Chapter 169

Chapter 169
Angela's POV

I spotted Freya the moment she emerged from the corridor leading back from the judges' area.

Her cheeks were flushed, hair slightly messed up despite her attempts to smooth it down. She'd wrapped her jacket tightly around herself, but I could still catch traces of something in the air.

Alexander's scent.

It clung to her like a fucking brand.

The rage that shot through me was white-hot and immediate. What belonged to me was being claimed by someone else, and that fury was damn near impossible to suppress.

But I forced myself to stay calm. 'Not yet. This isn't the time to make a move.'

I needed to be smarter than this. Patience had served me well so far.

"Well, well, well," Claire's voice cut through my thoughts. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"What a sight you are," Claire continued, her voice dripping with disdain. "Looking like you just rolled around with some wild wolf. Disgusting."

Freya's eyes flashed, but she only glanced at me briefly before turning to leave. She was ignoring Claire completely.

That only pissed Claire off more.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Claire grabbed Freya's jacket and yanked.

The fabric slipped from Freya's shoulders, exposing her neck and collarbone.

My breath caught.

Dark marks dotted her skin - clear evidence of exactly what she and Alexander had been doing. My hands unconsciously tightened into fists as something twisted painfully in my chest.

'I never knew that cold, controlled Alexander had such a... passionate side.'

The realization hit me like a slap. To everyone else, Alexander was always composed, distant.

But apparently, when it came to Freya, he was capable of losing that famous self-control completely.

'He only shows his real face to those close to him, to those who've gotten into his heart.'

"Ha! I knew it!" Claire's voice was full of disgust. "You shameless bitch, you were fooling around with some wolf, weren't you? Right here at the training camp too! Have you no shame?"

Freya slowly turned back to face Claire, her expression shifting from annoyed to dangerously calm.

"Claire," she said, her voice level, "is your vocabulary broken? All you ever say is 'bitch this, bitch that.' Tell me, who exactly are you calling a bitch?"

Claire's face flushed red. "I'm calling YOU a bitch! If you can't understand that, go see a doctor!"

Freya's lips curved into a cold smile. "So you're the bitch then."

"YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!" Claire shrieked, raising her hand to slap Freya.

But Freya caught her wrist easily.

"What, you think because my arm's injured, I can't handle you with just one hand?" Freya's voice was deadly quiet.

Claire's eyes widened. "You—"

Freya's left hand connected with Claire's cheek with precision and force. Claire's head snapped to the side, and she stood there stunned, like she couldn't believe what had just happened.

"You know what your problem is, Claire?" Freya said conversationally. "You've been stuck at this training camp for three years and you actually think you're hot shit. But everyone here knows the truth - you're just a pathetic failure who can't pass the exam."

I had to admit, Claire was even dumber than I'd thought. But she was useful - loyal dogs always had their place, and you had to protect them. After all, you don't beat a dog without considering its owner.

Time to step in.

"Freya," I said, walking over to Claire's side, "she was out of line, I'll give you that. But you got your hits in - did you really need to go that far?"

Freya's eyes narrowed as she looked between Claire and me. "Oh? You two know each other?"

"I know most of the wolves here at the training camp. Is that strange?"

Freya let out a cold laugh. "I thought someone as smart as you wouldn't associate with someone whose brain is... missing a few screws. But I guess I was wrong."

"Freya, maybe you haven't heard this saying: smart wolves often die from their own arrogance."

"Right back at you," Freya replied without missing a beat.

That's when Claire, still holding her cheek, decided to open her big mouth again. "Are you seriously threatening Angela? She's Alexander's mate! You mess with her, and you'll face the Alpha's wrath!"

I felt my face change color immediately. 'Fuck. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen.'

Around other wolves, I didn't mind Claire's little declarations about my supposed relationship with Alexander. It felt good to see their envious looks, to bask in their admiration and respect.

But in front of Freya? This was just asking to get my face slapped, metaphorically speaking.

Freya raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely amused. "Oh really? I'm so scared."

But Claire was too stupid to notice my expression, too caught up in her own righteousness to realize she was making things worse.

"That's right, you should be scared!" Claire continued, glaring at Freya. "No matter how tough you think you are, Angela is Alexander's mate! If you know what's good for you, you'll get on your knees and apologize right now, or else—"

Suddenly, Freya's hand connected with Claire's other cheek.

Claire staggered, completely stunned. "How... how dare you!"

Freya's smile was sharp as a blade. "What's wrong? Want Angela to call Alexander over to back you up? How about I go get him myself? I'll say it right here, right now - even if Alexander was standing right here, I'd still beat your ass. Want to test that theory?"

Claire's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "You... you..."

Freya laughed, the sound cutting. "If you always talked like this - barely able to string two words together - maybe you wouldn't get hit so much."

Then she turned to me, her gaze sharp and assessing. "What do you think, Angela?"

I could feel the cold anger radiating from her, but I kept my expression neutral, forcing another diplomatic smile. "Freya, you're certainly... formidable. But we are at the training camp, and there are rules to follow."

Freya's laugh was harsh. "I always follow the rules. But that only applies when others don't cross the line first. You don't mess with me, I won't mess with you. But if you do..." Her eyes glinted dangerously. "I'll pay you back double."

She looked at both of us one last time, then turned and walked away with her head held high.

Claire and I stood there in the corridor, the sound of Freya's footsteps echoing until she disappeared around the corner.