Page 158 of Resurgent

The recruits freeze, looking just as confused as I am, but still, their swords drop and one by one, they break into a slow, scattered clap.

I stand there, smiling through gritted teeth, as I contemplate what it would take to frame his murder as another “bear” attack.

“Miss Corvin here not only bonded early, but she bonded an Alpha.” Hunter paces slowly in front of the recruits, his voice carrying easily across the now silent training yard. “And it seems she’s already started absorbing his entitlement.”

A few nervous chuckles ripple through the arena.

He stops, turning to face me fully, a smug smile tugging at his mouth.

“Because apparently, bonding an Alpha means you’re above showing up on time for your required make-up Combat sessions.”

His gaze locks on mine in challenge, but by now, he should know better.

If this is how he wants to play it, then I’m more than ready.

"I understand that you're busy now, Captain Korr," I say, slowly walking towards Delta Company and letting my hips sway a little more than necessary. "Maybe I can pair up with one of your recruits?"

Korr shoots me a glare, and I can practically hear him warning me not to do what I’m about to do—but all I see is the challenge he threw the second he called me out.

"Theo, any chance you’d help work me out?” I ask, knowing full well Hunter's been annoyed with him for months.

"Absolutely," he beams, grabbing his blade from where it’d been dropped on the ground and walking toward me without a care for the actual partner he's leaving behind.

"Stevens, get back to your partner. Now! Miss Corvin, we'll be discussing your interruption after class, but I want interval sprints around the room until you’re sweating."

I fight the smile threatening to surface, knowing exactly what this is—his way of apologizing for making me skip my morning run.

"Thanks, but you should know it takes more than a run to do that," I whisper, brushing past him to my spot on the wall.

Refusing to run in my full riding uniform, I peel it off piece by piece until I’m standing in nothing but my sports bra and riding pants.

The long whistles don’t escape me—nor do the hungry stares that follow every movement—as I work through a quick stretch before popping in an earbud and start running at an even tempo.

One lap around the arena turns into two, then three, then five. Everyone around me is long gone—the sound of my shoes on the rubber flooring pulling me back to my last day working in South Hollow.

Flashback

The day had been going so smoothly—an energetic group in my Intro to Pole Dancing class, my usual long walk with sweet old Mr. Brooks, who never missed a day at the gym because he couldn’t stand walking alone since his wife passed away, and a string of personal training clients who were all making solid progress. When my last client of the day cancelled, I was damn near giddy, hurrying to the indoor track for a quick warm-up run before my kickboxing class arrived.

I was still grinning to myself as I rounded the corner of the track—enjoying the rare gift of an empty thirty minutes and the steady burn already building in my legs—when someone bumped into my side.

Turning, ready to apologize for not paying attention I found a tall, dark-haired guy around my age grinning back at me with a crooked smile. This was definitely the hottie Rachel had seen touring the gym last week.

His mouth opened, and only then did I realize my music has been playing over whatever he’d been trying to say to me.

“Sorry—what was that?” I had asked, pulling my headphones out, but not slowing down. That was my time, so if he wanted to talk, he’ll have to keep up.

“You’re Annalise, right?”

“Depends. Are you about to complain about my boxing playlist? Because it’s not my fault if you can’t keep up with Ashes by Steller. You’ll get there with some practice.”

He laughed.

“No. Actually…”

Before I could guess where the conversation was going, he pressed a folded piece of paper into my palm. His fingers lingering just long enough to make the intent painfully obvious.

“I've been trying to catch you all week,” he said.