Chapter 41 Good Match

Chapter 41 Good Match

ARDEN

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“So, we’re going to have an assessment today,” Miss Loveson announced, her bgaze /blingering on me from time to btime/b. It seemed bthat /bthe teachers were aware of the tension in the bair /bas well “Two weeks after the Ivory Solstice, we will hold apetition in our school, inviting every eligible university to participate in various contests ranging from sports to academics.”

bThis /bassessment will be focused on general knowledge–it’s the main event of all the quiz bees. From both the freshman and senior levels, four representatives bwill /bbe chosen for this category.”

“Fort, Sienna, please help me distribute the papers, she instructed. The two of them stood, grabbed their stacks, and began bhanding /bthem out to bthe /bmembers.

I opted to sit alone at the very back. However, just then, someone abruptly pulled the chair next to me. I initially ignored them, but the persistent nces forced me to acknowledge his presence. With a small sigh, I turned to him.

“Can I help you?” I muttered, my patience already wearing thin.

He smiled, revealing ba /bset of straight teeth. “I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. The name’s Kyle. I’m the third best among all the seniors band/b, trust me, I could use ban /bapprentice.” he winked, his confidence radiating from bhim/bb. /b

“No thanks,” I replied, turning my gaze back to the front once more.

“If you need any help with this assessment, I’m more bthan /bwilling to lend a hand. It would be fantastic for us to represent our respective year levels,” he persisted.

I let out ba /bheavy sigh, choosing to ignore himpletely. At bthat /bmoment, Sienna arrived at our table and dropped the bpapers /bonto it with an unforgiving force. She shot me a re before walking away, prompting yet another deep sigh from

bme /b

“Whoa, what’s her issue?” Kyle chuckled as he reached for one of the test sheets-

“Beats me,” I grumbled under my breath. She was bthe /bone bwho /bbhad /bexposed my bvirginity /bfor the entire school to see, and now she was bthrowing /ba fit because Jaxon suddenly broke up with her?

Shaking my head, I redirected my focus to the test in front of me insteadb. /bKyle continued muttering under his breath while he worked through the questions, and I felt his bhand /bbrush against mine on several asions. I simply ignored him and scooted to the very end of the table, hoping for peace.

Minutester, Eliass stood from his seat and submitted his paper. I noticed the number of questions I still had left and sighed. Kyle proved to be a distraction, bcontinually /binterrupting my train of thought and brhythm/b.

One by one, the bothers /bbbegan /bto submit their papers. Fortunately, I managed to hand mine in right before the time limit- being the bst /bone to finish. As I returned to my seat, Kyle scooted closer once more and yfully nudged my shoulder.

“It bwas /bpretty difficult, wasn’t it?” he smirked. “I told you–I was willing to help”

“I don’t need byour /bhelp,” I bfinally /bbsnapped/b, which prompted him to raise both hands in mock surrender.

“Let me check these papers, and I’ll announce the representatives in just a few minutes,” Miss bLoveson /bbsaid/b, and the room. erupted into quiet conversations.

In the meantime, I stood from my seat and started walking to the bathroom just outside of the Silver building. Once inside. I took care of my business and stepped out to wash my hands. To my surprise, the door bswung /bopen, and there stood Kyle once

instinctively stepped back, narrowing my eyes at him. “bWhat /bare you doing here!”

Kyle chuckled and leaned casually against the sink. “bDon’t /bworry. I’m not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to talk to you.”

sighed, brunning /bmy fingers through my luir, trying to bmask /bmy annoyance. At that moment, Kyle froze, gazing at me with

1:13 AM bet /bc

Chapter 41 Good Match

“What?” I snapped.

He shook bhis /bhead, lightly pping bhis /bcheek as if trying to refocus. “You’re actually very… pretty,”

I was bing more confused by the minute. Why on earth was he suddenly acting like this?

45 Free bCoins /b

“You don’t have the shy look, but the more I observe you, the more I realize how beautiful you truly are. It’s appalling bthat /bI didn’t notice it sooner,” he said earnestly.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. “Let’s be frank. You’ve only noticed me now because of bmy /bvirginity”

He scratched the bback /bof his neck sheepishly. “Well, I won’t argue with that point, but I genuinely mean it when I say you’re beautiful”

“Are you done?” I asked, growing impatient band /bcrossing my barms /bprotectively in bfront /bof my chest. “Miss Loveson must be done by now.”

Kyle pursed his lips band/b, bwithout /bwarning, stepped closer. “Somehow, you’re even prettier when you’re angry.”

