LOGINJohanis' POV The crowd hadn’t even settled when Lily stomped dramatically onto the training ring, puffed up like an offended owl.“I would like to file an official complaint!” she declared, arms crossed, chin up, pinecones still in both pockets.Rio raised an eyebrow. “You’re not on the schedule, young mistress.”“Exactly! That’s the complaint!” She spun on her heel, pointing a firm finger at the parchment pinned beside the ring. “No sparring session for our age group until two whole weeks from now?! That’s basically a lifetime!”Some of the older trainees chuckled.“I could age into a grandma by then,” Lily continued, voice deadly serious. “Do you want that on your conscience, Uncle Beta Rio? A tiny, furious grandma with a hugeeeee grudge?”Rio pinched the bridge of his nose. “Liliana, we’ve discussed this already. A thousand times at that! Your group’s still being evaluated. You will start sparring soon.”She groaned, tugging at her hair. “But I already spar with Brinn and Aya and
Johanis' POV We barely had time to wipe our faces when Rio’s voice rang out again, slicing clean through the noise.“Next up! Aya versus Brinn.”That immediately sparked an eruption of “OHHHHH!” from the gathered pups and trainees, like someone had just tossed a fox into a henhouse.I honestly thought he would call another pair but here we are..Brinn stood, brushed off his tunic, and made a sweeping bow with a theatrical flourish. “My time has come.”Aya cracked her knuckles. “Your time has passed, squirrel-boy.”He shot her a grin. “You say that now, but wait till you see my secret move.”“I swear in Goddess’ name,” she said, already stretching, “..if it’s another somersault-and-trip combo, I’m feeding you to Lily’s weird forest friends.”“Hey!” Lily shouted from the benches, looking deeply torn. “Wait—I—who do I even cheer for??!”I didn’t envy her. Brinn was her partner-in-mischief, her designated chaos twin. But Aya? Aya braided her hair, kept her from climbing trees upside-down
Johanis' POVHe vanished.One second, Sari was across the ring, shoulders relaxed like this was a lazy spar in the training fields. The next? Gone. Just a shimmer of dust in the space where he'd stood.I didn't hesitate. I dove left.Something—movement, wind, instinct—tugged at me just in time for Sari to appear behind where I’d been. He was fast. Not just "fast-for-a-wolf" fast. Fast like he'd been saving it. Holding back this entire time during training, like he’d been waiting for something like this.Like this.“Reflexes still sharp, young master.” he said mildly, circling me.I kept my knees bent, body low. “You tried to ambush me. During a formal duel.”“We’re not dead-serious until contact. And I made no contact,” he said, tone smug.“You almost made contact with my spleen.”Sari shrugged, stepping lightly around the edge of the circle like it was a dance floor. “You were late to wake-up call. Consider this your espresso.”I didn’t answer. I just moved.We clashed in the middle.
Johanis' POV Someone was breathing on me.I didn’t mean like... peacefully. Not the warm, loving kind of breath that says ‘Good morning, dear sibling of mine, I bring you cinnamon buns and emotional support.'No.This was chaotic breath. Morning breath. Too-close-to-my-face breath.Then came the whisper.“Rise, Alpha of the Blankets.”I groaned. Why on Goddess’ name!? It's still so early!“Johaaa,” came a second voice—higher pitched, overly chipper, too full of menace for this hour.I cracked one eye open and was immediately greeted by Lily’s upside-down face. She was hanging off the top bunk like a deranged bat, hair a mess, glitter still stuck to her cheek from yesterday’s “pre-battle morale dance.”Behind her stood Brinn and Sari—both leaning dramatically into my doorway, arms folded like they were bouncers at a club exclusively for sleep-deprived teens. Aya, surprisingly, was the only one not performing interpretive chaos. She stood near the window, arms crossed, expression flat,
Johanis’ POVOur house smelled like impending doom. Or possibly Lily’s new "training snack" experiment.I opened the front door and immediately staggered backward as a strange smell slapped me in the face.“Is that… is that burnt honey? Why does it smell like so much regret?”Lily appeared from behind the kitchen counter with flour on her nose and what looked like melted gummy worms stuck to her shirt. “It’s combat pudding, Joha.” she declared, rather proudly if I might add.“Combat pudding?” What on earth was that?“High in sugar. High in hope. Low in structural integrity.”“I feel like that last part’s important.”“It is,” said Mama, sitting at the kitchen table with the calm of someone who had given up controlling anything in this household after the last glitter explosion. “Important to avoid, which is why I told her she is not allowed to bring it to the dueling field tomorrow.”Lily groaned dramatically. “But what if someone needs a morale boost mid-spar? Or a surprise distractio
Johanis’ POVExactly one week after Family Week ended in a sticky, starry, pinecone-confession kind of blur, the forest no longer smelled like roasted tubers and whipped cream. It smelled like dirt. Like sweat. Like someone’s boot got too close to a dead squirrel and forgot to mention it.We were no longer rolling in pies and glitter.We were training.“NO, NO, NO—YOU CAN’T JUST YEET YOURSELF INTO DANGER AND HOPE IT WORKS OUT!” Uncle Rio bellowed, his voice echoing across the ridge like thunder on espresso.Lily groaned into the moss, face-down. “But what if I believe in the power of surprise?”“Nope. Surprise is not a strategy. Surprise is a byproduct of a good plan,” he snapped, striding forward with his usual chaotic grace. His boots were caked in dirt, his long-sleeved shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing wiry forearms and several bite scars he claimed were “character builders.” He blew the whistle around his neck for emphasis, which made Lily whimper dramatically.“Dead ag
Jacob's POV"You mean.. wolves' blood is the reason why this forest is alive?" Ben questioned."Maybe. I am also not sure about it," I answered.All of us memorized the paths that we should be taking. Sinking and drilling into our brains all of the confusing patterns and rhythms."Let's not hurry. If we
Sophia's POV"Well then, I'm gonna leave you two ladies here. Oh and please do return to your dorm room Ms. Williams once it is curfew. Now Ms. Addison please have fun and resign upstairs after a little while so that you can rest. You have the whole day tomorrow to tour around the dormitories." She w
Benjamin's POV "Now you've done it! Is it even safe here!? The forest is alive! Surely you knew it!? You really want us to die, don't you?!" Jacob sharply turned his head while slightly raising his voice. Every step he took, each question flew out of his mouth. He was about to be rude once again, an
Jacob's POV"What's so deadly about that trail? They were just mere flowers! The only advantage it has is that those goddamn plants are giants!" I slightly raised my voice. Fully aware that my gestures are rude. Again. But hey! I can't just let him underestimate us!"Looks like you are now okay. Seein







