Chapter 7

Claire Pov’s

The cold breeze the gloomy day offered kissed my skin as I stepped out to the training ground that was not too far from the pack house, the determination I felt to prove I wasn't just a helpless outsider bubbling earnestly in me.

I’d been through worse than a group of she-wolves looking at me like I didn't belong here. The sun was rising, casting its golden, warm rays over the nearby trees, but its warmth wasn’t all useful as it didn't do much in thawing the icy stares that followed my every move. Their eyes were boring deep into my skin, silently judging every fiber of my being. I could feel it.

I straightened up my posture, refusing to show any sign of discomfort their stares caused me. My mission here was simple, to train, to fight, to survive- and maybe a part of me was here to see if I could lay my hands on any clue that would help me figure out if there was any way out of this twisted situation Darien had forced me into.

His words went on to echo in my head about wanting to have me by his side. The annoying part of it was that he sounded like he was doing me a favor when we both knew the truth about how everything was for his selfish reasons.

The she-elves circled in small groups, stretching slightly in a bid to earn themselves up. A young girl that Darien introduced to me as the leader, late last night stood in front of the group, exuding confidence and authority.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw me, and a smirk immediately played at the corners of her lips. She didn't even try to hide the disdain my presence probably filled her with.

“You are late!” She exclaimed.

“Uhm…” I paused and cleared my throat. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m Sasha, the group leader,” She spat out roughly, placing emphasis on her being the group leader like that is an important aspect of my training. “Go on and introduce yourself to the rest of the group.”

“I’m Claire,” I let out smoothly, my eyes sweeping across the training ground.

“So Claire,” Sasha’s voice cut through the air like a whip, “Ready to keep up with the real wolves, or do you need a break before we even start?”

Her question earned a few chuckles from the others, but I wasn't going to let her get to me. I met her gaze, unwavering. “I’m ready,” I simply said, refusing to engage with her bait.

“Good! We will see if you can handle it,” she said with a mocking grin, motioning for everyone to get started.

The training began immediately, and I must say it was an intense one. They moved fast, darting between trees swiftly, practicing hard combats and some that I’d never seen before.

My legs burned, my strained muscles aching, but I pushed through. Every time I felt like I was falling behind the rest of the group, I forced myself to keep up. I wasn't going to dare give them the satisfaction of seeing me fail because I know they yearned for it.

An hour passed by slowly, and I was drenched in sweat. My breath was labored, but I was still trying to hold up, I wouldn't give up so easily.

After a while, Sasha deemed it fit that we took a short break and we did just that. In the rearing period, I noticed Sasha whispering to one of the other she-wolves, her eyes flickering in my direction.

I pretended not to care as I went on to sink on the grass like the others. The both of them went to laugh loudly, clapping hands with each other.

“She will never belong here, Darien should have known better. She is just a distraction who might have little or nothing important to offer to the pack,” Sasha went on to say, her voice was above a whisper this time so I heard the statement.

That was it. Something snapped inside me and I wasn't going to sit back and allow her to make false assumptions about me. I sprang up on my feet, and marched over, ignoring the exhaustion my limbs were burning with. I planted myself right in front of Sasha before halting.

“You think I want to be here?” I asked, my voice calm. “Trust me, if it were up to me, I’d be far away from this place,” I added.

Sasha blinked in surprise as she took a step back from me, clearly not expecting me to confront her. “Then why are you here?” She spat. “Why did you allow yourself to be another pawn in his game? Was it your desperation for power that drove you?”

I scoffed, crossing my arms underneath my breast, “Your Alpha was the one desperate to have me by his side. I didn't ask to be brought into this mess, but Darien made sure I had no choice but to do his bidding.”

There was a tense silence in the gathering as the other She-wolves stopped what they were doing to watch our exchange of words. Sasha’s eyes flared with irritation, as though she would box my head the next seconds, but she was quick to compose herself.

“Desperate?” She echoed, following her words with cold laughter, “You think you understand Darien, but you don't. You are nothing to him, don't go on with giving yourself baseless hopes by saying he was desperate to have you by his side.”

I took a step closer to her, my eyes licking with hers. “Maybe I don't understand him, but I know this much; if I’m here, it is because he wanted me to be, and that means you don't get to decide where I belong.”

Sasha's lips curled into a sneer, “You think you are strong, don't you?” You’ll crack soon enough. You don't belong in this pack, you will never be.”

I could feel the heat rising in the air, my heart slamming in my chest. I wanted to say more, to shut her up for good even though she looked tougher than me, but I knew better. Picking a fight wouldn't help me in any way, at least not now.

I took a deep breath, and let my words flow out smoothly, settling in the air. “You are right about one thing though,” I said quietly. “I’m not one of you. I’m something different, something unique that you wouldn't get to understand. And I wouldn't crack, not for you, not for anyone.”

The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. I could see the doubt flickering in Sasha’s eyes, but she masked it away quickly, turning away from me without another word.

I knew this wasn't over. Sasha wasn't the type to back down easily, and with my confrontation, I had made myself an even bigger target. Buy I don't care. I had stood up for myself, and that was enough for now.

As we returned to training when the break was over, I could still feel the weight of their gaze on me, but this time, it was more intensified.

The session finally ended much later, and as I wiped the sweat that had formed in my brows, I heard Sasha saying to the other she-wolf girl, “She will never belong here, it is just a matter of time before reality will dawn on her,” accompanying her words with a loud sigh.

I clenched my fist, biting back a retort. I had said my piece and I didn't see any need to drag the issue any further as it was more than obvious thy she was just trying to spite me, maybe so I could throw the first blow and give her something to hold against me, but I was far more smarter than that.

I grabbed my stuff and quietly walked away from the training ground.