7. A Training Day: Her She-Wolf Began Appear

It took me a few days before I could finally feel okay again.

I needed time to recover, physically and emotionally.

“Cassie, are you sure you want to attend this training?” he asked, concern written all over his face. “The training ground here is no joke. It’s brutal. Alpha Dominic runs things differently. This isn't like what you're used to. And you’re new here.”

He paused, like he was hoping I’d change my mind.

“It’s okay if you need more time. There’s no pressure. No one's rushing you.”

I looked at him, my heart clenching a little. I appreciated his concern, really, but I knew I couldn’t hide forever.

“I understand your concern, Adrian,” I said softly. “But I don’t want to stay weak. I need to get stronger. I need to be able to protect myself... and you. I can’t just sit around after what Lance and his family did to us. I can’t accept that. We need justice for our parents. We need to bring back our family’s name.”

He let out a sharp breath, frustrated but calm. “I get that you're angry. I really do. But revenge isn’t something we rush into, Cassie. When we let anger lead us, we make stupid choices.”

I clenched my fists tightly, avoiding his gaze.

“You wouldn’t understand,” I muttered.

“Then help me understand,” he pushed gently. “What happened to you? Are you hiding something from me?”

He stepped closer.

“I’m your brother. You can trust me.”

I looked at him, and for a moment, my walls started to crumble. I nearly cried. Seeing him again after everything that happened brought emotions I wasn’t ready to face.

We had just reunited. And yet, I was already keeping secrets from him.

“I... I—”

I didn’t get to finish my sentence. A voice cut through the air.

“Cassie, are you ready?”

It was Dominic. He appeared beside us, arms crossed, eyes sharp as ever. He looked at me like he was assessing whether I was worth his time.

I inhaled deeply and met his gaze. “Yes. I’m ready.”

I turned to Adrian one last time. “I’ll be going now.”

Before he could say anything else, I walked past him and followed Dominic.

We made our way toward the training ground in silence. I could feel the tension in the air as we approached the area. When we finally arrived, I noticed a group of warriors already standing there. Some of them were watching me curiously. Others looked... unimpressed.

I swallowed hard.

I wasn’t used to this. I hadn’t trained in a long time. My skills were rusty, and my strength was far from what it used to be. I could feel their eyes judging me, like they already decided I didn’t belong here.

Dominic didn’t say anything. He simply walked ahead and motioned for me to follow.

I did.

As I stood in the middle of the training ground, Dominic faced me with a cold, unreadable expression.

“Are you ready?”

"I'm ready," I told him, trying to hide the fear building up in my chest.

He gave a small nod.

But the moment I blinked, he was gone.

I barely had time to react.

Because out of nowhere, Dominic attacked.

His speed was unreal. In a blink, he was already in front of me, and I didn’t even see it coming. His body slammed into mine, and I hit the ground hard. My back ached. Pain shot through me as I groaned, curling up slightly from the impact.

“Fuck!” I cursed under my breath.

“You’re too slow,” Dominic snapped, his voice sharp and cold. “I won’t accept someone like you, someone who moves like a snail and can’t fight back.”

He paced in front of me as I struggled to sit up. His voice thundered across the field, commanding attention.

“The warriors here, I've trained them myself. I honed their strength and instincts. Their stamina rivals that of rogue wolves. And the enemies we face… they don’t wait for you to be ready.”

I tried to get back on my feet, using everything I had left, but he didn’t give me time to breathe. In a flash, he grabbed me, flipped me, and threw me back to the ground.

I hit the ground harder this time. The air was knocked out of my lungs, and a sharp pain shot up my ribs. I groaned again, unable to hold it back.

Somewhere in the background, I heard Adrian shout my name.

“Cassie!”

His voice was full of panic but he couldn’t get close. He wasn’t allowed to interfere. That was the rule.

I coughed. And then again. Until I felt the metallic taste in my mouth.

Blood.

I was coughing up blood.

My hands trembled slightly as I wiped my lips and looked up. Dominic stood above me, looking down like he was studying me.

Then, he bent down, getting close. Too close.

His sharp eyes locked with mine.

I froze.

He reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“You can’t hide things from me, Cassie,” he said in a low voice. “I know you’re keeping something. I can see it in your eyes.”

My eyes widened. Panic shot through me.

Does he know I'm pregnant?

Did he hear something from the healer? Did someone tell him?

Suddenly, when his fingers held my chin, I felt a strange jolt of energy run through my body. It was powerful. Electric.

No…It’s impossible.

I pulled away from him, my body weak, but my instincts screaming at me to get some distance.

Dominic stood back up.

He felt it.

“Someone else will train you from now on. Someone who will push you past your limits. You have to be strong. Or else… I’ll have you removed from this pack.”

Then, he turned his back on me and walked away, just like that.

I was left on the ground, catching my breath, barely holding myself together. Moments later, Adrian rushed to my side.

“Cassie! Are you okay?” he asked, kneeling beside me. “He didn’t have to be that harsh—”

But I didn’t respond.

Because right then… something flashed in my mind.

A vision…

It played in my head like a scene from a dream.

Dominic. He was talking to someone.

A woman.

I couldn’t hear the words. I couldn’t make sense of it.

But she looked familiar.

Too familiar.

“Cassie?” Adrian asked again, but I was already lost in that strange vision.

Something wasn’t right.