Chapter 10
1925 Words
_Aria’s POV_
The next morning, I was pulled from sleep by a loud knock on my door.
At first, I thought I was dreaming, so I buried my face deeper into the pillow and tried to ignore it. I hoped that whoever was disturbing me at such an awful hour would eventually give up. Unfortunately, the knocking came again a few seconds later, sharper and more insistent.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A groan escaped my lips. Who on earth was knocking on my door at this time?
Reluctantly, I forced one eye open and reached for the clock beside my bed. The moment I saw the time, I froze.
It was five in the morning. I stared at it. Surely that couldn’t be right. It was too early.
Another knock sounded before I could convince myself that the clock was broken.
“Aria.”
I instantly recognized the voice. It was Rowan. My eyes widened. Why was Rowan awake at five in the morning? And more importantly, why was he waking me up?
Dragging myself out of bed felt like the hardest task in the world. My limbs barely cooperated, my eyes refused to stay open and my brain felt like it was still asleep. Somehow, I managed to shuffle to the door and pull it open.
Rowan stood in the hallway with his arms crossed. He looked far too awake for someone who had chosen violence at five a.m.
The moment his eyes landed on me, amusement flashed across his face.
I frowned immediately. “What?”
His smile widened. “You look terrible.”
“Good morning to you too,” I muttered.
“You look half asleep.”
“I am half asleep.”
His gaze swept over my messy hair and wrinkled clothes. “Actually, I think three quarters asleep would be more accurate.”
I glared at him. Rowan looked entirely too pleased with himself.
“What do you want?” I asked flatly.
“Training.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Training.”
For a few seconds, I simply stared at him. Then I slowly started closing the door. Unfortunately, Rowan slid his hand between the door and the frame. The door bounced back open.
“Nice try,” he said calmly.
I sighed. “Why?”
His expression shifted slightly. “Because you need to learn how to defend yourself.”
That woke me up a little. “What do you mean?”
Rowan folded his arms. “This mansion isn’t as safe as you think.”
My brows pulled together. “The rogues?”
“Among other things,” he said.
The teasing version of him was gone now. In its place stood the Alpha. He was calm, controlled and serious.
“We live in the middle of a forest,” he continued. “We’ve been attacked before.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Attacked?”
“Several times.”
I stared at him but he didn’t flinch.
“The people here are safer now because they know how to fight. They’ve trained for years. They know how to protect themselves.”
His gaze settled on me. “You don’t.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
“You won’t always have someone around to save you, Aria.”
The memory of the rogue attack flashed through my mind. I remembered how I had felt; the fear, the helplessness and the certainty that I was going to die.
My stomach twisted.
Rowan watched me for a moment before speaking again. “I don’t want you to be unable to defend yourself in case of an attack.”
Something warm tightened in my chest. I wasn’t used to anyone sounding like that. Rowan really cared about me.
Finally, I nodded. “Fine.”
A satisfied smile appeared on his face. “Good.”
I pointed back toward my room. “I need a few minutes.”
“You have ten.”
I blinked. “Ten?”
“Nine now.”
I groaned. “You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
He turned and started walking away. “Dining room in ten minutes.”
I sighed. “Yes, Alpha.”
His laughter echoed down the hallway.
_________
Breakfast passed surprisingly quickly. Most of the pack members were already awake, which I couldn’t understand at all. I, on the other hand, felt like a walking corpse. Several people looked far too amused by my exhaustion.
Even Clara chuckled when she saw me. “You look miserable.”
“I am miserable.”
Across the table, Rowan looked annoyingly energetic.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “How are you awake?”
“I woke up.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It worked for me.”
I wanted to throw something at him...maybe bread. Unfortunately, he looked like the kind of person who could dodge it effortlessly.
When breakfast ended, Rowan led me outside toward the training grounds.
The morning air was cool and crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. Sunlight filtered through the trees and dozens of people were already training in the clearing.
Some trained with weapons. Others ran drills. A few were already running laps around the field. The sight alone made me regret every decision that had led me here.
Rowan noticed immediately. “You’re thinking about running away.”
“No.”
“You are.”
“Maybe a little.”
His laugh earned him another glare. When we reached the center of the field, Rowan stopped and turned to me.
“Since this is your first day, I’ll train you myself.”
My eyes widened. “Personally?”
“Try not to sound so scared.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You should be.”
I crossed my arms. “I already regret this.”
“Excellent.”
“Why is that excellent?”
“Because training hasn’t even started yet.”
I groaned.
