Chapter 73

Cynthia’s mischievous grin was barely detectable as she leaned in close to me, her voice a low murmur

that dripped with challenge. “Hey, Zenovia, bet you can’t outlast me on the treadmill.”

I arched an eyebrow, locking my eyes with Cynthia. Seriously this girl was being super weird today.

“Lagree” I replied and hopped on the treadmill. Though in my head I said, ‘Go wag your tail in front of

your stupid lycan king instead of talking to me

And, though it hurt to admit it, that was the truth. She had a wolf, I didn’t.

She was supposed to be stronger and tougher than me.

Cynthia might have said something but I did not hear the words as the sound of the music system

turning on distracted me. And I was thankful for that.

While I fumbled with the numerous buttons and figured out how to get the treadmill working, she

walked around merrily and turned the music system on.

My gaze drifted to Callahan while trying to turn on the stupid machine, I think he noticed I was having

troubles but he did. not try to help. In fact, he looked away when our gazes met.

“Oh come on, girl. I will not use my wolf strength, I promise. Just want to give you some motivation”

Cynthia came near me and pushed a few buttons, making the machine come to life. She cocked her

head to the side, looking eagerly at me.

We never spoke about the ball and her friends’ ganging up against me because I had faced such

bullies all my life. Sid used to be one so I had learned to ignore them.

She lowered her voice and added, “Didn’t you hear him say he doesn’t want weaklings in lus pack? I

am trying to help you.”

Though I had no doubt Callahan could hear her despite being a few feet away from us. Had I not been

annoyed at him, my gaze would have wanted to admire the grace with which he moved and the way his

posture never slumped as he began to

exercise.

He had just called me weak and I wanted to show him I was not. More than to him, I wanted to show it

to myself.

I had been called weak all my life so the word hurt even more coming from him. And even if I lost, the

worst would happen is they would laugh at me, which I thought they did anyway. I did not mind that.

“You’re on,” I retorted, a fire flickering in my eyes..

“Oh nice, you got back your motivation” Cynthia chirped as she got on the treadmill beside me.

“Hey King, would you watch over us and decide who did the best?” She asked but Callahan merely

shrugged.

“I have my own training to do. Just try not to pass out” He said, again while looking at me instead of

her.

My skin prickled with heat at his gaze but my mind was focused on the words that left his mouth.

Cynthia’s response was casual, a dismissive shrug accompanied by a sly smile. “Just a friendly

competition, Callahan. Testing

our endurance. We won’t kill each other.”

Callahan did not respond and he walked towards the section where the dumbbells were kept. Sliding

two big ones across a rod he got it over a bench.

I saw the way he relaxed his muscles first and loosened his body before going forward and beginning

to lift that thing.

The weight he had thrown in was definitely not something I would be able to pull off but he began to do

it quite easily.

Meanwhile, Cynthia touched a few buttons on both our treadmill screens and said, “Watch out”

I couldn’t let my racing heart show because it was so damn hard to tear my gaze off that handsome

man.

“Hey” She waved her hand in front of me, “Focus,” She said a little sternly and I shook my head.

It was an opportunity, a risky one, but an opportunity to finally shatter Cynthia’s perception of me as the

weaker one.

We began running and it was slow and leisurely at first but soon Cynthia subtly pressed a button on my

treadmill, increasing the pace just enough to throw me off.

“Push your limits” She whispered and I nodded my head, trying to focus on the task at hand. My legs

felt a little sore after I had run almost two or three laps before she showed up but it did not matter.

She had a wolf and I did not, so I would have to work hard if I wanted to awaken my wolf by the next

full moon.

My urge to meet my wolf and shift completely fueled me as my heart pounded in rhythm with my

footsteps.

“You can do this. It’s just running. Just a silly challenge. But it’s for standing up for myself… maybe this

will show him I’m not some delicate flower.

I said to myself.

I was beginning to feel the heat in my body due to the running and sweat was trickling down my

forehead but beside me, Cynthia was having no tough time at all.

She would occasionally look at Callahan and I could clearly see the way she gawked at him as her

eyes darkened with pure

lust.

“Doesn’t he look sexy when he is working out?” She giggled as if sharing her thoughts about her crush

with her close friend. When did I become her close friend?

I did not answer and neither did look his way.

Callahan finished his set of bench presses and got up from his bench. The moment he did, Cynthia’s

wicked whisper cut through my thoughts, aimed like a dagger at my determination.

“Come on, Zenovia. Is that the best you’ve got?”

I was literally wheezing and my legs were beginning to give up.

“Let her go. She will probably pass out in the next five minutes”

Callahan said and I saw the way Cynthia tried suppressing a chuckle. What did he think of himself?

He had been doing this for years, working out day and night along with fighting rogues and other

alphas…I was just starting.

This was not fair.

But then life had never been fair.

My teeth gritted against the effort, sweat beading at my hairline. With each step, I felt Cynthia’s

challenge like a weight on my shoulders, pushing me to prove myself.

Cynthia’s grin stretched a little wider, a predator reveling in its prey’s struggle. My legs were turning to

lead, but I clenched my fists, vowing not to falter.

My internal voice rose above the whir of the machines. “I won’t give in. Not to Cynthia. Not in front of

Callahan. I have to show them both that I’m stronger than this. I have to meet my wolf”

My chest was heaving up and down while Cynthia was running as if she was taking a stroll in the park.

And I hated this, hated myself for being so weak.

Cynthia’s taunting voice was a persistent mosquito in my car, pushing me to the brink. “Zenovia, you’re

falling behind. I thought you had more fight in you. But if you are tired, let us stop.”

I did not answer but just shook my head.

My face was red and I closed my eyes as the effort to keep moving was too much for me to bear.

The burn in my muscles intensified, my breath coming in ragged gasps. But amidst the struggle, a

fierce determination ignited within me.

And when I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of eyes glued to me. Seeing that I was not willing to stop,

Callahan looked at me intently. He had opened his mouth, probably to pass another crude remark or

something but I did not care.

I would not let either of them think of me as a weakling

I wouldn’t let Cynthia’s mind games break my resolve. Not now, not ever.

My focus zeroed in on the treadmill’s display, my world reduced to the numbers ticking by. The race

was no longer against Cynthia – it was against my own limitations. I pushed harder, gritting my teeth

against the pain.

Cynthia’s astonishment was evident as I put in every last bit of energy inside of me to match her pace

and then surpassed it.

And the moment I did that, it was as if my legs could not move anymore. I would fall on the treadmill,

probably hit my head on the machine, and sprain an ankle but my body just couldn’t obey my brain’s

commands to push the

stop button

I went limp and felt disoriented as the world around me began to swim. I fell but not on the machine or

the carpet.

I fell into a pair of strong arms that broke my fall. I think I even heard somebody scream unhappily

when that wall of muscle not only held me close but then picked me up and began carrying me.

I was too exhausted to even respond but through a blurred eyesight, I saw Cynthia blabber something.

Callahan turned to look at her and glared, “I told you both to stop. Now, stay right here.”

Seeing his gaze, Cynthia stopped screaming but I could see the disappointed look on her face as

Callahan carried me to my room, bridal style.

The last thing I remembered was being wrapped in his arms and I knew I was safe. Thus, my mind

blanked out the next second when I felt his hands around me.

Author’s note: Since many readers asked, daily updates will begin tomorrow and continue for the rest

of the month(if there is no unexpected delay) Stay tuned!!