The training yard had never been this quiet. Twenty students stood in formation, weapons drawn, eyes locked on me. Some looked terrified. Others just looked young.
"Listen up." My voice carried across the yard, stronger than I felt. "The Bloodfangs aren't coming for a conversation. They're coming to prove we're weak. Our job is to prove them wrong."
A girl near the back raised her hand. "What if we're not strong enough?"
"Then you get smarter." I moved down the line, meeting each pair of eyes. "Strength isn't just muscle. It's knowing when to strike and when to wait. When to hold your ground and when to retreat."
"Easy to say when you've got the Alpha watching your back," someone muttered.
I stopped. "You think I got here by hiding behind Darius? I earned my place the same way you wil
