Chapter 177: I’m Proud of Him
Hayley’s POV:
I mouthed the words to Henry, “You’ve got this.” Initially, he hadn’t planned to step up to the challenge, but he rose to his feet with my encouragement. Under everyone’s astonished gazes, he walked confidently to the front of the class. The math teacher handed him a piece of chalk. “It’s okay if you don’t get it right. Just standing here shows great courage.”
Henry took the chalk and glanced at the problem on the board. Within two minutes, his hand moved swiftly as he wrote down the solution step by step. His movements were fluid, confident, and precise, leaving no room for hesitation. The entire class was stunned, their eyes widening in awe. In an instant, the room fell silent.
None of this surprised me. After all, Henry was a beta-ranked werewolf, so intelligence was never an issue. With guidance from an alpha like me, his academic progress had naturally been rapid. When he finished, Henry handed the chalk back to the math teacher. “I’m done.”
The teacher’s face lit up with pleasant surprise as he reviewed the solution. “Well done! Both the process and the result are correct. Henry has made remarkable progress recently. Everyone should learn from him,” he said, praising Henry generously.
I felt a swell of pride on his behalf. Henry smiled faintly, straightened his posture, and returned to his seat beside me. I nodded in approval as he sat down.
“Good job,” I said.
His grin widened. “It’s because you’re a great teacher, Boss.”
“You still need to keep improving,” I added with a smirk.
Henry responded with a crisp military salute. “Yes, Boss! I’ll keep it up!”
I smiled back and turned my attention to solving problems in my workbook, my pen moving steadily across the page. Lately, Henry had been acting completely differently. Aside from training at the combat field, he spent most of his time studying in the library. Even his closest friends couldn’t convince him to join them for basketball; he turned them down every time. The words I heard most from him each day were academically focused: “Boss, how do I solve this problem?” “Boss, can you explain question 17 to me?” “Boss, can you teach me how to draw force diagrams for physics?”
Even Christine was surprised by his transformation. She asked me, “Hayley, why does it feel like Henry has become a completely different person? Is this still the same Henry I know?” I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. The truth was he had matured after what happened with Irving. He now understood that, as a member of the ruling family of the Midnight Pack, he was responsible for studying hard and contributing to protecting the pack. I explained this to Christine in simpler terms that she could understand. She sighed emotionally.
“Hayley, now that you’ve explained it, I suddenly find Henry inspiring! And honestly, I admire you even more. You’re incredible – anyone you teach becomes so exceptional.”
I smiled faintly and tousled her hair. “Actually, this just shows that Henry is naturally talented. My role wasn’t as significant as it might seem.” I knew this all too well. After all, Benjamin was a beta, so his intelligence was unquestionable.
That afternoon, I waited at the school gate for a long time after school, but Benjamin didn’t show up. Even after most of the students had left, I still didn’t see him. I couldn’t sense his presence in the vicinity either. Left with no other choice, I pulled out my phone and called him. When the call connected, I immediately voiced my frustration, “Benjamin, it’s already late. Why aren’t you here yet?” To my surprise, the person who answered wasn’t Benjamin – it was Tyrone, his assistant.