Chapter 7: Breaking point

SERA

My body screamed as I collapsed onto the bed. Every muscle ached from morning training, but underneath the pain was something else, something I'd never felt before.

Power.

I stared at my hands, half-expecting them to glow silver. They looked normal now, but I knew better. I had destroyed a tree with a thought. I had made the Rogue King look at me with respect.

I wasn't the invisible Omega anymore.

A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," I said, sitting up.

Elena entered carrying a tray of food. The smell hit me, roasted chicken, vegetables, fresh bread and my stomach growled.

"Thought you might be hungry," she said with that warm smile. "You've earned it."

I took the tray, suddenly starving. "Thank you."

Elena sat in the chair by the window. "You did well this morning, the whole compound is talking about it."

"They're probably talking about how I destroyed a tree," I muttered between bites.

"They're talking about how you're the strongest wolf they've ever seen," Elena leaned forward. "You're not who you were yesterday, Sera. The sooner you accept that, the easier this becomes."

I set down my fork. "What if I don't want to be this person? What if I just want to be normal again?"

"Normal?" Elena's eyebrows rose. "You mean invisible? Powerless? Living in fear?" She shook her head. "That girl is gone, child and good riddance."

The words hit hard, she was right. I had hated being invisible, hated feeling weak, worthless, like I didn't matter. But this power, this danger, it was scary in a different way.

"What if I lose control?" I whispered. "What if I hurt someone I care about?"

"That's why you train." Elena stood, patting my shoulder. "Kade will make sure you're ready."

She left, and I finished eating alone. Rejected, awakened, kidnapped, training to become a weapon.

It was too much.

But I didn't have time to fall apart.

I forced myself up, wincing. I needed to clean up, change clothes, prepare for whatever came next. In the bathroom, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and froze.

My eyes still had silver threaded through the brown. My skin had a faint shimmer. Even my hair looked darker, shinier.

I looked dangerous.

I looked powerful.

I looked like someone I didn't recognize.

A sharp knock made me jump. "Five minutes," Kade's voice called through the door, "then we continue."

I splashed water on my face and changed into fresh training clothes. When I emerged, Kade was waiting in the hallway, looking completely fine after the morning's brutal session.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No," I admitted. "But let's do it anyway."

His lips twitched, "Good answer."

He led me back to the training ground, but this time it was empty, Just us. The afternoon sun was hot.

"Your power won't always save you," Kade said, circling me slowly. "Council killers are trained to stop abilities, they'll drug you, trap you, make you helpless. You need to fight without your Silver Blood power."

"How am I supposed to…."

He moved fast, grabbing my wrist and spinning me around, before I could react, my arm was twisted behind my back, his chest pressed against mine from behind.

"Like that," he said near my ear. "They'll use your size against you. Your fear, your hesitation."

I tried to pull free, but his grip was iron. Panic rose in my chest.

"Don't panic," he said. "Think, where am I weak right now?"

I forced myself to breathe, to look. He was taller, stronger, but he was also close. Very close. His stance was—

I stomped down hard on his foot while slamming my head backward.

He released me immediately, laughing. "Good! You're thinking."

We went again and again. He taught me how to break holds, where to strike, how to use my smaller size as an advantage. It was brutal and exhausting, but I was learning.

An hour passed, then two. My body was screaming, but I was also getting better, faster, more confident.

During a water break, we were both breathing hard, sweaty, and closer than we probably should have been. Kade handed me a bottle.

"You're learning fast," he said. "Faster than anyone I've trained."

"Maybe I'm motivated," I replied. "You know, with the whole 'Council wants to kill me' thing."

His face got more serious. "They will come for you, Sera. Not today, maybe not this week but they will come and when they do.."

"I'll be ready," I finished. "That's why we're doing this, right?"

He nodded slowly. "That's why we're doing this."

There was a moment, just a heartbeat where something passed between us. His eyes dropped to my lips, my breath caught. He was close enough that I could feel the heat from his body, could smell smoke and whiskey.

Then he stepped back, breaking whatever that was.

"Again," he said, his voice rougher.

We trained for another hour. By the time the sun started sinking, I could barely stand. But I had also managed to land several solid hits on him, which felt like winning.

"Enough," Kade finally said. "You've earned rest."

I was bent over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath when Marcus appeared. His face was serious.

"Kade," he said. "We have a problem."

Kade went tense immediately. "What kind of problem?"

"Council scouts." Marcus's eyes moved to me. "They were spotted two miles from our border. Three of them, wearing Council colors."

My blood ran cold. "Already?"

"They're not here for a friendly visit," Kade said, his voice hard. "They're checking our defenses, planning how to get to Sera."

"There's more," Marcus continued. "One of our guards recognized the leader. It's Aldric, the Council's chief killer."

The name meant nothing to me, but Kade's face went cold as stone.

"Aldric," he repeated. "They sent Aldric."

"Who's Aldric?" I asked, fear climbing up my spine.

Kade turned to me, and for the first time since I'd met him, I saw worry in his eyes.

"He's the wolf the Council sends when they want someone dead," he said quietly. "No trial, no talking, Just death."

The world tilted. "They're coming to kill me."

"Not if I kill him first," Kade said, his voice deadly. He turned to Marcus, "Get the fighters ready, double the patrols. No one enters this territory without my permission."

"Already done," Marcus replied.

Kade looked back at me. "Get inside, stay with Elena. Don't leave the main house until I come for you."

"But—"

"Sera." His voice was firm. "This is what I've been training you for. But you're not ready yet, not for Aldric." He stepped closer, his hand briefly touching my shoulder. "Trust me, let me handle this."

Before I could argue, he was already moving, walking toward the compound with Marcus, giving orders.

I stood alone in the training ground, my heart pounding.

The Council had sent their killer.

And he was coming for me.