Cynthia Dion: "You want to know who he is to me?" I almost let out a sarcastic laugh. "I'm sorry, but who are you to ask me that question?" I didn't hold back when expressing my emotions in this one question. "I am--let's not forget I am still your mate," he clenched his jaw and whispered under his breath. "Oh! Can you go tell everyone we are still mates because everyone thinks the rejection was completed later?" I folded my arms and questioned him. He shook his head, as he didn't have the courage to tell anyone he was still mated to a rogue she-wolf. But he had the audacity to question the same she-wolf about who she was hanging out with. "He is a much older man than you. Are you that desperate for money that you don't even care who is in front of you? If money is the problem, you can ask me for help." He stood up and placed the tips of his fingers on the table, leaning over me as he continued to lecture me. "He is my father's friend and only came to drop me off. But the fact that you already assume the worst about me shows how little your mentality is," I replied in all honesty once I felt his eyes were watching me in a different light. "If I saw you with him again--," Atticus stepped closer and warned me. He didn't have to finish the sentence for me to know what he was going to do if I didn't stay away from Mr. Holt or any other older guy. I didn't bother arguing more with him and proceeded to exit the room to reach the backyard. I had so many thoughts about everything, but my current state of standing among the group of strong students was where my entire attention was at. I watched Rosalie stand in the same line as me and understood she had also marked Atticus as her trainer. She looked at me with a frown. Fortunately, she kept quiet because teachers occasionally patrolled the area to make sure nobody changed into their full form out of annoyance or agitation. Atticus soon joined us as well, and he began with a warm-up by having us line up and do some light stretching. He was being somewhat reserved because it was the first day, which was fortunate for me because there was no way I could compete with the other students, whose canines had already begun to emerge even during warm-ups. "Now, from tomorrow, I'll be a little stricter. So make sure you all come prepared," Atticus said to us, waving his hand to dismiss us. We all hurried to the lockers to retrieve our belongings. Mr. Holt had promised to take me to his training center so that my wolf could at least awaken, so I had to go meet him there. I was the one pushing everyone aside and making my way to the door before anyone else today. I saw the rest of the students heading towards the café to eat and have some relaxed time. However, my miserable and poor state wouldn't support such a kind of life. Once I was in the parking lot, I anxiously started pacing around in search of Mr. Holt. He was supposed to be here. What was taking him so long? I wasn't being an impatient brat for no reason. I had a fear that if he didn't come in time, the bullies would, and they would ruin the rest of the day for me. I wanted to attend the training courses with an open mind. Instead of Mr. Holt's vehicle pulling up in front of me, a yellow sports car startled me and caused me to move back. I had assumed that Atticus would be hanging out with his pals, but instead, he had driven the car from his parking spot to right in front of me and was waiting for me to get in. "Step in," he whispered as he pushed the door to the passenger side open for me. "Thank you so much for your kind offer, but I am waiting for my transport." I nervously stepped away from him and kept my head straight. "Cynthia! Get inside," he demanded a little more aggressively this time. He even took off his sunglasses so that I could peer into his eyes and understand there was no room for a 'no.' "I'm sorry, but I have a commitment with someone else." I took a few more steps away from him. He stayed silent and motionless for a second before jumping out of the car. It was a sign that he was not taking a 'no' for an answer. He marched right up to me, eyeing me to get inside. "I'll drop you home," he said in a grumpy tone, gesturing for me not to argue back with him. "I'm not headed home; I have somewhere else to be," I excused, stepping a little to the side and avoiding eye contact with him. "Where are you headed to?" he asked, a stern expression forming on his face. "I don't have to tell you everything, do I?" I rolled my eyes secretly when asking him. I knew he cautioned me to avoid anyone who picks me up, but I wouldn't let him influence my behavior--especially since he doesn't know the struggles I face daily. "I get it," he said as he stepped aside to block my vision once more. "You were telling the truth about the money and that Jack boy blackmailing you with the video, but that doesn't mean you can just walk around and do whatever you want," he said ignorantly. "Just because you were right in one thing doesn’t make you right in everything." "And why is that, Mr. Alpha?" I had been silently listening to their sarcasm on the school’s grounds, even tolerating their bullying on the road, but there are times when I just can’t hold back my anger. I just wanted them to make up their minds and decide if they hate me or care for me. This back-and-forth was getting boring at this point.