37: The Worst Exercise Ever

By the time Nene left Tian's office, her stomach was already grumbling.

She checked the time.

12:45 PM.

Her next class started in fifteen minutes.

She could've grabbed something quick—

Except Tian had dumped an entire stack of contracts, financial reports, and scheduling conflicts on her desk before she left.

"Since you're so hands-on, you should review these too."

Translation: Welcome to real business ownership. No food, just suffering.

Nene groaned, rubbing her forehead as she rushed toward the training facility.

Skipping lunch was not in her plans.

But at this rate, if she didn't hurry, she'd be late for class.

And after yesterday's disaster of a dominance test?

She really didn't want to stand out any more than she already did.

She shoved open the doors to the campus, slipped into the hallway, and headed straight for her next class—

Instinct Control.

Because, apparently, she needed a refresher on not acting like an uncontrollable Alpha.

Great. Fantastic. Wonderful.

She flopped into her seat at the back, exhausted, stomach still growling.

And just as she pulled out her tablet—

The instructor walked in, clapping their hands.

"Alright," they called out, "since everyone did so well yesterday—"

Nene immediately frowned.

That sounded suspicious.

Too suspicious.

She narrowed her eyes.

Nene was already regretting coming to class.

Because the moment the instructor clapped their hands together, she felt it.

That suspicious energy.

That 'I'm about to ruin your day' tone.

And sure enough—

"Since everyone did so well yesterday," the instructor said smoothly, "today we're testing emotional triggers."

Nene froze.

Wait.

What.

The room stirred slightly, students shifting uncomfortably.

Even the Betas and Omegas looked hesitant.

The instructor smiled.

"It's important to understand how different situations affect your instincts," they continued. "So today's exercise is simple: we're going to simulate real-world triggers and measure your responses."

Nene's stomach sank.

Nope. No, thank you.

Her instincts were already on edge from stress, from Alexander, from skipping lunch.

The last thing she needed was to sit here and have someone poke at her emotions like a damn lab experiment.

A Beta raised their hand.

"Uh… what kind of 'triggers' are we talking about?"

The instructor's smile widened slightly.

"We'll start small," they said. "Mild confrontation. Personal space challenges. Subtle disrespect."

Nene groaned internally.

This was going to be hell.

The instructor motioned to the room.

"Pair up," they ordered. "You'll take turns provoking each other—within safe limits—and recording your reactions."

Nene dragged a hand down her face.

She was too hungry, too annoyed, and too impatient for this.

And now, someone was going to intentionally piss her off.

Absolutely fantastic.

Nene glared at the instructor, already annoyed before the exercise even started.

She was hungry, tired, and running on pure frustration—which meant this was the worst possible time to test her patience.

But the instructor?

Did not care.

"Pair up," they repeated, motioning for students to move.

Nene sighed sharply, scanning the room for a partner.

Most of the Betas and Omegas avoided her gaze.

Not surprising.

After her disaster of a dominance test yesterday, they probably didn't want to be anywhere near her.

But just as she was about to choose the least annoying person available—

Someone plopped down into the seat across from her.

Nene glanced up.

And immediately frowned.

It was the tall Beta from yesterday—the one who had flinched under her stare but was clearly determined to prove something.

He leaned back lazily, arms crossed, smirking slightly.

"Guess I'm your partner," he said.

Nene raised an eyebrow. "Lucky me."

The instructor clapped their hands.

"First round: Personal Space Challenges. Partner One, invade Partner Two's space and see how they react."

Nene huffed.

"Great," she muttered. "I get to be annoyed on purpose."

The Beta's smirk widened.

Then, without hesitation—

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on her desk, pushing slightly into her space.

Nene stiffened.

Her instincts immediately bristled, heat creeping up her spine.

She didn't even have to think about it—

Her body responded automatically.

A sharp, silent push of Alpha energy.

It wasn't aggressive.

Not a growl, not a challenge.

Just a reminder.

The Beta's smirk twitched.

Then, to her surprise—

He didn't back down.

"That all you got?" he murmured.

Nene's eye twitched.

Oh.

Oh, this bastard was playing with fire.

Nene narrowed her eyes.

This Beta—whoever he was—was actively pushing his luck.

Most Betas—hell, even some Alphas—would've backed off the second she pushed back.

But this guy?

He held his ground.

And worse?

He was smirking.

"That all you got?" he repeated, voice low, teasing.

Nene's jaw tightened.

Her wolf itched, instincts flaring despite herself.

Because he wasn't even challenging her properly.

He was toying with her.

Poking at her dominance without actually breaking any rules.

And the worst part?

It was working.

She could feel it creeping up her spine—that sharp, territorial edge.

