The memory of Jaden's face as he rejected me sent a stab of pain through my chest, sharper than the cold. The memory of how he had labeled me a criminal in a pack I had worked hard for to help build by his side.
But unlike before, it didn't weaken me. It fueled me. The anger warmed my blood, pushing back against the icy grip of the river.
I kicked harder, my arms cutting through the water with purpose. I wasn't just swimming to complete some training exercise. I was swimming to prove something to Darius, to his squad, to myself. That I wouldn't break. That I was worthy. That I was strong.
To my surprise, I found myself pulling ahead of the others, my body finding a rhythm that seemed to work with the current rather than against it. My wolf was fully awake now, lending me her strength an
