Chapter 3

Nova

The training grounds buzzed with energy, the clash of fists and grunts of exertion carrying through the crisp morning air. Warriors circled one another on the packed dirt, some already locked in combat while others waited for their turns. The Black Moon Pack thrived on discipline and strength, and this arena ringed with stone pillars etched with claw marks from countless battles was its heart.

I stood at the edge of the ring, my palms clammy despite the cool breeze. I should have been focused, centered, but every flicker of thought returned to him. To Benjamin, my Alpha.

He stood on the raised platform with Marcus and Cassius flanking him, his presence commanding the field as easily as the sun commanded the sky. Every warrior moved harder, faster, sharper under the weight of his gaze. But not once, not once had his eyes fallen on me since that night.

That night, when he had kissed me like I was oxygen itself only to leave me hollow the moment after. Now, his silence cut deeper than claws.

“Focus,” Lyra whispered inside my head, her voice a steady hum. “Your enemy isn’t him. Not now.”

But it was hard. How was I supposed to fight, to prove myself, when my very Alpha treated me like I didn’t exist?

“Nova Stark,” the trainer barked, pulling me forward. “You’re up.”

My opponent stepped into the ring: a broad shouldered warrior named Jareth, one of the warrior trainees. His smirk said he thought this would be easy.

“You ready, little Stark?” he taunted, rolling his shoulders. “Try not to embarrass yourself.”

I set my stance, forcing steel into my spine. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

The match began with a sharp whistle. Jareth lunged first, swinging a hook that would have floored a lesser wolf. I ducked, his fist grazing my cheek as I rolled away, sand spraying beneath my boots. He was fast, but am agile on my feet, my smaller frame giving me an advantage.

The crowd of warriors hooted and cheered, forming a loose circle around us. Out of the corner of my eye, Nova saw Lena leaning lazily against a post, lips curled into a mocking smile. “Don’t trip over yourself, Nova,” she called sweetly. “Wouldn’t want to give our Alpha more reason to look away.”

Heat flared across my chest, a mix of fury and humiliation. I shoved Lena’s words down and pivoted, catching Jareth’s wrist as he came at me again. With a twist and a grunt, she flipped him onto his back.

The crowd erupted, some laughing, some cheering. Marcus leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with approval. Even Cassius let out a low whistle.

But Benjamin?

Nothing.

No flicker of pride. No acknowledgment. His gaze remained locked on the fighters beyond them, as though I wasn’t even there.

Jareth recovered quickly, sweeping my legs from under me. I hit the dirt hard, air whooshing from my lungs. He pinned me down, grinning like he’d already won. “Too slow,” he hissed.

My vision blurred for a moment, Benjamin’s indifference weighing on my chest heavier than Jareth’s hold. Why did it hurt more than the fight itself? Why did I crave even a shred of reaction from him?

“Get up,” Lyra urged, her voice sharp. “You are not weak.”

Strength surged through my veins, my wolf’s fiery spirit bleeding into my limbs. With a growl, I twisted beneath Jareth, driving my knee into his stomach. He stumbled back, gasping. I shot to my feet, fists raised, eyes blazing crimson for a heartbeat as Lyra’s presence flared.

The crowd went silent for that split second, murmurs spreading like wildfire. A red wolf spirit, Rare and Dangerous.

Jareth hesitated for a split moment and I used that to my advantage, I pounced, striking with a flurry of blows until he crashed onto the ground. I planted my foot firmly on his chest, chest heaving, victory mine.

The whistle blew, The match was hers.

Cheers broke out, but they were a distant echo in my ears. I turned toward the platform, pulse thundering, desperate for just one sign, anything from Benjamin.

He didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t even glance my way.

Instead, he turned to Marcus, murmuring something she couldn’t hear. Cassius chuckled quietly at whatever was said. And then Benjamin simply stepped down, commanding the next fight without ever acknowledging her win.

The sting of rejection cut sharper than any blade.

Lena’s laughter filled the silence left behind. She clapped mockingly, eyes sparkling with cruel delight. “Well done, Nova. Truly, Shame it takes so much effort just to almost impress him.”

I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms. I wanted to lunge at Lena, to wipe the smirk from her perfect face, but that would only prove me weak. Instead, I lifted my chin, ignoring the tremor in my chest, I turned around and walked away from her.

“Good fight,” Marcus called from the platform, his voice loud enough to carry. He gave me a small, respectful nod, one that soothed the ache inside me more than I cared to admit. Cassius raised his brows, shooting me a crooked grin that seemed to say, not bad, pup.

But Benjamin?

Nothing.

Always nothing.

I turned away, swallowing hard against the burn in my throat. I refuse to shed tears for a man that doesn’t want me, I refuse to break, not here, not in front of them anyway.

Lyra’s voice was soft now, steady as a heartbeat. “He doesn’t see you, yet. But we will make him. We will rise until he cannot look away.”

I lifted my face to the sky, jaw tight, my heart a storm of fury and pain. Maybe Lyra was right. Maybe strength was the only way forward.

But as I left the ring, Lena’s laughter still echoing behind me and Benjamin’s silence pressing like a shadow at my back, one truth settled deep in my bones.

I had never felt so invisible.

And I don’t know how much longer I will be able to endure it