Chapter 21
Chapter 21
By the time we drove Through the iron gates, the whole pack territory was awake.
Even though it was still dark, the yard was full of warriors. Some were running toward the training grounds. Others were climbing into black SUVs. Guards shouted orders near the border posts.
The rogue attack had shaken everyone. And maybe it should have. If rogues were bold enough to set a trap this lose to the Alpha King’s pack, then nowhere was truly safe anymore.
Kane stopped the SUV in front of the packhouse. His hands stayed on the steering wheel for a moment, and
hrough the rearview mirror, I saw his tense face. He looked like a man awaiting punishment.
“ Here we are, ” he said quietly.
Behind us, the second SUV pulled up to the entrance. Through the window, I watched Jessie and Tessa get out of
he car and wait for me by the packhouse entrance, but I stayed frozen in my seat.
My body hurt. My hands were scratched. My legs ached. But that wasn’t why I couldn’t move.
I was thinking about the forest. The rogues. The way they had dragged me out of the car and into the dark woods, while I couldn’t do a thing to protect myself.
Before I could lose my nerve, I spoke up.
‘ Kane? ”
He looked at me in the mirror. “ Yes? ”
My fingers tightened around the edge of the seat. “ I want you to train me. ”
He blinked. “ What? ”
I forced the words out before fear could stop me.
ľ
“ I want to learn how to defend myself. Today proved something. ” I leaned in a little closer. “ Liam mentioned
you’re one of the best warriors in the pack. If anyone can teach me, it’s you. ”
My voice shook, but I didn’t stop. “ I’m weak. I don’t know how to fight. I don’t want to be helpless anymore. ”
Kane turned in his seat slowly. He just looked at me for a long moment.
I swallowed hard.
“ Please, ” I whispered. “ Teach me how to fight. ”
His expression softened, but then he sighed heavily.
“ Emily … I’d help you if I could. But our pack doesn’t train females. It’s not how things are done here. ”
12:23 pm
PPP
I had expected that answer. My – old, pack had been the same. Girls cooked. Girls cleaned. Girls smiled. Girls stayed behind white men held weapons and made decisions. But I didn’t want to accept that anymore.
“ Then make it private, ” I said quickly. “ Just a few lessons. Nothing official. ”
Kane frowned. “ I don’t know if that’s a good idea. ”
But he didn’t say no.
Nyx stirred inside my head. “ Keep going. ”
“ Please. Just the basics. A few hours a week. Enough so I can run, block, hit back … anything. ”
Kane looked away, rubbing a hand over his jaw. Then he sighed again.
“ I can’t promise anything, ” he said. “ But I’ll speak to Alpha Nathan and Alpha King Garrett. If they approve it, I’ll
rain you myself. ”
“ Thank you, ” I whispered.
Kane nodded once. “ Don’t thank me yet. ”
I finally opened the car door and stepped out. Jessie and Tessa walked up to me right away.
“ Finally, you’re out, ” Jessie said with a tired groan. “ What a night. You guys do whatever you want, but I’m going ome. I need to get in the shower and wash off this whole rogue encounter. ” She looked at me and smiled faintly.
‘ But I’m just glad we got to celebrate your birthday, Emily,
る 。
“ My birthday was last week, ” I reminded her softly.
“ Doesn’t matter, ” Jessie shrugged.
Tessa nodded in agreement, looking over my messy clothes. “ Emily, you look awful. You should be in bed. ”
“ That’s exactly where I’m going, ” I said.
Jessie waved and headed home, while Tessa and I walked into the packhouse together.
She went up to the third floor, and I headed to my room on the second. A few minutes later, I was back in the
oom I shared with Poppy.
The moment she saw me, her eyes went wide.
“ Oh my Moon Goddess, Emily. ”
“ I’m fine, ” I said automatically.
“ You are absolutely not fine. ” She rushed toward me, her hands hovering like she didn’t know where to touch first. “ You look like you fought a tree and lost. ”
I almost smiled. “ Technically, the tree attacked first. ”
12:23 pm
ppp
Poppy gave me a horrified look. “ That is not funny.
