Chapter 16

Lucy.

There was nothing elegant about the village training ground. No polished floors. No enchanted dummies or forged steel weapons like the ones back at the palace. Just bare earth, cracked from the heat of the sun, training dummies made from old logs and rope, and weapons cobbled together from whatever metal the local blacksmith had left.

But here? Strength spoke louder than titles.

The moment I stepped onto the open field, every head turned.

The scent of sweat and testosterone was thick in the air. Male warriors—broad-chested, scarred, and towering—stood in a scattered circle, some training, others lounging as if they owned the place.

Their gazes landed on me like arrows.

Their judgment was louder than any words.

I could feel it—the disdain, the mockery, the not-so-subtle smirks curling on their lips. And I didn’t even need to guess why.

They’d seen the pictures.

Of course they had.

One of the younger wolves elbowed the guy next to him and nodded in my direction. I caught the words “That’s her, the Omega slut,” and I swear I felt the world tilt.

I clenched my jaw, fists tight at my sides. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of reacting. 

“Hey!” a familiar voice rang out, cutting through the whispers.

Josh.

He pushed through the crowd and jogged toward me. His brown hair was messier than usual, his clothes sweat-stained and worn from training. But his face was exactly as I remembered it—kind, sincere, and loyal to a fault.

“Lucy,” he breathed, looking me over like he half-expected to see bruises. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” I muttered, giving him a weak smile.

He turned to the rest of them, his voice rising. “All of you—back off. You don’t know the truth behind those pictures. It was a setup. She's not what they're saying, you clearly saw that she was only trying to swim and that sick girl took a picture of her without her consent. Why is everyone attacking her inside of attacking the sick bitch that did something wrong?"

There was a pause.

Then laughter.

“Of course you’d say that,” a gruff wolf said, stepping forward with a cruel smirk. “What, trying to score points with the Omega whore? You think defending her’s gonna get you laid, Josh?”

Josh’s eyes widened in disbelief, but before he could respond—

I moved.

In a flash, I was in front of the bastard.

“You say that again,” I said calmly, “and you’re leaving here with broken ribs.”

He laughed, all confidence and cocky arrogance. “What are you gonna do—”

Crack.

My boot met his stomach in a swift, brutal kick. He flew backward and landed on the ground with a winded grunt.

He started to get up, teeth bared, but I dropped low, wrapped my arm around his neck, and twisted him into a chokehold before he could blink.

He thrashed. Clawed at my arms. Gasped.

But I didn’t budge.

“Insult me again,” I hissed in his ear, tightening the hold. “Go on. Try it.”

His movements slowed. His face turned red. Then purple.

And finally, he slumped.

Unconscious.

I let him fall to the dirt like the garbage he was.

Then I turned, eyes sweeping over the crowd of warriors still watching.

“Anyone else have a problem with me training here?”

Silence.

Beautiful, heavy silence.

Some looked away. Others mumbled and shrugged. But none of them stepped forward.

Except two.

Two instructors. Older wolves, both scarred and hard-eyed. One wore a training sash. The other had a heavy staff gripped in one hand.

They stepped forward like soldiers ready for war.

I raised a brow. “You two serious?”

The one with the staff said nothing. The other simply nodded once.

I laughed.

A real, genuine laugh.

Goddess, they were actually going to try.

“Fine,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “Let’s dance.”

The fight was quick.

Brutal.

A blur of fists, dodges, and precision.

They tried to overwhelm me with power—one attacking high, the other sweeping low—but I used their strength against them. I ducked under a swing, caught the staff mid-air, and flipped one over my shoulder. He hit the ground with a wheeze.

The other grabbed me by the arm, tried to twist it behind my back. I shifted my weight, slammed my elbow into his ribs, and sent him stumbling. One sweep of my leg and he was down.

Dust filled the air.

The men groaned on the ground, stunned and bruised.

I straightened, panting slightly, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

“Still think I don’t belong here?”

No answer.

Only respect.

And that, more than anything, made my chest tighten.

Josh stepped beside me again, his voice quiet. “Damn. Remind me never to piss you off.”

“Too late,” I muttered, though I gave him a grin.

We moved to the edge of the field, and he handed me a towel. I wiped sweat and dust from my brow.

“I mean it, Lucy,” Josh said. “Why are you here? Why’d you leave the palace?”

I sat down on a nearby stump. The air was thick and hot, but the breeze brought some relief.

“I couldn’t stay there anymore,” I said quietly. “Everywhere I turned, someone was trying to break me. The Queen Dowager. Her daughter. Even the walls felt like they were against me.”

Josh frowned. “But the Alpha—did he… hurt you?”

I shook my head. “No. Not physically. But he didn’t protect me either. Not when it mattered.”

He looked down, silent.

“And after those pictures?” I continued. “I knew he’d see them. Knew he’d assume the worst. I just… couldn’t stay. I’d end up killing someone if I did.”

Josh let out a slow breath. “Well, he’s looking for you. There’s an official order out. He wants you back in the palace. Now.”

My heart skipped. Then sank.

I knew it was coming. I just didn’t expect to hear it so soon.

“What do you think he’ll do if he finds me?” I asked.

Josh looked at me. “Depends on what he really feels for you.”

I scoffed. “Feelings? Ellison doesn't feel. He commands. He conquers.”

“He might surprise you.”

I looked away, toward the horizon, where trees swayed and dust rose from the dirt paths.

“I’m not ready to be surprised,” I said. “Right now, I just need to fight. To breathe. To remember who I am.”

We stood again and returned to training. This time, the warriors gave me space. They didn’t glare. Some even nodded in silent acknowledgment.

They understood strength. And I had earned that.

Hours passed in a blur of sweat and strikes. My body ached, but it was a good ache—honest. Real.

And then I felt it.

Before I even turned, I felt it.

A shift in the air.

Power.

Authority.

A familiar, thunderous energy that made every hair on my body stand on end.

I froze mid-motion, my fists still clenched.

Josh stopped too.

“Lucy,” he said under his breath.

I turned.

And there he was.

Alpha Ellison.

Dressed in black, flanked by warriors in silver armor, his eyes locked on me like a predator that had just found its prey.