Evaline:
I froze.
I didn’t just hesitate... I genuinely, completely froze where I sat, staring at Oscar as if my brain had forgotten how to process words.
My na echoed in the training hall, bouncing off stone walls, settling into every corner of the room. Forty-two pairs of eyes snapped toward , curiosity igniting instantly.
I had wanted this.
Stars, I had probably wanted this more than anyone else in the hall.
And yet... I hadn’t actually believed he would choose .
My heart slamd painfully against my ribs as reality caught up to desire. Oscar Thorne hadn’t randomly picked a student. He had chosen . Deliberately. Publicly.
And that realization brought along another, far more dangerous thought.
Among all four Thorne brothers, I had sohow managed to beco publicly associated with three of them already.
I was officially dating Draven... offending his fan girls by simply existing at his side.
I worked as River’s assistant... offending his admirers by being close enough to breathe the sa air as him daily.
And Kieran... Kieran had never hidden his fondness for . Even without open romance, even without scandal, his attention alone had been enough to put a target on my back from those who idolized him.
But Oscar?
Oscar had been the one untouched na.
The one brother whose na hadn’t been whispered alongside mine.
Until now.
And judging by the way half the female population of the hall had just stiffened, it seed Oscar had decided... very publicly... to correct that.
I was still sitting there, stunned, when Mallory elbowed my side hard enough to jolt .
"Eva," she hissed. "Move. Everyone’s staring."
That snapped out of it.
Heat rushed to my face as I realized just how long I had been frozen. I stood quickly, smoothing my clothes out of habit, and stepped into the aisle.
The walk toward the stage felt far longer than it actually was.
Oscar stood there, waiting, hands clasped loosely behind his back, posture relaxed. His face was unreadable... calm, composed... but my eyes caught it.
That barely-there smirk at the corner of his lips.
This damn man.
He’s enjoying this.
Just as I reached the three steps leading up to the stage, a voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade.
"Oh, surely you must be mistaken, Instructor Thorne."
I stopped mid-step.
I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
Nadine.
Her voice dripped with false politeness, the kind that barely concealed venom beneath silk. A few quiet chuckles followed from her friends.
I slowly turned my head.
Nadine sat near the front row, arms crossed, chin tilted upward as she looked at Oscar... not . As if I wasn’t even worth acknowledging directly.
"A wolfless student," she continued smoothly, "hardly seems like an appropriate choice for a combat demonstration. Especially in a class ant to teach physical superiority and technique."
Her eyes flicked toward then, sharp and disdainful.
"I would have thought you would prefer soone... capable."
The words landed exactly as she intended them to.
I felt it - the familiar echo of years spent hearing variations of the sa sentence.
But I didn’t react.
I didn’t flinch, didn’t glare, didn’t rise to it.
I simply turned back toward the stage and climbed the steps.
If that irritated her, she hid it well.
Oscar, however, did not ignore her.
He turned slowly, his gaze settling on Nadine with a calm that felt far more dangerous than anger.
"Interesting," he said mildly. "Then tell , Miss Nadine-"
The way he said her na made the room go quiet again.
"Who would you consider a better choice for this demonstration?"
Nadine’s lips parted, clearly expecting agreent... not a challenge. But before she could answer, Oscar continued.
"Actually," he added, tilting his head slightly, "why don’t you join us on the stage?"
A ripple of excitent tore through the hall.
Nadine blinked. Then her expression shifted... surprise lting into delight.
"I’ll give you this chance to prove to everyone that I picked the wrong person for demonstration." Oscar finished.
The smile that spread across Nadine’s face was sharp and triumphant.
She didn’t hesitate.
She practically ran toward the stage, boots striking stone with eager steps, her confidence radiating from every movent. Whispers followed her, excitent buzzing like static in the air.
I barely had ti to process what was happening before she was standing across from .
Oscar turned to then.
"You’ll have one chance to attack," he inford , and the rest of the class. "Make it count."
My pulse roared in my ears.
One chance.
I nodded once.
Nadine rolled her shoulders, smirking openly now. "Try not to embarrass yourself too much," she murmured.
Oscar stepped back.
"Positions," he ordered.
We faced each other.
She was taller. Stronger. And with an Alpha wolf.
And she knew it.
"Start."
I moved.
I didn’t think... I reacted.
River’s voice echoed in my head, sharp and relentless.
Use their confidence against them. Wolves rely on power. Take their balance.
Nadine lunged forward, clearly expecting to retreat or block high.
Instead, I stepped in.
Low.
Fast.
My foot hooked behind her ankle as my shoulder slamd into her center of gravity. My hand twisted her wrist just enough... not to hurt, but to redirect.
The move flowed through like instinct.
In one smooth motion, I pivoted and used her own montum against her.
Nadine left the ground.
The sound of her body hitting the mat echoed through the hall.
She landed flat on her back, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs.
Silence.
Absolute, stunned silence.
I stood there, frozen again... this ti in disbelief.
Did I just...
Then...
"OH MY GOD!"
Mallory’s voice exploded through the hall.
"DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
Rowan whooped. Kyros laughed openly. Selene clapped, eyes wide with awe.
The hall erupted.
Laughter. Cheers. Gasps.
Nadine stared up at the ceiling, horror etched across her face as realization sank in.
She had been flipped.
By a wolfless girl.
In front of everyone.
Oscar didn’t hide his reaction this ti. A proud, unmistakable smile crossed his face as he looked at .
"So I didn’t make the wrong choice," he announced calmly.
The laughter grew louder.
And Nadine... she beca the lesson.
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