Chapter 2

Jacob was shocked to see her eat the steak. He panicked and don't know what to do.

He can't let Alice eat meat! Not yet the perfect time. He grab her by her nape and started kissing her to get the meat from her mouth. He saw how she was stunned and surprised by what he did. He just couldn't think of any solution aside from this. 

I'm sorry Alice!

She pushed him and run to the sink and puke.

"How could you Jake?" she hissed at him angrily.

Ouch! Am I that gross?

"Next time you do something stupid, I can't promise I won't do something worse than that," he said and looked at her angrily.

"Next time you do something stupid I will break your bones," she hissed while she sat again and started eating.

"Next time I'll make sure you'll like it," he teasingly laughed at her.

She blushed and threw him the table napkin!

"Shut up, Jake! 

He laughed hard.

"Seriously speaking, I'm sorry Alice... I didn't mean to kiss you. Just don't do it next time, please. You don't know what would be the consequences are, so stop being stubborn," he held her hand and pressed it.

She took it back and started eating again.

Alice is finally craving for meat now. But this isn't the right time yet. Just a little more time and she can eat anything she wants.

"You know, I'm sick of eating the same thing. I just wanted to try even just a little," she said in a low tone.

"Someday, you can Alice. Just wait a little bit longer." He stood up and started cleaning up the table.

"If you are done, you can go ahead and take some rest now. Tomorrow will be a rough day for you."

He looked at her and he pity her so much. 

Someday you will get to understand everything and I hope you won't turn your back on us. 

Jacob woke up early to set up everything that they will need for the training. Actually, everything was set up since this place has been their training ground for hunters before. Right now he needs to check if everything is good to be used again. Alice was still sleeping. She needs that strength so that she can conquer all the hard obstacles today. After he checks everything. He went inside to cook for their breakfast. He can't help but reminisce all the memories that they had in here in this cabin before the attack happened. They have been keeping it a secret to Alice but time flies so fast that they realized she wasn't a baby anymore. She is turning eighteen next month. And sooner or later she will know the truth. They need to make her ready for everything, physically and mentally.

***

"Alice?"

"Alice!"

"Wake up!"

Alice sat directly on her bed when that loud knock woke her up. Jacob called her loudly. She grabbed her phone to look at the time. It was just past four o'clock.

Jesus, didn't expect it would be this early?

"Yes, let me just fix myself. I'll be out," she yelled at him while yawning. 

She fixed herself quickly when suddenly that small box caught her attention again.

Next time I will have time to check you out.

She tied up her shoelace and swiftly cleaned up her room and went out. 

After having their breakfast. Jake brought her to the boot camp. She saw different obstacles on the training ground. Hanging ropes and cut-out pieces of huge woods. 

"From today on, prepare yourself physically and mentally. We will have daily cardio, weight training, pushups, and situps before starting the real training. You should also practice arriving early regularly and sticking to a strict schedule," he started speaking after he gave her a tour on their training ground. 

Well, thanks to God she trained herself physically for how many years now. 

Looking at Jacob, it seems that he won't go easy on her. He looks like a different person now. They started from the basic stretching from her toes up to her head. Then started at fifty push-ups, sit-ups, and all cardio things. Now, she started climbing up the net obstacle, running around for fifty kilometers, and lastly flipping out a tractor tire twenty times. She almost lost her consciousness out of tiredness. This isn't a normal workout for a normal person for day one. 

Is he trying to kill me? 

She lied down on the ground flat while panting heavily. She can't feel her body anymore.

The next day, she woke up late and she can't move her whole body. It was very sore from head to toe. 

I don't think I can do it today.

She closed her eyes again and began to sleep soundly. A loud thud from her door woke her up. She manages to stand up and fix herself. 

Alice, c'mmon! You can do this!

She went directly to the kitchen to have her breakfast. It was past eight in the morning. She was so hungry that she ate like an animal. She even rummages the kitchen to find some other food but to no avail. She just went out directly to the camp. 

"Since you're late, the things that you've done yesterday will be double in count today."

Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she heard his voice out of nowhere.

Wait... What?

