werewolves trickled in, their scent lighting up the air like The afternoon shadows stretched like dark fingers across the training grounds. Young w fireworks. I stood at the edge of the field, feeling the familiar hollow in my chest where my wolf used to be.
A cluster of young wolves huddled near the water station, trying – and failing to be subtle about watching me. One would glance over, then quickly look away when I met their eyes. Another shifted sideways, keeping me in view while pretending to stretch. Six years in the fighting circuit had taught me to spot tells like these from a mile away.
“What is she?” I caught a whisper from the group.
“Don’t know. Can’t smell anything from her at all.”
I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. Let them stare. Let them wonder.
“Hi there!” A cheerful voice cut through my brooding, bright as a sunbeam through storm clouds. Tm Zoe! Are you here for training too?”
turned to find a young she–wolf practically vibrating with enthusiasm, her copper hair catching the sunlight like a living flame. Her smile was so open, so genuine, it made my chest ache with memories of Emma Emma before the betrayal. I managed a polite nod, keeping my expression carefully neutral. Behind my practiced smile, old wounds throbbed like phantom limbs.
“Wait a minute.” A tall blonde she–wolf approached, each step deliberately provocative as she circled me. Her designer workout gear and perfectly styled hair marked her as one of the privileged wolves, probably from one of the more prestigious packs. Her nose wrinkled in an exaggerated show of disgust. “There’s something wrong here. You don’t have any scent at all.”
She made a show of scenting the air, her movements theatrical and meant to draw attention. Other wolves began to gather, drawn to the prospect of drama like moths to flame.
“Even the weakest wolf has some kind of aura, the blonde continued, her voice pitched to carry. “What are you, some human trying to infiltrate our world?”
The whispers started immediately, rippling through the growing crowd like wind through dry leaves. I caught fragments of conversations, each one sharper than the last.
“Maybe she’s trying to steal our secrets? one whispered, excitement barely contained.
“Or she’s hunting for an alpha to seduce,” another laughed coldly, the sound like breaking glass. “Wouldn’t be the first human to try.”
My fingers curled into fists, knuckles white with the effort of maintaining control. The memory of that night at Mountain View Resort crashed over me like an ley wave the drugged water, the trap, Emma’s betrayal, Hella’s triumphant smirk. The phantom taste of that poisoned drink rose in my throat, bitter as regret.
But I wasn’t that naive girl anymore. The human fighting circuit had taught me that strength didn’t always come wrapped in fur and fangs. Sometimes it came in simply refusing to break, in getting up one more time than you were knocked down.
I straightened my spine, chin lifting as I prepared to defend myself. But before I could speak, a voice like thunder rolled across the training grounds.
“Enough”
The word carried such raw authority that every wolf present instinctively lowered their heads, their bodies responding to ancient instincts. Heavy footsteps approached, and the crowd parted like mist before a storm. Ethan Blackwood, heir to the Shadow Fang pack, strode toward us, his presence filling the space with undeniable alpha energy. He moved with the fluid grace of a predator, each step measured and purposeful, power contained but never hidden.
The sun caught his dark hair, highlighting strands of midnight blue in the black. His jaw was set in stern lines, but it was his eyes that commanded attention – emerald green and sharp as cut glass, holding the weight of generations of alpha blood.
Wllow me to introduce, his deep voice resonated with power, quiet yet filling every corner of the space, “Aria Reynolds, former professional fighter and our new combat instructor. His gaze swept over the gathered wolves like a searchlight, lingering on those who had spoken against
Something dangerous flickered in those green depths when they reached the blonde instigator. “She has much to teach you all.”
1/2
Chapter 6
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the whisper of wind through the trees. The blonde who had challenged me seemed to shrink into herself, her earlier bravado evaporating under that stern gaze. I could feel the shift in the atmosphere as the young wolves processed this information. Their earlier dismissal transformed into wary respect, tinged with curiosity and, from some, a hint of fear.
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“Now,” Ethan continued, his authority filling the space like a physical presence, “I suggest you all prepare for today’s session. I’ll be observing. personally.”
As the trainees scrambled to take their positions, Ethan’s gaze met mine. Something flickered in those forest green depths – an emotion I couldn’t quite name. Recognition? Curiosity?
“Thank you.” I said quietly, pitching my voice for his ears alone, “but I could have handled it.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smile but not quite. “I have no doubt.” His voice was lower now, almost intimate. “But as the facility’s administrator, it’s my responsibility to ensure proper respect is maintained.” He paused, studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. “Your reputation in the human fighting circuit is impressive. Show them why”
