Chapter 7 – The Alpha Arrives
1071 Words
Chapter 7 – The Alpha Arrives
Snow fell steadily on the Moonborne stronghold, cloaking its stone towers in a veil of silence. In the heart of the training grounds, a fire crackled beneath a raised stone brazier, casting warmth and light across the field. Warriors moved with precision and grace, their weapons carving through the frigid morning air.
Seren stood at the edge, wrapped in a thick fur-lined cloak, her fingers clenched around the hilt of a dull practice blade. Lyra circled her like a predator.
"Again."
Seren swung, slower than she should have. Lyra parried with a flick of her wrist, knocking Seren off balance. She stumbled.
"Your center is too high," Lyra snapped. "And your grip—looser. It’s a sword, not a staff."
"Easy for you to say," Seren muttered, straightening. "You were born for this."
"No one is born ready to fight. We train. We bleed. We fall. Then we rise." Lyra paused. "Do it again."
Seren exhaled and adjusted her stance. Despite the cold, sweat slicked her back beneath her tunic. Her muscles burned, her legs ached, but she welcomed the pain. It kept her grounded. Real.
Each strike, each block, brought focus. It pushed away the nightmares.
The glowing eyes. The blood. The pulse of power that had erupted from her like wildfire.
That terrified her most of all.
"Again," Lyra ordered.
Seren attacked. This time with better footing, angling her strike from the shoulder, following through with her hips. Lyra blocked but nodded with approval.
"Better. Now again. But faster."
They trained for another hour. Seren blocked, rolled, slashed. She fell often. She got back up every time.
---
Kaelen watched from above, standing in the shade of the eastern tower. His golden eyes tracked every movement. Every shift in Seren’s posture, every moment her resolve wavered. She was determined—fiercely so.
But determination didn’t keep you alive. Skill did. Instinct. Control.
He had seen too many good hearts torn apart because they believed courage was enough.
He crossed his arms and turned as a tall male approached, cloaked in black and silver.
"She trains harder than most of the newbloods," the man said.
Kaelen grunted. "She has reason to."
"Still think she should be sent back?"
"That’s not my call anymore."
The man raised an eyebrow. "That’s not like you."
Kaelen said nothing. His gaze returned to the training ring.
---
After two grueling hours, Lyra called it.
Seren dropped to the snow, gasping. Her hands were blistered, her legs shaking. But she felt... lighter. As if something inside her had begun to shift.
Lyra offered her a waterskin. "Not bad. You’ll be bruised tomorrow."
Seren took a deep drink, wiping her mouth. "Can’t wait."
They walked back toward the inner courtyard together. Warriors nodded to Lyra in respect, but more than one gaze flicked to Seren. Measuring. Judging.
She tried not to flinch.
"They're still watching me like I'm a bomb about to go off," Seren murmured.
"Because you are," Lyra said bluntly. "We just don’t know which side you'll land on when you explode."
Seren stopped walking. "That’s comforting."
Lyra sighed. "We’ve seen people change. When magic wakes inside someone who doesn’t know how to use it, it... corrupts."
"I don’t want power. I just want to be safe."
"Then you’d better learn to control it."
They crossed into the central courtyard where children played in the snow, watched by mothers and older warriors. But their games stopped when Seren passed. Eyes followed her.
And then a horn blew.
Sharp. Urgent.
A shout from the gates broke the stillness.
Lyra’s hand flew to her sword. "What now?"
Kaelen emerged from the main hall, already moving toward the noise.
Seren followed.
The gates swung open to reveal two warriors dragging in a bloodied man. Tall, broad, his dark hair matted with snow and blood. He wore armor different from the Moonborne—sleek black metal with crimson runes etched across the chest.
His hands were tied in silver bindings that burned his wrists. He stumbled but remained standing as Kaelen approached.
"We found him half-dead near the old riverbed," one of the warriors said. "Said he’s from the Nightfangs."
Kaelen's face darkened.
"The Nightfangs don’t wander this far north."
The man lifted his head. His eyes were nearly black, his lips split from cold. "Didn’t wander. Sent. Lucien is on the move."
Whispers broke out around the courtyard. Some wolves bared their teeth. Others tensed, eyes widening.
Kaelen stepped forward, his voice low and threatening. "You lie."
"Wish I was."
Kaelen grabbed the front of the man’s armor and pulled him up. "If this is a trick—"
"It’s not. He’s waking the old ones. Buried things. Cursed things. You know the names. You know what’s coming."
Kaelen released him with a growl. The man staggered but didn’t fall.
Lyra stepped in. "Why would Lucien tell you anything?"
"Because he wants the girl."
Every gaze turned toward Seren.
The man’s voice dropped to a whisper. "He’s not the only one. Others are watching the veil. But Lucien thinks she’s the bridge."
Seren took a step back. "The what?"
"The one who can open the way. The one who can end the separation."
Kaelen turned slowly to her. His face was unreadable, but his hands were clenched at his sides.
The man continued, "He won’t stop. He’s gathering power. Magic, monsters, vampires that haven't seen moonlight in centuries. If you keep her here, this place will burn."
"Why are you warning us?" Lyra demanded.
"Because my sister is Moonborne. She lives in the eastern ridge. If he comes, he won’t spare anyone. Not pack, not cubs, not elders."
Kaelen finally nodded to the guards. "Take him to the healers. Watch him. No one else speaks to him unless I say."
As they dragged the man away, Seren looked to Kaelen.
"What does this mean?"
Kaelen's jaw tightened. "It means the hunt has begun. And you're not ready."
"Then help me. Train me."
His golden eyes met hers. "You don’t want my training."
"I want to survive."
He studied her, then finally nodded. "At first light. We begin."
Seren exhaled. Fear and fire warred inside her.
Lyra touched her shoulder. "You just convinced the Alpha to fight for you. That’s no small thing."
But Seren wasn’t sure it would be enough.
Because Lucien was coming.
And she was the key to everything.
- Writer