“ It was a little funny.
“ No. Sit down. ” She pointed at the bed. “ I’m getting Doctor Reed. ”
“ It’s late, ” I protested. “ You worked in the clinic. Maybe you can just check me? ”
Poppy’s face hardened in a way I didn’t expect. “ I’m just an intern. I can check a fever. I can help with bandages.
But those cuts need proper cleaning, and that side of yours looks bad. ”
She grabbed her cardigan from the chair.
“ Stay here. Don’t move. ” Then she ran out before I could argue.
I sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at my hands. Small cuts covered my palms and knuckles. Dirt still lung to my nails. My dress was ruined. Nathan’s leather jacket, now dry enough to smell like cedar and pine, was olded carefully over my lap.
‘ You’re still mine to protect. ‘ His voice echoed in my head, low and possessive. ‘ Mine. ‘
The word should have scared me. Instead, it warmed something deep inside me. I hated that. I hated that one
vord from him could still make my heart forget every cruel thing he had said before.
The door opened, and Doctor Reed stepped inside with Poppy right behind him. He was calm, with tired eyes and medical bag in one hand. The sharp scent of medicine followed him into the room, mixed with something clean
ind minty.
“ Good evening, Emily, ” he said gently. “ May I sit? ”
I nodded. He pulled a chair closer, opened his bag, and put on a pair of gloves.
“ We’ve got to stop meeting like this, Emily, ” Doctor Reed said with a small, sympathetic look. “ I’m going to listen o your lungs first, then check for bruising and open wounds. After that, we’ll clean everything properly. ”
“ Okay, ” I whispered.
He worked carefully. Poppy stayed beside him the whole time, handing him gauze, cotton, ointment, and clean ools. She looked pale every time he cleaned a deeper cut, but she didn’t leave.
The worst injuries were on my arms and legs. A few needed stitches. I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, but I lidn’t cry. Not once.
When Reed finished, he handed me a small jar of ointment.
“ You have a bruised side and a small hematoma here, ” he said, pointing gently. “ Use this three times a day. Don’t
rub too hard. ”
I nodded. He placed two pills on the small table by the window.
“ These will help you sleep. After what happened tonight, your body needs rest. ”
-Poppy crossed her arms. “ And she will take them. ”
I gave her a tired look.
“ Get some sleep, Emily. No stress tonight. ” Doctor Reed smiled faintly as he packed his bag.
After he left, Poppy stood over me until I took the pills.
The moment my head touched the pillow, a quiet knock sounded at the door.
“ Who is that at this hour? ” Poppy frowned.
Before either of us could answer, the door swung open, and Nathan walked in. His gaze swept over me, taking in
he fresh bandages, bruises, and stitches on my arms. His jaw clenched.
“ Does it hurt? ” he asked, his voice rough.
I blinked, trying to pull the blanket up to my chin. “ I’ve had worse. ”
He didn’t believe me for a second. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he turned his attention to Poppy. “ Make sure
Reed checks her again first thing tomorrow. ”
Poppy nodded right away.
P
He looked back at me. I hadn’t even realized I was shivering until he stared down at my trembling hands.
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “ Don’t ever scare me like that again. ”
Before I could say anything, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.
I expected to be up all night, but the pills worked. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.
When I woke, the room was flooded with warm morning light. For a split second, it felt amazing – just me, the sun › n my skin, and the quiet room.
But the moment I tried to roll over, my body remembered everything before my mind could even catch up – the hands grabbing me, the dark forest, the red eyes.
I sat up too quickly, my heart hammering. But then I saw Poppy fast asleep in her bed, snoring softly under the
> ale curtains.
Nearby, Nathan’s jacket was folded over the chair. I was safe in the packhouse.
My muscles ached, but I couldn’t just lie here. Not after yesterday. Not after asking Kane to train me. I was ready to stop being the girl who needed saving every single time.