She wanted to snap back, shut him down completely.

But—

She forced herself to stay still.

Because that's exactly what this stupid class was about, wasn't it?

Controlling her instincts.

Not acting on them.

So instead, she exhaled slowly, tilting her head slightly.

Then, voice smooth, calm, controlled—

"You want me to take this seriously?" she murmured.

The Beta's smirk flickered slightly.

A brief pause.

Then—

"Try me," he said.

Oh.

Oh, he was bold.

Nene smiled slowly.

Not a nice smile.

A dangerous one.

Then, before he could react—

She leaned forward, just slightly, dropping her voice.

"You should be careful what you wish for," she murmured.

The Beta's smirk twitched, but Nene saw it—the hesitation.

A flicker of instinctual awareness.

He had been pushing, testing, prodding at her dominance—

But now?

Now he realized his mistake.

Nene tilted her head, still smiling.

Not threatening.

Not overtly aggressive.

Just patient. Controlled.

Like she was waiting for him to figure it out.

The Beta's shoulders tensed, just slightly.

Because he got it now.

She wasn't pushing back yet.

She wasn't forcing dominance on him.

But she could.

Easily.

And if she did—

He wouldn't win.

A slow, heavy silence stretched between them.

The instructor watched carefully, making notes on their tablet.

Finally—

The Beta exhaled sharply, leaning back first.

A retreat.

A silent, instinctual acknowledgment.

Nene won.

She grinned, sitting back.

"Smart choice," she murmured.

The Beta scowled, muttering something under his breath.

The instructor smiled slightly, tapping their notes.

"Interesting," they mused. "That was a well-handled exchange, Lin Nara. No aggression, just presence. Very controlled."

Nene smirked.

The instructor finally stepped forward, clearing their throat.

"Alright," they said smoothly, "that's enough."

Nene blinked.

Wait.

That's it?

The instructor tapped their tablet, skimming through the notes.

"Lin Nara," they said, "your response was controlled enough to pass. You pushed back, but you didn't escalate. That's progress."

Nene exhaled slowly.

A pass.

She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Ji Cheng, still standing too close, tilted his head slightly, watching her like she was some kind of interesting puzzle.

But before Nene could acknowledge that problem, the instructor looked up again.

"Oh, one more thing," they mused, scrolling through the logs.

Then—casually, too casually—

"You're married, correct?"

Nene stiffened.

What.

She forced herself to stay neutral.

"…Why?"

The instructor shrugged.

"Married Alphas tend to stabilize faster if their bond is strong," they explained. "Your progress will depend on the kind of Alpha your mate is."

They glanced at their tablet again.

"And according to your behavioral log," they continued, "your husband is highly dominant."

Nene blinked.

Oh, shit.

She hadn't even thought about that.

Her instinct control was being measured—which meant they had been monitoring her Alpha-related responses.

And of course, Alexander would rank at the top of the dominance scale.

Nene cleared her throat.

"So…?" she muttered.

The instructor sighed, rubbing their temple.

"So," they said, "this is going to be a lot harder for you than I thought."

Nene crossed her arms, eyeing the instructor.

"Explain," she said flatly.

The instructor sighed, adjusting their tablet.

"Your log suggests your mate—your husband—is a high-ranking Alpha," they said smoothly. "That means your instinct regulation is going to be more difficult."

Nene narrowed her eyes.

"And why is that?"

Ji Cheng, who was still standing way too close, decided to add his two cents.

"Because the more dominant your mate is," he said, "the more your instincts naturally respond to them."

Nene stiffened slightly.

Because—ugh.

That actually made sense.

Her reactions to Alexander had been getting worse, not better.

She huffed. "So what, I just deal with it?"

The instructor tilted their head.

"Not quite," they said. "That's why Ji Cheng is here."

Nene blinked.

Wait.

What.

She slowly turned to Ji Cheng, eyes narrowing.

"Why are you here, exactly?" she asked.

Ji Cheng grinned slightly.

"I'm the top security detail for this camp," he said smoothly. "The instructor asked me to personally oversee the new human-raised Alpha's adjustment period."

Nene stared.

Then—deadpan—

"That's a bad idea."

Ji Cheng arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Nene nodded firmly.

"My husband may skin you alive."

Ji Cheng chuckled, completely unfazed.

The instructor cleared their throat.

"Your guardian already approved the arrangement," they added. "Your mother thought it was a good idea."

Nene's eye twitched.

Her mother.

Of course.

Because why not make her life harder?

She dragged a hand down her face, groaning.

"Fine," she muttered. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Ji Cheng's smirk widened.

"Oh, don't worry," he murmured. "I love a challenge."

Nene sighed sharply.

Yeah.

This was going to end horribly.