8

The announcement spread through Black Fang before sunset. The Alpha’s prisoner would train with the pack. An no one was pleased by that. Whispers followed Serafina wherever she walked.

“She’s replacing one of us?”

“Has Alpha lost his mind already?”

“She’ll stab someone the first chance she gets.”

“Or worse... maybe she’ll spy for Shadow Fang about us.”

Serafina kept her expression blank. She had heard worse. Much worse than that. But still, the weight of their distrust settled heavily on her shoulders. The next morning, before dawn, a loud bell echoed across the territory.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Serafina opened her eyes immediately. Old habits. In Shadow Fang, waking even a second late meant punishment. She was already dressed before the fourth bell rang. When she stepped outside, dozens of warriors were gathering at the training grounds.

Some glanced at her, but most ignored her. A few openly sneered. At the center of the arena stood Beta Kael. His arms crossed and his expression unreadable.

“Alpha won’t be joining us this morning. I’ll oversee today’s training.” He announced.

His gaze landed on Serafina. “You.” She met his eyes. “You’re late.”

She frowned. “The bell just rang.”

“The warriors were here before the bell.”

Several warriors chuckled, but Kael didn’t.

“In Black Fang, discipline begins before the order is given.”

Serafina clenched her jaw. “Understood.”

Kael studied her for a second before nodding. “Line up!”

The training began with a five kilometer run around the territory. Simple. Or so Serafina thought. Black Fang’s warriors didn’t simply run. They carried heavy sandbags across their shoulders. Some even wore iron weights around their ankles.

Serafina received the lightest sandbag. Even so, it was heavier than anything she’d carried during Shadow Fang’s endurance drills. She adjusted it across her shoulders. No complaints. No hesitation. Kael noticed and feel interesting.

By the thirt lap, several younger warriors were breathing heavily. One stumbled on his knees. Another slowed to a walk. But Serafina kept running. Her breathing remained steady. Years of brutal training had made endurance one of her greatest strenghts. A warriorr beside her glanced over.

“You don’t get tired?”

“I do.” She admitted.

“But you don’t look like it.”

“I just learned not to show it.”

The warrior frowned but said nothing else. When the run finally ended, Kael didn’t give anyone time to rest.

“Water. Three minutes, then sparring again.”

Groans rose from the group. Serafina silently drank from a wooden cup. The water was cold and clean. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been given clean water after training. In Shadow Fang, you earned water. But here, everyone received it without exceptions. It was such a small thing, yet somehow, if felt enormous.

“Pair up!”

Warriors immediately found partners. Everyone except Serafina. No one moved toward her. The silence became awkward.

Kael sighed. “I expected this.”

He pointed toward a tall warrior with dark brown hari. “Rowan.”

The man looked less than thrilled. “Yes, Beta.”

“You’re with Serafina.”

Rowan stepped into the ring. He didn’t even try to hide the resentment in his eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt a woman.”

Serafina rolled her shoulders. “You should worry about yourself.”

A few nearby warriors laughed. Rowan’s expression darkened. “We’ll see.”

“Begin.”

Rowan attacked immediately. Unlike Finn, he didn’t hold back. His punches were heavy, powerful, and designed to overwhelm. Serafina dodged the first, then the second, and the third grazed her shoulder. She stepped back. He was stronger than Finn. Even much stronger. But Rowan was too emotional.

Every attack carried anger. And anger made people predictable. Rowan swung once again. Serafina ducked beneath the punch. She swept his leg. Rowan stumbled. Before he could recover, she twisted behind him. One arm locked around his shoulder. The other pressed against the back of his neck.

“If this were a real fight, you’d already be dead.” She whispered.

The arena fell silent. Kael’s sharp eyes followed every movement. “Release.”

Serafina let go immediately. Rowan straightened, breathing hard. His face burned with embarrassment.

“I wasn’t ready.”

“No. You were angry. And angry people stop thinking.” Serafina answered honestly.

Rowan looked as though he wanted to argue, instead he lowered his head, but said nothing to answer her. Several warriors looked at Serafina differently. Not with trust. Not yet, but with a little respect. The moment didn’t last longer.

“So this is what Black Fang has become?” A voice rang out from the edge of the arena.

Everyone stuned. Three unfamiliar wolves walked into the training grounds. Each wore silver gray cloaks embroidered with a crescent moon. The oldest among them stepped forward. His sharp gaze settled on Serafina, then shifted to Kael.

“So interesting.”

“We arrived to discuss an alliance...” His lips curled into a mocking smile. “And instead we find Black Fang training assassins.”

The atmosphere instantly changed. Kael’s expression hardened. “This is Black Fang business.”

“It became our business the moment rumours reached neighboring packs.”

The elder’s eyes returned to Serafina. “So, this is the infamous Shadow Fang killer.”

Several warriors instinctively moved closer to Serafina. Not to protect her, but to keep her surrounded.

The elder chuckled. “I wonder...” He looked directly at Kael. “Does Alpha Darius know that keeping a snake in his own home usually ends with a bite?”

Before Kael could answer, a calm voice echoed the arena. “He knows.”

Everyone turned toward the stone staircase. Darius descended slowly, dressed in black training clothes. His presence alone silenced the courtyard. The visiting elder inclined hi head politely.

“Alpha Darius.”

Darius stopped beside Serafina. Close enough that everyone noticed. Closer than an Alpha normally stood to a prisoner.

“You seem interested in my decisions.”

The elder smiled. “I’m interested in whether your judgment has been clouded.”

Darius’s expression never changed. “My judgment has won every war I’ve fought.”

The smile on the leder’s face faltered. A few Black Fang warriors struggled to hide their amusement. The elder cleared his throat.

“Then perhaps you’ll explain why you continue protecting her.”

“Because she’s under my claim.” Darius answered without hesitation.

“That answer satisfies your pack.”

His crimson eyes became colder. “It doesn’t need to satisfy anyone else.”

Silence spread through the training grounds. The elder studied Darius for a long moment. Then his gaze shifted toward Serafina. There was something unsettling in his eyes. Recognition. It lasted only a second. Gone almost as quickly as it appeared. But Serafina noticed and so did Darius.

The elder smiled again. “Very well then. We’ll continue this discussion during the council meeting.”

As the visitors walked away, Darius remained where he was and watching them leave. His instincts stirred uneasily. That brief look. The elder hadn’t looked at Serafina like someone seeing an assassin. He had looked at her, like someone who had just seen a ghost. And somehow, Darius had the feeling that Black Fang wasn’t the only pack keeping secrets anymore.