Chapter 106: Preparing the Storm

Morning came, but it brought no peace.

The sun rose behind thick clouds, casting a grey gloom over the estate that matched the unease hanging in the air. The wolves were restless. The guards doubled. The northern perimeter had become a hive of movement, as warriors from neighboring allied packs arrived, summoned by Elias’s signal fire.

War was no longer a distant possibility.

It was now a question of when.

Serena sat at the far end of the training field, her legs folded beneath her, palms open against the grass as she tried to quiet the storm inside. Her energy had not calmed since the breach—it coiled tightly in her core, pulsing with an awareness that something bigger was coming. Something that demanded she be more than ready.

“Still trying to meditate?”

She cracked open one eye to find Zara approaching, two wooden staffs in hand and her braid slung over one shoulder like a whip.

“I’m trying not to explode,” Serena muttered.

Zara smirked and tossed her a staff. “Then hit something. It helps.”

Serena caught it, rising to her feet. “I’m not sure hitting you is the wisest idea.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Zara said, circling. “You need to let it out before it consumes you. You’ve been running on restraint and guesswork for weeks.”

Serena held the staff tightly. “Because if I don’t hold it back, I’m scared of what I’ll do.”

“Then this is the perfect place to figure it out.”

The first strike came quick—Zara lunged, aiming for Serena’s ribs. But Serena spun, deflecting the blow with a clean sweep. Her instincts had sharpened. Her senses were faster.

Zara’s eyes narrowed. “Not bad.”

They moved again, faster now. Staff clashed against staff. Dust kicked up from the ground. Serena found herself breathing harder, but not from fatigue—from adrenaline. Every swing, every block, poured her tension out.

“I saw the breach,” Zara said mid-strike. “Felt the magic. I’ve only seen something like that once.”

“When?”

“Years ago. Before I joined Elias’s pack. A rogue coven unleashed a blood ward on a rival Alpha’s territory. It destroyed everything—burned through the land like acid. But this… this is worse.”

Their staffs locked mid-air. Serena’s breath hitched. “You think they’re targeting Elias?”

Zara shook her head. “No. I think they’re targeting you.”

Serena’s grip tightened.

She knew it in her bones. This wasn’t about pack power or territory. This was about her.

Her blood. Her lineage. Her magic.

The prophecy Elias’s father had whispered before his death—the one about the Silver Flame—came clawing back.

What if this was what it meant?

Serena dropped her staff.

Zara blinked. “Done already?”

“No,” she said. “Not with you.”

She turned on her heel and walked straight toward the inner courtyard where Theron was barking orders at a line of younger warriors.

When he saw her, his lips pulled into a scowl. “Didn’t think you’d show your face out here.”

“I need your help,” Serena said, stopping in front of him.

Theron arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

“I need to learn how to fight like them.” She nodded at the line of elite warriors. “I’m tired of guessing what I can do.”

Theron folded his arms. “You want me to train you? Now?”

“I want you to push me. Break me down if you have to. But I need to be ready. Not just with magic. With everything.”

He studied her for a long moment. “What did Elias say?”

“He doesn’t know I’m here.”

That earned her a low whistle. “Brave. Or stupid.”

“Maybe both.”

Theron cracked a smile—the first real one she’d ever seen. “Alright, princess. Let’s see what you’re really made of.”

The next few hours blurred into sweat, bruises, and pain.

Theron didn’t hold back. He was ruthless, fast, and unrelenting. He made her run drills until her legs trembled, made her block and fall and rise again until she saw stars.

But with every hit, she learned.

Her power didn’t just sit in her core like a ticking bomb—it flowed. With each punch, she could feel it sharpening her vision, strengthening her limbs, warning her a half-second before a strike landed.

She wasn’t just fighting.

She was transforming.

By the time Elias appeared at the edge of the field, the sun was high overhead, and Serena was on the ground, panting, one arm raised to block a final strike from Theron.

Elias crossed his arms. “Am I interrupting?”

Theron snorted. “Not at all. She’s finally learning how not to die.”

“Glad to hear it,” Elias said, walking to Serena and offering a hand.

She took it, letting him pull her up. Her entire body ached, but it was a good ache. The kind that reminded her she was still alive. Still fighting.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Elias asked quietly.

“Because you would’ve told me to rest,” she said, brushing sweat from her brow. “But I can’t afford that now.”

His gaze softened, but there was steel in his voice. “I don’t want to lose you, Serena.”

“You won’t,” she said. “Because I’m not going down without a fight.”

He pulled her into his arms, pressing his forehead to hers. “Then I’ll be fighting beside you.”

Later that night, as the warriors settled around the bonfire for a final strategy meeting, Serena sat beside Elias, her senses prickling with awareness.

Something was coming. She could feel it.

And just as Elias began outlining the new patrol formations, a howl split through the air.

A warning howl.

The guards along the outer wall took off running. Serena and Elias rose in unison.

Zara returned moments later, pale. “We found something at the southern edge of the forest. A body. Bound in shadows.”

Serena’s blood ran cold. “Another message?”

“No,” Zara said grimly. “This time… it’s bait.”