I washed up quietly, changed into clean clothes, and carefully rubbed Reed’s ointment over the bruise on my side.
Then I went to the kitchen.
12:23 pm
PPP
The kitchen was already warm and buzzing. At least twenty wolves moved around with practiced speed, working in perfect sync. Steam rose from massive pots, and the scent of baking bread filled the air. They were everywhere chopping vegetables, carrying heavy trays, and setting out breakfast for the entire pack.
Dorothy looked me over the second I stepped inside. She pushed a bowl of apples toward me.
“ Do you know how to make an Apple Pie? ” she asked.
I stared at the pile of fruit, a wave of panic hitting me.
“ No, I don’t, ” I admitted quickly.
Dorothy smiled. “ Then just peel them and chop them up, sweetheart. I’ll handle the dough. ”
“ I can do that. ”
So I sat at the counter with a knife and a bowl, peeling apples while the kitchen slowly filled with more people.
At first, they looked at me with curiosity. Then someone asked if I had really been in the rogue attack. Someone
Ise asked if Nathan had really carried me into a lake.
My face burned so hot I nearly dropped the knife. A few girls giggled. A young warrior choked on his drink.
Dorothy told everyone to stop gossiping and work faster, but even she looked like she was hiding a smile.
All that attention should have made me uncomfortable, but instead, it felt strange. Warm, even. Like I actually elonged here.
www
By breakfast, the dining hall was full. Tessa, Jessie, and Poppy sat beside me. The long tables were piled with lates, and everyone was eating while talking way too fast, still buzzing from last night.
Then the doors opened. The whole dining hall went quiet.
Alpha King Garrett entered with Luna Meredyth at his side. Everyone stood at once and bowed their heads. Garrett’s presence filled the room like a storm held behind glass. Controlled. Heavy. Impossible to ignore.
“ Sit, ” he commanded.
We sat. His eyes swept over the pack.
“ As many of you already know, last night, rogues crossed into our territory and attacked a royal convoy. ”
A wave of whispers moved through the hall. Garrett’s expression didn’t change.
“ They came closer than they have ever dared before. That will not happen again. ” His voice dropped lower. “ From his day forward, border patrols will be doubled. All male warriors will report for additional training. No one leaves he pack without my direct permission. ”
The hall went completely still.
“ Rogues are no longer acting like scattered drifters. They are organized. They are watching. And they are
12:23 pm hunting p>
PPP
A cold shiver ran through me. Hunting. Nathan’s words from last night came back to me. ‘ They are looking for the Bext buna. My hands tightened in my lap.
Luna Meredyth stepped forward.
“ And there is one more change, ” she said. Every face turned to her. “ Starting tomorrow, every female in this pack over the age of fifteen will begin defense training. ”
For a stunned second, nobody moved. Then the female side of the hall erupted. Gasps. Whispers. Shocked
aughter. A few girls applauded.
Meredyth’s smile grew soft but proud.
“ I know this is not our tradition, ” she continued. “ But tradition means nothing if it leaves half our pack unable to
rotect themselves. ”
My heart skipped a beat. Beside me, Poppy grabbed my arm. Jessie’s mouth fell open.
Tessa whispered, “ No way. ”
Alpha King Garrett nodded once. “ Training starts tomorrow. ”
The doors opened. Liam walked in, with Nathan right behind him and Stella at his side.
She was walking so close to him that her shoulder brushed his, her hand looped tightly, almost possessively, hrough his arm. She looked up at him, saying something with a low, private smile that made my chest tighten.
His expression was unreadable, but he didn’t pull away. He just let her hang on him.
An icy knot twisted in my stomach. He’d been in my room just hours ago, whispering how I’d scared him – and low, she was the one holding him.
As they reached the front of the room, Nathan stepped up beside his father, Alpha King Garrett. His dark eyes wept over the crowded tables, scanning the faces, until his gaze locked onto me.
Next Chapter
Chapter 22
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Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.