CHAPTER5
1239 Words
CHAPTER FIVE
Just like every other day, Elara was awake long before the sun had the chance to rise.
Routine had become second nature to her.
She got out of bed, changed into her workout clothes and headed towards the pack's private gym.
Unlike yesterday, the unfamiliar surroundings didn't bother her as much.
She had come here with a duty to fulfill, and that duty came before everything else.
She spent the next forty-five minutes putting her body through another intense workout.
Every movement was calculated.
Every exercise was completed with the same discipline she had carried for the past ten years.
By the time she finished, the sun had already begun climbing into the sky.
After a quick shower, she changed into her training uniform and made her way to the dining hall.
This morning, Damien joined her and Zendaya for breakfast.
The atmosphere was much lighter than it had been the previous day.
Zendaya filled the conversation with endless stories while Damien occasionally threw in sarcastic comments that earned him playful glares from his mate.
Elara couldn't help but laugh.
For a brief moment, it almost felt like she wasn't inside Riverfront Pack.
Breakfast came to an end, and the three of them headed towards the training grounds together.
Today's schedule was simple.
Combat training.
By the time they arrived, the recruits were already assembled in neat rows.
A few moments later, Kael walked onto the training field.
The atmosphere shifted almost instantly.
The recruits exchanged subtle glances.
Everyone remembered what had happened yesterday.
The argument between their Alpha and Commander Elara was still fresh in their minds.
No one dared mention it.
Neither did they.
Elara carried herself with the same calm professionalism she always had.
She didn't acknowledge yesterday's disagreement.
She gave it no room to repeat itself.
Kael noticed.
Rather than challenge her again, he respected the silent boundary she had drawn between them.
"Today's focus is combat," Elara announced.
"I want everyone paired with someone close to their level."
The recruits quickly found partners.
When it came time to demonstrate, all eyes naturally turned towards Kael.
Instead...
Elara looked at Damien.
"You."
Damien blinked before letting out a small laugh.
"I was wondering when my turn would come."
He stepped into the training circle.
The recruits immediately became excited.
If there was anyone in the pack capable of matching Commander Elara, it was Beta Damien.
They bowed respectfully before taking their positions.
"Ready?" Damien asked.
Elara simply nodded.
The next second...
They charged at each other.
Damien struck first.
A powerful punch aimed directly at her shoulder.
Elara slipped past it effortlessly.
He followed with another.
Then another.
Every attack was met with graceful precision.
She moved like flowing water, avoiding every strike without wasting unnecessary energy.
The recruits watched in complete silence.
Damien wasn't holding back.
Neither was she.
He attempted a sweeping kick.
She jumped over it.
He lunged forward again.
She pivoted around him before landing a clean strike against his ribs.
Damien stumbled backwards but recovered quickly.
A smile spread across his face.
"So this is what everyone's been talking about."
Elara didn't answer.
She simply attacked.
Within moments, Damien found himself flat on his back.
The impact forced the air from his lungs.
For several seconds, he simply stared up at the sky while trying to catch his breath.
A few recruits gasped.
Others looked completely stunned.
Beta Damien...
One of Riverfront's strongest warriors...
Had been defeated.
Elara calmly walked towards him.
Without hesitation, she stretched out her hand.
The very same gesture she offered every opponent she defeated.
No arrogance.
No humiliation.
Only respect.
Damien looked at her before accepting her hand.
She pulled him effortlessly to his feet.
"Well..." he laughed between breaths.
"I definitely deserved that."
A few recruits laughed along with him.
From where he stood, Kael couldn't hide his surprise.
Damien wasn't just his Beta.
He was his brother.
One of the strongest warriors Riverfront had ever produced.
Watching Elara defeat him with such composure reminded Kael just how much she had grown during the past ten years.
She hadn't simply become stronger.
She had become extraordinary.
A short while later, Luna Eliana arrived at the training grounds for one of her routine inspections.
Her eyes swept across the field.
She barely paid attention to the recruits.
Nor did she focus on Elara's remarkable combat skills.
Instead...
She noticed something else entirely.
Kael.
The way he looked at Elara.
Not like an Alpha observing a commander.
Not like a leader evaluating a soldier.
But like a man looking at the woman he had never truly stopped loving.
Her heart tightened.
Without saying a word, she quietly turned around and walked away.
Kael never even noticed she had been there.
Training continued until late afternoon before Elara finally dismissed the recruits.
"You all did well today," she said.
"We continue tomorrow."
As the recruits dispersed, Zendaya quickly caught up with her.
"Come on."
"We're not spending another evening talking about training."
Elara laughed.
"And what exactly are we doing?"
"Shopping."
"And gossiping."
"And pretending we're teenagers again."
Elara rolled her eyes with a smile.
"I should've known."
The rest of the evening disappeared surprisingly quickly.
They wandered through the marketplace.
Browsed a few shops.
Shared old memories.
Laughed over stories that only the two of them understood.
For the first time since arriving at Riverfront Pack, Elara allowed herself to simply enjoy the moment.
Before she knew it...
Dusk had settled over the pack.
She returned to her condo, changed into comfortable pajamas and prepared for another peaceful night.
Across the Pack House...
Kael once again found himself unable to sleep.
Earlier that evening, Eliana had confronted him.
"You were staring at her."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"It's nothing."
His dismissive response only angered her further.
Without another word, she climbed into bed and turned her back towards him.
Silence filled the room.
Kael remained awake.
His eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Against his will...
His thoughts drifted back ten years.
Back to the woods.
Back to the very first day he met Elara.
She had been in her wolf form.
A beautiful honey-brown coat shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Her sharp golden eyes held a wildness that fascinated him from the very first moment.
They hadn't spoken.
They hadn't needed to.
They simply ran.
Through the trees.
Across streams.
Over hills.
Racing each other without a single destination in mind.
He remembered laughing.
He remembered how effortlessly she matched his speed.
He remembered realizing, somewhere between that race and the setting sun...
That he had already fallen for her.
A small smile found its way onto his lips at the memory.
Just as sleep finally began creeping in...
A sharp mind-link echoed through his head.
Kael.
It was Damien.
Conference room. Immediately. We have a situation.
Kael shot upright.
Within minutes, he entered the conference room where Damien, several warriors and a border patrol officer were already waiting.
The officer bowed quickly before speaking.
"Alpha... we've got trouble."
"What happened?"
"Rogues have breached the western perimeter."
The room fell silent.
Kael's expression hardened instantly.
"Send for Commander Elara."
Moments later, Elara entered the conference room.
Damien quickly explained the situation.
She listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she looked directly at Kael.
There was only one conclusion.
Only one plan.
Whether they liked it or not...
They were going to have to work together.
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