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Chapter 29 No Match for Me
Hayley
In Spanish class, my mind wandered to the recent advice from my tennis coach. Ms. Anne’s irritation with my distraction was palpable.
“Hayley, por favor, traduce esta frase,” she directed, pointing to the board.
Startled by her call, I glanced up to find every student’s gaze fixed on me.
Before I could respond, Rachel, a classmate, took a jab. “Anne, Hayley’s from a remote town. She probably hasn’t had much chance to learn Spanish. Maybe you should speak to her in English.”
Laughter erupted around the room, and Anne, visibly annoyed, said, “If your Spanish isn’t strong, you need to concentrate more during class!”
I frowned but quickly scanned the board before rising with calm assurance. “The sentence means, ‘If the world becomes corrupt, then innocence itself is a crime.””
When I finished, Anne and the class looked at me in stunned silence, their disbelief evident.
“Anne hasn’t covered this yet, and Hayley translated it perfectly?”
“Yeah, I thought she was only good at tennis, but it turns out she’s pretty sharp overall!”
“Ms. Anne, did I get it right?” I asked with a smile, enjoying the murmur of surprise from my classmates.
Anne cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed, and said, “That’s correct. Please take
your seat.”
Henry, who sat next to me, looked surprised and teased, “Hayley, you’re getting pretty good at this guessing game. Can’t believe you even got this right.”
I shot him a withering glance. Luck might account for one or two correct guesses, but being consistently accurate was another matter.
The students’ expressions shifted from amusement to genuine admiration. Only Rachel, the Beta who had tried to undermine me, glared in frustration.
Her annoyance stemmed from my refusal to be embarrassed, an outcome she hadn’t anticipated.
Yet I paid her no mind; she was inconsequential to me.
After school, Benjamin arrived to pick me up.
Once I got into the car, he regarded me in silence before finally asking, “Are you entering the international tennis open?”
I nodded.
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“When does the tournament start?” Benjamin inquired.
“Next Friday,” I replied.
I then remembered Christopher’s mention of having competed in a previous tournament, so I added, “By the way, Christopher said you’ve participated in this tournament before and was runner-up. Any tips for me?”
Benjamin raised an eyebrow and said, “That was a long time ago. I’m not sure I have much to offer you
now.”
I replied with a noncommittal “oh” and allowed the conversation to end. The atmosphere between us turned strained once more, but we soon reached the Southwells’ estate.
During dinner, George, the Midnight Pack’s Alpha, casually mentioned, “Hayz, I hear you’re competing in the tennis open. I noticed that Ben has competed before and did quite well. He could be a good practice partner and assist with your training.”
I swiftly declined, “No, George, it’s not necessary to involve him. Benjamin was already distant, and now that he was the Alpha, he was even less inclined to associate with me. I wouldn’t want him to feel obliged, especially since he was likely concerned about having an ‘Omega’ like me as a mate.”
Although I had always been indifferent to Benjamin’s status as the Shadow Pack’s Alpha, the unexpected closeness during our car ride had stirred some surprising reactions from my wolf, Hera.
“Enough about trouble. Ben, starting tomorrow, you’ll be Hayz’s practice partner,” George’s decisive tone brought me back to reality.
I was taken aback when Benjamin did not refuse.
Despite his apparent willingness, Hera’s reaction around him made me apprehensive. My year-long agreement with my grandfather was nearing its end, yet I felt that things were shifting away from my plans.
Frustrated, I left the table.
After a brief rest in my room, I made my way to the Southwells’ private tennis court.
Just as I was about to shut the door to the training room, a large hand halted it.
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Alpha Hayley’s Destined Mate
