Chapter 10

It wasn’t Keal.

Zail thought it was him at first, feeling the presence as it washed over him. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Keal standing there

His heartbeat said it was Kael. But when his eyes opened and adjusted to the shadows in the room.

It wasn’t.

It was his father.

The Lord Alpha stood by the window, arms behind his back, posture sharp like a blade waiting to strike. Moonlight spilled in faintly, brushing over the edges of his face. He wasn’t looking at Zeil, but it didn’t matter. His presence filled the room like a storm cloud.

Zeil jumped to his feet so fast, his body forgot how sore it was. He nearly tripped. “Father,” he said, breath hitching, “blessed moon,I didn’t notice… I didn’t know you were here.”

He bowed quickly, head low. “Good evening, Father.”

The Lord Alpha turned his head slightly, only just.

“I noticed a shift,” he said in a calm, deep voice. “The moment you walked into the council hall.”

Zeil’s mouth went dry.

“Are the pills still effective?” his father asked, almost in a whisper.

“Yes, Father,” Zeil replied at once. “As a matter of fact… I took two before walking into the council hall.”

A deep, quiet hum came from the Lord Alpha’s chest. He breathed in slowly.

“Well,” he said, his voice like stone rolling in the dark, “has anything gone wrong on your end?”

“No, Father. Nothing at all,” Zeil said quickly. “I haven’t missed a dose. The shift you saw, it’s probably just the aftereffect of training. That’s all. You don’t have to worry. I promise.”

The Lord Alpha was quiet for a moment.

For a moment, the Lord Alpha’s usual aggressive stare softened. It wasn’t the usual hard, unyielding gaze he always gave Zail. The change wasn’t subtle Zail could feel it. He swallowed nervously.

“Was that why you came back this late?” Zeil asked quietly, “You didn’t have to, Father. You didn’t need to bother”.

But his father was already turning toward the door.

“A new pill type will be delivered to you today,” he said without looking back. “Stronger. Ensure you take them before you sleep. The effectiveness is much stronger, but do not take more than one”. His voice trailed off.

“…It could destroy you.”

Then, he vanished.

Just like that.

One second, he was there. The next, only the faint echo of wind where he had stood. The door swung gently, not from his hand but from the wind left behind.

Zeil stood frozen for a moment, heart racing still processing what had just happened. It felt like he had seen a ghost.

No.

That was his father.

The man the entire pack feared. The man whose name made even warriors drop their gaze. A man who barely spoke, barely touched emotion and yet tonight, he spoke like a father.

“…What was that?” Zeil whispered to himself.

He shook his head, sat on the bed for a moment, then stood again. The air was cold. The sky outside the window was still dark, but it wouldn’t be for long. He walked to the drawer, picked one of the pills from the packet Vera had brought earlier and swallowed it dry.

The pill settled in his throat like stone.

He grabbed his training shirt and headed out.

The wind kissed his face the moment he stepped out of the his chambers. The sky was dark blue almost black but not quite. The sun was still hiding behind the mountains, but its light had started to reach the edges of the world.

Zeil pulled the collar of his shirt tighter and walked.

The training ground was quiet.

Too quiet.

But not empty.

He heard it—soft thuds, sharp wind shifts. Someone was already training.

He followed the sounds. One after another. The rhythm wasn’t random. It was fast. Focused. Intense. Like war drums.

He stepped around the side of the clearing

And stopped.

It was Kael.

Zeil didn’t move. He couldn’t.

Kael was bare-chested, skin slick with sweat, muscles hard and defined, like it was carved by the gods. His breath was steady. His movements faster than any normal warrior Zeil had ever seen. Keal was indeed a picture of true strength.

But what made Zeil freeze wasn’t just the strength.

It was the fact that Kael was blindfolded.

A thin white cloth tied neatly around his eyes.

And still… he moved like he could see everything. Like the wind was talking to him. Zail couldn’t help but watch, mesmerized by Keal’s speed and precision.

Punch.

Kick.

Step.

Turn.

