Chapter One

Anna’s POV

Vanessa’s fist slammed into my jaw before I could dodge.

Pain exploded across my face, and the force of the blow sent me crashing onto my hands and knees. Dirt scraped against my palms while the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

The training ground erupted with cheers.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my lips and slowly looked up. Vanessa stood a few feet away, wearing the same smug smile she always wore whenever she thought she’d won.

“That’s where you belong, you wolfless bitch,” she sneered. “On the ground.”

More laughter echoed around us.

I clenched my jaw and swallowed every insult threatening to escape my lips. I’d spent twenty years without a wolf, and although I’d only arrived at Ironfang Pack a year ago, the names had followed me everywhere.

Wolfless.Useless.Freak.

No matter where I went, people always found a new way to remind me I was different.

Vanessa folded her arms across her chest as she basked in the attention.

“I still don’t understand why you bother showing up for training,” she said loudly, making sure everyone could hear her. “You’ll never become a real wolf.”

The crowd laughed again.

I ignored the burning pain in my jaw and pushed myself back to my feet, keeping my eyes locked on hers.

“I didn’t hear anyone declare you the winner.”

The smile on Vanessa’s face vanished.

She charged at me with another punch, but this time I was ready. I ducked beneath her arm, spun behind her, and swept my leg hard against hers.

A surprised gasp escaped her lips before she hit the ground with a loud thud.

For a heartbeat, the entire training field fell silent.

Then a few warriors burst into laughter.

A small smile tugged at my lips.

Maybe I didn’t have a wolf.

Maybe I wasn’t the strongest fighter here.

But I would never stay on the ground just because someone expected me to.

Vanessa scrambled to her feet, her face red with anger.

“You little—”

She stopped the moment a familiar scent drifted through the air.

Warm cedarwood mixed with rich cardamom wrapped around me, stealing every bit of my attention.

My heart sank.

I already knew who it was before I turned around.

The laughter disappeared almost instantly. Every warrior standing around us straightened, lowering their heads in respect as a heavy silence settled over the training ground.

Slowly, I looked over my shoulder.

Kael.

The Alpha of Ironfang.

He walked across the field with calm, confident strides, dressed in a fitted black shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and dark training pants tucked into black combat boots. His black hair moved slightly with the morning breeze, and his piercing gray eyes swept over the training ground with effortless authority.

Power surrounded him.

Not because he demanded attention, but because he never had to.

Even Vanessa, who had spent years hopelessly in love with him, lowered her head the moment he approached. Everyone in the pack knew she dreamed of becoming his mate someday.

Too bad the Alpha had never looked at her that way.

His gaze settled on me before dropping to the blood at the corner of my mouth.

His jaw tightened for the briefest second.

If I hadn’t been watching him so closely, I would have missed it.

“What happened here?” he asked, his deep voice breaking the silence.

No one answered.

Vanessa quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“Alpha, we were only training.”

His eyes shifted to her.

“Training?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

His gaze returned to me.

“Does this look like training to you?”

I almost rolled my eyes.

Just because he’d noticed the blood didn’t mean he cared. As far as I knew, Kael couldn’t stand me. Ever since I arrived at Ironfang a year ago, every conversation between us had ended in an argument.

Usually because he enjoyed ordering me around, and I hated it.

“I can answer for myself,” I said before Vanessa could speak again.

Soft gasps spread through the crowd.

Vanessa shot me a horrified look, as if I’d completely lost my mind.

No one spoke to the Alpha that way.

No one except me.

Kael closed the distance between us until only a few feet separated us. His scent surrounded me, making it annoyingly difficult to think straight.

His gray eyes searched mine for a long moment.

“You call this training?” His piercing gray eyes didn’t leave mine

I lifted my chin. “ I call it Tuesday.”

A few warriors quickly looked away, trying to hide their smiles.

Vanessa’s glare could have burned a hole through my face. She already hated me enough. Seeing me talk back to the man she’d loved for years would only make things worse, But I honestly didn’t care.

Kael held my gaze without saying a word.

“You still refuse to stay down.”

His quiet words pulled me back to a memory I had never been able to forget.

One year ago, during a rogue attack, I had been moments away from dying. Rain had poured from the sky while blood stained the muddy ground beneath me. I still remembered slipping in and out of consciousness as someone lifted me into strong arms.

When I forced my eyes open, the last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was a pair of piercing gray eyes.

Kael had saved my life that night., i still didn’t understand why and he wouldn’t tell either .

If he disliked me as much as he acted like he did, why had he risked himself to save a wolfless girl he barely even knew?

The question had haunted me for an entire year, and I still hadn’t found an answer.

“Anna.”

His voice pulled me back to the present.

“Yes, Alpha?”

“Report to my office after training.”

Before I could ask why, he turned and walked away.

The whispers started immediately.

“Why would the Alpha summon her?”

“Is she finally getting kicked out?”