Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Freya's POV
Chris made his way back toward our table, head held high with that self-satisfied smirk. Molly immediately ducked her head, focusing intently on her food.
'Great. Round two.'
"Ladies, gentleman," Chris said, sliding back into his chair. "Sorry about that interruption. Didn't get to make a proper introduction."
'If his older brother Theodore knew he was acting like this, he'd probably knock some sense into him.'
"Beautiful lady," he continued, turning those Jones-family eyes on me, "from now on, if anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name. I guarantee no one will dare mess with you."
Nathan's laugh was sharp. "Seriously? If anyone tries to mess with Freya, I'll handle it myself. We don't need your protection."
"Thanks, but no thanks, Chris," I added firmly.
Instead of being discouraged, Chris propped his chin on his hand, eyes narrowing in what he probably thought was alluring. "You know, you wouldn't be trying to get my attention, would you?"
I nearly choked on my soup. "You're pretty full of yourself, aren't you?"
"I know," he said without missing a beat. "It's part of my charm."
I found myself speechless – not something that happened often.
Nathan had reached his limit. "Can't you see Freya's done with your act?"
Chris reached into his jacket and pulled out expensive-looking chocolates. "German import. Consider it a friendship offering." He continued before we could respond. "Look, all these people are watching. If you reject me now, where does that leave my reputation? Just take it."
And then he actually reached for my hand.
Nathan was on his feet before Chris could make contact. "I'm warning you. Keep your hands to yourself, or I'll make you regret it."
Chris just shrugged, using his left hand to push the chocolate closer. "Done deal. The chocolate's yours, which makes us friends now. When you all go exploring later, make sure to invite me."
He sauntered off with his hands in his pockets, leaving us staring after him.
Nathan looked ready to throw something. "Freya, whatever he gave you, it's probably poisoned. You should just toss it."
I patted his shoulder. "Let's just finish eating."
---
After an afternoon of grueling training, we decided to take a walk near the campsite following dinner. The evening air was crisp, and I was enjoying the peaceful conversation when a familiar voice called out.
"Hey, what a coincidence! You guys out for a post-dinner stroll too? Mind if I join?"
'You were literally following us. There's nothing coincidental about this.'
Chris fell into step beside us as if invited. "Actually, Nathan, doesn't that Claire girl follow you around constantly? She seems nice enough. Why are you bothering other people when you've got a perfectly good admirer?"
"That's none of your business," Nathan replied, face flushing.
"I'm just saying," Chris continued with mock innocence, "from what I hear, some girl's been chasing you pretty hard. And didn't I hear something about you two meeting up late at night?"
I exchanged glances with Molly, who looked like she was watching her favorite soap opera.
"It's not like that!" Nathan protested, turning to me with panic. "Freya, you have to believe me. I'm not interested in her at all. I only met with her to tell her to stop wasting her time!"
Chris stopped walking, genuinely surprised. "Wait... you actually did meet up with her? I was just messing around, but you really—"
"You bastard!" Nathan lunged toward Chris. "You were trying to trick me! Let's settle this right now!"
"Bring it on!" Chris shot back. "Whoever loses has to back off and leave Freya alone!"
"Deal!"
Just like that, they were grappling in the pathway.
I watched for a few seconds, assessing. They were evenly matched, neither likely to seriously hurt the other. More importantly, they were too caught up in their drama to notice much else.
Perfect.
I grabbed Molly's arm and nodded toward a side path. We slipped away while the boys were still proving their dominance.
---
"Freya, do you realize what just happened?" Molly flopped onto her bed with stars in her eyes. "Chris and Nathan are literally the two most sought-after guys in this entire training camp, and they were fighting over you!"
I rolled my eyes. "They're both boys, Molly. I'm not interested in either of them."
'Not when my heart's completely occupied by a certain stubborn Alpha.'
That thought triggered an immediate spiral. Was Alexander thinking about me? Was he with Angela?
'Maybe Alexander's perfectly happy without me. Maybe he and Angela are—'
"Freya? Freya!"
Molly's voice snapped me back. "Sorry, what?"
"I've been trying to get your attention for like five minutes."
I shook my head, trying to clear the jealous thoughts. "Just tired. Want to go wash up?"
I remembered Chris's chocolate and pulled it out. "Do you like chocolate? You can have this."
Molly's eyes lit up but she shook her head. "I can't take that, Freya. Chris gave it to you."
"I don't like sweets anyway – they hurt my teeth." A lie, but I needed to get rid of it. "Just take it."
"Come on," I said, grabbing my toiletries. "Let's go get cleaned up."
---
The communal washroom was empty when we arrived. But our peace didn't last. We'd barely started washing when three female werewolves entered, their footsteps deliberate.
I noticed Molly's reaction immediately – her entire body tensed, trembling slightly. Her werewolf instincts were picking up something threatening.
I studied the newcomers, my Alpha bloodline giving me sharper perception. The hostility radiating from them was unmistakable – this wasn't coincidental.
The three females made a show of ignoring us while making their presence known, whistling and chatting loudly. But their eyes kept drifting to us, particularly me.
"Freya," Molly whispered, pressing closer, "maybe we should go back to our room."
"Just finish up quickly," I said calmly. "We'll wash our faces and head back."
Molly hurried through her routine and practically dragged me toward the exit. I let her pull me along, but not before glancing back. The three women were still watching us, their intentions clear.
'Looks like camp politics extend beyond just testosterone-fueled boys.'
---
Back in our room, I wanted to ask Molly about what had happened, but something held me back. The girl was anxious enough – pushing her might do more harm than good.
"Good night, Molly," I said, settling into bed.
"Good night, Freya."
As I lay in darkness, I thought about the patterns emerging. Whether in Alexander's corporate world or this training camp, there were always people forming alliances and targeting outsiders.
'Some things never change, no matter where you go.'