CHAPTER4
1305 Words
CHAPTER FOUR
Elara had always been an early riser.
Long before the first rays of sunlight painted the sky, she was already awake.
Some habits were impossible to break.
For the past ten years, her mornings had followed the exact same routine.
Wake up.
Train.
Shower.
Work.
It was predictable, disciplined and, above all else, peaceful.
She slipped into her workout clothes, tied her hair into a neat ponytail and quietly left her condo, making her way towards the pack's private gym.
Everything still felt unfamiliar.
The hallways.
The scent of the pack.
Even the silence.
None of it belonged to her.
She preferred training alone.
The gym had always been her escape, the one place where her thoughts couldn't catch up with her.
The clang of weights and the burn in her muscles always drowned out memories she didn't care to revisit.
Luckily, she was the only person there.
Today's workout was the one she dreaded every single week.
Leg day.
She sighed dramatically as she stopped in front of the squat rack.
"There goes my ability to walk tomorrow."
Despite the complaint, she got to work.
Heavy squats.
Romanian deadlifts.
Hip thrusts.
Cable kickbacks.
Bulgarian split squats.
Each exercise pushed her body a little further than the last.
By the second set, her thighs were already burning.
By the third, every movement demanded more determination than the previous one.
Sweat rolled freely down her forehead, soaked through her training shirt and dripped onto the rubber floor beneath her.
Her legs trembled.
Her breathing became uneven.
Still...
She kept going.
Pain never intimidated her.
She had lived through far worse than sore muscles.
Every rep reminded her why she trained so hard.
A commander couldn't afford weakness.
Neither could a warrior.
She welcomed the burn, knowing that every ounce of discomfort today meant she would become even stronger tomorrow.
Before she could even realize how much time had passed, golden rays of sunlight slowly began pouring through the large gym windows.
She glanced towards them before checking the time on her phone.
Forty-five minutes.
Done.
She smiled to herself.
Not bad.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel before leaving the gym and heading back to her condo.
A long shower washed away the exhaustion from her workout.
She changed into her black training uniform, neatly packed her hair away and made her way towards the dining hall.
Breakfast was already being served.
The smell of freshly toasted bread, brewed coffee and sizzling bacon filled the room.
Her eyes immediately found Zendaya and Damien sitting together.
Zendaya waved enthusiastically the moment she spotted her.
"Over here!"
Elara couldn't help but smile.
She walked over and took the empty seat between them.
Without hesitation, she filled her plate with toast, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans, a handful of mixed berries and a large cup of black coffee.
Zendaya raised an eyebrow.
"Still eating enough to feed a small army?"
Elara picked up a piece of toast.
"I earned every bite."
Damien chuckled.
"I believe her."
"I watched her demolish three grown warriors during training yesterday," he added jokingly.
"They survived," Elara replied.
"Barely."
The three of them laughed.
For a few brief moments...
Everything felt normal.
Like she wasn't inside the pack she had once called home.
Like the last ten years had never happened.
Then she felt it.
Someone was watching her.
The feeling crawled across her skin.
She slowly lifted her eyes.
Across the dining hall sat Luna Eliana.
Their eyes met.
The Luna didn't look away.
If anything...
Her stare only became colder.
There was no warmth.
No curiosity.
Only open dislike.
Elara shifted slightly in her chair before quietly returning to her breakfast.
She wasn't here to compete with anyone.
She wasn't here to make enemies.
Nor was she here to make friends.
She was here to do her job.
Nothing more.
Once breakfast was over, she excused herself and made her way towards the training grounds.
As she walked through the pack, whispers followed wherever she went.
"That's her..."
"The Alpha's former mate."
"I heard she became one of the strongest commanders in the kingdom."
"I can't believe she's actually back."
Some wolves looked at her with sympathy.
Others looked at her with judgment.
A few openly glared as though her mere presence offended them.
Elara ignored every single one.
People would always talk.
They always had.
She reminded herself why she was here.
This assignment wasn't personal.
It was a royal order from the Wolf King and Queen.
The sooner it was completed...
The sooner she could leave.
By the time she arrived, the recruits were already assembled.
Kael stood at the front of the field.
The moment he noticed her, he stepped forward.
"Everyone."
"This is Commander Elara."
"She'll be overseeing your training during the next few weeks."
"I expect every one of you to give her the same respect you give me."
The recruits nodded immediately.
No one questioned him.
Kael stepped aside, silently handing the field over to her.
Elara walked to the front.
Her posture was calm.
Confident.
Commanding.
Without raising her voice, she immediately had everyone's attention.
"Discipline wins battles long before swords ever cross."
"If you're waiting for talent to save you..."
"It won't."
"You'll earn every improvement through consistency."
She briefly explained the training procedures she had presented during yesterday's meeting.
Morning endurance drills.
Weapons training.
Combat strategy.
Team formations.
Leadership exercises.
Recovery sessions.
By the time she finished, every recruit understood exactly what was expected of them.
"Good," she said.
"Then let's begin."
Today's first session focused entirely on weapons.
The recruits spread across the training ground, each choosing the weapon they felt most comfortable using.
Some picked swords.
Others reached for bows.
A handful preferred spears.
Elara walked calmly towards the shooting range.
She picked up a handgun.
Checked the magazine.
Loaded it.
Checked the chamber.
Took one slow breath.
Raised the weapon.
Bang.
Bull's-eye.
Bang.
Bull's-eye.
Bang.
Bull's-eye.
Every shot landed perfectly in the center of the target.
Not a single bullet missed.
The recruits exchanged impressed glances.
Some couldn't hide their amazement.
Even Kael found himself staring.
She hadn't lost her precision.
If anything...
She had become even better.
A small part of him admired her.
Then the Alpha in him took over.
He stepped closer.
"Your stance is slightly too forward."
Elara lowered the gun and looked at him.
"My stance is exactly where it needs to be."
"You'll get better recoil control if—"
"I don't have a recoil problem."
Kael frowned.
"I'm only trying to help."
"I don't need help."
A few recruits exchanged nervous looks.
The tension between them was becoming impossible to ignore.
Kael reached towards the handgun.
"Try adjusting your grip."
Elara immediately pulled it back.
"I said I don't need correcting."
His expression hardened.
"I'm the Alpha of this pack."
"And I'm the commander personally assigned by the Royals."
Silence.
The entire training ground froze.
"You requested an experienced commander."
"You got one."
"So either trust me to do my job..."
"...or train them yourself."
Not a single person dared to breathe.
Kael stared at her.
This wasn't the timid young woman he had rejected ten years ago.
She no longer lowered her eyes.
She no longer searched his face for approval.
She stood her ground.
Confidently.
Fearlessly.
She had become sharper.
Stronger.
Far more refined than he had ever imagined.
For the first time...
Kael truly understood just how much she had changed.
Winning her back was never going to be easy.
It would probably become the hardest battle of his life.
Yet somehow...
Looking at the woman standing before him, he realized something with absolute certainty.
She was still everything he had ever wanted.
And this time...
He wasn't willing to lose her again.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD