The walk back from the training pits was quiet, the heavy thud of our boots echoing against the stone corridors. My muscles were starting to protest the morning’s exertion, a dull ache beginning to settle into my limbs that even my wolf’s stamina couldn't entirely mask. Demetrius walked beside me, his presence a steady, grounding weight that kept the lingering adrenaline from turning into a crash.
"We need to get cleaned up," he said, his voice regaining that smooth, relaxed cadence now that the intensity of the pit was behind us. "Adam should have finished your wardrobe while you were away at the marsh. He’s been eager to show you the results since we stepped back through the gates."
I smiled, the thought of the eccentric tailor a welcome distraction from the looming shadow of my fath
