Cynthia Dion: "Do you want to argue?" he grunted, narrowing his eyes. "You're the one blocking my way," I stated, raising my voice a little. "Lower your volume," he closed his eyes momentarily, processing, and then muttered under his breath, "Get inside; I'll drop you off at home." He attempted to calm himself by taking a deep breath. "Why? Are you afraid someone might see you bullying me?" I scoffed, avoiding eye contact. "Cynthia," he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw in frustration. "I appreciate your offer, but I can't be seen with you after my father saw us on that tape. Please, maintain your distance from me," I avoided his gaze, but I could sense his eyes fixed on my face from the corner of my eye. His shifting stance hinted that he didn't like hearing that I needed to keep my distance from him. "Why?" He placed his hands on his waist and forgot his own suggestion about keeping his voice down. "Because nobody in my family approves of us. They believe you're not the right fit for me," I shrugged, intentionally provoking him. The more I explained why we shouldn't be together, the angrier he appeared. "Your family consists of your greedy father and a little sister," he frowned, causing me to raise my eyebrows in surprise that he knew so much about me. "I have an extended family," I lied, but I could tell he saw through my bluff. "Doesn't matter who they are. No one would object to you hanging around an alpha," he stated proudly, though it was a bit irritating. "Besides, you have no right to dictate whom I can be with or where I can go." As I started to feel a rush of adrenaline, I added, "Remember, you rejected me?" I finally met his gaze, granting him the satisfaction. The way his body reacted made me feel exhilarated. "Don't test my patience, and get insi--," He abruptly cut off his sentence as Enzo came into view, most likely looking for Atticus. Atticus immediately shifted to the side to avoid being spotted with me before Enzo even noticed us. I sighed and shook my head in disbelief. With the path now clear, I marched past him toward where Mr. Holt's car was waiting. He picked me up and, without asking too many questions, drove me straight to the training academy. The car ride was oddly silent. "Now, get ready and join the others," Mr. Holt gestured to a young boy to escort me to the training ground, where everyone was warming up for the training session. The boy appeared to be my age, handsome, and carried himself with decent manners. "You are --" I said quietly as I followed the boy. "I am Liam!" he exclaimed. "I didn't have my wolf for a very long time. Everyone used to make fun of me and tell me I would be expelled from the residential areas soon. Just when the council was planning to exile me to the woods where wild rogues live, Mr. Holt came to my rescue. He saved my life by training me, and in less than a few days, my wolf woke up. I am still trying to form a stronger connection with my wolf, but I believe I'll have total control over it in no time." Liam was a bright young man, a social butterfly, as we called it. Fortunately, he found his wolf, offering me hope. "That's amazing," I replied. Talking to him felt good. He was a living example of hope. We took spots next to each other while a senior werewolf instructed us on how to gently encourage our wolves to respond to us. He also gave me some exercises to practice. "Your body needs to experience the heat, as wolves are typically very warm and hot," Mr. Orion observed the younger ones like Liam and me when discussing that topic. It made me feel bashful. "Usually, a mate is crucial to keeping your body warm, but since some of you here haven't found your mate yet, you can explore ways to excite your wolf." As he continued speaking, I noticed Liam's gaze on me, and it caused me to blush. I had never encountered such a direct approach to this subject, so I was taken aback. "Class is dismissed for today!" Mr. Orion gestured for us to head to the changing room and then return home. Thankfully, the first day of either course wasn't too demanding. "You don't seem thrilled with the class," Liam remarked as we walked together towards the changing rooms. I knew he had noticed my discomfort during the class. Our changing rooms were conveniently located next to each other's, giving us more time to discuss our experiences. "I'm not sure how this heat thing will work for me. Does he want me to set myself on fire or perhaps sit in a preheated oven?" I attempted to make a joke about it, but in the end, I could only scoff instead of chuckling. "There are other ways to achieve that. You don't have to set yourself on fire," he said with a nervous laugh. "Someone else can heat your body. I can help." His voice was hushed as he suggested his assistance. "Um, what?" I frowned as I grasped what he was proposing. "Cynthia! If we want our wolves to awaken, we have to entice them. Heat usually works best most of the time." He added, "I can't force you, but there's a private room where we can do it-- I mean, work on it." The way he was speaking was making my cheeks turn red. Of course, I wasn't aroused, but I was embarrassed. "That's only if you're truly determined to awaken your wolf. I can explain the process to you, and if you're uncomfortable with it----" He fell silent for a moment. "You're free to leave at any point." He paused, waiting for my decision. I wanted to decline his offer, but what would I do when the school required me to transition or demonstrate my wolf's presence? Not to mention, I needed to succeed in as many small rounds as possible to cover Flora's fees.