________
For the next hour, Rowan taught me basic defensive movements. He explained how to stand properly and how to move swiftly and avoid attacks.
At first, it seemed simple enough. Then I actually tried it. Everything immediately fell apart. My balance was terrible. My coordination was worse. Several times, Rowan had to catch me before I fell flat on my face.
“Again.”
I shot him a glare. “I’ve done this twenty times.”
“Then twenty-one won’t hurt.”
“My legs disagree.”
“Your legs don’t get a vote.”
I stared at him. “Do you enjoy torturing people?”
“Only specific people.”
“That’s concerning.”
His grin widened. “You’re doing better.”
I snorted. “You’re lying.”
“I’m encouraging you.”
“Same thing.”
To my surprise, Rowan laughed. For a moment, I found myself staring at him before quickly looking away. Something about that laugh made my heart beat slightly faster.
I ignored it.
After another half hour, I was completely exhausted. Sweat clung to my skin and every muscle in my body ached. Rowan, meanwhile, looked like he hadn’t even broken a sweat.
“How are you not tired?” I asked.
“I’ve had practice.”
“How old were you when you started training?”
A strange expression crossed his face. “Very young.”
Something about his tone told me not to push further. Before I could ask anything else, Rowan stepped behind me. My heart jumped for no reason at all.
“What are you doing?” I asked quickly.
“Fixing your stance.”
His voice was closer than it should have been....too close. His hand gently adjusted my shoulder, then repositioned my arm.
“Like this.”
The warmth of his touch sent a strange flutter through my stomach. I hated that reaction.
“There,” he said quietly. “Better.”
“Right,” I managed.
Neither of us moved immediately.
For a brief moment, the air between us felt different. It was charged in a way that I couldn’t explain. Then Rowan stepped back. And just like that, it disappeared.
I wasn’t sure whether I felt relieved or disappointed. That realization annoyed me more than anything.
_______
Training continued for another hour. Unfortunately, my body had already reached its limit, even if I refused to admit it. Later, this turned out to be a big mistake.
While attempting another drill, my foot slipped. Pain exploded through my ankle. I cried out as the ground rushed toward me. But before I hit it, strong arms caught me.
“Aria.”
Rowan’s voice was sharp with concern.
I winced. “My ankle.”
Several trainees stopped immediately. Daniel rushed over.
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know yet,” Rowan said.
I tried to stand, but the moment weight touched my foot, pain shot up my leg.
“Definitely not okay,” I muttered.
Rowan sighed. “I told you not to push yourself.”
I looked away. That was not what I needed to hear. A small cut on my leg had begun to bleed and Rowan noticed instantly.
Without hesitation, he pulled his shirt over his head. For a second, my brain stopped functioning entirely. Several women nearby suddenly found the training field very interesting. I couldn’t blame them.
Rowan was…..attractive. He was handsome and well built.
He knelt and wrapped his shirt around my leg carefully. That was when I saw it. My eyes locked onto his chest. There was a scar. But it was not just any scar.
Five jagged lines stretched across his skin, forming a rough and unnatural shape....almost like a pentagon. The scar was darker than the rest of his skin, with uneven edges that looked strangely deliberate, as though someone had carved the symbol into his chest long ago.
It looked wrong....and ancient. Before I could think, I reached out. My fingertips brushed it. Rowan froze. There was a sudden change in his expression; he was shocked.
My breath caught. “What is this?”
The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Silence stretched between us. Then Rowan grabbed my wrist. He moved too fast.
He pulled my hand away and immediately covered the scar with his palm, as though hiding it from the world.
Something in my chest tightened. “Rowan…”
His jaw clenched. Fear flickered in his eyes. And then it vanished. Like it had never been there at all.
“Jane.”
A woman nearby looked up. “Yes?”
“Help Aria back to the mansion.”
Jane immediately stepped forward.
Daniel followed. “We’ll get her inside.”
Rowan stood. When he looked at me again, his expression was completely unreadable.
“What about you?” I asked.
“I have work to do.”
Before I could say anything else, he turned and walked away. I watched him go. Something wasn’t right. His reaction. None of it made sense.
Jane helped me toward the mansion but my thoughts refused to settle.
What was that mark on his chest?
As we reached the edge of the training grounds, I looked back one last time. Rowan stood alone in the distance with one hand still pressed over the scar. His posture was rigid.
A shiver ran through me. Because for the first time since meeting him, I wasn’t wondering if Rowan was hiding a secret.
I was certain of it.
The only question was how dangerous that secret truly was.
- Writer
