DELONIX [COMPLETED]

Chapter 28: The Training begins

Red POV

"Listen up, I know you all are new to this, so I decided to start simple," Nicholas announced, his words echoing through the training ground. As he spoke, I couldn't help but be momentarily distracted by the sight before me. He stood there shirtless, his chiseled physique on full display, as if he were a living work of art. Gasps and screams from the girls around me confirmed that their attention was also captivated by his imposing presence. I couldn't help but wonder who he was trying to impress. He was well aware of the effect he had on the girls here, and I had anticipated he might at least wear a sleeveless top, but instead, he chose to showcase his perfectly sculpted body.

"Do I sense a jealous?" The voice in my head taunted, arriving at the most inconvenient moment.

Jealous? Me? I scoffed inwardly. Why would I be jealous?

" Maybe you prefer seeing him like this... privately," The voice assumed.

"Eww... Noo!" I blurted out, not realizing that I had spoken aloud until I noticed numerous heads turning in my direction. The moment was made even worse by the fact that his head turned as well.

"No?... You question my choice, Miss Red?" His tone carried a hint of amusement, and I knew this was not the ideal time to feel a strange tingling sensation whenever he called my name. My body seemed to go numb in his presence.

"Umm... N-No, sir. I wasn't talking about the training. Please continue," I stumbled over my words, feeling the weight of embarrassment as some girls erupted into laughter. Could I blame them? This was the perfect opportunity for them to humiliate me.

Thankfully, Nicholas didn't say anything further and returned his attention to the matter at hand. "Are you sure you're good, Red?" Avery's voice came from behind me, filled with concern.

"Yeah," I whispered back, trying to regain my composure.

"From what you have learned about wolves, though we are strong, we have one thing that most creatures don't have, which is teamwork. We may have different mindsets and sometimes argue, but when it comes to the mission, we do what it takes..." Nicholas paused, scanning the crowd to ensure everyone was listening.

"But as I explained during my introduction, I lost good men and women during one of the occasional fights with the dark souls, and not all of you are going to participate."

An air of anticipation filled the training ground as Nicholas continued. "I personally will choose who I want on my team at the end of the training. I will pick the strongest, wisest, fastest, and most determined out of all of you."

"So, let's begin," he declared, gesturing with his hand towards what lay behind him. I felt a surge of fear as I surveyed the scene ahead. It looked more extreme than anything I had ever encountered before. I could sense heads lifting, eyes widening as everyone took in the sight of the so-called beginner's training. Unfortunately for me, I had never been the athletic type growing up, and now I regretted it with every fiber of my being.

"This isn't exactly the training, but I just want to prepare you all for what's to come ahead," Nicholas explained, folding his hands and smirking.

"We are so dead," Jacob whispered beside me, his voice filled with trepidation. I couldn't help but agree.

A few minutes later,

The training began in earnest. "Faster! Faster! I need no slackers on my team," Mr. Caddel barked, showing no mercy. I had hoped I might earn the title of the "favorite student," but it seemed the opposite was true.

"Red, you move too slow. You need to speed up," he criticized my effort, his words stinging. In that moment, I felt a surge of animosity towards him.

"I'm not the only one here," I whispered to myself, but it was the truth. Most of the guys were already slowing down. I attempted to pick up my pace, but the net bridge beneath my feet was too bouncy, making me even more apprehensive.