Crowned by Fate

Chapter 12: Sparring, Pranks, and Earning Trust

The training grounds buzzed with activity. Wolves ran drills, leapt over obstacles, and sparred in the morning sun. Elara tightened her grip on her water bottle, taking a deep breath.

Kaela approached with a small smirk. “Ready for today?”

Elara nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Kaela’s eyes flicked toward Rylan, who leaned casually against a post, amber eyes following Elara like a hawk. “You’ll want to focus. Rylan doesn’t go easy.”

Elara’s lips pressed together. Good. I don’t want him to.

The sparring began. Rylan lunged first, fast and precise, claws swiping, muscles coiled like springs. Elara shifted smoothly into wolf form, meeting him with her own speed and instinct. Back and forth they went, pivoting, dodging, countering, switching to human form for hand-to-hand maneuvers, then back into wolf to chase and tackle.

By the end of the third round, she staggered slightly, lungs burning, muscles screaming. Panting, she shifted fully back to human and let herself lean against a training post, brushing sweat-matted hair from her face.

Thank the Moon Goddess, she thought with a wry grin. I don’t have to keep shredding clothes every time I shift.

Rylan, catching his breath nearby, laughed softly. “Not bad. You might actually make this interesting.”

Elara smirked. “Took you long enough to notice.”

Lunaris nudged her mind approvingly. You’re learning. Focus. Grow. Adapt.

After a brief break, Kaela led her around the pack grounds. “Let’s cover the rules and the duties. You’ll need them if you want to fit in here.”

Elara listened carefully as Kaela pointed out the dining hall, the library, the gym, and the children’s quarters. “You’ll have your own room and bathroom,” Kaela explained, “but keeping it clean is your responsibility. Same for any shared spaces you use. Help with the children, run errands, assist in training, even small chores in the kitchen—earn your keep, show respect, and the pack will respect you in turn.”

Elara nodded. I’ve been doing all of that my whole life… without anyone noticing.

Kaela chuckled. “You’ll get noticed here. Just… be careful. The new-girl hazing is real.”

Before Elara could ask, a faint fruity scent wafted through the air. She glanced down at her hair—bright streaks of raspberry pink were now visible.

“Oh, come on,” she muttered.

Rylan’s laughter rang out. “Bold choice. Looks… good?”

Elara scowled but couldn’t help a small laugh. “I’ll get them back.”

Kaela smirked. “See? Already learning the pack ways. Take a joke, give a joke.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent in drills, learning routines, and practicing maneuvers under Kaela’s watchful eye. Rylan sparred with her again, this time more measured, almost testing her, rather than trying to overpower. She noticed a subtle shift in his demeanor—respect replacing mockery, curiosity replacing challenge.

By evening, Elara returned to her quarters, muscles sore but heart light. The pink streaks in her hair still glimmered in the fading light, a silly reminder that she was finally part of this pack, earning her place step by step.

And somewhere in the back of her mind, she allowed herself a small, cautious thought: maybe there could be more to life than solitude.