<h4>Chapter 23: Combat ss I.</h4>


    Ang knew she was in trouble the moment Alpha Renn walked into the gym. He wore a sleeveless shirt that clung to his body, almost showing off his abs. A ck tracksuit hung low on his hips, and a ck band held back his hair. If she was being honest, he looked hot this morning. But the memory of what he did to her yesterday made her feel sick. That same face which everyone found attractive now looked ugly to her.


    He wasn’t alone. Another guy walked in beside him. Dark hair, tall, and just as confident. Ang could tell he was probably a werewolf too, and definitely from the Apex ss. He didn’t have the aura of an Alpha, but he carried himself like someone important.


    The boys in the gym quickly gathered around them, full of excitement. They formed a circle like little fans waiting to be noticed.


    Renn was the first to speak. His eyes moved across the crowd, slowly, until theynded on her. That single nce made her stiffen. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Then came the smirk...mocking, cruel, like he knew exactly what he was doing. He looked away after that, but the message was already clear. He had seen her. He wasn’t going to ignore her.


    Ang rubbed the back of her neck and tried to focus. Her ranking was already at the bottom. She couldn’t afford to mess up today. She wasn’t going to let anyone ruin this for her. Not even him. Not even any of the Alphas.


    "My name is Alpha Renn," he said, like they didn’t already know who he was. Ang knew he was just trying to remind everyone how powerful he was. "On a regr day, I’m Alpha Renn, king of the East Pack. But here, duringbat ss, I’m your instructor."


    Ang almost rolled her eyes. King of the East Pack, he said it like it meant the world. Maybe it did to some people. But to her, he was one of the reasons her life became a mess the moment she stepped into this academy. And from the look in his eyes, he had no ns to stop.


    She just needed to stay out of his way. Just like Alpha Kaito told her.


    "He will be my assistant," Alpha Renn announced, cing a firm hand on the shoulder of the guy standing behind him. The room fellpletely silent. His voice carried so much power that no one dared to speak or even whisper.


    "His name is Samuel. You will respect and obey him. If anyone goes against him, you will be dealt with. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, sir," the students replied in one loud, tense voice.


    Ang wanted to shake her head. Just when she thought the day couldn’t get any worse, it did.


    "Now, you will all be divided into groups. Group A, B, and C," Alpha Renn continued, giving a nod to Samuel, who started organizing the students.


    In less than five minutes, everyone had been sorted. Ang ended up in group C without Stales or Alex. It felt strange. Group C was filled with only humans. The werewolves were all ced in groups A and B. She knew it wasn’t fair. They had pushed her into the weakest group without saying it out loud.


    "If you have a problem with your group or anything to say, speak now or keep quiet forever," Alpha Renn warned as he looked around.


    Ang slowly raised her hand, thinking others would do the same. But no one moved. They all stayed still, heads down. By the time she realized they must have had a reason for staying quiet, it was toote. Her hand was already up in the air.


    "You?" Alpha Renn’s brows pulled together as he nced at Samuel, then turned back to Ang. Heughed softly, a sound that made her more uneasy than any shout. "Angel, go on. Say what you want to say. We’re all listening."


    Ang was caught off guard. That was too nice. Too smooth. Where was the shouting? The sharp re? The usual way he shut her down? He didn’t seem angry at all, and that scared her more than his temper ever could.


    She looked at Alex. His expression said it all <i>well done, you’ve done it again</i>. And Stales? He had that look on his face like <i>you’re finished this time, buddy.</i>


    "Hey, Angel. Come here," Renn said, his voice still calm and quiet like she hadn’t just gone against the rule of silence. She felt her stomach twist. This calmness wasn’t normal. It made her skin crawl. Still, she walked slowly toward him. She could feel all eyes on her, and the pity on the faces of some students only made it worse.


    "Say what you want to say," Renn said again.


    Ang swallowed hard. She tried to keep herself from shaking. No matter how scared she felt, she had never been the type to stay quiet when something felt wrong. And she wasn’t going to start now.


    "I don’t think it’s fair that all the weak students were put in one group, while the other two groups are made up of werewolves," she said, doing her best to keep her voice steady.


    Renn folded his arms and looked at her. "So what do you want me to do, Angel?"


    "Regrouping would help," she answered. The words came out before she could stop them. She didn’t want to sound like she was giving orders. She wanted him to know it was just a request. "It’s a plea."


    "No, no..." Renn said, his voice still soft, a faint smile on his lips. "It’s not a plea. Why should you plea?"


    Ang froze. Her heart pounded. She didn’t understand. What was he trying to say? What was he nning?


    "You shouldn’t plead. You are the new instructor of thebat ss, and we will do just as you say."


    Ang’s mouth fell open, but no sound came out. That wasn’t what she meant at all. What did he just say? She shook her head in confusion, but it was clear that Alpha Renn had already decided what he wanted to do. Whatever was going on in his mind, he was going to make it happen.


    He turned to face the students and raised his voice. "This is exactly what I’m talking about. Disrespect. Going against my word. In this ss, everyone listens to me. Whether you like what I do or not, it doesn’t matter. No one and I mean no one opposes me. I am the authority here, and only I decide what happens."


    Ang felt like sinking into the floor. His voice was sharp, and his face said it all. She had clearly pushed him too far, and now the whole ss could see it.


    "Nowes your punishment," Renn said, looking around the room. His eyes settled on Alex, and he pointed at him.


    Ang’s heart jumped. Why was he calling Alex? What did he have to do with this?


    "Yes, sir," Alex answered and stepped forward, now standing beside her.


    "First fight of thebat ss," Renn said, spreading his arms wide. "Alex against Angel."


    Alex looked shocked. He didn’t move. He didn’t even speak. The idea of fighting his own housemate clearly didn’t sit right with him.


    "No," Ang whispered, stepping back. Her whole body tensed. She knew what wasing. Alex was strong. If they really fought, he would crush her without trying. She had no chance.


    Renn was doing this on purpose. She could feel it. Just like the day before, he wanted her to beg. He wanted her to fall on her knees and cry for mercy. But why Alex? Why choose the one person she had started to feel safe around?


    ****


    Dear readers,


    This Chapter is release based on request. Normal update(two Chapters) will resume tomorrow, please. Thank you.