Fractures

Morning came too soon. The pack gathered in the

training yard, the damp earth marked with fresh claw

prints from the night run. I stood with Naomi, stretching

my sore muscles, while Becca’s laughter drifted across

the clearing.

Ayden was beside her. Bruised, limping—but still

smirking like he hadn’t been caught with his hand in the

fire. Or in Becca’s hair.

My stomach twisted as if I was about to vomit. Three

years down the drain.

Damien stepped into the center, his presence silencing

the pack. “Pair off. We train until midday.”

Before I could move toward Naomi, Becca’s voice rang

out. “I’ll take Maya.”

The crowd shifted uneasily. Naomi bristled, but Damien

gave a sharp nod. “Fine. Maya, with Becca.”

My pulse thudded fast. I didn’t want to give Becca the

satisfaction, but refusing the Alpha’s order wasn’t an

option.

We circled each other on the packed dirt, the air

humming with tension. Becca’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Ayden says you cry when you sleep. Guess you’ll cry

when you lose, too.”

Rage surged hot in my veins. “Better to cry than to crawl

into my ex’s bed.”

A few wolves snickered, but Becca lunged before the

laughter faded. She struck fast, claws flashing. I

blocked, instinct driving my movements sharper than

usual.

Too sharp.

The power inside me pushed against my control,

begging to be unleashed.

Becca’s claw grazed my cheek, drawing a bead of

blood. The metallic scent filled the air, making my head

spin. Heat flared in my throat, foreign and terrifying.

I shoved Becca back—harder and further than I meant

to. Becca slammed into the dirt, winded.

The pack gasped.

I froze, panic twisting through my chest. I hadn’t even

shifted, but the strength in my blow… it hadn’t been

normal. “ What is happening to me?” Is all I could think.

Becca coughed, glaring up at me with venom. “Freak,”

she spat.

Before I could react, Damien’s voice thundered across

the yard. “Enough!”

The ground itself seemed to vibrate with the force of his

command. He strode between us, his body angled

protectively toward me. “Training is over.”

“But she—” Becca began.

“One more word,” Damien growled, “and you’ll answer

to me.”

Beta, Noah, stepped forward cautiously. “Alpha… she hit

harder than a wolf should.” he whispered.

Murmurs rose. Doubt. Suspicion.

My chest tightened with fear of what's to come. The

whole pack was staring at me. Again. Like I was

something dangerous.

Damien’s gaze locked with hers, steady, unwavering.

“She’s mine to deal with,” he said firmly.

“And no one touches her.” He said firmly.

The pack fell silent, but their eyes still burned holes in

my back.

As Damien dismissed them, I swallowed the lump in my

throat. I didn’t know what scared me more—Becca’s

venom, the pack’s suspicion, or the truth gnawing inside

me.

Because Becca was right about one thing.

I wasn’t a normal wolf. I was something else entirely.