Aurora James - POV
"Have you fought with another wolf, Miss. James?" the question was out of the blue, and I blinked a few times to realize that he was talking to me.
"Um, no, Beta Perez. I have never even taken a self-defense class before." I truthfully answered while his eyes were locked on a pair of warriors in a boxing ring.
"Pathetic." it was barely a whisper, but I heard it nevertheless. I felt my heart tighten at the insult, while I chewed on my bottom lip. I didn't know what I did wrong to earn his anger towards me. An uncomfortable silence settled between us while he stared at his warriors training while I stood next to him like an idiot. I was about to ask Beta Perez if we were going to stand in here all day when I felt a presence behind me.
"Beta Perez." Levi came to stand right next to me.
"This is Levi. One of our best warriors." Beta Perez introduced when he turned to face Levi again. "You will be training her for the timing. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course, Beta Perez," Levi answered, and with one final look my way, Beta Persz walked out of there. "So what do you know about self-defense?" Levi asked with an encouraging smile.
"I have never taken a self-defense class before?" it sounded more like a question, I saw a horrified look cross Levi's face.
"Great, I think we will have to just start from the beginning then." he asserted, and a devilish smile appeared on his face.
"I hate you!" I yelled, thirty minutes later, almost out of breath as I ran past him while he was seated on the grass with his sunglasses on.
"You will hate me even more in the coming months." he retorted as I ran into the forest. I thought that the running track would be only five hundred meters, but turns out, it is two kilometers long, and it goes in through the forest and comes back out into the clearing, Levi had made me do ten laps in this.
The wind that blew as I ran into the forest cooled my heated face as I ran out into the clearing again. "One more lap and you are done for the day," Levi announced as I pushed myself to run faster. This is pure torture, but Levi claimed that werewolves shouldn't feel a thing due to their enhanced strength.
I was on my last lap as I ran out from the forest and into the clearing. Levi was standing in the finish line as I slowed down to a jog before I collapsed on the grass next to him. My heart was pounding against my chest while I tried to fill my lungs with the air I lost. "You did well for a first-timer," Levi said with a smile on his face as he stopped the timer.
My entire body was drenched in sweat, and my muscles ached with even the slight movement. "But this isn't good enough for a werewolf," he said, which aggravated me as I glared at him. "Come on, you don't have to glare at me."
"You know you are a pain in the ass, right?" I asked him when he shook his head as he removed his sunglasses and hung them on his t-shirt.
"Just be happy I am training you. I don't think you would be able to walk if Beta Perez or Gamma Acosta takes over your training session," he warned me as I rolled my eyes at him. "Anyway, shall we go and have something to eat?"
"Sure," I said, and he extended his hand for me to take. As I placed my sweaty hand on him, he held it tight as he pulled me up. I was so exhausted, and with the force he pulled me up, I collided with his chest, and before I could fall back again, he wrapped his arms around my waist.
My breathing was heavy as my chest moved up and down while I looked up at him. His eyes held concern and nothing else while I stood frozen in shock. "Levi!" a thunderous growl made us both pull away, and I turned around to see Beta Perez a few meters away from us.
He was gritting his teeth, and his hands were curled into fists as he stormed towards us. "Beta Perez." Levi stammered, but Beta Perez's eyes were locked with mine.
"There is tension in the western border. Go and check that out." Beta Perez said in a monotone, and Levi nodded his head as he gave me an apologetic look before he walked away from us.
My heartbeat picked up, but it was not due to my mate's close proximity, but due to the anger that was radiating from him. I was about to leave when he blocked my path, standing a little close to my liking. "Women only serve as a distraction," he said as his eyes bore into mine. "And you have proven that fact."
"He only helped me up, Beta Perez," I said as the anger bubbled within me.
"I never take a woman into this pack. Do you know why, Miss. James?" he asked me while I stood as still as a statue. "Because they are nothing but a distraction that would cost your life." he sneered, while his eyes looked me from head to toe. I felt a heat creep up my body while my hands slightly tremble at the intensity of his stare. "Next time, don't wear anything that would distract my warriors, Miss. James," he warned me as he walked out of there. I balled my hands into fists while I tried my best to hold my tongue.
Why do you hate me so much, Zander? Don't you even feel an ounce of love towards me?
I couldn't stay in there anymore as I walked to the pack house. Without much of a second look, I made my way to my room and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower.
I wore a pink summer dress and walked downstairs to the kitchen to make something for me to eat. I looked through everything when I finally decided to make myself a sandwich. "How was your training?" I looked at the doorway to see Adrian leaning against the wall.
"Horrible, my muscles are aching, and I still have a feeling that I am running on that track," I answered when he laughed.
"You had it easy, Miss. James. Be thankful that Zander isn't training you."
"Why is that?"
"Because the warriors who end up training with him also end up rethinking their decision to become a warrior," he said, which made me look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"That bad?" I asked him, and he nodded his head. I grabbed the knife and began sliding the cheese while Adrian walked inside, towards the fridge.
"So, do you have a mate?"
"No, but Zander got lucky in that department. He has already found his better half." I felt my heart stop beating while the knife in my hand slipped and fell to the floor with a loud thud.