Five wooden dummies shook at once.

The sound echoed through the open field like thunder. Zeil swallowed, eyes wide. He felt something stir in his chest. Not fear. Not anger .Zail felt a pang of something unfamiliar envy, perhaps, or something deeper.

And then Kael spoke.

His voice was breathy, teasing.

“Well, well…” he said without stopping. “The Young Lord Alpha is up.”

Zeil blinked.

“I guess you’re done with your night’s sleep,Young Pup Lord,” Kael added, laughing lightly. “Just in time to watch the gods train.”

He threw another punch then turned to the next dummy and slammed a roundhouse kick that cracked the wood slightly.

Zeil stayed still, watching. Not blinking. Not thinking.

Just watching.

The scars on Kael’s body shimmered with sweat, each one like a medal carved by war. His back was strong. His chest rose and fell like a beast at rest. But the cloth over his eyes stayed firm, untouched.

Kael moved like a storm that knew no limits.

Zeil snapped out of it, finally stepping forward. His feet were heavier than usual. His body still ached. But he ignored it.

He started training.

First with jumps.

One end to the other.

Then lifting the heavy stones placed at the far side. He grabbed the first one the one he usually could manage to lift without help.

But this time…

He almost stood.

Then fell.

Hard.

Kael’s laugh rang across the field. “Hah! The kitten lost his claws already?”

Zeil didn’t answer.

He didn’t even look at him.

He tried again.

And again.

Still couldn’t lift it. On the fourth try, he barely made it halfway before collapsing. This time, it pinned him down for a moment.

Kael chuckled and pulled the cloth off his eyes. "Damn, kitten, can’t hold your own, huh? You’re lucky I’m not your enemy, Young Lord. I’d have eaten you before breakfast.”

He walked to the stones, picked the one Zeil failed to lift as though it was nothing.

Then the next.

Then the biggest.

Without a grunt. Without a lost of breath.

He turned and smiled. “Hey, Young Lord… Am I doing it right? Want to come teach me?”

Zail didn’t reply. He clenched his jaw, his frustration boiled over without thinking, he walked to the wooden dummies and began to punch them with the same intensity Keal had used earlier. His punches were slower, less precise,but they hit harder than they ever had before.

One.

Two.

Three.

The wood didn’t shake like it did for Kael. But it moved.

Zeil pushed harder.

He attacked the dolls with a focus he hadn’t known he had.

His breath came faster.

His fists began to bleed.

His muscles burned, his hands cracked from the force of the strikes. He pushed himself harder, trying to reach Keal’s level, but it wasn’t enough.

Then he heard Footsteps and voices, The sun had started to rise.

Wolves were arriving at the training ground. Warriors. In groups. Some carrying water, some yawning, some stretching.

They all froze when they saw.

Zeil.

Training harder than ever, punching three dummies at once. Bleeding. Breathing hard. But still standing.

Eyes followed him.

Whispers spread.

“Is that… Zeil?”

“What happened?”

“He’s trained real hard ,very hard but today is like he's a monster…”

The same wolves who once mocked him now watched in silence and then Kael stepped in beside him.

He didn’t speak.

He just started hitting.

Three dummies.

Then four.

Each punch echoed like thunder. Dust flew from the wood. The dolls rocked and creaked under his force.

The air trembled.

Zeil saw it and something inside him snapped.

He attacked again, trying to match Kael.

His fists flew faster. His blood mixed with sweat. His eyes locked forward.

He didn’t need their respect.

He’d take it.

The training ground turned into a silent storm. The two of them side by side. One the future of the pack. The other an enigma.

The wolves stopped speaking.

No more laughter.

No more mocking.

Only silence.

Only awe.

When Zeil finally stopped, he turned.

Every eye followed him, he didn’t say a word.

He just walked out and Kael followed behind him.

Far in the distance, near the edge of the trees, Elder Rion stood watching.

The same elder who had pulled Zeil to his feet in the council chamber.

He smiled softly, hands folded behind him.

“…So,” he whispered to the wind, “it has begun.”