Chapter 0152
Ella POV
The next morning, I headed to the capitol for my first day of training with Alexander. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. When he’d introduced me to the trainers previously, I’d been a bit overwhelmed, and truth be told, I hadn’t been paying much attention.
After my conversation with Elizabeth, I had a lot on my minit, so I arrived at the gym still distracted.
That all changed very quickly the moment I laid eyes on Alexander in his workout gear.
I hadn’t seen him when I first entered, so I went straight to the locker room to change. But when I came back onto the gym floor, there he was, wearing a snug tank top and a pair of gym shorts.
Realistically, his outfit wasn’t any more revealing or tight than mine, yet the way it showed off his muscular frame made my thoughts stray. Suddenly, memories of our hight together came rushing back–memories I’d been trying very hard to keep buried.
“Good morning,” Alexander called out when he noticed me if he could tell I was embarrassed or nervous, he didn’t mention it. He walked toward me with a broad smile, looking remarkably alert despite the early hour.
“Are you a morning person?” I asked, making a face at him
“Maybe a little,” he admitted with a smile. “You have to be when you work the hours I do.”
“Or you could try taking some time off once in a while,” I suggested.
“That’s never going to happen,” Alexander replied, amused. “Now, do you prefer to start with cardio or weights?”
“No time to waste, huh?” I asked with a grin. “Honestly, I don’t even know where to start. I’ve never had a workout regimen like this before.”
“Surely you worked out when you played team sports,” he said.
“I did,” I answered, “but that was different. That was preparing for a specific activity by practicing it. This is more
abstract, and I’m not sure what the best way to approach it is.”
“I see,” he said thoughtfully. “Well, it’s a good thing you’ve got me here to help, isn’t it?”
“Oh, I’m absolutely grateful for the assistance of the great Alexander,” I replied, rolling my eyes..
“You truly are a lucky woman,” he smirked. “Let’s begin with cardio–to get your heart pumping and your lungs working before we move on to strength–building exercises.
“Sounds good to me.”
Alexander led the way to the treadmills, where one of the trainers he’d introduced me to–a tawny–skinned young man with a lean build–was waiting. He smiled as we approached.
“Good morning, Miss Rowan,” he greeted politely.
“Good morning,” I replied, hesitating as I tried to recall his name.
“Benjamin,” he said with a slight grin, looking amused. “Its good to see you again. I see you’ve made the wise decision to start with cardio.”
“That was Alexander’s decision,” I answered with a smile.
“Our Alpha, showing his wisdom yet again,” Benjamin chuckled. “I’ll just be observing today, taking some notes
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so I can start putting together a personalized plan for you,” he explained.
“I appreciate your hard work,” I responded. “Having a personalized workout
seems like a lot.”
“It will be fun, I promise,” he said. “Exercise is a great way to boost your mood and your confidence. You just have to find the right schedule to follow so that it’s effective without being too overwhelming.
Π
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said as I glanced at the treadmill. Running this early in the morning certainly wasn’t my idea of fun.
“Please don’t mind me; just pretend I’m not here.”
I laughed. “It might be a little hard to pretend you’re not here while you’re watching me and taking notes, but I’ll do my best.”
Benjamin laughed again and stepped aside, giving me access to the treadmill.
“Remember, this is just a warm–up,” Alexander said as he stepped onto the treadmill beside me. “As much as I’m looking forward to your challenge from yesterday, let’s take it easy. There’s no point in either of us getting injured so early in the day.”
“If you say so,” I replied, a little embarrassed that he remembered my boast. I’d been trying to distract from my embarrassment when I said it, but it seemed Alexander was holding me to it.
Yesterday, I’d felt fairly confident that I could keep up with him in a challenge, but seeing him now–being reminded of how fit he truly was–made me doubt myself a bit.
1 kept my gaze straight ahead as I set the treadmill to a brisk pace and stepped on. The rhythm of the activity helped me focus, and as long as I didn’t look at Alexander, he couldn’t distract me.
The gym was mostly empty at this early hour; perhaps Alexander had arranged for some privacy. Either way, it was nice not to feel as if I were being watched or needing to look over my shoulder. Privacy was something I rarely had anymore, unless I was at home, shut up in my room.
Spending too much time alone like that wasn’t healthy either, but Alexander was good at creating these quiet, safe moments for me without my even asking. He seemed to understand instinctively that, despite the public nature of everything we did, I valued privacy from time to time.
It was one of the many thoughtful ways Alexander looked out for me. I hoped Elizabeth would have a good idea for a gift I could give him. There had to be some way I could show him my gratitude for all the little things–and the big things–that he did for me over and over again.
I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. He regularly went above and beyond what I expected, and it only seemed right to express my appreciation for that.
I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn’t figured out how to do it yet. I glanced sideways at Alexander, catching the focus in his eyes as he ran, but I quickly turned back, my cheeks warming.
My embarrassment had me so distracted that I lost my footing on the treadmill. I tried to catch myself, but it was Too late–I slipped, tumbling backward and landing hard on the gym floor. A hiss escaped my lips, a mix of pain
and frustration.
In an instant, Alexander was by my side, kneeling with concem etched across his face. My breath caught as he gently cupped my face, his eyes scanning me. “Ella, are you all right?” he asked, his voice a little breathless.
“Fine,” I said softly, attempting to stand to prove it. But as put weight on my foot, a sharp pain shot through my ankle, sending me off balance all over again.
Alexander was on his feet in a flash, catching me before I could fall. He held me firmly against his chest, his
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Chapter 0152
strong arms wrapped protectively around me. I looked up a him, wide–eyed, feeling a wave of heat surge through me as memories of our night together flooded back.
The exertion of our exercise had left us both breathing heavily, and I was acutely aware of his heartbeat against
- me.
A low, involuntary rumble escaped from deep in my chest. Alexander’s eyes widened in surprise, and in the same moment, we both realized–I had growled.
