Chapter 160: An Amazonian in Love is worse than Alpha’s Addiction

Evening had long descended over New Liberty.

Outside, the city glittered beneath countless lights while distant traffic hummed like a never-ending lullaby. The Holt Residence stood quietly atop one of the wealthier districts, its security systems silently monitoring every inch of the estate.

Unlike most children from influential awakened families, Alicia’s room wasn’t luxurious. It wasn’t pink like most girls wanted, and it wasn’t decorated with stuffed animals or shelves overflowing with expensive ornaments.

Instead, it looked more like the bedroom of someone preparing for war. Dark gray walls, a queen-sized bed with simple white sheets, and a large bookshelf filled with strategy books, biographies of famous hunters, monster encyclopedias, and combat manuals.

A weapons rack occupied one side of the room, displaying practice spears, staffs, weighted chains, and several wooden swords.

Beside the window sat a punching bag that had clearly seen years of abuse. The only decoration in the room was a single potted plant on the windowsill.

Everything was clean and organized. Everything had its place. It suited Alicia perfectly, or at least it normally did.

Right now, however, she was lying flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. Her blanket had somehow wrapped itself around one of her legs, while one arm covered her eyes.

The other rested on her stomach. Sleep refused to come. She turned onto her side, then onto the other side. Then she buried her face into her pillow.

"Why..." She sighed. "Why am I still thinking about that?"

She already knew the answer. The answer was that it was irritating. It was strange. Because... "He was annoying."

Very annoying. Ridiculously annoying. Who smiled like that when someone pinned them against a wall? Who answered every question with another question? Who refused to get intimidated?

Normal people became nervous around her. Some avoided eye contact. Some apologized before she’d even spoken. Others simply ran away. Alpha had smiled.

He hadn’t insulted her. He hadn’t flattered her. He hadn’t acted brave. He’d simply treated her normally. The guy lived with a ridiculous group of people, but she still had yet to realize that. Gromda and Chloe were scarrier than her.

Anna was more intimidating than the orc king they’d encountered in the rift. And the system was just another being altogether. Not to talk of the maniac himself, Silas. Alicia was a kid compared to them.

She frowned.

"Idiot."

Her mind betrayed her. Without permission, the memory replayed itself.

"You’ve been around Silas ever since he awakened."

"So?"

"People don’t just appear beside someone like him."

"They do."

"They don’t."

"They did."

Her eyebrow twitched. Why had that sounded so funny? She groaned into the pillow.

"Ugh..."

Another memory surfaced.

"If someone ever threatens Silas..."

"...move."

She remembered standing so close to him that she could clearly see the reflection of the corridor lights in his blue eyes, yet not once had he looked nervous. Not even for a second.

"You know... If you’re going to worry about someone that much, at least introduce yourself properly next time."

She buried her face deeper into the pillow.

"I wasn’t worried."

She wasn’t. Absolutely not. She simply didn’t want Silas to die. Silas had saved her, and she knew what Damien could do. She was just offering advice and protection. That was different... probably.

Her thoughts drifted again.

"...don’t pin them against a wall first."

Her entire body stiffened. Then very slowly, a faint blush crept across her cheeks.

"No." She pulled the blanket over her head. "I did not blush."

Silence.

"I did."

She groaned. "What was wrong with me?"

Why had she blushed? She’d fought awakened monsters. She’d stood before S-Ranks without flinching. She’d stared down professors. Yet one shorter boy smiled at her, and suddenly her face became warm.

She rolled onto her stomach.

"It was embarrassing."

Very embarrassing. She remembered the students watching, the whispers, and their expressions. She even remembered hurrying away. She... She had hurried away.

"I ran."

Alicia Holt had retreated. She pulled the pillow over her head.

"I hate this."

Another image appeared: Alpha adjusting his wrinkled collar before casually walking away as though nothing had happened.

"Arrogant."

She frowned.

"No. Confident."

"No. Annoying."

Much better. That suited him. Annoying. Very annoying. Her thoughts wandered once more.

She imagined meeting him again. This time, she wouldn’t get flustered. She would remain calm, and she would ask proper questions. She would-

"What if he smiles again?"

Her face instantly warmed.

"No. He won’t. But... What if he does?"

She grabbed another pillow and hugged it tightly.

"Why am I even thinking about this?"

She’d known him for... what? Five minutes? Ten? But somehow, that brief exchange had occupied her thoughts for more than just days.

She hated it, or at least... she wanted to hate it. A tiny smile appeared on her face before she quickly erased it.

"No. Absolutely not."

She wasn’t smiling. She just remembered something funny. That was all. Definitely. A notification sounded from her phone.

She lazily reached toward the bedside table and unlocked it. One of her classmates had sent a message.

[Did you really blush at the femboy?]

Alicia stared at the screen, calmly locked the phone, placed it back on the table, and picked it up again.

She opened the chat and typed exactly two words.

[Training tomorrow.]

A second later, another reply came.

[That’s not an answer. *Laughing Emoji]

Her eye twitched. She exited the chat, blocked the sender, and turned the phone upside down.

"Peace. Finally."

She closed her eyes. Five seconds later, blue eyes appeared in her mind again. She opened her eyes with a confused expression.

"Why is he kind of cute?" The question escaped before she realized she’d spoken aloud. Silence enveloped the room for more than a minute. Her eyes widened.

She slowly pulled the blanket over her face until only a few strands of black dreadlocks remained visible.

From beneath the blanket came one muffled, utterly defeated voice.

"This is bad."

***

Alpha lay on his bed with a dead expression while two kids played with his hair; his sister and Chloe’s brother. Suddenly, he felt a chill creep up his spine.

"Wha-"

Bonk!

"Big brother, lie still!" Kassie hit her elder brother on the forehead while puffing her cheeks.

"My bad. My bad."

’What the fuck was that?!’