The relief didn’t last long. As soon as the first pair lunged at each other, the air filled with snarls and the sickening crunch of bone against flesh. Claws raked skin, teeth snapped, and the once elegant training ground turned into a blood-stained frenzy.
I watched, horrified, as one she-wolf slammed another into the ground, her growl vibrating through the floor beneath my feet. Around them, the crowd of mates and warriors cheered them on as though this was some glorious sport, not a test of survival.
My stomach twisted violently. I stumbled back, one hand over my mouth before I doubled over and emptied the contents of my breakfast onto the dirt.
“Maris…” I gasped, wiping my mouth, my voice trembling. “Is it always this brutal?”
Beside me, Maris winced, eyes glued to the chaos. “Pret
