CHAPTER TEN: TRAINING BEGINS 

Daren wasn't kidding about real training.

The next morning, he woke me before dawn. "Get dressed. We're going to the advanced training ground."

I followed him to a section of the compound I hadn't seen before. It was isolated, surrounded by high walls, with weapons racks and practice dummies that looked like they'd seen serious use.

"This is where I train my best fighters," Daren explained. "The ones who go on the most dangerous missions."

"I'm not one of your best fighters."

"Not yet. But you will be." He tossed me a wooden practice sword. "Let's see what you remember from last time."

We sparred for an hour. Daren was relentless, pushing me harder than before. Every time I made a mistake, he made me pay for it. Every time I got sloppy, I ended up on the ground.

By the end, I was gasping for air and covered in bruises.

"You're thinking too much," he said, not even winded. "You're trying to remember the moves instead of feeling them. Fighting isn't about memorization. It's about instinct."

"Easy for you to say. You have three hundred wolves' worth of instincts."

"True. But you have something else." He circled me slowly. "You have rage. I can see it in you, burning just beneath the surface. You're angry at Moontide, angry at Ryker, angry at yourself for not being strong enough to stop what happened to you."

"So?"

"So use it. Stop trying to fight like you think you should and fight like you want to. Channel that rage into something productive."

"I'm trying—"

"No, you're not. You're holding back. You're still that submissive omega who was taught to never challenge, never fight back, never be a threat." He moved closer. "But that omega is dead, Shahira. She died the night Ryker rejected her. The question is, what are you going to become instead?"

His words hit something deep inside me. He was right. I was still fighting like I was afraid. Like I had to apologize for taking up space.

"Again," I said, raising my practice sword.

This time, when we sparred, I stopped thinking. Stopped being careful. I let the rage out—all the hurt and humiliation and pain I'd been carrying.

I was faster. Stronger. More aggressive.

Daren smiled. "Better. Much better."

We trained for hours. Swordwork, hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, tactical thinking. He taught me how to use my size as an advantage—I was smaller than most wolves, which meant I was faster and harder to hit.

"Stop trying to match your opponent's strength," he said. "You'll lose every time. Instead, be where they don't expect. Move faster than they can track. Strike where they're vulnerable."

By midday, I was exhausted but exhilarated. For the first time, I felt like I could actually defend myself.

"Enough for today," Daren said. "You did well."

"Thanks." I wiped sweat from my face. "When do we start the next phase? The fake capture?"

"Soon. But there's something else we need to address first." He gestured for me to follow him.

We walked to a quiet part of the compound, far from where others could overhear.

"What you're about to do is incredibly dangerous," he said. "More dangerous than the first infiltration. Kane will be suspicious, possibly paranoid. He might torture you for information. He might—" He stopped, jaw tight.

"Might kill me. I know."

"If at any point you want out, you use the emergency signal. I'll extract you immediately, mission be damned."

"I won't need extraction."

"Shahira—"

"I can do this, Daren. I know I can."

He studied me for a long moment. "You've changed. Since that first night when I found you dying in the forest. You're not the broken omega anymore."

"No. I'm not." I met his eyes. "I'm angry. And I'm ready to make them pay for what they did to me."

"Good. Anger can keep you alive. But don't let it make you reckless." He reached out and, surprisingly gently, tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I need you to survive this."

The touch sent electricity through me. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, the air between us felt charged.

Then he stepped back, the moment broken.

"Get some rest. We start final preparations tomorrow."

I nodded, not trusting my voice, and walked away.

But I could feel his eyes on me as I went.

Back in my room, I collapsed onto the bed, my body aching and my mind confused. What was that moment? That spark of connection?

No, I told myself firmly. You're not doing this. You're not falling for another Alpha. Not after Ryker.

But even as I thought it, I knew I was lying to myself.

Daren was nothing like Ryker. Where Ryker was cruel and selfish, Daren was driven by purpose. Where Ryker had thrown me away, Daren had saved me. Where Ryker had made me feel weak, Daren made me feel strong.

Stop it, I commanded myself. This is just gratitude. Just admiration for someone who's helping you get revenge.

But my wolf didn't agree. My wolf was very interested in Daren Methlock.

And that was a complication I absolutely did not need.