Chapter 4

Esme's POV

I woke up before sunrise, the sound of training bells echoing across the Nightfall grounds. It was my first morning here, and I still felt like I was dreaming. The bed was too soft. The sheets smelled too clean. The ceiling above me wasn’t the cracked one I’d stared at for years in Shadow Pack.

This was real. I was home. At least, that’s what they kept telling me.

I pushed off the blanket and got dressed quickly in the simple training clothes someone had left for me. I wasn’t sure what the day held, but from the whispers I’d overheard last night, the pack wanted to “see what I was made of.” That sounded a lot like a test.

And I hated tests.

The hallway outside my room was empty and quiet. I followed the sound of clashing steel and barking orders until I stepped out into a wide training field. Warriors were already lined up, sparring under the rising sun. And right in the middle of it all stood Xavier.

“Late,” he said the second his eyes landed on me.

I blinked. “It’s not even dawn.”

“Exactly.” His voice was as cold and sharp as the wind cutting across the yard. “If you want to be part of this pack, you start when we start.”

I swallowed and nodded. “Got it.”

He watched me for a long second, then gestured for me to follow. “Today is about observation. We need to see where you stand.”

“I’ve never trained before,” I said, jogging to keep up.

“Then learn,” he replied without looking back. “You’re a Delvin now. That name comes with weight. You don’t get to hide behind excuses.”

I bit back a reply. This was clearly not the man to argue with.

Soren was waiting near the edge of the field, his usual calm expression already in place. “Morning, Esme,” he said gently. “How did you sleep?”

“Too well,” I admitted.

He smiled slightly. “That’s a good sign. It means you’re starting to feel safe.”

Xavier snorted. “Comfort makes people weak.”

Soren sighed. “And constant pressure breaks them.” He turned back to me. “We’ll balance it.”

The brothers were opposites in almost everything, and it showed.

Lucian appeared next, leaning casually against the fence like he had nowhere better to be. “Don’t mind them. One thinks the world runs on discipline, the other on logic. I say it runs on charm.”

“Charm won’t save her in a fight,” Dorian said, joining us from the shadows of the armory. His dark eyes landed on me, scanning me from head to toe. “But steel might.”

I shifted on my feet. “Should I be scared?”

Lucian grinned. “A little.”

“Definitely,” Dorian added.

Soren handed me a wooden staff. “We’re starting with the basics. Balance, coordination, and instinct.”

The first few drills were simple enough like dodging blows, shifting my weight, and reacting quickly. But as the minutes passed, the pace got harder. Xavier barked orders, Soren corrected my stance, and Dorian paired me with increasingly stronger opponents. By the end of the first hour, my legs were shaking and my arms felt like lead.

“Again,” Xavier said when I stumbled.

“I’m trying,” I panted.

“Don’t try, do it.” His voice didn’t soften even once. “You think anyone will go easy on you because you’re new? Because you’re the lost sister?”

“No,” I said quietly.

“Then prove it.”

I forced myself up and tried again, and again, and again.

By the time he finally called for a break, I was drenched in sweat and could barely breathe. But under all the exhaustion, a strange feeling burned in my chest and it felt like pride. I hadn’t given up.

Lucian tossed me a bottle of water. “Not bad for someone who’s never trained,” he said. “You lasted longer than I expected.”

I wiped my forehead. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“It’s the closest thing you’ll get from Xavier.”

Xavier ignored him. “She’s stubborn,” he said to no one in particular. “That’s something.”

“Stubborn is good,” Soren said. “It means she doesn’t quit.”

Dorian stepped closer, his voice low. “It also means she’ll survive.”

I didn’t fully understand what they meant, but the way they spoke, like I was more than just an omega, made something shift inside me. Maybe I could belong here.

The rest of the morning was a blur of lessons and introductions. Lucian walked me through the pack’s structure and alliances, pointing out key members and warning me about the ones who might not welcome me so easily. Soren took me to the infirmary, showing me how healing worked within the pack and how important a role it played in their strength. Dorian demonstrated combat techniques with terrifying ease, then patiently guided me through the basics.

Xavier mostly watched.

By the time afternoon rolled around, I was sore, starving, and completely overwhelmed. But I was learning about them, about myself, about the world I was now a part of.

And that was when Selene decided to strike.

It happened during lunch. I had just stepped into the dining hall when someone bumped into me hard from behind, sending the tray of food I was holding crashing to the floor.

“Oh no,” Selene gasped loudly, her hand over her mouth. “Clumsy little thing. You really don’t belong here, do you?”

A few warriors laughed. My cheeks burned.

I knelt quickly to pick up the mess, but a firm hand stopped me.

“Leave it,” Dorian said, stepping between us. His voice was low and dangerous. “She’s not your servant.” He said, facing Selene.

Selene’s smile tightened. “I didn’t say she was. I was just helping her see where she fits.”

“Careful, Selene,” Dorian said lightly, though his eyes were sharp. “You’re starting to sound desperate.”

Her gaze snapped to him. “I am the heir of this pack.”

Xavier walked in then, his presence immediately shifting the room. “No,” he said simply. “You’re not.”

The entire hall went silent. Selene’s face turned red. “You can’t just replace me!”

“We’re not replacing anyone,” Xavier said calmly. “We’re restoring what was lost.”

Selene glared at me, her voice dripping venom. “You’ll regret coming here.”

She turned and stormed out, her heels echoing across the floor.

I stared after her, my heart racing. “She hates me.”

“She’s threatened,” Xavier said. “There’s a difference.”

Dorian folded his arms. “And threats can be dealt with.”

“Don’t worry about Selene,” Dorian added gently. “Focus on yourself.”

I nodded slowly, though the weight of her words stuck with me.

********

The next few days passed in a blur of more training and endless lessons. The brothers pushed me in their different ways.

One afternoon, Soren had me attempt a focus exercise meant to draw out latent wolf energy. I didn’t expect anything to happen. But then my vision sharpened. My hearing expanded. My body felt alive in a way it never had before.

Soren’s eyes widened. “Incredible,” he whispered. “Your control is growing faster than expected.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, my heart pounding.

“It means,” he said slowly, “that there’s more to you than any of us realized.”

His words echoed in my head for the rest of the day. More to me. What did that mean?

By the end of the week, I was stronger, faster, and more confident than I’d ever been. But the unease never truly left. Selene’s glare in the hallways, the whispers behind my back, and the looks from warriors who weren’t convinced I belonged here.

That night, I was returning from a final session with Dorian when I noticed something on my bed. It was a small envelope sealed with dark red wax. My name was written on the front in neat, unfamiliar handwriting.

I glanced around the room. No one was there.

My pulse quickened as I picked it up. The wax was cold under my fingers, the seal unbroken. I stared at the letter for a long time, my heart racing faster with each second. Part of me wanted to rip it open right there. Another part was terrified of what I might find.

I sat on the edge of the bed, the envelope trembling slightly in my hands.

What if this letter changed everything?