose for a fitness magazine rather than help in this situation.
I wanted to slap the smug look off her face, but I was too desperate for the madness to end. “Fine,” I snapped, stepping aside, hoping she could stop Jake from murdering Bryan.
She sauntered over to Jake, swaying her hips in a way that made me roll my eyes so hard it hurt. She placed her perfectly manicured hand on Jake’s bulging arm and whispered something in his ear. I saw him tense, then slowly, very slowly, he stood up, his fists unclenching.
I scoffed out loud before I could stop myself. *Seriously? He’s willing to listen to her?* The over-caked blonde who wasn’t even his mate? This was beyond ridiculous.
Ignoring them, I rushed to Bryan’s side, kneeling next to him. His breathing was shallow, and his face was barely recognizable under all the blood and swelling. “Oh my God, Bryan, are you okay?” I whispered, my voice trembling with fear. Tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t want him to die. “Please don’t die... please...”
Before I could reach out to touch his bloody face, a strong hand grabbed me, yanking me away. I barely had time to register what was happening before I found myself facing Jake. His eyes were still glowing red, his expression twisted in fury.
“Jake, wait! You can’t just take her!” Blondie’s voice cut through the tension, but Jake didn’t even spare her a glance.
“Rebecca,” Jake growled, his voice low and dangerous, “let go of my arm. Now.” The warning in his tone was enough to send her scurrying back, releasing him instantly.
Jake turned his furious gaze back to me, and my heart sank. *Oh no.* I started crying, the tears flowing freely as panic took over. “Please, Alpha, don’t kill me!” I begged, trying to pull free of his grip. When he didn’t let go, I did the only thing I could think of—I bit him, hard.
He growled in response, stopping in his tracks. For a split second, I thought I might have a chance to escape, but then he grabbed my ponytail harshly, dragging me down the hallway. I sobbed uncontrollably, knowing that whatever was coming next wasn’t going to end well for me.
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