CHAPTER 42
“Long time no see,” Chaz said. I came back to the training grounds, after a few weeks of not attending the training. I came earlier than I expected since there are no other students aside from me. “You’re thirty minutes early. You’re earlier than the sun. How come you walked alone too early in the morning?”
I shrugged my shoulders and sat on the chair. “I need the time to meditate and think about what’s happening these past few days. My brothers were still asleep when I left. I wrote a note saying that I’ll be going here to practice. Angelo…” I sighed. “Too bad I did not wait for him. Is he attending these past few Saturdays?”
Chaz placed his pointing fingers to his lips, making a cross sign. “Kaz is still sleeping. Lower your voice. He’s a beast who doesn’t like noise when he’s asleep. But to answer your question, Gelo does attend the training after he recovered. I asked about you. He did not say anything. A true friend indeed. I thought you quit, but I also realized you can’t quit if your life’s on the edge, right?”
“Maybe I’m going to die. Maybe I just have a slump or funk or whatever. I don’t have the mood to do anything aside from reading. But I want to train again. I feel weak when I’m not training. Right, my life’s on the edge. I have to do something about it. I know there’s a ninety percent possibility that the alpha is going to kill. I can still prevent it from happening. I want to fight. I want to live.”
“That’s the spirit.” Chaz offered me a cup of french-pressed coffee. The smell stuck inside my nose and all I did was accept it and take a sip. Strong taste, seductive smell, vivid color. I wonder what coffee beans he is using. “Let me tell you that it’s a no man’s game. It’s not one-hundred percent sure that the alpha will kill you.”
“How? No one beats and even dared to fight the alpha. He became the alpha slash naa leader of this town for a reason. He’s immortal in the sense he’ll remain to be the leader of the pack no matter what happens. He wrecked a lot of lives—including you. How am I able to resist death that is already there at the end, waiting for me.”
Chaz dropped to his knees in front. He pointed the tip of his finger directly to my heart. “By believing in yourself.”
A couple of knocks killed our moment. The other students were already gathered out. Before leaving to open the door, Chaz woke up Kaz. Of course, no one should know that Kaz lives here. The story should go like Kaz arriving here early like me and not because he stayed with our teacher.
One by one, people arrived at the training grounds. I sat on one of the benches. I don’t have any friends with them. I don’t make friends. Besides, they must know about what I did before. Scary, they might think. A killer.

A smile on my face glittered when I saw Angelo walking. I waved my hand but he walked past me.
“Gelo,” I said in disappointment. His eyes forgot to highlight me.
He looked at me and cursed, “Fucked! I almost did not recognize you.” That was the sweetest face I could remember from him. “I thought you weren’t attending again. I didn’t bother to wake you up.” He hit his head. “Oh, right. I should’ve texted you last night.” Then he grinned. “Glad you’re back.” He squeezed me inside his body as if we don't see each other almost every day.
“Why are you treating me like a lemon? We’re seeing each other every day!”
He released my body and patted me twice on my shoulders. “Think of this as a lucky charm. Hope you’ll win later.”
Win later? Was he thinking of some kind of game that I don’t know? I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know. Don’t you? We’re going to have a duel against each other today. I can’t pair up with you. I don’t want to hurt you or face a friend into a fight.” He showed me his perfect smile as a perfect being. My hand suddenly felt scratchy for wanting to pinch his cheeks for that.
Gelo and I talked like we did not see each other for years. Then he explained the duel to me while Chaz was drinking his cup of coffee. He said it happens a few times a year. A phase that involves everyone who’s training under Chaz. It’s like a formative assessment—class examinations. In PE, we have a dance that killed all of my confidence in freshman year. That was embarrassing. I should have not thought about it.
“Okay, everyone. You already know what’s going to happen today except for those who did not attend the last few sessions?” Chaz spat me a look. My classmates did not think I was the one who can’t defend herself from the truth. “Before our warm-up, everyone must choose their partners first.”
It was chaos after. Girls chose girls. Huge guys chose huge guys. There were a few ones who didn’t have a partner yet, including me.
“Do you have a partner?” Gelo asked me.
I shrugged. “Nah. I don’t think I’m going to have a partner. They either see me as a killer or a beginner. How about you?”
“I’m going to face Kaz.”
My eyes popped. “What the fuck? You’re kidding, right?” he can’t fight with Kaz. That guy is the strongest among all of us.
“Yeah, I’m kidding. I don’t want to die that soon. But I already have one. His girlfriend paired up with Stacy. Look for a beginner that you can face for now.”
“Can I be your partner?” I thought it was a stranger who just wanted to let this opportunity fast. But it was Skip grinning on the side. I’m both surprised that he didn’t have a partner yet and he’s asking me to be his partner.
Gelo chuckled. “You can’t be her partner. She’s just a beginner and a woman.”
“I’m serious about it, dude. I want her to fight me. There is a lot of gossip out there about here. I want to try it myself.”
“She’s my friend and you’re my friend, Skip. I don’t want my friends to hurt each other.”
I don’t want to fight to Skip for this. He’s already experienced and kind of scary.
“But she is not my friend.”
“She’s a girl.”
A few students started to glance at us. Angelo held my hand firmly.
“I don’t care.”
“Skip!” Stacy suddenly showed up. “You know you can’t fight her. If there’s someone who will partner with Cath, it should be me. We’re both women.”
“You already have a partner and I can’t let you chase my treasure away.”
It felt like an obsession that he liked me to fight him. Instead of backing out, I stepped forward. “I’ll fight you.” I copied his grin even though my body is trembling inside right now.