Four

Kahlan's pov

My attention was still locked in on the corner he just turned even though he wasn't there anymore.

Rude bastard. 

"Are you okay?" Freya said eyes and hands roaming my body in a panicked frenzy. 

"He didn't crush you or threaten you, or do anything to you right?" She asked, eyes still frantic.

"No.... but wait, who was that?" I asked, genuine curiosity getting the best of me despite the fact that my heart was still beating too loudly and my skin was burning from his touch 

"That's... That's Soren Blackstone... He's like the King of the School and well... an Alpha." Freya said.

"Alpha as in .... werewolf?"  

"Not just any werewolf, his father runs the werewolf clan. They're basically a big deal. Like the Alpha of all Alphas."

So he's a large dog explains why he's such a brute.

"But you look awfully flushed and why are your cheeks so red? Are you sure you're okay?"

I huffed then I threw back the question.

"What about you? How can you just let someone bully you like that?" I said gesturing to where she had been standing with the other giant of a man.

"Bully?" She asked sounding confused then her browse settled, realization dawned and red covered her cheeks.

She was blushing... when she noticed my expression she quickly cleared her throat.

"He wasn't bullying me. We were just having a conversation..." She said turning away from me opening a locker behind her. "You should be worried about yourself right now."

She said turning to me with a hand on her hip.

"I'm totally fine." my voice came out almost squeaky. Not like how I actually wanted to sound.

"I'm not talking about what happened with Soren," she said, "your a rider tomorrow is orientation."

"Ohh... And?" I didn't see what the big fuss was about.

"Well, principal Derek will fill you in on that... come on let's go the dorms Roomie... you need the rest for tomorrow, you can even have the bigger bed."

That has to the millionth time she mentioned tomorrow.

What exactly was happening tomorrow?

~~~~

"So you apparently don't care this place smells like burning skin," I said, wrinkling my nose as Derek led me toward the riders' section.

"Well, the dragons hate panic," Derek said casually, as though the stench of cooked flesh was something he’d gotten used to. "And we don't really question them."

I stared at him. "So, they can murder anyone they want?"

He glanced at me like I’d just asked if water was wet. "A dragon is not a slave over here. They’re akin to gods. Old creatures of great knowledge. They don’t go around killing people—aside from those who piss them off. Consider this your fair warning."

My jaw dropped. "You sound like you should get the Father of the Year award. Sending me off to dragons?, who does that besides you said you would train me, not kill me."

He chuckled lightly. "Yes, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. The more physical training," he glanced behind me "Professor Carl will handle it. Don’t die today, Kahlan. I might not be the best father, but this is what your mother would have wanted."

That last line hit differently and for the very first time I saw sadness on his face, He didn’t wait for a response. He just nodded once, a silent goodbye, and walked away.

I turned, and there it was...the yard.

The drill yard stretched wide, surrounded by towering, ancient stone walls. They were weathered and cracked, blackened in places by old scorch marks that screamed of previous training sessions gone wrong. The ground was packed dirt, worn smooth in some places and gouged with deep claw marks in others. Everything smelled faintly of smoke, sweat, and something metallic—blood, maybe. It was…. intimidating, to say the least.

"You just going to stand there all day, cadet?" a sharp voice barked.

I turned around only to see a woman staring me down her hair was pulled into the tightest bun I’d ever seen—tight enough to hurt, tight enough that it screamed discipline or insanity, probably both. This had to be Professor Carl.

I forced my legs to move, stepping onto the dirt field.

"Stamina. Balance. Breath," she barked, pacing as she spoke. "You cannot ride a dragon if your lungs are on strike. Panic is contagious, and your calm should be a skill."

In my head, it translated to something simpler: Don’t faint in the saddle. Don’t shit yourself when a creature the size of a mountain decides you’re interesting and, for the love of everything holy, don’t be stupid.

"You will be trained by my finest students," Carl continued. "Kai, Vivian and Soren."

My heart dropped. Soren. The creep who had the audacity to put his hands—Nope. Not thinking about that smug bastard, Almost as if he was summoned by my hatred, his eyes found mine even with the crowd . He was standing on a raised platform, arms folded across his chest, expression unreadable.

I looked down at my boots which had become very interesting

Professor Carl called two more names "You cadets are a hundred in total and each trainer will take twenty and you'll all be picking trainers randomly "

Random.

Right.

My luck never played nice.

The ballot box came closer, I whispered a desperate prayer. "Anyone but him. Please, anyone but him." I unfolded the slip of paper.

Vivian.

I heaved a sigh of relief and made my way to stand behind Vivian. Soren’s gaze burned into my skin, but I didn’t care. He wasn’t going to be my trainer

I made sure he could see the smile on my face and to make sure he knew I was happy I stuck my tongue out at him.

Childish? Absolutely.

Worth it? Completely.

He smirked. The arrogant, infuriating bastard smirked and leaned over to Vivian, murmuring something in her ear. Before I could process what was happening, she switched places with him.

No. No way.

"Professor Carl, I..." I started, but a deafening roar cut me off.

The world froze.

I looked up, my heart lodging in my throat.

Birds?

But then again birds didn’t have scales, or wings that blocked out the sun, or eyes that burned brighter than any flame.

Dragons.

Three of them descended into the yard, shaking the earth as they landed. One was a shimmering, dangerous blue that moved like a storm given flesh. Another, a deep, bloody red, stalked forward with terrifying grace. And the last—black, dark as midnight, wings folding tight against a body that looked carved from shadows and it stood proudly behind Soren.

Everyone else seemed calm. Like this was… normal. Like dragons dropping into your training yard was just part of a regular Tuesday.

I’d seen dragons before... that's if watching Maleficent counted. But this? This was nothing like that. The scales, the ridges, the heat rolling off them in waves—it was too real, too much.

I don't even know when it happened but I took two steps back

The red dragon lowered its massive head, eyes locking on a student at the front. I was at the end of the line, yet even from there I felt the heat roll off its breath, each exhale scorching the air.

Then it happened. A scream shattered the silence, high and sharp, and in an instant both dragons spread their wings. The red one reared back and unleashed a torrent of fire at the student.

Chaos exploded. Shouts rose, bodies crashed into one another as cadets bolted for the exits. The air filled with smoke, fire, and the thunder of wings.

But I couldn’t move. Unlike the rest, my feet stayed rooted to the dirt—not because I wanted to, but because Soren’s disapproving glare pinned me where I stood, colder than the flames tearing through the yard.

The blue dragon joined in too they unleashed fire on the cadets who ran. Screams filled the air The smell of burning flesh hit me—and with it the sharp, humiliating stench of piss and fear.

My stomach lurched. I couldn’t breathe.

And then the black dragon moved. It lifted its head, molten eyes fixing not on the crowd but on me.

I was so screwed.