CHAPTER SIX: LEARNING TO BARE HER TEETH
1056 Words
The training grounds lay beyond the eastern ridge, carved into stone and scarred by centuries of blood and discipline.
Seraphina felt it the moment she stepped onto the cracked earth—this place had swallowed screams. Victory. Failure. Bones.
The air was sharp with iron and pine.
Kael walked ahead of her, silent, his presence commanding the early-morning mist to part like it feared him. He had not spoken since the night before—not after promising to teach her how to survive wolves.
Not after she’d realized what that promise would cost.
“You can still turn back,” he said suddenly, without looking at her.
She stopped walking.
“Is that a test?” she asked.
He turned slowly.
“No,” Kael replied. “It’s a warning.”
Seraphina met his gaze, heart pounding. “Then you should already know my answer.”
His eyes searched her face—perhaps for fear, hesitation, regret.
He found none.
“Good,” he said quietly. “Because once we start, you don’t get to quit.”
They entered the grounds.
Dozens of warriors were already there—training in pairs, sparring, shifting between human and wolf with brutal efficiency. The sound of fists meeting flesh echoed across the stone basin.
Every head turned when Kael stepped in.
Every movement slowed.
And when they saw Seraphina at his side—
Whispers ignited.
She ignored them.
Kael led her to the center of the grounds and stopped.
“You are not here as my mate,” he said clearly, voice carrying. “You are not here as a guest.”
The wolves stilled.
“You are here,” he continued, “because you want to live.”
Seraphina straightened. “I do.”
Kael nodded once.
“Then listen carefully,” he said. “Wolves respect only two things—strength and consequence.”
He circled her slowly.
“You don’t have the first,” he said bluntly. “So we will build the second.”
A few wolves smirked.
Seraphina clenched her jaw.
Kael stopped in front of her.
“Lesson one,” he said. “Never lower your eyes.”
A warrior stepped forward.
Broad. Scarred. Smiling cruelly.
“This is Reth,” Kael said. “He’s going to test you.”
Reth’s grin widened. “With pleasure.”
Kael took a step back.
Seraphina’s pulse thundered.
“What kind of test?” she asked.
Reth answered by lunging.
She barely had time to scream before his shoulder slammed into her chest, sending her crashing onto the stone. Pain exploded through her spine.
Laughter rippled.
Reth loomed over her. “That’s what weakness looks like.”
Seraphina gasped, scrambling to rise—
“Stay down,” Kael ordered sharply.
She froze.
“Look at him,” Kael said. “Feel the humiliation. Burn it into your bones.”
Reth crouched, mocking. “You should’ve stayed in silk, little Vale.”
Something snapped.
Seraphina surged to her feet and slapped him.
The sound cracked across the grounds.
Silence fell.
Reth stared at her, stunned—then furious.
Kael’s eyes flared.
“Good,” he murmured.
Reth growled and swung.
This time, Seraphina moved.
Not well. Not gracefully.
But she ducked.
His fist grazed her shoulder instead of her face. She stumbled, pivoted, and shoved him back with everything she had.
He laughed. “That all you—”
She grabbed a fistful of dirt and flung it into his eyes.
Gasps erupted.
Reth roared, blinded, staggering back.
Seraphina didn’t wait.
She drove her knee into his stomach and bolted.
Kael’s voice rang out. “Enough.”
Reth collapsed to one knee, coughing.
The wolves stared at her—no longer amused.
Kael approached her slowly.
“You fought dirty,” he said.
She wiped blood from her lip. “I fought to win.”
A slow, dangerous smile curved his mouth.
“Exactly.”
He turned to the watching wolves.
“Remember this,” Kael said. “She doesn’t fight like us. That makes her unpredictable.”
His gaze snapped back to Seraphina.
“And unpredictable gets wolves killed.”
Training didn’t stop there.
It only got worse.
He taught her how to read body language—how a twitch of a shoulder signaled attack, how a lowered chin meant dominance, how silence could be more dangerous than a growl.
She fell.
She bled.
She rose again.
Every bruise was earned.
Kael watched her relentlessly—correcting, commanding, pushing.
“Again.”
“Faster.”
“Don’t hesitate.”
At one point, exhaustion overtook her. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, breath ragged.
Kael was there instantly.
He crouched, hands hovering again—always hovering.
“Get up,” he said quietly.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“Yes, you can.”
Her vision blurred. “Why are you doing this?”
His jaw clenched.
“Because if you stand beside me,” he said, “you cannot be fragile.”
Something raw flickered between them.
She forced herself up.
They trained until the sun climbed high.
Until her muscles screamed and her vision swam.
Finally, Kael called a halt.
“Enough for today.”
She sagged.
He turned to the wolves. “Leave us.”
They didn’t hesitate.
When they were alone, Kael stepped closer.
“You did well,” he said.
The praise stunned her.
“Reth will think twice before touching you again,” he continued. “So will the others.”
She exhaled shakily. “And Nyra?”
His eyes darkened. “Nyra will escalate.”
“Then so will I,” Seraphina said.
He studied her for a long moment.
“You are changing,” he said.
She met his gaze. “So are you.”
The bond stirred—quiet, potent.
Kael looked away first.
“We’re done,” he said. “Go rest.”
She took a step—then paused.
“Kael?”
He turned.
“Thank you,” she said.
Something unreadable crossed his face.
“This doesn’t mean I accept the bond,” he said.
She nodded. “I know.”
But as she walked away, she felt his gaze linger—heavy, conflicted, dangerous.
From the shadows above, unseen eyes watched them both.
And far beyond the training grounds, Nyra smiled.
- Writer
