Chapter 36 Push and Pull
ADRIANA
I went down for training late that morning.
My body hurt, maybe it was the fact that I’d spent my energy running around with Leo yesterday and the boy hadn’t gotten tired at all so I had to keep up with his energy so he wouldn’t get bored.
I hadn’t spent enough time with him in the past week and I knew how much he required attention, especially from Elijah. But Elijah had been very busy with some things so I had to keep Leo away from him so he could work.
As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I made eye contact with an elderly woman whose eyes didn’t hold any warm emotion.
She was holding her bags and walking toward the front door and just as I wondered who she could be, I saw the maids at one corner trying to hold back their laughter.
I figured she was the head matron.
Wow, Elijah hadn’t wasted time in doing something about her.
As she got to the door, she turned back to look at the maids that were standing around and laughing at her.
“I hate you all. I hate you all so much. You’ll never find someone like me again, I assure you!”
That just made their laughter burst and I stood there watching the whole drama unfold as she slammed the door in anger and the maids rejoiced.
How bad was this woman?
Betty ran up to me with a huge grin on her face.
“Adriana, thank you so much. She has been fired, you have no idea what you’ve done for us. Thank you so much.”
I was about to tell her not to thank me because I didn’t do anything. I just told the Alpha what she wanted me to tell him but the rest of the maids circled around me and thanked me as well.
The gesture caught me off guard but it did feel good to do something for someone that they wanted badly.
“It’s okay. I didn’t do anything though. You should thank the Alpha, not me.”
“Yes but without you, the Alpha would never have known about it.”
Apparently, Hazel had been the one to handle the situation. Elijah hadn’t gotten involved and it made it look like Hazel had been the one to find out.
She’d found out that the matron had been collecting money from the guards so that the maids could do their laundry.
Hannah passed by while Betty and I were speaking and gave me a look.
“What? Haven’t you seen two people speaking to each other before?”
She scoffed.
“Why should I be surprised that two pigs are standing side by side? What’s the difference between the both of you?”
I didn’t care about what she said but I knew that her words hurt Betty because I saw how her face changed.
“Hannah, it’s a new day. But it’s obvious your bitterness and frustration followed you into it but that’s okay, because no one cares. Just don’t bring it close to me.”
Betty snickered, making Hannah more angry.
She stormed away after puffing like a big bad angry wolf. No pun intended.
I ended the conversation with Betty and ran to the training ground. I was late before and now, I am even more late.
I stood at the back because I knew they had already almost finished warming up.
They had already been grouped into teams of two and I was without a partner.
Damn… why didn’t I wake up early?
Training with the men had proved to be better because they didn’t go easy on me and it made me want to work harder, so I trained more so I could be on the same level with them.
It made me feel more powerful and like one of them. They didn’t treat me like I didn’t belong here which made me feel happy.
Watching more groups go to the center and spar, I thought about going to Hazel to ask if I could still get a partner.
I felt someone’s hot breath on my neck and before I could turn around, I heard a voice in my ear.
“What are you doing here?”
It was Elijah and I couldn’t help but smile. I’d barely seen him in the past few days and I was wondering what he was so busy with.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d drop by today. Why are you in the back?”
“Oh, um I came late and I don’t have a partner so I’m just watching.”
A couple of the guys greeted him and he responded.
“Okay, how about I be your partner?”
I turned my eyes away from the two guys who were in center field.
“What?”
I could see the hint of a laugh lining his lips.
“I asked if you wanted to be partners today. I mean, fighting partners.”
I’d heard him alright but I didn’t know what to say.
While I was thinking about my response, his presence became known and everyone was now looking at him as Hazel made her way over to us.
“Alpha, what are you doing here? Do you need anything?”
“Why’s everyone asking me that? Can’t I just come around? Besides, I want to train too.”
Hazel gave him a look.
“You… want to train or you’re here for something else?”
“Yes, I want to train. Is there anything wrong? In fact, I’ve chosen a partner.” He grabbed my hand and raised it. “Adriana.”
The way he called my name made me feel funny inside.
He took me to the front and maybe because I was distracted but every stance I took always ended up with me on my back and him on top of me.
“Are you even trying?”
I didn’t answer but I knew that even if I was, there was no way I could beat him. He was the Alpha and that meant he had more power than I ever could.
In five minutes, I’d landed on my back almost ten times and I was out of breath.
“I give up. I give up.”
I tried to catch my breath as he laughed. His laughter felt like a breath of fresh air, the breath that I needed to gain back my strength. I used the moment he was distracted to trap him between my legs, causing him to fall down and suddenly I was on top of him.
“What were you saying about me trying?”
We stayed like that and I completely forgot that we were in public so I didn’t push his hand away when he touched my face or trailed his fingers down to my lips.
It took Hazel’s throat clearing for me to gain my senses and we stood up quickly.
I was out of the gym as soon as training was over. I needed to get my head together. What the hell was that?
“Adriana!” I heard his voice calling out for me as I walked away and it took everything in me not to ignore it.
I turned around and he almost bumped into me.
“Sorry about that. You did good back there.”
I gave him a strained smile.
“Is everything okay?”
I nodded.
“Oh, okay. See you later.”
I wanted to call him back as he walked but I stopped myself. I knew I’d messed up. Again.
Why did I keep pushing him away when all I wanted was to pull him closer? Why couldn’t I just admit to myself what I was feeling? The way my heart raced when he was near, the way I couldn’t stop thinking about him, the way his touch made my entire body come alive.
In the end, I stood there watching him walk away, fighting every instinct that told me to run after him.