Chapter 1

Anna’s POV

“Anna, attack his right side this time!”

Ethan, my pack’s counselor, shouted as one of our Beta warriors slammed me into the dirt.

I still had no idea why Ethan had dragged me into secret training shortly after my eighteenth birthday, nearly six months ago.

All I knew was that when he came to find me, he had stared at me in stunned silence for nearly a minute.

Every wolf was expected to train harder after turning eighteen. It strengthened the bond between us and our wolves, while giving the pack a chance to assess our potential in case they needed fresh blood among their warriors.

I had just never expected to be considered.

Yes, I was Alpha Eax’s daughter, but I was only a hybrid, a half Alpha. Because my mother was an Omega.

An Alpha hybrid possessed neither the strength and power of an Alpha nor the ability to work and support the pack like an Omega.

To everyone, I was a stain on Father’s pure Alpha bloodline and a hybrid like me was even lower than an Omega.

For as long as I could remember, the wolves in our pack had mocked me and my mother. They called me a bastard and a low-class wolf. They called my mother a shameless schemer who had crawled into the Alpha’s bed shortly after he lost his mate.

“Focus, Anna!” Ethan snapped when I remained on the ground. “If this were a real battle, you would already be dead.”

The Beta warrior lunged at me again, reaching for my throat.

Before anyone could react, I slipped beneath his grasp and darted to his other side.

His eyes widened. He turned, searching for me, but I was already behind him with my hand pressed against his throat.

“Still too slow!” Ethan strode toward me, scowling. “I’ve waited fifty years for a student worthy of my time. Don’t disappoint me, Anna.”

A man slowly stepped out of the shadows.

His scent was unfamiliar.

He approached Ethan and me with an amused smile. “Still as grumpy as ever, old Ethan? No wonder none of the wolves dare come near you.”

Ethan merely grunted. “I’m teaching her to be fast. She’s already smaller than all those… you know who. If she isn’t fast enough, how will she ever fight against…”

His voice trailed off as the man stopped in front of me and leaned closer.

His scent grew stronger, but strangely, even though I had never met him before, I sensed no danger from him.

“Anna, right?”

I gave a small nod.

He lightly patted my head, and suddenly, my legs felt as though thousand-pound stones had been tied to them.

I tried to move, but I couldn’t even lift my feet.

“What happened to us?” my wolf, Vaxy, demanded inside my head.

She was angry about what the strange man had done. She bared her teeth and snarled at him.

But the man only smiled.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a little mind trick. I’ve made you believe thousand-pound stones are tied to your arms and legs. From now on, you’ll be training your strength whenever you walk, eat, or do almost anything else.”

I urged Vaxy to calm down.

I sensed no hostility from either Ethan or this man. Perhaps they were truly trying to help me become stronger.

After all, the stronger I became, the better chance I had of protecting my mother and myself.

And even if they were only teasing me, it wasn’t as though I could refuse and simply walk away.

For now, staying calm and figuring out what they wanted from me was the smartest choice.

Vaxy slowly lowered her teeth, and we both settled down.

The man looked pleased by my reaction. “Impulsive, but still able to control your wolf. Very good, Anna.”

Just then, my mother’s voice rang through my head. “Anna, where are you?”

She was mind-linking me.

I ducked beneath a tree and shifted back, “Master Ethan, my mother is calling for me.”

“Then go.” Ethan waved his hand dismissively.

I had left my clothes nearby. As I found them and began getting dressed, I heard Ethan’s voice drifting through the trees.

Werewolves had exceptional hearing, and mine was no different. So I could tell Ethan had deliberately lowered his voice.

The fact that he didn’t want me to hear only made me more curious.

Still pulling on my clothes, I quietly moved closer.

“Ouch. So many bruises. I’ve never been beaten this badly before.” The Beta murmured.

“No kidding,” Ethan replied. “The … fighter I’ve seen in all my years. But it’s strange. I’ve normally only seen this kind of … ability in descendants with pure Alpha blood.”

The strange man chuckled. “Be gentle with your student, Ethan. Don’t destroy her confidence before she even gets the chance to show them her potential.”

“You know nothing,” Ethan shot back instantly. “I was pushing her to the edge. You saw how fast she moved. She can be much faster than she is now. The one and only—”

The rest of his words vanished into the wind.

Pure Alpha blood? This kind of ability? Are they talking about me?

Just as I lost in my own thoughts, Ethan’s voice suddenly came from much closer. “Eavesdropping? Have I taught you nothing except that?”

My heart nearly leaped into my throat.

“Sorry, Master,” I said quickly. “I was only getting dressed.”

I started walking out of the woods, but before I could leave completely, Ethan called after me.

“Tell no one about our training. Remember—no one. Not even your mother.”

I hesitated before answering. “Yes, Master Ethan.”

I had no choice but to agree.

Besides, I didn’t want to tell my mother about this strange training yet. Not until I understood whether the potential they kept talking about was a gift or something dangerous.

Telling her now would only put her at risk.

And it wasn’t as though she could help me.

She treated Father’s every word as law, obeying him without question. Anything I told her would eventually reach him.

I loved her, but I hadn’t confided in her for a long time.

Sometimes, it felt as though she was more my father’s mate than she was my mother.

…

It was a long walk from the woods where I trained to the pack house.

Before I even reached the entrance, I spotted Mother pacing back and forth by the gate.

She looked anxious—almost frantic.

Had something happened between her and Father?

“Mother,” I called.

Her head snapped up. Her eyes were red and swollen.

She had been crying.

The moment I saw her tears, I rushed toward her and grabbed her arms.

“Mother, why are you crying? Did someone say something cruel again? Have those wolves been bothering you?”

Mother pulled away from my grip and caught my hand instead. “Come with me. Your father has summoned both of us.”

Her fingers were ice-cold, and they wouldn’t stop shaking.

Mother was usually nervous. Her brows were almost always drawn together, as though she expected something terrible to happen.

But today was different. She wasn’t merely anxious. She was truly terrified.