Chasing Emory: The Hidden Princess

Chapter 6: Gone Too Far

GELLER'S POV

I headed to my room and quickly changed into my training clothes. Part of me was looking forward to catching up with Knox and Alec, but another part was eager for the chance to blow off some steam.

By the time I reached the gym, everyone was already warming up. Knox and Alec almost howled in delight when they saw me step in.

"My dude, it's been way too long," Alec said, clapping me on the back and pulling me into a fist bump.

Knox turned to the group, grinning like he'd just won a bet. "Alright, everyone, look alive! Our future Alpha, Geller, decided to grace us with his presence today."

The room stilled for a moment as heads turned toward me. I felt the familiar weight of their gazes, but my focus immediately shifted to the far corner of the gym. There, Emory was working on her punches with Drake at her side, adjusting her stance and offering pointers. They looked... focused. Too focused, if you asked me.

"Pair up!" Alec barked out, his voice snapping the room back to motion. The trainees quickly sought partners, and as expected, Drake and Emory stuck together. Typical.

But then Knox’s voice cut through the chatter. "Emory! Move up here," he said with a note of excitement. "Show your brother what you've got. Let him see what I’ve been working on with you."

Emory hesitated, glancing at Drake, who gave her an encouraging nod and a pat on the back as she reluctantly approached.

Knox turned to me, grinning with pride. "She's been getting pretty good. You’ll be impressed."

"We’ll see," I replied, keeping my tone flat, though my curiosity was piqued.

When Knox gave the signal, the pairs began sparring. The sounds of grunts and impacts filled the gym, but my focus was locked on Emory and Drake. Drake moved with precision and strength, clearly holding his own. But Emory, she moved faster than I expected, her strikes sharp and calculated.

Her footwork was impressive, fluid and deliberate, and her counters were spot on. With one quick maneuver, she disarmed Drake, pinning him in a move that even I had to admit was solid.

Knox clapped his hands, laughing. "Told you she’s good!"

I didn’t respond immediately, my eyes narrowing as Emory stood and extended a hand to help Drake up.

They both stood there, Drake looking expectantly and Emory cautious, clearly bracing herself for whatever was coming. I decided to cut through the silence.

"You should stop fighting a girl," I said, my voice dripping with mockery.

Drake's brow furrowed in confusion. "Should I spar with you then, Alpha?" he asked, attempting to sound respectful but clearly puzzled.

"I wasn’t talking to you," I snapped, my eyes locking on Emory. "I was talking to her."

Emory’s expression darkened, her carefully controlled demeanor cracking at the edges. She looked furious—not just annoyed, but genuinely angry. And I couldn’t deny that it was exactly the reaction I was baiting her for.

She opened her mouth, probably to fire back, but before she could, I gestured toward the center of the mat. "Let’s see if you're as good as Knox claims," I challenged, my voice low and deliberate.

The room went still. All eyes turned to us, tension thick in the air. For a moment, I thought she might refuse, but then, with her jaw clenched and her eyes blazing, she stepped forward.

Knox and Alec exchanged a glance but didn’t intervene, their expressions caught somewhere between curiosity and concern.

She might have been trained by Knox, but the university I attended was a completely different league. It wasn’t just some local training ground—it was a place solely attended by future Alphas, the best of the best. Sure, we studied advanced courses in politics, commerce, and pack management, but the real reputation of the university lay in its fighting techniques and war strategies. It was a battleground, both figuratively and literally, where only the strongest survived and excelled.

I’d been forged in that crucible, and while I could admit Emory had potential, she wasn’t ready for the kind of training I’d been through. I had to give her credit, though—she wasn’t flinching, wasn’t showing any signs of fear. But training with Knox in a controlled environment and sparring against me were two very different things.

But I’ll try to go easy on her. Just enough to give her a scare.

I let her make the first move, expecting hesitation or predictability. Instead, her attacks were swift and unpredictable, forcing me to reveal my tactics earlier than I’d intended. Her punches and kicks connected more often than I cared to admit, and they had a surprising amount of force behind them. It was clear she’d been training hard.

I expected her to flash a smirk, or at least show some hint of arrogance for landing hits, but all I saw was rage. Pure, focused rage.

She was quicker than I thought, and easily dodged my initial counterattacks. When I retaliated with more force, she doubled down, hitting harder and faster. The watching crowd, initially silent, began to murmur and chuckle as the spar dragged on. I heard snickers ripple through the group, and my wolf stirred with agitation.

I saw red.

There was no way I was going to let this brat make me a laughingstock in my own territory.

That was it. No more taking it easy.

I focused, letting my instincts take over. Finally, after her relentless dodging and counters, I spotted an opening. My punch connected hard with her right shoulder, a satisfying thud reverberating through the gym. The force was enough to knock the air out of her lungs, and she staggered back, visibly injured.

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. The rush of dominance and pent-up frustration I’d buried for years took over. I went in for another hit. She tried to block with her left arm, but the impact sent her to her knees.

Distantly, I heard Knox and Alec shouting for me to stop, their voices blurring like static in the background. But I wasn’t listening. I was seething, and my emotions boiled over. Years of suppressed resentment, anger, and pain surged like a tidal wave, and I let it control me.

Before I even realized it, my foot connected with her chest, too fast for Knox or Alec to intervene. The kick sent her flying. She crashed into the far wall of the gym with a sickening thud.

Everything went silent. The gym, once buzzing with energy and murmurs, now held an eerie stillness. All eyes were on her motionless form against the wall.

When I finally came to my senses, I was shocked by the damage I had caused.

"What the hell, man?" Knox yelled in frustration, storming past me on his way to Emory. "This was supposed to be a controlled environment! You completely lost it!"

I didn’t even respond. I was too consumed with guilt.

By the time Knox reached her, Emory was starting to regain consciousness. Drake was already by her side, helping her sit up against the wall. Blood trailed down her forehead and cheek, and she winced, trying to move her shoulder. The one I had injured.

"I'm okay," she murmured to both Drake and Knox, trying to downplay the obvious pain she was in.

"No, you’re not okay," Knox snapped, his voice laced with concern. "We’re taking you to the clinic."

Drake and Knox helped her to her feet and started leading her away, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the mess I’d created.

I heard footsteps behind me, and then Alec and his mate, Leslie, emerged. They were both clearly pissed off.

"She does not have her wolf yet, you know that, right?" Leslie confronted me, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "You could have killed her, Geller."

I stayed silent, unable to find the words to defend myself. What could I say? There was no justification for what I’d done.

"Disappointing, dude," Alec muttered, shaking his head. "I thought by now, you'd have outgrown your teenage grudge against her. Clearly, I was mistaken."

Alec’s voice cut through the tension in the room, loud and clear. “Training’s over for today. We’ll resume tomorrow.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the remaining few, and slowly, people began to disperse, leaving the gym.

Alec and Leslie were the last to pass me. They both threw me a glance. One filled with disappointment, the other with judgment, before walking out, leaving me alone in this empty gym.