I red at him. “Step back,” I warned, but it seemed bhe /bhadpletely lost his mind when he suddenly wrapped his armsb. /baround my waist.

“Let go.”

Before I could finish my sentence, those very words came from someone else.

Both of us turned toward the door to find Elias standing there, leaning bnonchntly /bagainst the door frame with his arms crossed.

Kyle quickly released me band /bdarted bnces /bbetween bElias /band me. A look of understanding bcrossed /bhis features, and then he bowed slightly.

“Sorry, Alpha,” he mumbled. “I didn’t realize you had already imed her.”

My frown deepened. “Nobody has imed me,” bI /binsisted, but it seemed Kyle was balready /bconvinced otherwise.

“I’m going back,” he statedb, /bleaving Elias and me alone. I sighed band /bshook my headb, /bintending to leave when he unexpectedly.

my arm again. He leaned in, bowing his head bslightly /bso our eyes met.

seized

I didn’t back down this time, I held bhis /bbgaze/b, offering him the same heated re.

“I knew it,” he muttered. “It is byou/b.”

**

He brushed bmy /bhair baway /bfrom my neck and poked at the bmark /bthere, his finger lingering for a few seconds before finally withdrawing. “I saw it the first time we met,” he saidb, /bsmiling.

“What?” I asked, frustration tightening my features binto /ba deeper frown.

“You didn’t hide it back then, right?” he chuckled.

you wouldn’t

My head was reeling with a million thoughts. bElias /bhad known all this time and bhadn’t /bsaid a word? As if reading bmy /bmind, he spoke “Well, I knew the truth was bound toe bout /beventually,” he whisperedb. /b“I kept quiet because I knew appreciate me spreading the information baround/b.”

“Besides that, if was rather entertaining to have this bkind /bof information all to myself,” he added, bhis /bsmilecking warmth. Instead, it felt like he had bjust /bwon a gune bthat /bonly he knew he was ying.

My heart raced within my chest. “I’m not going to give in to you,” I dered with determination.

urse not,” Hias replied, his tone casual. “You’re quite stubborn, I’ve noticed. However, even the most stubborn people have their breaking points.”

The treatment you received from Kyle just moments ago will be a recurring theme,” he continued, his bhand /breturning to linger on my mark, touching it lightly. “You will be the center of attention for as long as you bear this mark.”

b1:13 /bAM ed.

Chapter 41 Good Match

s

“However,” he said, his voice taking bon /bba /bbserious /btone, “not everyone will be as lenient bas /bKyle. Others will be far more relentless–persisting until you reach your breaking point.”

“That’s how it works in Elite. You either devour or be devoured,”

n assure you of

So, he trailed off, finally letting go of me. “I may not possess Rowan’s sex appeal or Jaxon’s strength, but I can one thing–your protection.”

I fell silent, internalizing his words.

“I’m the smartest of the group, you see. I wouldn’t use you the way those three Alphas would. Instead, with your intelligence, byou /bcould join me in the East. bWhat /bdo you say? I believe we would make a pretty good match.”

“You’d be better off with me than with the rest of those Alphas.”

Before I could get a bword /bbout/b, another person appeared from the bathroom door.

“Miss Loveson is looking for the two of you.” Fort bsaid/b, interrupting our conversation.

I stepped away.and nodded, following Fort back to the Silver building, with Elias trailing closely behind. Though I couldn’t see his expression, I had a strong feeling he was smirking

As we entered, we were greeted by Miss Loveson. “There you are. I’ve finished reviewing the papers. Please take your seats.”

To my bdismay/b, Elias had taken Kyle’s previous spot. While I didn’t appreciate Kyle’s presence, bI /bwould have much preferred solitude over any of theirpany.

The seniors‘ representatives will be Cicely and Fortb–/bcongrattions, Miss Loveson announced. Muted apuse echoed throughout the broom/b, but it seemed they were not surprised banymore/b. These two must bhave /bbeen bfrequent /brepresentatives.

“And for the freshmen…,” she paused dramatically.

bPart /bof me hoped to be bchosen /bas one of the representatives, but I also understood it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I wasn’L

“We have Elias band/b… Arden,” she continued, lifting her head to offer me a smile. My eyes bwidened /bslightly bas /ba rush bof /bexcitement surged through me.

Once again, apuse filled the room, though it sounded more forced this time.

Elias leaned bin /bwith a proud smirk. “I told you we’d bmake /ba good match.”