Chapter 4

I didn't leave after Lisa walked away.

I stood by the assembly hall entrance, waiting for Alpha Brown.

Half an hour later, a black SUV screeched to a halt in front of the building. Alpha Brown jumped out, drenched in sweat.

"Jessica!" He ran over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Where is Lisa?"

"Inside."

Alpha Brown pushed the double doors open and stormed into the assembly hall.

The crowd hadn't dispersed yet. Lisa was sitting in the main chair, laughing and joking with her lackeys.

When she saw Alpha Brown enter, she stood up quickly.

"Alpha Brown! You’re back! Perfect, I was just about to tell you that I've dealt with that outsider—"

Before she could finish, Alpha Brown slammed his hand on the table.

"Dealt with what? Do you have any idea who you just kicked out?"

Lisa froze.

"She... isn't she just a suspicious outsider...?"

"She is the elite warrior I paid a fortune to recruit! The legendary ace, Kay!"

Alpha Brown’s voice roared through the entire hall.

"It took me months to get her to come here. And the moment I turn my back, you kick her out?!"

Lisa's face went dead white.

"But... but she never said anything..."

"She told you Alpha Brown sent her! Did you even bother to listen?!"

Lisa opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Emily Davis slid out from the corner and muttered under her breath, "But she didn't show any proof... How were we supposed to know if she was lying?"

Alpha Brown whipped his head around to glare at her.

"What did you say?"

Emily shrank back, terrified to speak another word.

But her words seemed to ignite the last bit of defiance in Lisa’s brain.

Lisa lifted her head, her voice shaking but her tone stubborn.

"Alpha Brown, I’m not questioning your authority. But think about it. You say she’s Kay, but she’s been here for days. Has anyone actually seen her fight? Does anyone know how strong she really is?"

"You said you invited her, but you didn't mention a word to us before you left. She shows up out of nowhere carrying our financial records. How am I supposed to explain that to the Pack?"

Her words stirred the crowd again, and whispers broke out.

"That's true... we haven't seen her fight."

"What if she really is a spy from another Pack?"

Alpha Brown’s face turned purple with rage. He was about to explode when I stepped in front of him.

I took a step forward, facing Lisa directly.

"You want to see me fight?"

Lisa flinched slightly under my gaze, but she held her ground.

"What, are you scared?"

I turned to Alpha Brown.

"Alpha Brown, can I use the training grounds?"

Alpha Brown blinked, then nodded slowly.

"Let’s go."

Five minutes later, everyone relocated to the training field behind the hall.

It was a flat dirt field surrounded by chain-link fences, with a few worn-out punching bags in the corners.

I took off my jacket, tossed it over the fence, and walked to the center of the field.

"Who’s first?"

Nobody moved.

Lisa pushed Derek forward—the guy she had pulled into the guard unit. He was twenty-two, with a B+ combat rating.

"Go."

Derek hesitated for a second before stepping out.

He was half a head taller than me, built with solid muscle from years of training.

I gestured for him to bring it on.

He gritted his teeth and lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch straight at my face.

I dodged to the side, grabbed his wrist with my left hand, and drove my right elbow hard into his ribs.

He groaned, doubling over.

I didn't stop. I brought my knee up into his stomach, and as he lost his balance, I swept his legs, slamming him into the dirt.

The entire fight took less than five seconds.

Derek lay in the dirt, clutching his ribs, unable to stand up.

The training ground fell dead silent.

I patted the dust off my hands and looked at Lisa.

"Do you need to see more?"

Lisa was as pale as a ghost.

Alpha Brown stood by the sidelines, his anger finally cooling into a satisfied grin. He cleared his throat.

"Any more questions?"

Nobody spoke.

"Then it’s settled. Lisa, you are suspended. Until the investigation is complete, I will personally take over the Beta duties."

Lisa bit her lip so hard it almost bled, her nails digging into her palms, but she didn't say a word.

She spun around and walked away. As she passed me, her shoulder brushed against mine.

She didn't dare look me in the eye.