" I told you yesterday you should practice to arrive early or even on time. Is this some kind of a joke to you Alice?" 

"No. It's just that I was too tired from yesterday and my whole body was sore. I can't even barely move now." she said almost teary-eyed. 

No Alice don't cry! You're tough you can do this!

"Well, that's not an excuse! Be responsible enough if you want to fulfill something! Now start stretching! Do the same thing as yesterday but double in the count!" he added in a powerful tone.

She took a deep breath and looked at the waterfalls.

Can't even do a shower. Ugh!

"If you finish early today, I'll let you do a shower on that thing!" He pointed out the waterfall.

How would that be possible? I'm late and I'm doing things double this time. Stupid idea!

He winks at her. 

"Now start!" He blow his whistle and she started moving. 

She cringes every time she moves a muscle. She was in pain but this jerk doesn't seem to care. She rolled her eyeballs when their eyes meet. She remembered again the kiss. She felt nausea again in her stomach. How dare he steal her first kiss? She will not forgive him for doing such a crazy thing.

I know I have a crush on him, but that doesn't mean, he can go easy on me. Geeez! That stupid kiss is making me crazy! Stupid Jake! I hate you!

But on the other hand. There's this part of her telling her not to overthink about it. It's not even a kiss. He just rescued her from something tragic. But why kissed her? He can just attack her from behind so she can spit it out. There is something with Jacob she cant trust.

She just wanted to know what will happen, how it will affect her physically. 

A little meat won't hurt, duh!?

But maybe that wasn't the perfect time. She had some solid plan running in her mind.

She keeps on running not minding how fast she can get. She has been flipping that tractor tire for like fifty times now. 

"Alice!" 

His voice brought her back to her senses.

"What?" she asked irritated.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? he asked her in a shocked tone.

She stops moving and dropped the tractor tire. 

"You are flipping that tire like a piece of paper. Are you kinda possessed or something?" Jake asked her with that confused look on his face.

Something was striking her thought that she didn't mind the things that were happening in her system. She felt so strong that the tractor felt so light for her.

Omg! Is this for real? How did I...

She felt something rushing in her body and when it reach her head. She fainted!

***

Jacob caught her body before it hit the ground. 

Your hidden strength is slowly coming out now Alice.

He took her inside the house and prepared a warm bath for her. He put different herbal leaves on the tub. It will be a great help to calm her nerves and muscles. He just let her body soaked in there until she wakes up. 

He was holding her hand the whole time. He may be been hard for her but he knows this is the best thing to do. Before her dad vanished, this thing has been planned already. He has been told to train her a month before her eighteenth birthday. He might not know the whole story but this thing will help protect the whole village. She has been so special for him without her knowing. He is ten years older than her and that is the reason why he can't say anything to her. He just stayed behind her watching her every move all this time. He thought she was just a best friend and a little sister to him but the time that he accidentally kissed her, everything just went clear to him. As he stare at her sleeping and while looking at those red lips, the urge of kissing her was so strong but he manage to hold back. 

I will never do something stupid again I promise you that Things are slowly happening now and I will never let go of your hand. 

She started groaning. 

"Alice?" He slowly taps her face to wake her up.

She groaned louder as if something is happening to her. She began to move rapidly as if she wants to escape from something. Water started spilling from the tub. He hugged her tight while waking her up.

"Alice! Alice! Wake up!"

She opened her eyes breathing heavily.

Jake! She hugged him tight.

"What happened?" he asked worriedly while he carressed her back.

"Nothing, just same old nightmare," she sat at the tub weakly. 

***

Alice woke up early the next morning. She felt refreshed today. Her body felt so light and she think she can do whatever obstacle or whatever kind of training Jacob might give her today. She still can't understand where the hell her strength is coming from. She can't tell if it was just an adrenaline rush. She tilt her head and moved on from that thought. She started fixing her room and took all her dirty clothes. She planned to wash those first thing today. She then remembers the small box from the bottom part. She took it out and sat in her bed. 

"Old pictures?" 

She saw a pile of old photos inside it.

She took a closer look at one of the photos that took her attention. She covered her mouth from the shock and her eyes widened...