Thora finished her last punch and immediately followed it with a spinning back kick. The sandbag swung violently, making the ceiling shake and sending dust drifting down. She caught it with one hand, holding it perfectly still. "I know." A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. Before she could wipe it away, Darius was already there, towel in hand, gently brushing her face dry. He stood close, fingers grazing her cheek softly. Thora stayed still. Only after he finished did she say softly, "Thanks." Darius's eyes flickered with mild annoyance. They were already fated mates. Why was she still being so polite with him?Thora released the sandbag, walked over to the couch, took a sip of water, and sat down. "How's Grandpa?" Darius answered honestly, "He's at the royal estate. My grand-uncle, the Lycan King, has taken special care of him. He's healthy and in good spirits. His only concern is his granddaughter." Thora went straight to the point. "The Lycan King wouldn't have invited Grandpa without a reason. The Greens have long fallen, and he's not that close to the royal family. So what's the real reason?" Darius leaned back, legs crossed, eyes fixed on hers. "What if it's because of you?" Her gaze shifted slightly. "You know the reason." It wasn't a question. Darius smiled. "I do." He paused, then spoke solemnly, "But I promised your grandfather I wouldn't tell you. That's an agreement between the two of you." Thora fell silent for a moment. Of course, she remembered the promise she had made with her grandfather. Once she graduated from Blue Star Military Academy, he would tell her the truth about her origins. So she didn't press further and simply responded softly, "Okay." "Don't worry. The Greens will be fine. General Green and Felix will both be fine," Darius said slowly, full of certainty. It was a silent assurance, allowing her to focus on school without worry. Thora raised her head and looked straight into his smile. There was a deep warmth on his handsome face, one that gave her a sense of safety she had never known before. For the first time, she felt protected in a way that felt just right, letting her finally relax and drop her guard. She leaned back against the couch and curled a finger at him. "Come here." What should have been a seductive gesture looked downright commanding when she did it. A sudden fire flared in Darius's eyes. Deep in his brown gaze, it felt like some wild force was about to burst out. His throat went dry. He yanked at his tie, two buttons popping loose as he stood and rushed straight toward her. "What are you doing?" Thora grabbed his wrist. Darius leaned closer, flashing a mischievous grin. "Doesn't that mean you want to ... hmm?" She frowned, clearly puzzled. "What are you talking about? I just wanted you to come over and chat." A sharp ache hit Darius in a very specific spot, along with a weird sense of emotional hurt. After Darius arrived at the academy, Thora's classes and training stayed the same. Occasionally, she would run into Roxen in the Command Institute's private training room. They'd do a bit of sparring and exchange a few words, nothing more. Lance, on the other hand, showed up less and less, and he rarely appeared in front of her anymore. Most of Darius's time was spent in the Academy Research Division, talking through ideas with experts and technical staff. As a result, Thora started going there often. Her physical data was collected bit by bit, and she became the assigned test subject for various systems and new equipment. That actually gave Thora and Darius more chances to be together. It was also there that Thora found out students ranked in the academy's top 10 were always monitored. Their data was tracked in real time to assess physical condition and abilities. She wasn't the first. She also learned Adrian had always been the most closely observed student. It was just that her data was now so shocking that she had suddenly become the most unusual case of all.To the researchers, she was basically an alien being examined up close.