Angela didn't get another chance to speak. She wouldn't dare after what happened earlier. Fear gripped her chest, and she knew if she said anything else, her punishment might get worse. And if it did, Alex would suffer too.
The students were silent as they watched her and Alex walk to the middle. Once again, she had become the center of everyone's attention, a puppet for their cruel games.
"You will start in twenty seconds," Samuel said, moving aside.
There was no doubt now. This stage belonged to her and Alex.
Angela looked up at the large time board on the wall to her right. Ten seconds left. Her mind was blank. She didn't know what to do or how to even begin.
Alex, who had refused to fight her earlier, now stood ready. His stance shifted...right foot back, left foot forward, hands up, body still. His eyes locked on hers, but the warmth she once saw there had vanished.
Now, they burned with something else-bitterness, betrayal, and pain.
She knew why. He blamed her for this, and she didn't blame him in return. He had every right to feel that way. If only she had kept quiet, maybe none of this would have happened.
Angela glanced at the board again but didn't have time to count.
"Now!" Renn's voice rang out across the room.
Before she could even react, pain exploded through her face. A punch landed hard and fast, sending her crashing to the floor. She landed on her butt, the impact knocking the breath out of her.
Her head throbbed so badly that her vision blurred. She saw nothing but darkness and a thousand stars swirling behind her eyes.
She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. The pain was too much to bear.
Angela had always known she couldn't fight Alex. Renn knew it too. But still, he threw her in. Not for training. Not to teach. But to punish.
He was still angry about yesterday, and this was his way of making her pay.
"Get up or get ready for what's coming," Renn warned, his voice firm as he walked behind the line of students who stood watching for the first time.
Angela couldn't see him clearly, but his voice rang in her head like a bell that refused to stop. She knew she had no choice. If she didn't get up now, she would regret it for the rest of her life. With all the strength she could gather, she pushed herself off the ground and stood.
Maybe she was doing this all wrong. Maybe the real problem was in her head. Alex was a werewolf, and from the start, she believed he was stronger, faster, and untouchable. She kept thinking that someone like her, a human girl, could never defeat someone like him. But that mindset was killing her.
Still, she couldn't let herself give up. She didn't want to hurt Alex. None of this was his fault. It was hers. Her mouth got them into this, and now they were both paying the price. But if she held back much longer, she might not make it to the end of the fight.
So she gathered what was left of her courage and charged forward with everything in her. But just when she thought she had him, Alex bent his body, and she missed him completely.
Her balance gave way, and she crashed to the floor once more.
Shock rushed through her body. And then came the sound she feared most-the laughter of the other students. They laughed loud and clear like it was some kind of joke that she couldn't even land a single punch.
Angela stayed on the ground, breathing hard. Pain burned in her left knee where she had landed. It throbbed badly, and it felt like something inside it wasn't right. She didn't even know if she could get up again.
Then her eyes met Alex's. He wasn't laughing. He just stood there, staring at her with a look that broke her heart even more.
He looked sorry. Truly sorry. But he was part of this now, just like she was.
"I think he should stop," Samuel said with concern in his voice. But Renn was not ready to end it. He was enjoying what was happening and wanted to drag it out, make the show even more painful for her.
"Stop playing, Alex. Finish the boy and let's get this over with," Alpha Renn said coldly.
Alex gave a small nod and shifted his weight, getting ready for the next attack. He waited as Angela slowly pulled herself together, forcing her weak body back to her feet.
She wondered what would happen if she chose to give up now. But then she looked up and caught Renn's glare. It was sharp and cold, and it told her everything she needed to know. He wasn't done. Not until she paid for what she did yesterday. He wanted her broken.
Angela decided she would take it all if that was what it would take to end this. Her legs were shaky and her body screamed in pain, but she stood. She raised her fists, not sure they could do anything, but she lifted them anyway. She waited for Alex's next move. She thought maybe she could dodge, just like he had done before.
Alex threw his punch, just as she expected.
But what followed was worse than she imagined.
A wave of darkness covered her face as the hit landed. Her vision blurred, her head spun, and then everything went black. No sound, no light, no thought.
It was finished. And she knew it.