Chapter 35: The Calm Before
The following week passed in a tense, exhausting rhythm.
Training intensified. Elena spent every daylight hour in the clearing, working with mixed groups of wolves — pushing them harder than ever.
She paired traditionalists with younger fighters, forcing them to rely on each other through the pack link.
Her own skills had sharpened dramatically since the claiming; she could now hold a partial shift for nearly an hour while fighting, her movements fluid and precise.
Luke trained alongside her when he could, their synergy through the mate bond serving as a living example.
The pack watched them move together — attacking, defending, anticipating — and slowly, the doubt in many eyes began to fade.
But not all doubt disappeared.
Garrick and a small core of
