Chapter 114 Chapter 114
Violet
I had barely slept wondering about what the hell had uncle Raymond meant and if it all had been a crazy imagination of mine when my phone buzzed somewhere near my head, pulling me from a dream I couldn't quite remember.
For a weird second, I thought I saw me standing in front of that mirror, with shadows trying to reach out for me…but the more I tried to recall, the more it slipped like sand out of a firm grip.
Meanwhile, my phone continued to buzz.
I groaned, reaching blindly across the nightstand until my fingers found the offending device. It was a text from Cassie.
Cassie: GET TO THE GYM NOW
I squinted at the screen to see that it was 5.30 in the morning. The sun was barely up.
Me: No
I dropped the phone back on the nightstand and pulled the pillow over my head. Whatever Cassie wanted could wait until a reasonable hour like noon hopefully.
The phone buzzed again and again until it finally started ringing.
"For the love of…" I grabbed it, answering with a growl. "What?"
"You need to get down to the gym right now," Cassie said, barely containing her laughter. "Trust me. You don't want to miss this."
"Miss what? It's not even six in the morning."
"Entertainment of the highest quality. Hurry!"
"Cassie…" I groaned again.
"Violet. I promise you, if you don't come down here right now, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Also, I'm recording everything and you'll be so mad you weren't here to witness it firsthand."
I could hear the barely suppressed glee in her voice, the kind of excitement usually reserved for major pack events or really good gossip.
"Fine," I muttered. "But you owe me coffee. A cup of very strong coffee."
"Deal. And don't bother changing, just get down here. This is too good to waste time!"
She hung up before I could ask more questions.
I dragged myself out of bed, catching my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a disaster, sticking up at odd angles. I was still wearing my pajamas—soft cotton shorts that were probably too short for public viewing and a tank top that had seen better days. But Cassie had said not to waste time, and honestly, I was too tired to care.
Sliding my feet into slippers, I shuffled out of my room and down the corridor toward the manor's private gym, stifling a yawn.
I could hear voices before I even reached the doors. There was high-pitched female laughter, Nate's voice carrying that forced enthusiasm he used when he was trying too hard, and underneath it all, aggressively upbeat pop music blasting from a speaker.
I pushed open the door to find absolute chaos. I hadn’t really entered it before but the gym was enormous, consisting of state-of-the-art equipment, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grounds, and mirrors on every wall.
However, it was currently occupied by the most ridiculous scene I'd witnessed since arriving at Ironcrest Manor.
Nate stood in the center of the room wearing the tightest athletic gear he could find. His hair was styled, and he had that over-confident stance of someone who thought they were the Moon Goddess's gift to fitness.
Nicole, Veronica, and Madison were supposedly his "students," standing in front of him in matching designer athletic wear that looked like it had never seen actual sweat.
"And then you really squeeze at the top," Nate was saying, demonstrating a bicep curl with unnecessarily heavy weights. "Feel that contraction. That's how you build peak definition."
"Mmm," Veronica hummed, but her eyes were glued to the windows overlooking the outdoor track.
"Are you even watching?" Nate asked, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.
"Oh, absolutely," Madison said, not looking at him at all. "Very... contractiony."
"It's 'contraction,'" Nate corrected.
"Sure, that."
Cassie stood in the corner near the water station, her phone out, clearly recording. When she saw me, her face lit up like Christmas morning and she gestured frantically for me to come closer.
I shuffled over, still half-asleep. "What is happening?"
"Just wait," she whispered, practically vibrating with suppressed laughter. "It gets so much better."
"Now, Nicole," Nate said, setting down his weights and moving to a mat. "Let me show you proper plank form. Core engagement is crucial."
He got into a plank position, his form admittedly perfect. "See how my back is straight? Hips level? This is how you sweat!"
"Fascinating," Nicole said flatly, clearly wishing she was anywhere else.
"Your turn. I'll help you get into position."
Nicole reluctantly got onto the mat, and Nate immediately moved to adjust her form, his hands on her lower back.
"Feel that engagement?" he asked.
"I feel something," Nicole muttered.
"That's the burn! That's how you know it's working!"
"OH MY GODDESS!" Veronica suddenly shrieked, making everyone jump. Nate nearly face-planted into the mat. "Is it just me or is it like, a thousand degrees in here?"
"The temperature is set to sixty-eight," Nate said, frowning as he helped Nicole up.
"No, no, it's definitely too hot," Madison agreed, fanning herself dramatically with her hand. "I'm literally dying. We need fresh air. Outside air to be exact."
Both women were now plastered against the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at something on the outdoor track with the intensity of wolves who'd spotted prey.
"What are you looking at?" Nate asked, moving to the window.
"Nothing!" both women said in unison, far too quickly and far too loudly.
"Just... nature," Veronica added.
"Very athletic nature," Madison said dreamily.
"Trees don't exercise," Nate sounded confused.
"Actually," Veronica was already heading for the door, walking backwards so she could keep her eyes on whatever was outside, "I just remembered that outdoor cardio is so much better for you. Something about fresh air and... oxygen. Nicole, didn't you say we should try the outdoor track?"
"I never said…" Nicole started.
"You totally did! Come on!" Madison grabbed Veronica's arm. "The outdoor track! Right now!"
They practically sprinted out of the gym.
Nicole sighed, setting down the water bottle she'd been holding. "I should probably supervise them before they do something stupid."
She followed her friends at a more dignified pace, leaving Nate standing alone looking utterly baffled.
"But we haven't finished the circuit," he said to no one. Then he straightened his shoulders, his competitive nature clearly kicking in. "Well, if they want outdoor training, I'll show them outdoor training. I'm an excellent running coach. I once did a marathon in under four hours."
He jogged after them with renewed determination.
Cassie grabbed my arm. "Come on. This is the part you really can't miss. Front row seats to the disaster."
She dragged me to the windows, and immediately I understood everything.
On the outdoor track, Elijah, Tyler, and Gavin were jogging. They'd apparently just finished a run and were now cooling down, stretching and talking.
All three were shirtless and wearing only athletic shorts, their skin gleaming with sweat in the early morning light.
"Oh no," I muttered.
"Oh YES," Cassie said gleefully. "Watch. Just watch."