?Chapter 65:

Well, well, I had no idea it took me that long to prepare. I squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze with a challenging look. “You don’t own me, Ryder. I’m not one of your pack members to obey your silky rules.”

Ryder’s expression darkened. He looked like he could throw me by the arms if I said one more word.

“Are you even listening to yourself, or are you always this oblivious to what’s happening around you? You’re in my goddamned pack. I make the rules—I am the rule. As far as you’re within my territory, you’re under my rules. So, get off your high horse and take responsibility for yourself. That rule needs to change,” he dered, his eyes hardly blinking as he spoke.

The way he looked at me made me shuffle my feet uneasily. I opened my mouth to protest, but Ryder’s stern expression silenced me. “You don’t have a say in this, Jasmine. That’s final.”

His strict tone brooked no argument. Standing alone with my arms folded over my chest, I felt a surge of frustration, but before I could respond, Ryder’s voice boomed across the training field.

“Attention, everyone!” The pack’s chatter ceased abruptly, all eyes focusing on him.

“I’ll be pairing with mydy today,” Ryder announced, his gaze never leaving mine.

Gasps echoed through the crowd, followed by coos and whispers. My face burned with embarrassment. When would he ever stop embarrassing me?

I wanted to melt into the ground, disappear from the spotlight of ridicule. There were better ways for him to handle my insubordination—perhaps in my room, when it was just the two of us together. I paused in my thoughts. Why the hell was my mind drifting to that?

“Let’s begin the training exercises. Jasmine and I will demonstrate the pairing technique.”

The pack dispersed, forming pairs as instructed. I stood frozen, my limbs turning to paper—suddenly weak and wobbly. I could only stare, unsure of how to react.

Ryder offered his hand, his eyes challenging me to refuse.

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With a deep breath, I took his hand, my heart racing.

What had I gotten myself into?

As we stepped into the training area, Ryder’s grip tightened around my hand.

“Time to learn, baby vixen. Time to trust me.”

“Everyone, pick your partner. Trainingmences now!” Ryder called, taking charge as the training resumed. The people around us seemed to fade into the background, leaving only the two of us.

Ryder’s gaze locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. I felt small, like a tiny mousepared to him. He wasn’t twice my size, but somehow, he managed to exude an intimidating presence.

With his kind of strength, I couldn’t rely on the skills I had acquired over the years. The only way to defeat him would be to attack unexpectedly—perfect, considering how upset I was.

With a snarl, I lunged at him, eager to unleash my pent-up emotions. But Ryder dodged effortlessly, and Inded t on the ground. Now that was embarrassing. With a low groan, I lifted myself off the sand, not bothering to brush it off; there was sure to be more of that before the end of the session.

“When you’re battling, don’t fight with emotions,” he instructed, his voice calm. “Be tactical. Watch and observe for a target point.” He began to circle me.

I groaned aloud, feeling the urge to give him the finger. Who did he think he was, ordering me around like I was his servant? How was I supposed to fight him when I was almost human, and he was a freakin’ Lycan Alpha? This waspletely unfair in every possible way.

Luckily for me, Ryder didn’t attack. Instead, he waited, his eyes never leaving mine.

I cracked my knuckles, flexing my arms and legs, preparing tounch another attack, determined to prove myself. This time, I came from behind. My goal was tond on all fours on his back and push him to the ground. But just as I was about to crash into him, he turned swiftly, caught me by the hands, and twisted my wrist as he pulled me close to his body.

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