I Ran From My Psycho Step-brother Straight Into The Alpha's Lap novel Chapter 97

**When Night Grows Softer Hope Returns To Lead Us by Asa Rowan Finn**

Talya felt a suffocating weight in her chest, as though the very air around her had thickened into a dense fog. It wasn’t until Sage gently nudged her that she broke the spell, gasping in a desperate breath that filled her lungs with much-needed oxygen.

“What on earth is he doing here?” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

“I have no clue,” Sage replied, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“Line up,” came the command.

Liam didn’t bother with a whistle; his voice sliced through the silence like a knife, calm yet authoritative, effectively muting the entire gym.

Coach Stanley, wise enough to recognize the shift in energy, stepped aside, allowing Liam to take center stage.

“This is Liam Graves,” the coach announced, his tone imbued with a mixture of respect and unease. “For the next few weeks, if you want to avoid failing, you will listen to him.”

Fantastic. Talya rolled her eyes internally, feeling as if she had just been thrust deeper into her own personal hell.

There stood Liam, a formidable presence in the middle of the court. The gray sleeveless hoodie he wore clung to his muscular frame, showcasing every sinew, every curve of power. He didn’t appear to be here to teach self-defense; he looked more like a wrecking ball ready to take down a building.

His piercing gaze swept across the gym like a searchlight, inevitably landing on Talya. A playful smirk danced on his lips, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Simple lesson today,” he announced, his voice low and magnetic, laced with that unmistakable bad-boy charm. “How to make an attacker regret being born.”

A wave of suppressed squeals rippled through the girls, a mixture of excitement and dread.

Please, Talya thought, shaking her head slightly. If the attacker was built like Liam, the only viable survival strategy would be to play dead.

“I need a volunteer,” he declared, his eyes locking onto Talya with an intensity that made her heart race.

Of course.

Before she could even process the situation, Sage shoved her forward from behind. “Go on. Don’t be a wuss.”

Each step Talya took felt like a march toward her own execution. The pressure mounted with every footfall, the mingled scents of aftershave, sweat, and raw masculinity crashing over her like a tidal wave, making her stomach twist in knots.

“Face away from me,” he commanded, his tone short, authoritative.

Talya complied, turning her back to him, exposing herself completely to the predator behind her.

“Listen up,” his voice was right beside her ear, hot breath ghosting over her neck, raising goosebumps along her skin. “When an attacker grabs you from behind…”

Too close. This felt like a violation, a breach of personal space that made her skin crawl.

In the next heartbeat, his arm shot across her chest, yanking her backward and pinning her against his rock-solid body.

Thud.

Talya’s back collided with his chest, and in that moment, her mind went blissfully blank. Panic surged through her, and buried memories clawed their way to the surface, threatening to drown her.

She froze, caught in an emotional whirlwind. She could hear Liam speaking, feel the rumble of his chest against her back, but the words were lost to her, muffled by the chaos in her mind.

Images flooded her consciousness—being pinned against walls, trapped in cars, gasping for air.

The air vanished. The gym lights blazed a blinding white, and Liam’s voice became an indistinct buzz.

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