Chapter 89: I Wasn’t Expecting You to Be Back

Hayley’s POV:

“Am I the one forcing you to act this way?” I questioned sharply, my tone cutting through the tension.

Mandy was momentarily speechless when Grant walked in. He shot a glance at her, exhaling heavily. “Just leave! We don’t need students with dirty hands here.”

Mandy’s voice quivered as she pleaded, “No, please! I don’t want to drop out.”

Grant showed her no mercy. “If you refuse to withdraw, I’ll have no choice but to hand these recordings over to the authorities and let them deal with it.”

Realizing she had no alternative, Mandy resigned herself to expulsion.

Later that night, she packed her belongings and prepared to leave the school, but not before issuing a warning. “Hayley, I won’t forget this. One day, I’ll make you pay. You’re just an Omega, and you can’t hide under the Southwells’ protection forever. I will find my chance to teach you a lesson.”

I dismissed her threat with a scoff. “I don’t start fights, but if you come after me, I won’t hold back.”

With Mandy expelled, the training camp was drawing to a close. Following the final exam, our two weeks of intense training came to an end.

Lillian seemed a bit down about it. Before she left, she expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’ve learned so much from following you, Hayley. Initially, I didn’t plan on competing in the national competition, but now I’m starting to reconsider.”

Trista chimed in, “I can’t believe how much I’ve improved in just a couple of weeks. I used to struggle with those problems, but now I can solve two-thirds of them! It’s more than I ever expected. Still, I won’t join the national competition just to fill a spot. You all go ahead; I’ll be cheering for you from the sidelines.”

I looked at both of them and smiled genuinely. “Even though we faced some challenges, I’ve really enjoyed my time with you. I hope we can hang out often in the future.”

Lillian and Trista linked arms with me. “You know, I’ve been considering transferring schools. What if I joined your class next semester?” Lillian exclaimed, turning to Trista. “You should come too! We could all be together. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Trista thought for a moment before replying, “I think it could work, but I’m not sure my family will agree. I’ll have to ask my mom, but she usually supports my decisions as long as I’m certain about them.”

I stared at them in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

They both nodded eagerly. “Absolutely! With someone as talented as you around, what do we have to worry about?”

“Besides, you’re an Omega; if it weren’t for the Southwells backing you, I bet you’d have faced bullying from those nasty higher-ranking werewolves at school, right? If we join you, we can protect you.”

I smiled, touched by their concern. However, as an Alpha werewolf, I had never truly experienced bullying in my life.

Lillian waved goodbye to Lillian and me. Lillian drove off shortly afterward, leaving me standing alone at the gate.

Since I hadn’t informed the Southwells that training had concluded, they didn’t come to pick me up. Just as I was about to call a cab, Jeremy approached and called out to me.

“Hayley.”

I smiled back and asked, “What’s up, Jeremy?”

He looked at me, clearly gathering his courage, and finally said, “I’ll see you at the national competition.” With a wave, he quickly transformed into a wolf and dashed off into the distance.

I stood there, puzzled, unsure of what he meant. Did he intend to challenge me at the competition?

Shaking my head, I decided not to dwell on it. I pulled out my phone and called a cab to take me back to the Southwells’.

Upon returning home, I found Grandpa Southwell and Benjamin in the living room, engrossed in a game of chess. They both looked up, surprised to see me.

Grandpa Southwell asked, “Hayz, I wasn’t expecting you to be back. You could’ve let me know you were coming so I could send Benjamin to pick you up.”

I replied, “It’s fine. I managed to get back on my own.”

Benjamin regarded me, and I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked. He nudged me to move closer to him, causing my heart to race as I unconsciously let her take control and stepped nearer.