The Huntress Luna

Chapter 15 The Alpha's Shadow

Arya's POV

I still pondered on what occurred between Kyle and I the other day. I headed towards the training grounds. Kyle was already there. He simply walked towards me like a silent storm, his eyes already fixed on mine. And even though none of us spoke, the weight of his new rules pressed on me like invisible chains.

Staying close to him. Not stepping into restricted zones. He claimed he was trying to protect me, but the truth remained that he didn't trust me.

The sun was already burning high and casting dark shadows of the warriors that gathered. As soon as Kyle stepped forward, the noise disappeared. Dozens of eyes moved from him...to me.

Whispers and hushes followed. Hands covering their mouths to speak. Who was I to walk with the Alpha like this? The outsider? Why does he keep me close?

Their stares pierced through my skin. I forced myself to look straight ahead.

Kyle stepped infront of me. "You'll train with me today."

A few warriors exchanged glances.

"But she's still wounded," Kaden spoke up suddenly, trying to defend me.

Kyle didn't even flinch. "She can handle it."

I clenched my jaw. He wasn't giving me a choice. But if this was a test, I wasn't going to fail.

Kyle tossed me a practice blade. The handle hit into my palm harder than expected.

"Get ready."

The air shifted. Warriors stared, some amused, the others curious. Lyria stood near the edge, arms crossed and eyes narrowed like she couldn't wait to fall apart.

He attacked too fast. I was unprepared mentally but steel clanged as I managed to block. But the force shook my bones. My wound screamed for help beneath my bandage.

He didn't flinch. He swiped his blade to my left side, then a kick towards my feet. I jumped back, catching my breath.

"Be alert," he said calmly.

I held the blade tighter and gave his next strike, slashing low. He had strength, but his precision was deadly.

"You're holding back," he growled.

"I'm injured," I snapped.

"That wound didn't stop you from defeating Jagger the other day."

Heat rushed to my neck. He saw. He noticed.

Kyle shifted closer and I felt sparks under my skin. His wolf reached for mine, pulling the thread between us. My breathing became heavy. I didn't want to react. Not now.

I stood up from the group and lunged at him. Slashing the air with strikes and he smiled while dodging each of them like he anticipated my moves.

Kyle's smile ceased immediately when he noticed my bleeding where the bandage had torn and before I could react, he dropped his blade and caught my wrist, disarming me. My blade clashed to the ground.

I tried to pull away from him, but his grip was firm. "You push yourself too hard."

I glared at him. "You're the one pushing."

Kyle's fingers loosened from my wrist, gentler and warmer, as if he realized what just happened.

But the moment ended when someone slowly clapped behind us.

"Well, well, well," she said loudly, "aren't you guys cute? Did the Alpha teach his pet a new trick?"

A ripple of uncontrollable laughter surged through the crowd.

Kyle turned, voice cold. "Enough!"

Lyria ignored him. She looked at me with a wide grin. "You bleed easily, Arya. Why don't you learn to stay out of trouble?"

My chest hurt, a mixture of rage and embarrassment. But I calmed it down.

"I'm okay," I muttered, barely audible.

Kyle looked at the blood seeping through the cloth near my ribs. His expression darkened. "Training is over."

"What? No..." My head snapped. "We don't have to stop. I can..."

He stepped forward, lowering his voice. "You're bleeding badly. You should be resting. It's my fault, I shouldn't have allowed you here again."

Did he just apologize? Like to me, Arya? I felt bad for him, but I didn't want to let my feelings out.

Anyway, the message was clear. He didn't want me to take another hit. He turned Kaden. "Go on without us."

Kaden nodded while Kyle put my arm around his shoulders and led me out into a quieter corridor of the pack house. "You need to tell me when you're hurting."

"No one here cares about that," I snapped without thinking. "They're waiting for me to fail, so they can throw me out."

Kyle's golden gaze turned to me, "Arya. I care."

A chill ran down my spine. I blinked severely and looked away quickly.

We halted at a balcony where we could view the forest. Different trees shone under the sunlight, the wind brushed against the leaves in harmony.

Kyle leaned against the stone railing, gaze fixed at a distance. "You're different from every werewolf I've ever met."

Was this praise or an accusation?

"It's not bad to be different, you know?" I said, folding my arms.

"It is when it endangers you."

A heavy silence fell. Then he looked into my eyes—the intensity piercing through my eye socket.

"I know you're keeping something from me," he said warmly. "But I don't think you want to hurt us."

The space between us was little to none. The wind brushed strands of hair across my face, and Kyle reached out, gently tucking my hair behind my ear.

My fingers twitched. My heart betrayed me, hammering against my chest.

My mate. The wolf inside me stirred, hands reaching out from the cage I kept her in.

I forced myself to move away, breaking the moment. "I should go. Mira will kill me if she sees this wound again."

Kyle lowered his head. Maybe a feeling of disappointment or regret. Or the fear that he was losing control.

He nodded, "I'll have someone take you back."

"I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself," I protested.

"I know," he said firmly. "Until I know what's going on with you, I'm not taking risks."

His way he spoke—protective should have made me angry. But instead my stomach twisted with butterflies.

As I turned to leave, I saw Lyria at the end of the hall, her expression unreadable as she stared at me. Her lips curved slightly, almost into a smile, like she had something in store for me.

Kyle hadn't only put a target on my back by keeping me close. He had put me in the center of a war I didn't fully understand.

And the worst part of it all? A part of me liked it. I wanted to be close to him.

But his shadow wasn't just protection. It was gravity and I was falling.