Chapter Two

Aria’s POV

“Kael?” My voice caught in my throat as he stood in the doorway, broad shoulders filling the frame like he owned it.

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes scanned the small dorm, then landed back on me. I pulled the sheets higher over my chest, heat rising in my face at how close I had come to being exposed.

“What are you doing here?” I forced my tone sharp, like I wasn’t rattled.

Kael stepped inside without asking. The door creaked wider behind him, torchlight from the corridor spilling across the floor.

 “You sleep lightly, Ironclaw.”

“You broke my door open,” I shot back. “Anyone would’ve woken up.”

He smirked at that, not even pretending to feel guilty. His gaze lingered too long, studying me the way he had in the arena, like I was some kind of puzzle.

“What do you want, Draven?” I asked, tightening the sheet around me.

He tilted his head, crimson eyes narrowing just slightly. “To look you in the eye without an audience.”

I gritted my teeth. “Congratulations. You’ve seen me. Now get out.”

Kael ignored that and stepped further in, boots heavy on the floorboards. He glanced at the desk, the plain walls, then back to me.

 “Small room for someone who just humiliated me in front of the Academy.”

“That wasn’t my goal.”

“Doesn’t matter.” His eyes sharpened. “You did.”

I tightened my grip on the sheet, forcing my voice steady. “If you came here to complain, you’re wasting both our time.”

Kael’s mouth curved. “I came here because no one has ever put me on the ground like that. Not once. Not ever.”

“Then maybe you should train harder.”

He barked a short laugh. “Or maybe I should train you out of this Academy.”

My wolf bristled inside me, pushing against my control, but I held still. “You lost, Draven. Accept it and move on.”

Instead of leaving, he closed the space between us, stopping just at the edge of the bed. His aura pressed heavy, daring me to flinch.

“You’re not ordinary, Ironclaw. I can feel it. And I don’t like not knowing what I’m dealing with.”

I forced myself to meet his stare. “Then stay out of my way.”

For a moment, neither of us moved. The air felt sharp, charged.

Finally, Kael leaned back, still smirking. “We’ll see.”

Kael lingered, eyes flicking over me one last time before he spoke again.

 “Enjoy tonight, Ironclaw. Because it won’t happen again. I’ll get stronger. And next time, I’ll crush you.”

I rolled my eyes, though my pulse jumped at the certainty in his tone. “Big words for someone who couldn’t stay on his feet.”

That grin of his widened. “You think I’m worried? Kaiden is. He’s always watching my back, always telling me to slow down. But I don’t care what he says. I’ll break you piece by piece until I know what makes you different.”

The way he said it made my chest tighten. I kept my voice flat. “Try it, Draven. You’ll end up flat on your back again.”

He laughed under his breath, low and dangerous, then finally turned toward the door.

 “Sleep well, Ironclaw. You’ll need it.”

The moment the door shut behind him, I locked it fast, pressing my back to the wood. My heart was still pounding and my wolf restless.

I whispered to myself, “He’s not going to let this go.”

The very next day, I started to notice him. At first, I thought it was chance. The training grounds were crowded, heirs sparring in every corner, but Kael still managed to end up across from me. His eyes followed every move I made.

In history class, he sat two rows back. I kept my focus on the scholar scribbling about the Lunar Ages, but I could feel his stare boring into the back of my neck.

And at night, when patrol duty rotated and I was supposed to walk the walls alone, I heard the steady rhythm of footsteps trailing behind me. Not close enough to call him out, but close enough that I knew it was him.

Coincidence? No. I tightened my guard, told myself to ignore it, but the truth was obvious.

I hadn’t just beaten him in the arena.

I had earned myself a stalker.

By the time sparring class came around again, I already knew what to expect.

Kael didn’t even wait for the instructor to call pairings. He stepped straight into my space, staff already in hand, eyes daring me to refuse.

“Again, Ironclaw,” he said, voice low but sharp enough for the others nearby to hear. “Show me it wasn’t luck.”

I wanted to refuse. To shrug him off and take the easy fight with someone else. But if I backed down, it would only make things worse. So I nodded, lifted my staff, and braced myself.

The clash came hard and fast. He pressed me with relentless force, his strikes sharper than before, faster, calculated. He wasn’t trying to humiliate me this time—he was trying to peel me apart, layer by layer, until I slipped.

“Not bad,” he taunted between strikes. “But you’re holding back. Why?”

I ground my teeth, forcing my arms steady. “I’m not.”

“Liar.” He shoved harder, his aura pushing against mine. “I can feel it. You’re hiding something.”

My heart jumped. My wolf stirred, clawing at my chest, begging to be unleashed. Just one mistake, one flash of red aura, and my disguise would burn away in front of everyone.

The instructor shouted for restraint, but Kael ignored it, driving me back step by step until my heels nearly touched the edge of the circle.

I forced a counterstrike, twisting his momentum aside and slipping past him before he could corner me. The crowd of heirs roared, but all I heard was the pounding in my ears.

Kael grinned, his red eyes flashing. “Better. But not enough. Not nearly enough.”