Mag-log inAlpha Adrian POVShe didn’t just learn. She absorbed.Everything I threw at her…forms, footwork, pressure points…she took in and made her own within hours. It was almost unsettling.I kept searching for the thing that still held her back from becoming truly dangerous. Self-doubtIf she ever stopped second-guessing herself… if she could take the stability training and the rest of it the same way she had taken to throwing a punch… the sky wouldn’t even be her limit. It would only be the beginning.II picked up my phone and called Beta.“Greetings, Alpha Adrian.”“Greetings, Mike. I need the training set moved to the garden. Tonight. Before morning.”“It will be done.”“Good.”A short pause. “Alpha… you have a letter. From Benny.”I leaned back in my chair. “What’s it say?”“Permission to open?”“Granted.”Silence stretched for a few seconds while he scanned the page.“Summarise.”“He’s claiming he’s seriously ill. He wants to see his son.”I stared at the wall. “Permission denie
Roxellena’s POVI drive my fists into the dummy like it personally ruined my life. Sweat already beads along my temples, but I don’t stop. Every impact sends another memory crashing through me…my friends laughing as they boarded that bus, waving, heading home to parents and warm houses. I was supposed to be on that bus too. I had packed. I had planned to see Dad and Mrs. Gerty. Going home after that would have been stupid. So I stayed. And the only way to make the staying count is to train until my body forgets how to quit. They say the next phase is brutal. They say a lot of trainees will pack up and leave after the cutting. I refuse to be one of them. I hit the dummy again. Harder. The cool night air does nothing against the heat rolling off my skin. I finally lift my head to check the damage…And lock eyes with Adrian.He’s standing on the other side of the fence, arms loosely crossed, watching me like he’s been there longer than I realized. “What do you want, Alpha?”
Alpha Adrain POV I wished I could leave my seat, cross the distance between us, and pull her into my arms. Share the smile that lit her face. Feel the warmth of the moment instead of watching it from a distance like a stranger. But I stayed seated. Neutral. Even if I remained silent, tongues would still wag. Rumors always found a way. I told myself I didn’t care.Not crossing the stream that morning had been one of my better decisions. Even after spotting William’s discarded clothes on the far bank, I had forced myself to turn back. Some things were better left untouched…for now.I moved through the line of alphas, exchanging firm handshakes. When I reached Alpha Jack, he suddenly became deeply interested in his phone, pretending to take a call. I skipped him without a word.Once the formalities ended, I headed for Juana’s quarters. I hadn’t seen her since the confrontation. Part of me hoped the storm inside her had finally settled. Juana was not a woman one approached while her t
Roxellena’s POV“Weren’t you all amazed by the way I ran past my opponents in the relay race? Imagine me fighting in the arena with the skills I learned from her. Do you know the size of the crowd those events would attract? Do you know how much the pack would make from that? This can only happen if you set Myra free.”I don’t recall speaking for more than three minutes, Applause rolled through the room in wave after wave. Even the judge rose from his seat and joined the clapping.Salman sat frozen, mouth open. He could not believe he had lost his first case to me…a girl who had never stepped inside a courtroom before today.He lowered his head in shame. John hurried over, not to comfort him, but to thrust a worn training manual under his nose for a signature. Salman signed without looking up.“Case closed. Myra, you are free to continue your training,” the judge declared, striking the gavel with a sharp crack.Jess reached me first. “I’m so proud of you, Roxellena. You’re a star.”Ja
Roxellena’s POVThis morning we dressed in our best clothes and headed to the field for the quadrimester announcement ceremony. We were almost there when Mike came running toward us, breathless.“It’s been postponed until tomorrow,” he said.Some of the trainees turned back toward the dormitories. The rest of us,my friends and I kept walking toward the court.Today was Myra’s hearing.I found a seat near the front, close enough that my voice would carry if I needed it to. A quiet dread sat in my chest. If any of them knew what I was planning, they would have tried to stop me.The judge entered ,an elderly man with long, completely gray hair. We all stood until he sat. Only then did we take our seats.Myra stood alone on the far right side of the room. A short distance from her sat Elder Salman. I assumed he was both the pack’s representative and the prosecutor. No one sat beside Myra. No defense counsel. No support. She was going to have to face this alone.The court clerk stepped f
Alpha Adrian POV“I received the mind-link message, Alpha,” James said as he stepped into my office.“And yet you still didn’t appear,” I replied without looking up, flipping through the documents spread across my desk.“Alpha Adrian, I came several times. You weren’t here.” His tone stayed respectful, but there was a careful edge to it.I believed him. I hadn’t set foot in the office all day.“You could have reported to the mansion,” I said, watching his face. I didn’t actually want him there. The last thing I needed was for him to catch sight of my sister or overhear anything he shouldn’t.James opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I’m sorry.”“It’s fine.” I slid a paper toward him. “Do you remember William?”“I do.” He took the sheet, glanced at it, and dropped it into the waste bin.“What’s the update?”“We followed your orders. He was sent to the lands beyond the Stream.” Pride colored his voice.He had no idea those words felt like a blade turning in my chest.“Good,” I sai







