Chapter 9:The awakening
1095 Words
The night was far from over.
Selena’s breath came in shallow gasps as she stared at the space where the Vipers had disappeared. Their leader’s final words echoed in her mind—We will have her.
She had just made herself a target in a war she didn’t understand. And worse, she had proven to them that she was something worth fighting for.
Damian’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. “Inside. Now.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond, gripping her wrist and pulling her toward the house. His touch was firm but not rough, his warmth grounding her in a way she didn’t expect.
Selena let him lead her, her legs moving on instinct. Around them, the pack was regrouping, their expressions a mixture of awe, confusion, and concern.
Inside, the house was wrecked—shattered glass, overturned furniture, claw marks gouged into the walls. The metallic scent of blood lingered in the air.
Sophia shut the door behind them, her expression unreadable. “So,” she said, crossing her arms. “That was quite the display.”
Selena swallowed hard. “I don’t even know what I did.”
Xander whistled low, leaning against a broken table. “You threw a wolf across the damn clearing, sweetheart. Without even touching him.”
Selena hugged herself, the memory of that surge of power still burning through her veins. “It just… happened.”
Damian exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. His usual cold composure was cracking, frustration creeping through. “It means you need control. Fast.”
Sophia tilted her head. “She needs training.”
Selena’s stomach twisted. Training. Control. None of this felt real. “What if I can’t?” she asked, hating how small her voice sounded.
Damian’s golden eyes locked onto hers. “Then you’ll die.”
The room went silent.
Selena’s hands clenched into fists. She didn’t need sugarcoating, but the bluntness of his words hit hard. “You really know how to motivate a girl.”
Damian sighed. “I’m not trying to scare you—”
“You don’t have to try.”
The weight of everything crashed down on her. A few days ago, she was just… normal. Now, she was something people were willing to kill for.
She ran a shaky hand through her hair. “How long do I have?”
Sophia exchanged a look with Damian. “Days. Maybe less.”
Selena swallowed back the lump in her throat. “Then let’s start now.”
Into the Storm
The training started immediately.
They took her outside, away from the ruined house, into the open clearing where the battle had just ended. The ground was littered with signs of the fight—deep claw marks in the dirt, blood splatters against the grass.
Selena shivered.
Damian stepped in front of her, his expression unreadable. “We start with control.”
She nodded, determined. “Okay. How?”
He held up his hand. “Hit me.”
Selena blinked. “What?”
“Hit me,” he repeated.
She frowned. “I don’t know how—”
Damian didn’t give her time to finish. He moved in a blur, closing the distance between them in an instant.
Selena gasped, instinct kicking in. She raised her hands—
A pulse of energy erupted from her palms.
Damian dodged at the last second, the force missing him by inches. The blast slammed into a nearby tree, splitting it down the middle with a loud c***k.
Selena stumbled back, her breath ragged.
Xander let out a low whistle. “Well, damn.”
Sophia looked unimpressed. “Uncontrolled power is as dangerous to us as it is to them.”
Selena barely heard them. Her hands were still shaking, the rush of energy vibrating through her bones. She turned to Damian, who was watching her with a calculating expression.
She braced herself for criticism, but instead, he nodded. “Again.”
And so it continued.
For hours, Damian pushed her—forcing her to summon that power, to use it with precision, to wield it instead of letting it control her. It was exhausting, both mentally and physically.
Selena lost track of how many times she hit the ground, how many times she failed. But she refused to stop.
By the time the moon was high, her muscles ached, her head pounded, and sweat dripped down her spine.
Damian finally stepped back. “That’s enough for tonight.”
Selena exhaled in relief, barely staying on her feet.
Xander tossed her a water bottle. “Not bad for a newbie.”
Sophia, however, was still frowning. “She’s improving, but it’s not enough. If the Vipers come back tomorrow, she won’t survive.”
Selena stiffened. “I’m right here, you know.”
Sophia didn’t apologize. “Then you better be ready to prove me wrong.”
Damian ignored them both, stepping closer to Selena. His golden eyes softened just slightly. “Get some rest.”
Selena was too tired to argue.
As she stumbled toward the house, she heard Sophia mutter, “She’s not ready.”
And for the first time, Selena wasn’t sure if she could prove her wrong.
Sleep didn’t come easy.
Her body was exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t stop. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of the fight, of the power that had surged through her.
Then, just as she was finally drifting off—
A scream shattered the night.
Selena bolted upright.
Footsteps pounded outside. Shouts erupted from the pack.
She scrambled to her feet, heart hammering as she rushed to the door. The second she stepped outside, she knew something was wrong.
The air was thick with tension. The pack members were on high alert, their eyes scanning the darkness.
And then she saw it.
At the edge of the clearing, pinned to a tree, was a body.
Selena’s stomach lurched.
The man was barely recognizable—his chest torn open, his face a mess of blood and claw marks.
But it wasn’t just the brutality that made the air feel colder.
It was the message carved into his skin.
Give us the girl. Or this is just the beginning.
Selena’s blood ran cold.
Damian’s expression was murderous. “They’re taunting us.”
Xander cursed. “Cocky bastards.”
Selena barely heard them. Her pulse roared in her ears, her heart slamming against her ribs.
They weren’t waiting.
They were coming for her.
And if that message was any indication…
They weren’t planning to take her alive.
- Writer
