She took out a small cup and asked him, “Do you want me to place two scoops of vanilla and top it with the remaining mango?”“That won’t be a weird mix, is it?”“It shouldn’t be. Vanilla’s quite universal and goes well with most flavors.”“Do that, then.”“Anything else?”He squinted. Would she want company as she enjoys her ice cream? Or would she want an extra cup?“Give me another cup of vanilla.”“Cool. Toppings?”“Whatever goes well with it.”“Alright. Here you go.”Jared paid and went out, hurriedly going to the pack house. He wanted to be early so he can go in and get out quickly. The ice cream would melt if he stays longer.When he arrived home, Polly and the rest have just finished their sessions. She arrived fifteen minutes later.“You’re here?”“Hmm. Do you want to eat dinner now?”“Oh, no. Did you get me some ice cream?”“They’ve run out of mango. I only got vanilla.”“Oh. That’s fine, too.” She’s a little disappointed, but still happy to have ice cream.She went to get th
“We can have a one-on-one later. I’ll train with you. I just didn’t want you to distract me from your teammates. If you joined them, I would be more concerned about unintentionally hurting you. I won’t be able to focus on actually fighting them.”She was made speechless by his reply and her cheeks burned. Damn. He could actually say such things? They sounded sweet and he stirred her heart. Still, she didn’t like being singled out. It felt as if she’s the odd man out.He tapped her shoulder, hoping she would give him a response. When she still didn’t, he leaned over and pressed a kiss on her forehead. Her eyes widened and stared at him with her mouth open. What did he just do?“You . . .” She was stunned speechless.The bastard smiled, “Don’t be upset. I really didn’t mean anything hurtful by it. I didn’t mean to imply that you’re not as good as them, or that you’re incapable of fighting. I know you’ve trained hard and you’ve done well protecting yourself when I couldn’t. You’re a brav
He cleared his throat and followed Leo.Polly took deep breaths, calming her racing heart. She approached them. The least she could do was spectate their match.Jared faced them. With a nod from Ren, the others went into their respective position. Polly was concerned. Jared should be familiar with every kind of strategy there was. She grimaced when she noticed the smirk on his face. She’s worried about her teammates.They began and as she watched, she pursed her lips, wondering how things would be different if she was there with them. Squinting, she thought of a goal. She would convince Jared to let her join her team’s challenges against him. Maybe he’ll give in if she’s persistent? He’d never been violent against her so she shouldn’t fear that he might react in such a way. The worst he can do is to yell his refusal in her face. She’d been there, so it’s fine.Sighing, she watched as Jared skillfully evaded everyone’s attack. Damn. It was already two minutes in when Ren finally manage
Polly took a deep breath before replying, “Yeah. I’m fine.”She moved to place her feet on the ground and he helped her stand.“Polly, are you alright?” Hana shouted from above.“Yeah. I’m good.” She shouted back, but didn’t dare to look at her friend, sure she’s going to tease her again.“Be more careful.” His tone carried his concern and it made her look at him. His eyes . . . for some reason, her heart began to race. This feeling . . . was unfamiliar. She recognized the effect of the bond and she was personally annoyed by it.She moved away from him, which Jared expected. Seeing his sad smile, her heart ached a little. Why did she suddenly feel bad? What did she do?“There’s no need for you to go very high.”“It’s an added challenge, though.” She reasoned.“Move down a bit. That particular branch was in the way. It would be bad if you stumble on it again.”Polly stared at the tree, “If it happened to you, would you have been able to land safely? Even when part of your body hits som
After they were done with training, Polly felt different. For the first time, she felt it was all for naught. She wanted . . . something else. She wanted their training to matter more. She wanted to be stronger. She bitterly smiled as she looked at Jared. What are the chances he would actually help? Maybe he’ll just belittle her again. “Where do you want to train?” “Near our place? There’s no reason to go somewhere else.” Jared smiled at her use of the word “our” to refer to the house they’re living in. He’s glad that she’s owning it with him. “Alright.” Polly side-eyed him as they walked home. Jared noticed her expression and was puzzled. “What is it?” “Are you really going to help me train?” “Yes. What are you thinking?” She pursed her lips before telling him what’s on her mind. “You’re not going to use it as an opportunity to pick on me, are you? To prove I’m weak and to dissuade me from doing more trainings?” Just as he was about to ask “Why would I do that?”, he realized
“Rest for a bit. Here, have some water.” He picked up a bottle from her bag and gave it to her.“Thanks.” She sat on the ground but he remained standing. He saw a clipboard in her bag and borrowed it. No matter how good his memory is, he couldn’t remember so many numbers.When she felt better, she got up and faced the tree.“Seriously, stop when you can’t continue. If you pass out again, I’m going to kiss you.”She coughed upon hearing his threat. Uh, was it? He can’t be serious, right? But then again, he already kissed her, albeit on the cheek.“I won’t.” She promised and quickly began. She didn’t dare to get distracted.Jared maintained a serious expression until she went over the fifteen-minute mark. He was slightly smiling after that, still keeping an eye on her condition. Time still seemed to slow down. After a while, he audibly inhaled as he began to squint. As for Polly, she clearly heard his intake of breath. Was it a kind of signal? She thought it was so she counted to ten be
She audibly exhaled when he finally went to the bathroom to wash up. She finished the cake she was enjoying and hurriedly went to the bedroom. She knew it’s useless but she still wanted to hide from him. She covered herself with the blanket. Jared didn’t take her actions to heart. He perfectly understood. This time, he’s in no rush to win her heart. His expression sobered when he recalled that he has nowhere else to go. If she still rejects him, he wouldn’t know what else to do. Will he end up becoming a rogue? Would any pack welcome him? His eyes darkened. In case he succeeds in wooing her, would Alpha Clyde accept him as a member of the pack? There are still so many things to consider. He’s uncertain of how things would turn out. This time, he’s not confident that he would achieve the results he wanted. He looked to his side and stared at her form. Their situation is a little tricky. Given how he treated her before, it would be difficult to convince her that he has changed. At leas
Her lip twitched as he squeezed her once before letting her go.“Or do you want to go for another round?” That one ended quickly, they should have enough time for another.“Uh, no. I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.” She quickly escaped.“Want to eat at the pack house together?” He asked, though he doesn’t mind getting trays.Polly considered for a moment before shaking her head. “I want to take a warm bath.”“Alright.” He didn’t say more.This time around, he went to get pastries for her. Pies and tarts.When Polly saw, she immediately thought of her mom.“If my mom knew you’re giving me sweets every day, she would scold us.”Jared raised an eyebrow.“She would say this is bad for me. Well, she’s right. You really shouldn’t buy sweets this often.”“I see. How often should I get you sweets?”Her lip twitched. It’s the same as saying he only buys them for her. It was nice of him.“Maybe twice a week?” She suggested, not about to tell him to stop doing it. It’s true that she likes sweets!“Wedne