Lila
The wooden staff cracked hard against my forearm, but I didn’t flinch.
Pain was better than all the sitting still I’d been doing.
I exhaled through clenched teeth, adjusted my grip, and went again. The palace training yard was nearly empty—just me and a rotating schedule of guards. But today’s wasn’t a stranger. It was Kellen.
Kellen had been one of the only guards who spoke to me like a person during the early days of the selection. He offered a quiet “good luck” before the trials.
A tall, broad-shouldered wolf with a crooked grin and soft eyes. Friendly. Steady. The kind of male who didn’t ask questions unless you wanted him to.
Today, though, I didn’t want a friend.
I wanted the exhaustion that came quickly when I pushed my physical limits.
Kellen’s swings were measured
